The Lineup Show - 5 Fantasy Rookies Who Will BREAKOUT at Training Camp
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
32 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Jul 15, 2026
Published
Wed, July 15, 2026
31
Player insights
20
Players mentioned
Topics
Kenyon SadiqElijah SarrattJadarian PriceMalachi FieldsRicky PearsallBrenton StrangeChristian KirkGarrett WilsonGeno SmithGeorge KittleIsaiah LikelyLamar JacksonMark AndrewsMason Taylor
Player analysis
Player insights
Brenton Strange
NegativeProjection33:22
Brenton Strange is a roster clogger with a ceiling of tight end nine even if he catches nine touchdowns, offering minimal upside compared to Sadiq Usman.
Insight pageChristian Kirk
NegativeProjection39:08
Christian Kirk is described as the corpse of his former self and will be beaten out by Dejan Stribling almost immediately for meaningful work in the 49ers offense.
Insight pageElijah Sarratt
PositiveBreakout0:07
Surratt is an insane high-upside value at WR63 with elite zone coverage success rate (83.3%, second-best in 2026 draft class) and potential to be a ball-winning option for Lamar Jackson.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:08
Surratt is being compared to Puka Nakua's rookie season in terms of upside potential, with a fragile depth chart below Zay Flowers creating opportunity.
Insight pagePositiveRole0:08
Surratt has a path to being really productive in year one as one of the two rookie receivers with genuine opportunity in the Ravens offense.
Insight pageGarrett Wilson
PositiveRole0:19
Wilson is the primary receiver target that Sadiq will compete with in the Jets offense.
Insight pageGeno Smith
PositiveMatchup0:18
Sadiq's success will depend on building rapport with Geno Smith throughout training camp and preseason.
Insight pageGeorge Kittle
PositiveInjury40:16
George Kittle is a key player to watch during training camp to see if he's getting up to speed quickly after tearing his Achilles in the wildcard round last season.
Insight pageIsaiah Likely
PositiveRole0:10
Isaiah Likely has left the Ravens, creating vacated targets in the offense that could go to receivers like Surratt.
Insight pageJadarian Price
PositiveBreakout0:01
Price is perfectly poised to ride the hype train during training camp as Charbonnet won't be a full participant, giving him an easy path to serious work with the starters by the end of camp.
Insight pagePositiveValue0:03
Price's ADP will likely inflate significantly during training camp hype despite questionable long-term value; currently 132nd overall on Sleeper (12th-13th round) but expected to rise substantially.
Insight pagePositiveProjection0:03
Price's ADP varies significantly across platforms: 132nd overall on Sleeper versus 62nd overall (RB26) on Fantasy Pros, indicating market uncertainty.
Insight pageKenyon Sadiq
PositiveInjury0:17
Sadiq missed all OTAs after undergoing a procedure for a pre-existing hernia issue but is confirmed to return for training camp.
Insight pagePositiveRole0:18
At Oregon, Sadiq was incredible with 51 receptions for 560 yards and 8 touchdowns; he's compared to a wide receiver playing tight end with potential to build rapport with Geno Smith.
Insight pageNegativeMatchup0:18
Sadiq landed with the Jets, which is not an ideal situation; he'll compete for targets with Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper Jr., A.D. Mitchell, and Mason Taylor.
Insight pagePositiveBreakout0:19
If Sadiq proves immediately that he's a serious target earner with good rapport with Geno Smith, he could become a waiver wire gem at TE21 with significant upside.
Insight pageLamar Jackson
PositiveMatchup0:10
When attached to Lamar Jackson at quarterback, magical things can happen for receivers; Lamar has supported two pass catchers before in fantasy.
Insight pageMalachi Fields
PositiveBreakout0:11
Fields is a day-two pick with great size and upside to develop into a perimeter receiver; his value will climb substantially during camp as Malik Neighbors won't participate.
Insight pagePositiveRole0:12
Fields has a unique, valuable skill set and an opportunity to become the number two receiver on the Giants in short order, potentially leading the team in target share if Neighbors isn't available early.
Insight pagePositiveValue0:12
Fields is currently undraftable but will likely be drafted in the last round of redraft leagues after training camp hype; he's a late-round flyer with significant upside.
Insight pageMark Andrews
NegativeRole0:10
Mark Andrews is projected to have a diminished role in the Ravens offense, with his vacated targets potentially going to receivers like Surratt.
