Big Training Camp Ranking Changes to Know Before You Draft
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.
55 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 13, 2026
Published
Thu, August 13, 2026
29
Player insights
29
Players mentioned
Topics
A.J. BrownAlec PierceAmon-Ra St. BrownBucky IrvingChigoziem OkonkwoColston LovelandD.J. MooreDaniel JonesDeebo SamuelDenzel BostonDontayvion WicksGeorge KittleGeorge PickensJalen Hurts
Player analysis
Player insights
A.J. Brown
PositiveDepth Chart4:48
The departure of AJ Brown is highlighted as the primary reason for the potential target share opportunity for rookie wide receivers like Mai Lemon.
Insight pageAlec Pierce
NegativeInjury10:58
The source is firmly fading Alec Pierce, citing significant concern regarding his ankle surgery recovery and inconsistent return timeline. He is viewed as a vertical field-stretcher whose real-life value does not translate to fantasy success, and he is unlikely to evolve into a high-volume target hog. Additionally, the source uses him as a negative comparison for Mike Evans's consistency.
Insight pageAmon-Ra St. Brown
PositiveProjection9:39
The source uses Amon-Ra St. Brown as a historical benchmark for the potential ceiling of Luther Burden, noting that Burden could participate in a similar breakout role within the Bears' offense.
Insight pageBucky Irving
NegativeSleeper21:15
The source is a strong proponent of Bucky Irving, preferring him over Rachaad White. Irving is projected to serve as the early-down and base back, likely receiving the first opportunity for goal-line work in a complementary 'yin and yang' backfield split. While pass protection remains a concern, the source is betting on his talent as a rusher and his potential to thrive alongside a mobile quarterback.
Insight pageChigoziem Okonkwo
PositiveUsage60:46
The source is high on Chigoziem Okonkwo, describing him as a special talent in the open field who poses a legitimate threat to Stefon Diggs' target share in the underneath areas of the field.
Insight pageColston Loveland
PositiveRole10:05
Colson Loveland is identified as a key member of the Bears' core target funnel, expected to see consistent usage alongside Luther Burden and Rome Odunze.
Insight pageD.J. Moore
NegativeUsage9:54
DJ Moore is noted as no longer being on the team, which the source identifies as a key factor in clearing target share for the new core of Bears receivers.
Insight pageDaniel Jones
NegativeInjury11:58
The source highlights concerns regarding Daniel Jones's recovery from an Achilles injury, specifically questioning his ability to throw the ball downfield with accuracy, which negatively impacts the outlook for the Colts' passing offense.
Insight pageDeebo Samuel
PositiveProjection50:00
The source believes Deebo Samuel will outperform fantasy industry expectations because Kyle Shanahan knows how to utilize his specific skill set. While there is uncertainty regarding his ceiling, he is an ADP beater who may see 80% route participation early in the season via schemed high-volume checkdown roles.
Insight pageDenzel Boston
NegativeValue4:26
Denzel Boston is referenced as a benchmark for talent among first-round wide receivers in the current draft class.
Insight pageDontayvion Wicks
NegativeRole4:59
Dontayvion Wicks is currently receiving 'next guy up' treatment and is viewed as a potential starter in two-wide receiver sets. However, the source expresses frustration with his history of dropped passes, noting that he lacks consistent value for managed leagues and is best suited as a best-ball stack option.
Insight pageGeorge Kittle
PositiveBust57:30
The source is fading George Kittle this year due to his age and concerns regarding the severity of his recovery from an Achilles injury, preferring to target other options at the position.
Insight pageGeorge Pickens
NegativeValue47:09
George Pickens is used as a benchmark for the draft range where the source prefers to target Malik Nabers, suggesting Nabers offers more upside than Pickens at their current ADP.
Insight pageJalen Hurts
PositiveProjection3:49
Jalen Hurts is considered a high-upside quarterback who could easily finish as the overall QB1. He is currently a strong value pick in the sixth or seventh round, despite some concerns regarding the overall passing volume of the Philadelphia offense.
Insight pageJayden Daniels
PositiveValue19:15
The source remains very high on Jayden Daniels, viewing him as a major value in the eighth round. While his passing volume may be limited, his fantasy value is insulated from offensive line struggles due to his elite rushing ability, evidenced by a 12.7% career scramble rate.
Insight pageJosh Downs
PositiveValue14:10
Josh Downs is a strong target in redraft leagues because he is currently mispriced, often going multiple rounds too cheap compared to his Underdog ADP. The source describes him as a highly productive chain-mover and, despite a minor groin tweak, remains very high on his potential to command underneath targets in two-receiver sets.
Insight pageLuther Burden
PositiveValue6:36
The source is aggressively targeting Luther Burden, viewing him as a locked-in starter for the Bears with a secure, full-time role. Despite a groin strain expected to sideline him for 3-4 weeks, the source is 'handwaving' the injury and expects his ADP to drop into the fifth round, creating a prime buying opportunity. Ben Johnson is expected to maximize his skill set, with the source comparing his potential ceiling to Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Insight pageMalik Nabers
PositiveProjection24:20
Malik Nabers has surged to the source's WR10 (22 overall), eight spots ahead of his consensus ADP. This rise is driven by his elite rookie-year target share—including 170 targets and nine games with over a 30% share—and positive health reports. Despite a history of a multi-ligament knee tear, he looks phenomenal in route work and is trending toward a Week 1 start, making him a high-upside target over peers like Rashee Rice and George Pickens.
Insight pageMike Evans
PositiveValue49:10
The source is extremely bullish on Mike Evans, ranking him as WR17 and advocating for him in the fourth round. His ESPN ADP in the 80s is considered 'patently absurd' compared to his Underdog ADP at the 4/5 turn. Despite a volatile profile, he remains a consistent target earner who is projected to score double-digit touchdowns due to a lack of other red-zone options in the offense.
Insight pageOlamide Zaccheaus
NegativeUsage9:56
Olamide Zaccheaus is mentioned as a player who is no longer on the roster, contributing to the consolidation of the Bears' target funnel.
Insight pageOmar Cooper Jr.
NegativeValue4:26
Omar Cooper Jr. is referenced as a benchmark for talent among first-round wide receivers in the current draft class.
Insight pageRachaad White
NegativeBust21:16
The source is fading Rachaad White, characterizing him as an inefficient and non-explosive runner whose previous fantasy production was driven solely by volume. His outlook is further dampened by the presence of Bucky Irving and the fact that his fantasy value relies heavily on check-down volume, which is expected to decline with a mobile quarterback like Jayden Daniels who does not dump the ball off at a high rate.
Insight pageRashee Rice
NegativeValue47:09
Rashee Rice is used as a benchmark for the draft range where the source prefers to target Malik Nabers, suggesting Nabers offers more upside than Rice at their current ADP.
Insight pageRicky Pearsall
NegativeInjury48:42
Ricky Pearsall is out for the year due to a PCL injury that persisted from last season, effectively removing him from the San Francisco receiver depth chart.
Insight pageRome Odunze
PositiveRole10:03
Rome Odunze is identified as one of the three primary players in the Bears' secure target funnel, expected to see consistent usage alongside Luther Burden and Colson Loveland following the departures of DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus.
Insight pageStefon Diggs
NegativeValue30:26
Stefon Diggs signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Commanders; he is viewed as a possession receiver who can move the chains but lacks his prime explosive downfield playmaking ability. While he could reach 100 targets and 1,000 yards, his fantasy upside is capped by Jayden Daniels' rushing volume and competition for underneath targets from Chigoziem Okonkwo.
Insight pageTerry McLaurin
NegativeBust19:21
The source is fading Terry McLaurin, citing concerns that Jayden Daniels may struggle to produce high passing volume and will rely on his legs. This outlook is further worsened by Laremy Tunsil's injury, as McLaurin relies on deep, long-developing routes that require more time in the pocket than the current offensive line may provide.
Insight pageTyler Warren
PositiveUsage25:34
The source notes that the injury to Alec Pierce improves the outlook for Tyler Warren, as the Colts' offense will likely need to rely on other targets to fill the void in the passing game.
Insight pageWan'Dale Robinson
NegativeUsage25:16
Wan'Dale Robinson is identified as a target competitor for Malik Nabers. The source notes that Robinson has commanded 140 targets in back-to-back years, but suggests Nabers could command a massive target share if he establishes himself as the clear WR1.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Good morning friends and enemies. In today's video, we are going to be talking through our biggest ranking changes from training camp up to this
0:09point. So, it is a get you up to speed video of everything that's happened over the last month or so in three particular
0:15categories. The injuries that I think are significant and have moved players up or down rankings, free agent players that have signed to new teams, and
0:22third, obnoxious training camp hype.
0:25whether we are buying or selling that.
0:27We're going to be doing a video just like this for the remainder of the summer just to make you guys up to
0:31speed, make sure you didn't miss anything because training camp Twitter is like a dangerous dangerous place to live in right now. And I know you guys
0:38can't spend all your time doing it, which is why I do. So each week we will have a weekly recap of what happened in
0:43the previous week. It was training camp.
0:45Now it's more so for the preseason games that are coming within the next couple weeks. So we'll try to get this out
0:49every Monday and Tuesday going forward as soon as the preseason games wrap up.
0:52And I say we because we have a guest on the channel today. All right. Maybe a friend, maybe an enemy. You decide. He
0:58goes by the name Michael O'Hara. He's a young upand cominging content creator.
1:01He competed in the So You Think You Can Tout competition that Pete Overzette held. I'm sure a lot of you guys have
1:07heard about that. If not, watched and follow along. So, if you did follow along, you are probably familiar with him. He caught my eye. I thought he fit
1:12the brand very well. I liked his camera presence and I wanted to give him a shot. So, Michael will be joining me
1:17today. You guys can call him Michael.
1:19You can call him Mike. You can call him Mikey Baby. I don't care. Up to you guys. But he will be talking to you for
1:24the next hour. All right. So, if you enjoyed what he did, obviously drop some love down below in the comments. I will
1:29link his social media, his YouTube channel, his Twitter, all that kind of stuff. So, give him a follow there. And now it is time to talk about things that
1:36you guys care about. All right, Michael.
1:38We're going to jump into injuries first.
1:41And at the very top of the list is a highly touted prospect. Goes in the first round of Philadelphia, Mai Lemon.
1:47Unfortunately, he's had some trouble staying on the field thus far. hamstring injuries, getting the best of him. He's missed a ton of training camp already.
1:53He has missed some OTAAS and and other time throughout the summer right now, which is starting to accumulate, and it's it's getting to scary hours because
2:00when you're a rookie, especially with the new offensive system kind of coming in, you got to be there and taking reps.
2:05And there are now reports coming out that people wouldn't be surprised if Mine Lemon's not actually a starter when Philadelphia kicks things off right
2:12away. I'm not overly concerned about that kind of piece of note off the rip as I'm looking to kind of accumulate
2:18points as the season progresses. But I'm curious your standpoint on a guy like Mai Lemon from one a prospect lens like
2:25how you felt about him coming out of school. I think he's a pretty good player lands in an argumentative spot whether or not you can see real fantasy
2:32upside here. But I'm a little nervous about the hamstring, him getting off to a slow start, him having a low passing
2:38volume offense, all that all that stuff kind of hitting at once right now.
2:41spooked by Mai Lemon. What about you?
2:43>> It's definitely getting to the point where I'm growing concerned as well. I think you hit on everything that I was
2:50planning to. I think the thing that people forget is that he also did miss mini camp like you brought up. That is
2:56super significant that he's missing two meaningful stretches of the off season.
3:00We know how important it is for rookies.
3:02At the end of the day though, I'm willing to just zoom out and take chances, make bets, and draft guys that
3:09I think are just super talented. And Mai Lemon falls under that umbrella for me.
3:14I loved him coming out of college. He was an uber volume, uber target earner and he did it everywhere. It's not like
3:22some of these guys that we see in the college ranks where they're getting schemed up touches and their production and volume numbers look really strong
3:29because they're just racking up a bunch of screens, slants, rposs, whatever you have. It was all levels of the field. It
3:36was everywhere. So, everything that I saw in Mai Lemon's prospect profile has made him a guy that I want to draft.
3:43I've got him ranked right around pick a 100 these days, that's about where he's going in most drafts. So, if people are
3:49scared off by the injury news and the reporting and the everything that you talked about this being a low volume offense, his mesh with Jaylen Herz, if
3:57people are scared off by that, I'm willing to scoop the dip and just grab him right there as we're getting into
4:02the double digit rounds.