Insight pageMason Taylor
PositiveRole0:19
Mason Taylor, a second-round tight end pick from last year, will compete with Sadiq for targets in the Jets offense.
Insight pageMike Evans
PositiveRole40:34
Mike Evans is the wide receiver one in the 49ers offense with no one getting close to sniffing him, establishing him as the clear top target.
Insight pageOmar Cooper Jr.
PositiveRole0:19
Omar Cooper Jr., a rookie first-round receiver out of Indiana, will compete with Sadiq for targets in the Jets offense.
Insight pagePuka Nacua
PositiveProjection45:28
Puka Nakua is cited as a comparable example of a day-three pick who developed into one of the best receivers in the league despite concerns about his athletic profile and weaknesses.
Insight pageRicky Pearsall
NegativeProjection41:52
Ricky Pearsall has played only 20 games in his career, averaging just over three catches for 46 yards with three touchdowns, raising concerns about his ability to maintain priority over Dejan Stribling.
Insight pageNegativeBust47:08
The analyst has not been impressed with Ricky Pearsall when he's been on the field and believes the 49ers' decision to draft Stribling signals they don't feel great about Pearsall either.
Insight pageNegativeInjury48:43
Ricky Pearsall has a concerning injury history with injuries left and right, raising questions about whether he'll even be healthy during training camp.
Insight pageSam LaPorta
PositiveProjection35:31
Sam Laporta finished as tight end one in his rookie year despite landing in a crowded Lions offense with multiple pass-catchers, providing a comparable path for Sadiq Usman despite the Jets' worse situation.
Insight pageZach Charbonnet
PositiveValue0:04
Charbonnet is a much better value bet than Jadarian Price at cost, but won't be participating in training camp, so league mates will focus hype on Price instead.
Insight pageZay Flowers
PositiveRole0:07
Flowers is the clear wide receiver one for the Ravens, with a fragile depth chart below him creating opportunity for rookies like Surratt.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
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0:48Learn more at grow.google.com. Everybody knows Jeremiah Love and Carnell Tate, but who are the sneaky rookies that your league mates aren't thinking about?
0:55It's time to break down five rookies who could see their prices skyrocket during training camp.
1:00Let's go. Welcome into the Lion Fantasy Football Show.
1:03I'm Mitch Anderson. I'm Justin Mello. And Mello, training camp is almost here.
1:06Let's talk about five rookies who are about to ride the hype train straight into August.
1:11You start first with, I think this is one of the most popular guys out there.
1:16Yeah. I mean, you mentioned in the intro there, the big names like Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Love.
1:21I'm only going a notch below that to start.
1:24We're warming up here, getting you into it. And that is Jadarian Price of the Seattle Seahawks.
1:29I will be completely honest and blunt right out of the gate.
1:32I don't know that the price of price, that sounds like I'm stuttering, but I promise I'm not.
1:38But I don't know that the price of price should go up.
1:41But I'm confident that it will as we head into camp.
1:45We, as a fantasy community, get rookie fever in August every single year.
1:48It's what we do, especially with high draft picks.
1:51Look at guys like Travion Henderson and Emeka Abuka just last year.
1:55And the way their ADPs got higher than Ricky Williams once camp started.
1:58We just inflate them so much as soon as there's any sort of camp hype.
2:03And Price is perfectly poised to be the next passenger on that same hype train.
2:07Assuming Charbonnet is not practicing in full in camp, which is the only realistic outcome.
2:12But there's no way he's going to be a full participant in camp, despite some, or barring some sort of divine intervention.
2:18So Price is going to have a very easy path to serious work in camp.
2:23And we're going to open camp, and you're going to be seeing a whole lot of George Helani and Emmanuel Wilson.
2:29They're going to be working with the starters. I would bet even more than Jadarian Price at the start of camp, because that's what coaches do.
2:37They don't let the rookies work with the starters.
2:39I mean, rare cases like a Jeremiah Love. But even that, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of Tyler Durrell's year out the gate.
2:47But I would bet the naming rights to my firstborn child, Mitch, that neither George Helani or Emmanuel Wilson is talented enough
2:53to prevent Rice from getting the bulk of the work with the ones by the end of camp.
2:59And we all see it coming. But once it happens, all of a sudden, everyone will be like, Oh my God, Jadarian
3:05Price is going to be the bell cow on the defending Super Bowl champions.
3:09We need to draft him even earlier, and his ADP is going to pump up, and he's going to go super high.
3:16And that's especially true on platforms like Sleeper, where he's going in such a vast range of places, depending on where you look.
3:23Sleeper right now has him 132nd overall, which is criminally low, 12th, 13th round.
3:27He's going to shoot way up there by the time we hit camp.
3:31But Fantasy Pro ZCR, the ADP I'm seeing on Fantasy Pros, is much, much higher.
3:35He's going right now as the running back 26, 62nd overall.
3:38So you're looking like, what, like 6th round, like significantly higher?
3:42That already, to me, is probably a tad high, and I would not be surprised to see it get higher once we get to the end of camp.
3:50And you know the Seahawks social team, which, by the way, they have a great social team.
3:55They do have a great social team. Their footage they put out is great.
3:59And you know that first clip is going to hit your timeline of Jadarian Price just juking the cleats off of some practice squad linebacker.
4:06And all of a sudden, people are going to be like, oh my God, is Jadarian Price going to have a top 10 finish?
4:13Oh my God, is he a safer pick than Jeremiah Love with the Cardinals?
4:18And I guess my point is this, depending on where you're drafting and who you're drafting with, get him now while you can.
4:24I mean, if you're doing a super early draft on Sleeper for some strange reason, like he's the craziest value right now,
4:31so now is the time to get him. But once we hit August and we hit that inevitable camp hype, proceed with
4:37caution because we see a lot of unwarranted inflation with camp hype, even if the hype itself is somewhat warranted.
4:43Yeah, I think there's two things you hit on there.
4:46One is that like, and I just recently talked about this, that I think Zach Charbonnet is a much better bet at
4:53cost than Jadarian Price, but he's not going to be there at camp.
4:57And so there's no reason why your league mates are going to be getting excited about Zach Charbonnet.
5:02They're going to be getting fired up about Jadarian Price.
5:05I think both of us would agree that Price is going to fire up and both of us are most likely going to stay away from it.
5:13But the other thing that you hit on there that I think is so important, and we've kind of touched on this
5:19a little bit, is like people are so desperate every year to prop up the rookies at whatever position.
5:25And outside of Jeremiah Love, who is there to really prop up at running back for rookies?
5:30Like, yeah, do you want to go prop up Nicholas Singleton or Emmitt Johnson or Katron Allen or DeMond Claiborne?
5:36Like, you can. You're not going to get as much, like, upside that you can project out as you possibly could if
5:42you looked at Jadarian Price taking over the Ken Walker role, which Seattle has been pretty insistent he's not going to do immediately in his rookie season.
5:50I think this is like, I saw it written down at first, I was wondering where you were going with it, and I couldn't agree more.
5:58I think this is a guy whose Price is going to skyrocket, but it's a rocket I'm not boarding.
6:04It's the challenger. Historically accurate comparison. I'm with you.
6:06And full disclosure, I like Jadarian Price. In the Dynasty League, we're both in Mitch.
6:11I drafted Jadarian Price. Like, I really like his long-term potential.
6:14Even in year one, I think he has a chance to develop a really nice role in this offense.
6:20So, I'm by no means anti-Jadarian Price. But yeah, you just got to take...
6:24Remember this conversation now, so that when the hype really starts building in August, you have that grain of salt in your hand already.
6:31And you already know, like, alright, maybe we need to pump the brakes a little bit.
6:36I need the memento tattoos. Do not draft Jadarian Price.
6:38I think that's my Halloween costume next year. You just very randomly inspired me to pick out what I'm wearing five months from now on one night.
6:46When you're like two and four by the time Halloween comes around and you just want to die.
6:52Yeah, and I've like deleted my sleeper app like seven times and redownloaded it.
6:56Yes, exactly. Let's jump into our second player. Let's dig a little deeper on this guy.
7:01But before we do, if you're enjoying the content, please hit that subscribe button.
7:05And also drop a like on the video and comment down below one of your favorite sneaky rookies.
7:10It helps us out so much. But Mello, let's talk about the rookie out of Baltimore, Elijah Surratt.
7:15He is the wide receiver 63 in redraft. Also the wide receiver 63 in dynasty.
7:20Letting the fourth round to Baltimore. Potentially one of the hottest names you should know about right now in regards to guys
7:26your home league mates might not know about that hopefully you can steal in your drafts.
7:31Obviously, Omar Cooper Jr. was the talk of the town for the Indiana wide receiver room for this year's draft.
7:37But people forget, Surratt had 65 receptions for 830 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.