4:03>> Yeah, I've got him a little lower. He's actually down at like 117 for me. So I don't know that I'd get him. But it's
4:08like he was looked at kind of in the big three with, you know, you kind of take your pick of Jordan Tyson, Carell Tate,
4:14Mai Lemon's there. The draft capital, it's like 10 picks. It's not a significant draft capital dip there. But now he's getting drafted around the, you
4:21know, the other first rounders that people didn't really see as the same level of talent as the top guys like the
4:26Concepts Owns and even the Denzel Boston into the second round and Omar Cooper Jr. and those guys. But it does feel
4:32like Mai Lemon from a talent standpoint is a dip above those dudes and it's at that point you're that late in the
4:37draft. Like when do you get a talented first round wide receiver that goes to maybe they're not a high-powered offense, but like they're a respectable
4:43offense. Like they're going to put points up on the board. They're going to be good. They're going to be productive.
4:47They do lose their alpha AJ Brown here.
4:49So it's like there's going to be a role there at some point in the year. Um so I'm kind of with you. Like I'm fine on
4:54just betting on the talent and the prospect profile and kind of seeing what happens over the second half of the year. I'm curious. You know, this is a
4:59little bit of a deeper conversation here, but Dantavian Wix seems to be getting like the next guy up treatment right now. And Dantavian Wix is kind of
5:07one of those funny dudes in the fantasy football streets where he's like, I don't know how to put it. He's like the
5:11Romeo Dobs of Adonai Mitchells where it's like, yeah, you know what? If if if we could just get him on the field the
5:16whole time and let him run routes and be smooth, like you can see it happening.
5:20He's just been kind of a [ __ ] show every time he's got onto the field. But it does seem like there's a real chance for
5:24him to possibly be the starter in two wide receiver sets. Maybe more of a baseball conversation, but any interest in anyone behind Mai Lemon here?
5:31>> I think it certainly is more of a baseball conversation. I mean, Dantavian Wixs for a lot of folks, myself included, is just that guy you can't
5:38quit. And cuz all the all the numbers that you want to see are there and then you watch this guy play football and
5:44it's just a nightmare. I remember it was a game right before Christmas a year or two ago and this guy just could not stop
5:50dropping passes and I was just like, can someone get this guy a Jugs machine for Christmas? It was ridiculous. you you
5:55you want to buy in so badly. You just look at the numbers, but it it just never panned out. I do think that very
6:02not very quickly, but early on in the season, this is going to be the Lemon and Smith show alongside Saquon and
6:08Goddard, of course. I don't think that there's going to be much value there for um people in manage leagues. Fine best
6:15ball stacking option though.
6:16>> Yeah, agreed. I think I think late in the draft, Wixs will probably have some spike weeks early on just kind of being
6:21right place, right time. He's like a flashy enough player where if he can actually catch the ball, he'll probably make some big plays. But it is Lemon
6:27second half of the year for sure. Moving on to another talented young receiver that is getting all all the hype that
6:34any plate of food can possibly handle.
6:36Here it is Luther Burton. Now Luther Burden, you know, I said it on a video I put out earlier today. I didn't really
6:42have a super strong take on Luther Burton, which like in itself feels like a strong take at this point in the
6:47offseason. So Luther Burton is dealing with this groin strain now which is obviously a little bit more significant than something that's like dayto-day. I
6:53think the projection is 3 to four weeks for him to return which is like right on you know he's flirting with the regular
6:59season now. And I think Luther Burton was a dude who on paper easy to convince yourself like he's Ben Johnson's new
7:06Aman Rosane Brown. And all of the, you know, hype and pieces out of camp have kind of followed suit there about how
7:12good he has looked and how much Ben Johnson has like appreciated his, you know, professionalism this time around as compared to last summer. So what side
7:19of the the fence are you on with Burden?
7:21Are are you with me? Like are we normal headed here or are you trying to leave every draft with him now that the injury
7:27has occurred? Has that moved him up or down the rankings for you?
7:30>> Yeah, we're You brought the the wrong guy on the show if you wanted a level-headed take. I am handwaving away
7:37the injury, just ignoring it. And I will be scooping the dip. I do think that we are going to see a fall in his ADP. You
7:43can get him pretty consistently in the fifth round these days uh in like reraft ad in terms of reddraft ADP. So, I think
7:51that's going to come down and I will be scooping it up because unlike Lemon, I think that this is a guy where we're not
7:57terribly concerned about him him missing training camp and preseason reps. I think that just in terms of his talent level, he's entrenched as an everyown
8:06player for the Bears. And then you just look at the depth chart like who who is really threatening him for routes and
8:12snaps in this offense. It it's a full-time role for Luther Burden coming in 2026.
8:18And we all know that Ben Johnson is not only capable, but the offseason reporting is indicating that he's willing and going to make the most out
8:28of Luther Burden's skill set. This guy is a monster with the ball in his hands, and he has been a really, really strong
8:35player in terms of his target earning profile since he was in college. The blend between Burdens, what he brings to the table, and what Ben Johnson can get
8:43out of his wide receivers from a fantasy perspective, it's just too much for me to pass up. I think that the price is
8:49too high. It'll probably become more palatable, but just understanding the the top end of the range of outcomes for Burden, I I just can't get enough of
8:58this guy. I I'm I'm more than willing to look past the injury here.
9:01>> Yeah, I'm I'm I'm closer to you in that I'm not like it's it's clearly a serious injury, but I'm not like super super
9:08concerned consider considering how like secure his role is as long as he doesn't like suffer a setback or anything like that. And I actually like this because
9:15now like you said with the ADP dip, I actually get to grab a few of him, right? Because if you don't have a
9:20strong take, he's one of those players where if you don't have a strong take on him, someone in your league is going to
9:24take him half round around earlier than ADP. So I would end up with nothing.
9:27Whereas now, you know, I'm in the middle of the fifth round, Luther Burton's actually available to me rather than having to take him at like the 44 or the
9:3345 or something like that with the injury. It's like cool, I actually get to participate in what could be the next
9:39Aman Ross St. Brown. And I don't know that I feel strongly that it's going to happen, but I agree with you. I mean, it
9:44it's one of those situations where you can try to take small sample sizes here and there, but at the end of the day,
9:50it's Ben Johnson. He's going to have a great offense. He's like one of the smartest minds in football, and he went
9:54out and handpicked Luther Burden. You get DJ Moore out of the way. Alamia Zakias, who was like it's incredibly annoying last year, but those guys are
10:01gone. And now it's like his team, Rome's team, Coulson Loveland's team. Target funnel is going to be super secure between those three. Um, Chicago defense
10:09too is kind of spooky there. I I don't know that they're going to be as bad as I think a lot of people are like, "Oh,
10:13they're going to be like bottom three defense in the league." They had a lot of their top players I think miss a lot
10:17of time last year. So, I don't know if I necessarily buy that narrative, but overall they're going to be way more
10:21offensiveminded here. So, for me, the injury to Luther Burden, I agree. Like, I'm happy it happened because now I get to get a piece or a share of the man.