7:41Now, one of the issues in Baltimore right now is he will be competing for work with Jacoby Lane, fellow rookie receiver
7:48out of USC that Baltimore selected a full round ahead of him.
7:51But the buzz is already building for Surratt. And the depth chart is, as you know, extremely fragile below Zay Flowers, who is obviously the wide receiver one.
8:00Per Matt Harmon's reception perception, Surratt posted an 83.3% success rate versus zone coverage last season.
8:04Second best in the entire 2026 NFL draft class.
8:07Nate Tice, who does fantastic work with Yahoo Sports, mentioned that Surratt is a potential X factor to break out for this Ravens team.
8:14And when talking about the receiver room, he said that Surratt is probably the most interesting guy there.
8:19A potential ball winning option for Lamar Jackson on the outside.
8:23He also wants to see if Doyle will give Surratt some power slot plays to take advantage of his size and ball winning ability.
8:30I'm getting into flag planning territory right now on Surratt as being an absolutely insane high upside value right now.
8:36He's giving to me like Puka Nakua light from the rookie season.
8:39Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Those are some big words, Mitch.
8:43Those are fighting words, but I'm getting extremely excited about this guy right now.
8:47He's got a pal. I've been of the mind that one of these rookie receivers probably is going to be a steal.
8:53Not even in Diancy and Redraft. Unless you're still somehow hanging on for dear life on the Rashad Bateman.
8:59Train and you're still... I let go long ago.
9:01Yeah, I think if you've been holding on this long, you deserve a medal of some sorts.
9:06I think one of the two rookies has a path to being really productive in year one.
9:11I'm excited for camp because I think that will be very telling.
9:15And you're right. Surratt is the guy who's getting all the hype right now.
9:19If that continues into camp, I'll probably be full steam ahead with you.
9:23Yeah. I'm a little hesitant now. And it's kind of similar to what I talked about a couple episodes ago with some of these Miami rookie receivers.
9:31And people are so quick to just go with the rest of the fantasy community.
9:35And the guys in the fantasy community that they're telling are the guys that are making their own analysis and their own
9:42assumptions about the ability of these guys. And they're not necessarily listening to the draft capital and what the teams told you and how they value guys.
9:50And you're right. Jacoby Lane went higher. I'm not saying I think Jacoby Lane's a better player, but to me, it's interesting.
9:56He's going later in both redraft and dynasty with the higher draft capital.
10:00So he's somebody I'm also going to be keeping my eye on.
10:04And I am not willing to plant the same flag as you, but I will admit there's absolutely upside in this.
10:10There's already plenty of buzz starting to heat up here.
10:13Yeah. I do want it on the record too, that like the bus potential is there.
10:18That's why he's going as the wide receiver 63.
10:20But I think versus a lot of the guys you get around there, he's got some of the higher upside.
10:26And like, I know it's not a team that has as high of a passing rate as a lot of teams in the NFL.
10:33We always talk about that Baltimore pie being so small, but he is attached to Lamar Jackson.
10:38And like when you got Lamar Jackson at quarterback, magical things can happen.
10:42You're right. It's not a huge pie, but we're both people who don't project Mark Andrews to have a huge role in this offense anymore.
10:50And Isaiah likely he's out of town and obviously different position.
10:53But if we're projecting somebody to step up and take in some of the vacated targets, both literally from likely leaving and
10:59metaphorically because Mark Andrews may as well not be there anymore in my mind.
11:03Spiritually leaving. Spiritually leaving. Spiritually left already. Like somebody's got to be getting those targets.
11:08And Lamar has supported two pass catchers before in fantasy.
11:11Yeah. All right. My next rookie here. I'm also going to be talking about a receiver that some of your league mates
11:17may not know about because he is in a super popular name outside of the core of the fantasy community, Malachi Fields.
11:24And I know I talked to him. I already talked about him recently and I tried so hard, Mitch, to not.
11:30I'm like, I got to cover somebody new. But I just couldn't.
11:34I had to. It was like, you know, that meme of the guy with the vein in his forehead.
11:39Like he's like trying his best not to. That was me trying to think of someone else besides Malachi Fields.
11:45I'm like, no, I have to because he's the perfect fit for this episode.
11:49He is someone I see the hype train coming for big time in camp.
11:53He's a day to pick. Great size. The upside to develop into a great perimeter receiver for this offense.
11:59And I'll be damned if we don't see his value climb substantially in camp.
12:03Because you know who will not be participating in camp is Malik Neighbors.
12:07Yeah. I mean, it's kind of been like. That's the one that's no shot.
12:11But it's and it's been this weird, like up and down wave of, oh, he could maybe be ready for week one.
12:18And then now probably not. Maybe. And now the newest buzz is like he's going to open on pop.
12:23Like he is not even going to be playing week one.
12:26So he won't be playing during August. And you know who that leaves for receivers?
12:31Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney, Juju shit dumpster and Odell Beckham Jr.
12:35Malik Neighbors basically just has to look better than a nursing home collection of receivers.
12:39And he's going to get major hype. Like that's all he has to do.
12:43And I think the hype will be warranted. Like I'm like, I talked about with Jadarian Price, who I think is going
12:50to get pumped up super, super high. Like, I don't think Malik Highfields will get pumped up too high where it's.
12:56Yeah, that's the difference. He's undraftable. But I think he will get pumped up and he's got this unique, valuable skill set
13:02and an even better opportunity to be the number two receiver on this offense in short order.
13:07And if Malik neighbors isn't on the field the first few weeks, I don't think it's out of the question.
13:13He leads this team and target share, which would be crazy.
13:17And it would seem unprecedented or out of nowhere.
13:19But when you look at the other receivers in this room, like I don't think it's the craziest thing to happen.
13:25So I'm getting excited for this opportunity. And even though my lips are loose right now, Mitch, this is a pause.
13:32We can make this our little secret between us and our league mates here, but I don't think it will be a
13:38secret for long because I think once we hit camp, there's going to be a lot of buzz and hopefully you can
13:45still get them for a late round flyer and redraft.
13:48Let's not let this one leave the lineup brain trust.
13:51I'm so with you. I love what steaming hot takes today.
13:54I just called Sarap Pukunakua light. And you just said that Malachi Fields could lead the team in targets.
13:59And I love that. But I am getting as someone who was very, very excited about Malik neighbors.
14:05I talked about him. If he opens week one, I think he has a genuine shot to being the wire receiver one just because of the system.
14:13And I'm getting really concerned. And I think this is a guy that I fully agree with you.
14:18I don't see a universe where his price doesn't shoot up because I think we're going to get versus what you just
14:25said about like, yes, I fully agree. There's not going to be any Malik neighbors at camp.
14:30The highlights are all going to be at Malachi Fields.
14:33Of course, he's going to go up from that.
14:35But on top of that, we're also going to be getting the reports that are like, yeah, very official.
14:41We're not getting Malik neighbors week one. It's sounding like we're not going to have him for the next few weeks.
14:47And when that comes, that's when you definitely see these guys launch up.
14:51So for me, this is a guy like for best ball right now, like I've been scooping up a decent amount, especially
14:57in Jackson Dart stacks because I'm like, yeah, this price is just going to be higher.
15:02And so as we get into August, I think the thing to monitor will be like, how high does it get?
15:08Does it ever get out of control? But we're starting him out right now at a wide receiver 95 price tag.
15:14It's almost impossible for this to launch up higher than what I think his upside is worth.
15:19He's going to go from someone who's going undrafted in just about every redraft league to somebody who some people are taking their last round pick on.
15:27You should be that somebody. You should be that person that takes that shot.
15:32Real quick digression here, Mitch. I don't want to spend too long on it.
15:36Don't want to harp on it, but I have to admit something.
15:39Oh, with the recent Malik neighbors news and the pessimism around the Giants and Jackson darts plummeting ADP.
15:45Are you starting to I'm back in? I'm back in.
15:48I'm back in. The whole argument for Jackson. Now you're going to get me on a tangent.
15:53The whole argument for Jackson dart is that the rushing ability is going to give him such an insane floor.
15:58And Malik neighbors was just a cherry on top.
16:01This is weirdly his number one receiver. Not being ready for week one is really the best thing that could have happened
16:08for Jackson darts fantasy outlook from a value perspective, because we're dumping him from the quarterback six to like the quarterback 13.
16:14And it's like, all right, well, now he's a value again.
16:17I think he is. Yeah, I've been seeing his price dropping on underdog and it's getting more and more enticing every single time.
16:24I'm back in. I was in and then I was out and then I'm back in.
16:29I can't make up my damn mind. Snip, snap, snip, snap.
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17:27Okay, Mel, we have talked about a running back.
17:29We have talked about two wide receivers. Let's move over to the tight end position and talk about Kenyon Sadiq.
17:35Kenyon Sadiq, 21 years old, going as the tight end 21 off the board in redraft right now.