10:29>> Exactly. And I will say it seems like the timeline is precautionary just cuz they they don't want to rush him back
10:35considering his role is just so defined.
10:38We we know we're getting out of him. So I I really think this is one to just not necessarily ignore but happily scoop up
10:44the dip.
10:44>> Yeah. Right. I think it's one of those things where especially if you're drafting late very late in the summer close to the season if we can get a
10:51couple full practices that elute the burden that would like skyrocket my confidence going into that week and I won't be overly concerned about it. Now,
10:58I would say one of the more concerning injuries that's happened this off seasonason has been Alec Pierce. So, he had this ankle surgery and the
11:04timeline's kind of been all over the place. And that happened earlier in the summer and he's still not back practicing with the team. I believe they
11:10had like their first sighting of him today on the field working off to the side with trainers. So, I mean, it
11:17doesn't feel like he's close necessarily yet, but it was like a week or two ago where they were like, "Hey, he's a week
11:24or two away from getting back to the team." and it doesn't feel like that's realistic right now. I'm not really sure
11:29where I stand on the situation. He gets the big contract obviously, so they want to use him in a large capacity here. I'm
11:34I'm concerned about a lot of things with the Colts offense. Daniel Jones with the Achilles, his ability to kind of throw
11:39the ball downfield with accuracy coming off of it. Alec Pierce, can he expand to like a more well-rounded role rather than depend on, you know, six targets a
11:48game to make his money there? Alec Pierce, it's it's scary. Is there optimism in your mind around Alec Pierce? Is there a price where you're
11:56like, "Okay, I'm going to grab him." Cuz right now, like no matter where I'm sitting on the clock, there are very
12:01rarely times where it's like Alec Pierce is top of the queue and I'm like, "All right, it's time to time to scoop that
12:05guy up."
12:06>> Yeah. I had for most of the summer basically a full fade on Alec Pierce at cost and this is just all the more
12:13reason to just become firmer in that take. Well, we'll have to see where the ADP settles out with all this injury
12:20FUD, but obviously there there's a price where he becomes clickable. I haven't gotten to that point just yet. I'm well behind market on Alec Pierce and for all
12:31the concerns that you posed, the offensive concerns with Daniel Jones recovering from an injury. Of course, Pierce, he last year he ran incredibly
12:40hot on downfield routes. We know that's something that's a high level of variance just given his role. there's some reason for optimism about his
12:48deployment as a receiver expanding to the more intermediate uh running some of those crossing routes. I'm not really buying it. Some people have brought it
12:56up this offseason and I wholeheartedly agree. The money that Alec Pierce earned is more of a reflection that he adds immense value to an actual NFL offense.
13:07I'm not sure that he is like that true target hog alpha wide receiver one in actuality. the ability to stretch the
13:14field and truly threaten defenses vertically is so so valuable these days and Pierce obviously off offers that, but it's not always a role that's
13:22conducive to fans success. So that those kind of concerns combined with the fact that he just hasn't been on the field
13:29whatsoever at this point. I it's super easy for me to to just be out on this guy just firmly.
13:35>> Yeah, I think that's a good point of uh detaching like the value of a fantasy player to their real life asset. And I
13:40think it's even more compounded by the fact that you have Jonathan Taylor back there. Like, of course, you're going to want to have that field stretcher that
13:46needs to put that that needs to make defenses put the safeties, you know, a few steps back, open up the box there so
13:52that you can hand the ball to Jonathan Taylor 20 times a game. I think Pierce is probably a little bit underrated as a
13:57receiver, but agreed. Like, is there really a world where we see him jump up from 45 catches to like 80 or 90?
14:03Probably unlikely. Like, that's that's not the player he was ever in college at Cincinnati. was not really the player we've seen at all at the NFL level. So,
14:10I think they have a lot of good chain movers here already. Like Josh DS is a highly productive chain mover who can
14:14obviously hopefully show his talent this year if Alec Pierce is, you know, missing time or they just let down kind of running those two wide receiver sets.
14:21Tyler Warren's a great chain mover as well. You know, Jonathan Taylor's going to get his 20 carries a game. So, I'm
14:26I'm I'm very much off Alec Pierce as well. I will say they feel it it feels like the drum beat though, they are very
14:32adamant that they feel optimistic that he's going to be ready for week one.
14:36Now, this could be coach speak, but like Adam Shfter went out of his way on the Pat McAfee show yesterday to like
14:41reiterate that as well. So, you know, I I don't think he's a guy that goes out and just says things unless he actually
14:46believes the source that he's hearing it from. So, I think there's a world where Pierce continuously drops cuz like everyone in the fantasy community is
14:52kind of on a fade for him and you get him at, you know, the 89 turn, the 910 turn or something like that. And at that
14:58point, I'm like, okay, fouryear, $114 million contract. We can we can kind of see what happens as he gets healthier and healthier. But I I agree like the
15:06contract big on paper that will look like probably not much in like two or three offseasons time as you know the
15:12caps start to rise and everybody keeps getting their new contracts. It's like when Christian Kirk got his contract in uh Jacksonville a couple years ago was
15:18like four for 70 was like the biggest contract ever. It's like he's Christian Kirk like you know that that's like it's
15:23Alec Pierce right now. So Pierce being out. Josh DS same team obviously he returned to practice today. Had a little like groin tweak but no major long-term
15:32concerns there. I'm very in on Josh DS.
15:34I really like Tyler Warren scaring me to be this in on like the Indianapolis Colts passing team kind of centered around Daniel Jones. Do you have, you
15:42know, strong leans either way? Are you targeting Josh DS? Is Tyler Warren an immediate target for you? Does Alec Pierce's injury even matter for those
15:49things or or or are you a fan of those guys? Like regardless, >> I do think Alec Pierce's injury matters cuz just talking about again what he
15:57provides to an NFL offense, his ability to command attention and open things up in the intermediate and shallow portions of the field. I think that that is
16:06actually legitimate and valuable and helps DS and Warren. I don't have super strong takes on either Downs or Warren.
16:13I'm not kind of a part of the Downs hive mind that we all seem to see on Twitter and just from fantasy folks. I will say
16:20though, DS in reddraft ADB is just flatout mispriced. So, I will end up having a a good bag of him in my
16:28reddraft leagues, in my home leagues. I think he's going multiple rounds too cheap. You you see the difference between his underdog ADP and his
16:36consensus reddraft ADP. So, it's not someone that I I super like love the profile on, but at his cost, I I'm going
16:44to be very much in on him just knowing that if his routes do spike, if he is use being used in those two receiver
16:51sets, his ability to draw targets and operate there underneath and over the middle is it's a fantasy friendly role and there's no doubt about it.