17:41The price that you don't need to worry about going crazy from here on out is the tight end nine in Dynasty.
17:47I think he's pretty firmly where he's going to be going into the season.
17:51So let's really talk redraft here. But this is absolutely a guy to watch right now, mainly because he missed all of
17:58OTAs after undergoing a procedure for a pre-existing hernia issue.
18:01But he is confirmed to be back out there for training camp.
18:04He's a guy that the two of us were extremely excited about, obviously going in the draft.
18:09We'd hoped he had ended up in a place like Carolina, but obviously the New York Jets is not the most ideal situation.
18:16At Oregon, Sadiq was absolutely incredible. 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
18:21A bit undersized. He's six foot three, but we've compared him kind of like to a wide receiver playing tight end.
18:27And so the thing I want to watch here is what kind of rapport can he build with Geno Smith throughout the
18:34duration of training camp and honestly a little bit into the preseason?
18:37What kind of coach speak are we going to see around Sadiq?
18:41And who's going to start getting the buzz out of Jets camp outside of him?
18:45Is it just going to be, you know, the rookies?
18:48Or are we going to see a guy like A.D.
18:51Mitchell start popping up more who's already been the talk of the town?
18:55Because I think we can both agree we weren't excited about the Jets landing spot, but we're obviously still incredibly excited about the talent.
19:02The talent is still there. It doesn't just disappear because you go into New York, which maybe it does.
19:08Honestly, maybe we just cracked what happens to all the Jets, but he's going to be competing for targets with obviously Garrett
19:14Wilson, the aforementioned rookie first round receiver, Omar Cooper Jr.
19:17out of Indiana. All of that buzz we're getting out of A.D.
19:21Mitchell. And the cherry on top that I haven't even discussed yet is Mason Taylor, the other tight end who they took
19:27in the second round back in, oh yeah, last year.
19:30And so I know I'm being like very negative about him for a guy that we're talking about potentially skyrocketing in the rankings after training camp.
19:38But here's the catch. What if Sadiq proves like immediately that he's just going to be like a serious target earner in
19:44this Jets offense and that he has a rapport with Geno Smith?
19:48He's a guy that at tight end 21, like he'll get drafted in your leagues, but like barely.
19:53He could end up being a waiver wire depending on the depth of your league.
19:57And so this Jets team is a team that needed help basically everywhere.
20:01They spend a 16th overall pick on this guy.
20:04And we always say with these rookies that the talent tends to win out.
20:08So for me, I don't expect the dynasty price to rise.
20:11I think everyone thinks long term Sadiq's going to be an incredible talent.
20:15But at tight end 21, I think he's going to jump guys like a few guys on the list right before him,
20:22like Juwan Johnson, Hunter Henry, Brenton Strange, three guys that yes, can be productive, but we know exactly what we're getting out of them.
20:29If I'm spending my pick on a tight end 16, 17, 18, I want it to be a guy who has the
20:35upside to be like a top eight tight end in my league.
20:39And I think Sadiq profiles as that. And I think people are going to learn that very quickly when the New York
20:45Jets, the media circus of the NFL starts dropping his clips everywhere.
20:49Oh yeah. Especially because he's just so talented. And even though we've been really pessimistic about him, I think compared to some
20:55people because of the situation, neither of us doubt his talent at all.
20:59I mean, he's a specimen. You want to talk about an athletic freak, one of the craziest freak athletes the league's ever seen at the time.
21:07Point one of the point one of the point one of athletic profile on planet earth.
21:12Just insane. It's just the landing spot. Like you mentioned, a lot of Malice defeated in offense we don't think will be that good.
21:19That's a really bad formula for success. But as somebody who's out on Sadiq overall because of that, you are correct that
21:25even if his floor is really low, his ceiling is higher than those guys going a couple spots ahead of him.
21:31Yeah. Because, I mean, this isn't a perfect comparison, but look at a guy like Sam Laporta, his rookie year, who is
21:38going later than Sadiq is this year. And I know the Lions were a good team.
21:43They weren't the freaking Jets. But you had similar situation in terms of the Malice defeat.
21:47You already had Amin Rossi and Pratton. You already had Jameis Williams.
21:51You had Jameer Gibson, David Montgomery. It was like, why do I want this rookie tight end in this crowded offense?
21:57And he finishes the tight end one. I am by no means projecting that for Sadiq.
22:02I would be stunned. But at least there is that path where you could convince yourself, unlike a guy like Breton Strange,
22:08where it's like, yeah, his ceiling is going to be what?