17:00>> Yeah. And it's like you just look at the depth chart behind him, too. It's like if PICE misses any time, there's no
17:04possible world where he can't be an every down player or where where he is not an every down player there and it's
17:09just kind of like a perfect storm there.
17:11It might just be the first part of the season, which is like where I do think there's a little bit of risk involved
17:15with Josh D's type of profile, but I agree with you. I'm going to have a lot of Josh DS this year. Big fan of him,
17:20big fan of the overall like opportunity that could be coming his way. Moving to big boy, Larry Tonsel, the Pro Bowl
17:29tackle for the Washington Commanders, tears his tricep and is projected to miss a very significant portion of the 2026 season. This matters because when
17:41you're one of the five best pass blocking tackles in the NFL, like we've seen splits with guys like himself, Trent Williams, Lane Johnson, when
17:48they're out of the lineup, it's like it's a problem for the offense, it's a problem for the quarterback. this happens and Washington was supposed to
17:54have a pretty good offensive line. Now I think you got to drop them probably to the bottom 12ish something in that
18:00range. When you're looking at offensive line play, you know, I'm not I'm not going to like twist my rankings every time something happens. But Tonsel,
18:08number two pass blocking tackle in the NFL last year is, you know, annually been a top five guy. Is this something
18:13that has moved parts of the Washington Commanders skill players up or down your rankings? Cuz I've been very high on Jaden Daniels. I'm not like overly sold
18:23on Terry McLaren this year. He's not a guy that I'm like o overtargeting.
18:26Stefon Diggs I think is a cool addition, but Jaden it makes me a little scary for him in case we start seeing those splits
18:31like we have with Herz and Lane Johnson or you know Pertie and Trent Williams and things like that. Does the tonsil
18:37factor matter to you?
18:38>> I think luckily we fall in lock step on how we're viewing these pieces generally. I'm also super high on Jaden
18:45Daniels and have had a hard time drafting Terry McLaren. I think this undoubtedly hurts McLaren's outlook because where he returns value in
18:53fantasy and and where he's at his best just as an actual wide receiver is down the field on those long developing
18:59routes. And like you said, there's not too many wide receiver or offensive line injuries where we're actually factoring that into our evaluation. Tonsil is
19:08definitely one of them. Without him on the field, it's very easy to see or imagine Terry McLaren having a hard time
19:15connecting with Jaden Daniels on those deep passes and those deep targets just because there's less time in the pocket.
19:21So, I think that's just another kind of feather in the cap for for my fade on Terry McLaren this year. Not really too
19:28worried about it in respect to Jaden Daniels because we just know that so much of his value comes from what he
19:34does as a scrambler. I I believe his career scramble rate sits at 12.7%.
19:39So he he is going his value almost entirely comes from his legs. He is one of those rushing mobile quarterbacks who
19:46can also put up really strong passing numbers. So I I think it's fair to expect potentially him to have a hard
19:52time putting up gaudy passing numbers.
19:55But given that the the thesis is almost entirely driven by his athleticism and what he does with his legs, I'm more
20:01than willing to still click him in the eighth round. still think he is far too undervalued.
20:05>> Yeah. Um I'm I'm I'm still going to be targeting Jayen Daniels for sure. I mean that whole like subset of QBs after
20:13Lamar is like take your pick. But the fact that Jaden and guys like Jaylen Herz who you know could easily finish as
20:19the number one overall quarterback are just sitting in the sixth or seventh round this point. It's like Jaden Reed or Jaylen Herz, it's like you know we
20:25got to we got to grow up at some point.
20:27I'm curious about your take on the the backfield in Washington. Now, the the the injury itself, I'm like obviously losing tonsil never going to be a
20:36positive, but I do think, and this is just like a take I've been cooking up a little bit. I have no idea if there's
20:41like logic behind it, but I do think a lot of run blocking success comes from the creativity of the offensive coordinator. Like, how well are you able
20:47to kind of move your offensive lineman around to develop holes and and hide where you're going to be running the ball kind of thing. Whereas in pass
20:54blocking, it does feel like especially a tackle, like you're on your own in an island. Like you just got to be the best
20:58guy and you got to make sure the DN doesn't get past you. where I think run blocking you probably get a little bit
21:02more leeway. The best offensive coordinators tend to just get the best out of their offensive line when it comes to rushing the ball. So, I'm a
21:09little bit less worried about it from the running standpoint and I am a very big Jaka Kroski Morett fan right now and
21:16I'm I'm taking him over Rashad White.
21:19Curious where you have that backfield playing out. So, I have seen some people kind of workshopping, floating this take that the absence of tonsil will make
21:29Rashad White's pass blocking abilities a lot more valuable and he could get some more snaps. And I I to a degree agree
21:38with that because at this point I I do think if you wholeheartedly believe this backfield is going to go one way or
21:44another, I I feel like you're a little overly confident because there are certainly outcomes where this plays out both ways. Frankly speaking, I I am just
21:52trying to to get pieces uh out of this backfield one way or another. I want to lean towards JCM because although Rashad
22:00White is a well-rounded running back, he he can do the pass catching, he can do the pass blocking, he can do something
22:06as a runner, he he's just, let's be real, this guy just straight up isn't very good at at being a running back. He
22:11he's just never been efficient. He's never been explosive. his big-time fantasy year came the back on the back of just ridiculous volume and him icing
22:19everyone else in the backfield. I don't think he's going to ever ice Jaka Crossy Merritt. I have my concerns about what
22:24JCM has to offer. Again, he's honestly a liability and pass protection. You've seen some of the reps coming out of training camp. He's just getting waxed
22:31by these guys who might not even make the team. So, that that's a concern.
22:35But, in terms of his talent as a rusher, I I'm wanting to bet on merit to a larger degree. and we know what uh the
22:42presence of a a hyper mobile quarterback can do for the efficiency of a running back. And we didn't see too many games
22:48in which Merritt had control of the backfield last year and Jaden Daniels was also healthy. So I think that there could be another ceiling for Jakori to
22:56reach in terms of his rushing efficiency. So if I was going to pick between the two, Merritt's currently cheaper on most reddraft platforms. So,
23:03I think I'm just going to go with the cheaper option and the one who if he does develop those passcatching chops
23:08could have real legitimate upside.
23:10>> Yeah, I think like you said, Rashad White's just not a good runner of the football. And I I think for the most
23:15part, it's it's much easier for an early downback to just simply catch dump offs than it is for a guy like Rashad White
23:22pigeon hold into a pass catching role to all of a sudden just take over a bunch of early down work. I think, you know,
23:27the end of the day, these are NFL players or the best athletes on the planet. Like I'm sure JCM can just catch
23:31passes if they're floated to him in the back field by the line of scrimmage. So I I think they're a good yin and yang.
23:37Like I think what one of them is poor at the other one's good at and vice versa.
23:41So it's very likely this just ends up being a split. And so you have to ask yourself like does Jaden Daniels really
23:45dump the ball off that much? Not too often. He's one of the mobile quarterbacks. This is not checked down at a high rate which becomes a problem
23:51for a guy like Rashad White who's going to make his money there. We don't know what's going to happen on the goal line.
23:55Like my inclination would be JCM. It is typically the early down the the base guy that I think gets the first crack at
24:01goal line work. And I think he's a little bit more like explosive and powerful when he's running in between the tackles. But that remains to be
24:06seen. I'm kind of with you where it's like, all right, they're both cheap. So it's not like you have to overindex on
24:10one or the other. It's not like you have to make the choice of, oh, I got to take JCM in the sixth round while Rashad
24:14White goes in the 11th round. So it is kind of like pick your poison, pick your favorite flavor there. JCM for me. Um,
24:20let's move to the next receiver on the list. Uh Malik Neighbors, highest drafted guy that we're going to be talking about today. The the 180 turn on
24:30like the pessimism versus optimism of what's happened over the last month. One of maybe not one of maybe this [ __ ]
24:36happens every summer, I guess, but like this this one feels a little bit crazy where it felt like, okay, it's almost
24:41guaranteed to start the year on the pup list. You see, you know, the clips of him jogging at the softball game and
24:46you're like, this dude's nowhere near close to being ready to play football.
24:49Now you can't find a clip where he doesn't look like he's Malik Neighbors again. So, I've had no choice really but
24:55to shove him up my rankings. He's he's I I want to say he's at the back end of the the [clears throat] second round for
25:00me at this point. Even there feels like man, if I let him slide by me when I can get him. I got him 22 overall now at my
25:06wide receiver 10 whereas like a week or two ago he was like 44 or 42 overall.
25:11I'm like let someone else take him. But Malik is like that groundbreaking. Malik is that type of player where you get Wel
25:17Robinson out of the picture too. 140 targets backto-back years. you have a dude that could take over if he's a wide
25:22receiver one, you know, week eight through week 18. Would anybody be surprised? And you get to grab him in like the thirdish round. I'm usually not
25:30one that targets guys that are like coming into the year injured, but he's young. It looks good. What do you say
25:35here? Are we Are we in on Malik?
25:37>> We have the exact same ranking on Malik Neighbors at the moment. I also have him slotted at 22 overall in my ranks.
25:45>> He's just such an auto click for me at the 23 turn. Let's not pretend that there's not real risk here. I mean, he's
25:52coming off a multi- ligament knee tear.
25:54It was the ACL and the meniscus. He has a cleanup procedure at some point this spring. The there was some controversy
26:00about when the injury actually happened.
26:02So, there's real risk there, but >> but it's hard to deny that he's trending in the right direction.
26:08>> Going another direction here. If we have him at 22, that feels wrong, right? It's like it's either going to be a smash at
26:1422 and we should move him up our rankings or it's going to be a disaster and he's like a shell of himself. So, it
26:21almost feels like we can't have him at 22. We got to move him up to like 14 or something like that. Right or wrong.
26:25>> So, if this was my heart of hearts ranking, if you were putting me uh if if something was on the line and I had to
26:31rank Malik Neighbors, yes, I would have him at the one two turn. I try to consider ADP to a degree when I do these
26:38ranks because I don't want to make massive reaches and and I just I want to be ahead of wherever the market is at on
26:44Malik Neighbors unless it gets completely wild and and for some reason he starts going at like the 11th pick, but I I'm comfortable with my rank right
26:52now. It could be wrong like you're saying because I'm super bullish. If the market moves up on Malik Neighbors, I'm going to follow it. I I'm going to
26:58continue to push this guy up. So I I think that my rank on it is probably just that I'm considering ADP to some
27:04degree. He's currently sitting uh at 30 overall consensus over on reddraft sites. So I'm eight picks ahead of ADP and I'm more than fine uh with that
27:13rank. I know like what I was saying earlier, there's obvious downside here.
27:16Those multi-legant tears have been known to just sap players of their of their efficiency and they just look like shells of their former selves.
27:24Everything that we've seen is so good.
27:26He he looks good coming in and out of routes. He can change direction with ease, decelerating, accelerating. He has looked phenomenal. Now, the reports are
27:33saying that he's trending towards playing week one, which is fantastic because much like you, throughout the entire course of the summer, I was
27:40wholeheartedly operating under the assumption that this guy was going to start the year on pup and miss at least four games. Now, that's out of the
27:47cards. And let's not forget what kind of player Malik Neighbors is, cuz it's truly special when he's rolling. 170 targets as a rookie, the most ever by a
27:56rookie. He has nine career games with over a 30% target share and just four below 20%. And one of those includes the
28:05game that he got injured last year. So this guy can just completely dominate a passing game. He has a game in his
28:11career where he had a 62% target share.
28:14It's just ridiculous stuff what this guy is capable of doing. We know about all the ball in hand and downfield playmaking stuff as well. So, with
28:22everything moving in a positive direction in terms of his health, I just can't pass up the potential upside when we get into the range of like the Rashi
28:30Rices and the George Pickkins of the world.
28:32>> Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like I'm looking around my rankings and I'm like, am I really like going to be hesitant on
28:38taking Malik Neighbors over Rashi Rice just because like I haven't caught up to like ADP or something like that. I'm like, I might as well just [ __ ] make
28:45the move right now, you know? So, as I'm looking at it, I'm like, it's Malik Neighbors. Like, I want him on my
28:48team. And I'm usually pretty riskaverse when it comes to the injuries, but uh one thing I've learned too, I guess, is to the youth is is a
28:56big factor in coming back from the injury as well as just, you know, kind of listening to the people that are
29:00boots on the ground and really watching these players play on a day-to-day basis and and seeing how they look and everything. Feels like a relative full
29:07go for Malik. Yeah, he might start off slow, but he's one of those dudes that like you get an 8, 10, 12 point game out
29:13of him a few times in the beginning part of the year, and it's worth it as he starts to explode for those 30 point
29:18bombs as week eight, as week 10, as week 12 kind of hits your fantasy team there.