22:12The tight end nine? And that's if he catches nine touchdowns?
22:15He's like a roster clogger that you hold so that you could use him when your tight end has a bye week.
22:21And you're like, oh, that worked out because he got me like 9.7 points.
22:25Exactly. So Sadiq's a great shot for upside. And I'm very curious to see what happens in camp.
22:31I think he rises because he's a talented rookie and talented rookies always rise in ADP in August.
22:36But we'll see how he looks in camp. Yeah.
22:39So basically the takeaway on like actionable things for Sadiq right now is like, I would be drafting him in best ball
22:45if you have any faith or conviction in the talent because the price is going to be higher in August.
22:51And like, I just watch camp in your like home redraft leagues.
22:55Like, I think that there's a chance he's there right at the end of your draft or, you know, a few rounds before the end.
23:02And you could be scooping up a guy with like, yeah, he could miss, but you'd probably know that right away and you can drop him.
23:10Or maybe he's a guy with genuine top six to eight tight end potential.
23:14Those are the best guys to take late. The guys you can just cut and not worry about it after one week.
23:20Love that approach. All right. Melo. Let's get into our biggest player to watch a guy.
23:25We've mentioned a few times, a guy you planted your flag on so hard just a couple of weeks ago.
23:31Before we do, if you haven't yet, please hit that like button and also just drop us a comment on what player
23:37you are watching right now for training camp. Let's talk about Dejan Stribling out of Ole Miss wide receiver 78 and redraft
23:44wide receiver 69 in dynasty, whether or not it is fair to him.
23:48Nice. I think the biggest talk around Stribbling has simply been how shocked everyone was to see the 49ers reach to get
23:54him with the first pick of the second round.
23:57But the real question is, how involved is he actually going to be in this offense and how involved will he be in his rookie season?
24:05Because this is a high powered offense with a very bright head coach with a great fantasy football quarterback that doesn't necessarily
24:11have the most difficult depth chart to climb now without Juwan Jennings in the building anymore.
24:16And a freebie on here for someone else to watch during training camp is George Kittle to see if he's actually getting
24:22up to speed as quickly as he's claiming after tearing his Achilles in the wildcard round last season.
24:28And obviously, if he isn't a full go right away, that opens up a lot more targets in this offense.
24:34But in the wide receiver room, we've got Mike Evans, who is the wide receiver one, and no one is even getting close to sniffing him.
24:41But then after that, it's I think what a lot of people think right now is that Stribbling is going to compete
24:48with Christian Kirk for the wide receiver three spot.
24:50I don't think that's the case. I think he's going to beat out Christian Kirk almost immediately, and he's going to be
24:57competing directly with Ricky Pearsall for the wide receiver two spot.
25:00That's my personal take. I know a lot of people think it's a little bit harder a path, but you're competing against
25:07the corpse of Christian Kirk right now, and I think he's going to win out that job very quickly.
25:12Something I find so interesting, too, is that Ricky Pearsall obviously day one draft capital, and so people really want to believe
25:19that he'll continue to get given priority and a greater chance to play.
25:23When in reality, the draft capital gap here between these guys is three picks.
25:27Thank you. Pearsall's only played... Is it two? I think it was two picks.
25:31Maybe it's two. It doesn't matter. Two, three picks, whatever.
25:34A number that you could define as a few.
25:37Pearsall has only played in his entire career in 20 games.
25:40He's averaged a little over three catches for about 46 yards, and he has found the end zone three times.
25:46If you're a Pearsall truther, does it not make you a little squeamish seeing them use nearly identical draft capital just two years later on Dejan Stribling?
25:54And I know people want to say, yeah, but Stribling was a reach and it was a bad pick.
25:59He's actually got a very promising profile. Again, I love talking about his stats because I think he's one of the best in the biz.
26:07Per Matt Harmon, in 2025, Stribling had honestly strong results at the catch point and as a tackle breaker.
26:1268.4% success rate against man, 67.9% success rate against press, and he was one of the best blocking receivers in the class.
26:19That, of course, sparked a bunch of panic because of a report from The Athletic's Matt Barrow saying that 49ers head coach
26:25Kyle Shanahan values Dejan Stribling's ability to block downfield, and therefore a lot of people concluded that meant he wouldn't be used in the passing game.
26:33However, that got taken wildly out of context, and Kyle Shanahan literally said right after the draft, I really fell in love
26:39with him as a route runner, how fast he is, how big he is, how good his hands are, how physical he is with the ball.