29:22So, we will move to Ricky Pierce Hall.
29:25He is someone that I think people were starting to get excited about. Easy profile to get excited about, easy draft capital. really never put together like
29:33an actual string of productive games over the course of like multiple months at a time, but it was easy to tell
29:38yourself it was going to happen this year as they started getting started getting rid of all their top targets there in San Francisco. Unfortunately,
29:45the PCL injury that kind of plagued him last year ended up following him into this offseason and now he's out for the
29:50year. And that matters because you have Mike Evans stepping in, that matters because you have Deshawn Stribbling as a very early second round pick here who's
29:57seemingly getting more and more opportunity during training camp. And then that went as far as needing to sign Debo Samuel to come into the mix. And we
30:05are going to move from the injury section over to the signing section which includes Debo Samuel. So we'll kind of mix and match the end of that
30:10tier into this tier now. And just talk about the San Francisco receiver group overall. I've been pretty uh high on Mike Evans. He's been missing some time
30:20with an injury right now at camp. Again, it's early enough in August that these like minor groin and quad and hamstring
30:26injuries aren't overly concerning to me as long as the team kind of continues with that type of energy. I really like
30:32Mike Evans. Debo, I think he's probably going to be a little bit better than the fantasy industry is going to give him
30:36credit for um because Kyle Shanahan knows how to use him so well. I'm curious your outlook on a guy like Deshawn Stribbling. Is he someone that
30:43you think actually steps into immediate opportunity? Is he more of like, you know, a fun dart throw at the end of
30:48your drafts that could have some real upside here? San Francisco, the receiver group. Where are you at with it?
30:54>> I'm gonna be really high on Mike Evans.
30:57There's no doubt about that. Over on ESPN, he's going in the 80s right now, which is patently absurd in my opinion.
31:05This is a guy who's going at the four, five turn over on Underdog. And I know last year was pretty rough in terms of
31:12the injuries and just the baseline production. The numbers weren't great.
31:15He only had two games where he finished as a weekly wide receiver, two or better. You have to understand though that Mike Evans profile is volatile.
31:23That's just who he is as a player because his value is derived by him racking up red zone and end zone targets
31:30and and converting on downfield targets as well. But unlike Alec Pierce, he does it really consistently. He converts and he draws the targets. Last year, he
31:39still posted pretty strong target share and just target earning numbers. He just didn't convert. He saw 14 targets at least 20 yards down the field last year.
31:47only caught three of them. So, it was just a year of of him running bad in my opinion. He was still relatively
31:54involved in the offense to a degree that we would like to see. Now, he moves to uh 49ers offense that have made fantasy
32:01superstars out of just about anyone regardless of the position. And and we know that the competition, especially for him to be the go-to guy in the red
32:10zone, is about nil. the the only guy that we thought was going to threaten Mike Evans for targets in the wide
32:16receiver room is gone. He's evaporated.
32:18Ricky Pieraw is no longer there. So, I'm really bullish on Mike Evans, especially at these reddraft prices. Stribbling and Debo, I'm kind of throwing my hands in
32:28the air to a degree. I'm not entirely sure. I'm going to be ahead of the market on both of these guys because
32:34both of them just have the skill set that Kyle Shanahan has been known to exploit. Both of them are the their
32:41calling card, their defining trait is their ability to get it done after the catch. Debo Samuel, he has a career worst year in terms of yards after the
32:50catch per reception. Last year, I think you can attribute that to some of that to the offense. Uh we just know how bad
32:57it was in Washington last year. Jaden Daniels barely plays. It's effectively a lost season. Stribbling, that's what he showed during his time in college, that
33:05he can get it done with the ball in his hand. So, I think that there's room for routes for both of them and playing time
33:10for both of them. Stribbling, not sure how quickly it will come. I could see this guy being a 40% route guy to open
33:16the year, but then they continue to bring him along as the season progresses. So, I I think stribbling, he's basically going to be free in your
33:22home leagues. So, that's someone I would be open to stashing in the later rounds and just kind of evaluating what his
33:29role looks like over the first course of the season before buys really kick in.
33:33Neither of them I would say are priority guys for me in the later rounds. I think that they'll end up being ADP beaters
33:40and I have a hard time seeing either of them just going nuclear and being real smashes at their at their relative cost.
33:47>> Yeah, I'm looking at my rankings right now. I have Evans up at wide receiver 17. Like happy to take him in the fourth
33:53round anywhere he's available.
33:54Stribbling's down at like wide receiver 49. Debo's in the 50s right now where it's like I I I could see myself moving
34:00him up a little bit. He's a dude that like week one I could see Debo running like 80% of the routes, you know,
34:05getting a bunch of really easy checkdowns and then people convince themselves like, oh, he's going to be six for 60 every single week. And
34:11honestly, I wouldn't really fight it cuz Kyle Shanahan's so good at scheming up players like that. And he obviously knows how to use dbo Samuel. I don't
34:17necessarily think like Debo is a terrible player at this point. Like it's some point like a team needs to consider their salary cap, right? Like you can't
34:23just keep every single player and pay them the max amount. So they had to let him leave. I'm not a fan of Cliff
34:28Kingsbury. I think he is good at forcing targets or forcing screens. I don't think he's like a a very efficient or
34:34any sort of like creative offensive mind out there. So, I think it's a mixture of Debo falling off, but also just being in
34:40a system that's not going to allow him to really like have anything going for him. I am really curious to see how this
34:44receiver room shakes out because it's so new compared to what they've had over the last few years with no more Ricky P
34:50and Jawan Jennings was such a staple of that offense as well. You got George KD coming back from the Achilles. didn't
34:54even uh really touch on there, but I'm I'm more fading George KD this year. I think he's too old. The injury to me
35:01feels a little bit too serious right now. I'd much rather take other guys at the position and bank on other San
35:05Francisco 49ers there. And I think that's where Mike Evans could eat, right? Like they don't have any other red zone options there. So, he ends up
35:10scoring double- digit touchdowns.
35:12Wouldn't shock me at all. So, I'm kind of in lock step with you. I'm big fan of Mike Evans. Don't really know what to do
35:17with the other guys. All right. Next high-profile signing we had Debo, I should mention. contract was like one year roughly three and a half million
35:25has some incentives on playing time production etc. Stefon Diggs on the other hand one year $12 million to land in his hometown of Washington with the
35:34Commanders. I love this signing for them. It's a reason that I think I'm like still relatively optimistic about Jaden Daniels despite the injury to
35:41Laramie Tonsel. Diggs was good last year. There's really no way around it.