26:47And when asked about the rumors that he would only be used as a downfield blocker, Shanahan answered affirmatively that Stribling can
26:54fill the hole at the F position left by Juwan Jennings.
26:57So I'm watching closely in training camp to see if there's any truth to this idea that he's not really going to
27:03be used that heavily in the passing game, or if it's how I believe it is, which we talked about the men
27:10in black flash, I need to get rid of my biases here, but let's watch how many opportunities this guy's really getting,
27:16and if he starts beating out Christian Kirk to get meaningful work during camp.
27:21I love you talking up Stribling. You know I'm a Stribling guy.
27:24You're talking dirty. Oh yeah, I'm getting hot under the collar here.
27:28We're getting really reckless with some of our takes and our comparisons today, and I hate to compare two rookies to Puka
27:34Nakua, but Puka Nakua was a guy coming out of college that it was like, oh, he's a good downfield blocker, he's
27:41physical, but he doesn't have the best athletic profile, he's not the fastest guy, he has weaknesses to his game, and then
27:47he slipped to day three and he became Puka Nakua.
27:50I'm not projecting that for John Stribling. I want that on record in writing.
27:54I have it on record that you said he is the next Puka Nakua.
27:58Okay, thank you. I'm glad you took away the right message there.
28:02Right point of that. But really what my point is, is like, we as a fantasy community get so hell-bent on our
28:08own evaluations when it's like day three picks developing into one of the best receivers in the league.
28:14That stuff, it's rare, but it happens. And guess what?
28:17Deshaun Stribling is a pick away from being a first-round receiver.
28:20Like we talked about, a couple picks away from Ricky Pearsall.
28:23I think some of our audience is getting very frustrated with us with how anti-Ricky Pearsall we've been.
28:28People have been very mad about that. And I just want to say to our audience, I'm sorry that I haven't doubled
28:35down even harder because Ricky Pearsall can't stay on the freaking field.
28:38And I have not been overly impressed when he's been on the field.
28:42And I think, like you said, Shanahan and this regime felt the need to address receiver after already going out and paying
28:49Mike Evans and already going out and paying Christian Kirk.
28:52They felt the need to drop yet another one.
28:54And that should tell you maybe they don't feel great about Ricky Pearsall either.
28:59With that said, I want to be very transparent.
29:01As a huge Stribling guy, I do like him more long-term in Dynasty than in Redraft.
29:06I'm not super convinced he'll be super involved year one as a rookie, especially with Mike Evans and some of these other
29:12older pieces that aren't very good but could have a role in this offense.
29:17So we'll see. I think going back to Ricky Pearsall, though, and his injury history, something to watch in camp with Stribling
29:23is, is Ricky Pearsall even going to be freaking healthy?
29:26Because, I mean, it's injuries left and right. If he's not, especially if he's on the field and it gives Stribling a
29:33chance to play more with Brock Purdy, then you're really going to see that hype increase.
29:37And who knows, maybe we'll even be able to sway some of those fantasy bros who have stubbornly refused to acknowledge Stribling's
29:44draft capital because they personally didn't like his profile pre-draft.
29:47Yeah, this is such an example of us getting caught up in priors on a player and where we thought he should go.
29:54And then meanwhile, Kyle Shanahan's telling us that he values him nearly as a first-round wide receiver.
29:59I'm very interested and I think we're easily going to have to go back and revisit some of these guys in a
30:05few weeks once the dust has settled and we have some prices that are really actionable for redraft.
30:10But wide receiver 78, man, even if he flies up the board 15 spots, which would be extremely significant, I like the
30:17shot on him in the low wide receiver 60s right now.
30:20I've been taking those Purdy Evans Stribling stacks in best ball, Mitch.
30:24It's, oh yeah. Yeah. I think I moan a little bit every time I do it.
30:28Every time I successfully get Stribling, like the final piece of the puzzle, I'm like, mm.
30:33Involuntary. I can't help it. Great, we just got dropped from clean to explicit on Spotify.
30:38But those are our five sneaky rookies to watch in training camp for the 2026 fantasy football season.
30:43If there's anyone we miss, someone deeper in the bag that you want us to talk about in a future episode, leave them down below.
30:51If there's anyone you agree with or disagree with, also let us know down below.
30:55But Mello, before we get out of here, do we miss anything?
30:58I think we got it all. All right, we'll catch you guys next episode.
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