35:45Like he's not the same explosive downfield playmaker as he was when he was with the Bills in his prime obviously, but like legitimate chain
35:50mover, legitimate possession guy. I think he is going to have a role that's different to Terry McLaren. Like you mentioned before, Terry makes his money
35:57I think downfield. Like he's such a good field stretcher and he can get all over the field whereas Diggs I don't think is
36:02going to stretch a defense, but he can move the change for you. And it's a depth chart that's so void of like
36:07actual proven pass catchers. And um yeah, I I just I just think Diggs has some stuff left in the tank. His week
36:14toe ceiling, I I don't know how high that really is, but I could see him being a major factor in this passing
36:19offense. We're we're very much on the same page there. Last year, super efficient and productive in a limited rotational role with the Patriots. And
36:28you do have to keep in mind that it was a season in which he was coming off an ACL tear. I thought that he far exceeded
36:34my expectations considering the injury and his age. So, I I 100% agree that he has gas left in the tank. My only
36:42concern is what what is the upside?
36:46Yeah, >> because I do think that Chig Conquo does pose a legitimate threat to his ability to earn targets in the underneath areas
36:54of the field. I'm really high on Chiggo Conquo. I think he is a special talent at the tight end position in terms of
37:00what he can do in the open field, just making defenders miss. So, I do think that there there could be a world in
37:06which they're kind of just eating at each other and it becomes difficult for for Diggs to see the volume that we
37:12would like. But as you said, there's just no no hurdle for Digs to clear in terms of him returning to a full-time or
37:20semif-time guy, just consistently running 65 to 75% of the routes and earning volume consistently. So, I think he's going to be a guy who I'm going to
37:30rank right around pick 100 somewhere in in that range with the likes of like Matthew Golden and kind of that tier of
37:36wide receivers. Can he be a league winning type of guy? That's the hangup for me because that's where you're drafting your bench wide receivers and I
37:46want to stack my bench with with guys who can drastically exceed where we're drafting them and exceed their ADP. I have a hard time with that with Diggs. I
37:55I can very much see the outcome where he finishes as the wide receiver 18 on the year. He he draws upwards of 100
38:01targets. He goes on to have another thousand yard. That's nice if you're in a deeper league or your team is just
38:08destroyed by injuries and you need some level of wide receiver to production, but in terms of the archetypes of players that I want to load up on my
38:16bench, it's I'm having a hard time getting there with digs.
38:19>> Yeah, I I agree around that spot. Like I have them I have them right now wide receiver 45. He is around that like
38:24100ish mark. So I'm kind of in line with the market for the most part. But I think when I'm actually on the clock, I
38:28will be taking shots on those secondyear players that people are off on. Like you mentioned the Matthew Golden's of the world. Those guys are a little bit more
38:35exciting to me because again like what really is the upside for Stefon Diggs? I even think wide receiver 18 feels quite
38:41optimistic because he's not going to be forced into like the wide receiver one role and you know how many yards is
38:46Jaden Daniels really going to throw for in a perfect world because he's going to add 800 900 on the ground himself. So it
38:52like limits the the passing upside overall. So Diggs feels like such a good real life move for the Commanders.
38:57You're going to look back and you're going to be like cool. caught like 55 passes for 840 yards and like five
39:03touchdowns, but when you're actually playing the game of fantasy football, you never feel comfortable like putting him into your lineup. And that's what
39:10kind of spooks me a little bit. So to me, yeah, more more real life gray ad I think for Washington. Little bit tough
39:16to bite the bite the price on on what he's actually going to do for your lineup. Now we're going to move to the
39:22buy or sell section of training camp buzz hype. trying to find like the most obnoxiously hyped players I possibly could and get your take on it. And I
39:33think there's no one more deserving of being at top this list than Parker Washington, the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver who had his, you know,
39:41thirdyearish breakout, particularly down the stretch last year, finishing with, you know, a handful of 100 yard receiving games. And from every single
39:51report you hear at Jacksonville, he is the number one target right now for Trevor Lawrence. I am, you know, I've I've had Parker Washington as my number
39:58one guy in Jacksonville since like the spring. So, I've always had him over BTJ. I'm worried now that he's going to
40:04come with a price tag that's like unpalatable. Like, you can't actually draft him at the price that he's going to be going by the time you draft
40:10because of the hype here. Uh he's still my favorite weapon on this team without a doubt. And I I probably if I'm playing
40:16in a multitude of drafts, like I'm going to pull the trigger on him just cuz I want some exposure to it. But I do think
40:20there's real risk here of like the Green Bay Packers effect or the Indianapolis effect where they just have like so many
40:27real quality receivers that like the first time Parker Washington's off the field on 12 personnel, it's going to be like, ah, [ __ ] Like, what was I
40:35thinking? Of course, it was going to be BTJ on the outside and Jacobe Myers on the outside. So, my biggest hang-up is
40:40like, do we really get Parker Washington running 85 plus% of the routes with a receiver room as deep as Jacksonville is? I fully bought in on a breakout. I'm
40:50just I'm I'm I'm a little queasy about that.
40:52>> I opened the off season in a different spot as you. I was BTJ all the way and I have fully bent the knee and capitulated
41:01on Parker Washington. I mean, has this guy ever had a bad practice? It's every day that they're they're just glazing this guy, the Beat reporters on Twitter
41:10and just in their articles. It's it's ridiculous. You just can't not buy into it at this point. The one thing cuz I
41:16shared the same concern about the routes volume. What what does this rotation look like? Because of course all of these guys are going to play barring
41:23injury. There's just not a world in which they keep one of these guys off the field. I do think that some of the
41:29offseason reporting that is slipping through the cracks is that Parker Washington's routes might not be the one that are limited or impacted by the
41:38rotation. He said himself that Liam Cohen told him that he plans to play him in all personnel packages 11, 12, and
41:4613. And he plans to line him up all over the formation, X, F, Z, in the slot, on the outside, whatever you want to have
41:52it. So, I'm optimistic that his he leads this team in routes and that his ceiling isn't capped by snap share and route
42:01share concerns. That is one situation that I will be keeping my eyes glued to in the preseason just to see how they
42:08mix up the usage and the deployment for these four. They're all going to play.
42:13They're all going to play. I'm just growing increasingly optimistic that it's Parker Washington and BTJ who lead the way and it's Jacobe Meyers and
42:23Travis Hunter who cannibalize each other. And you wouldn't think that that would be the case because last year and kind of what we were expecting coming
42:29into his rookie year, Travis Hunter was viewed as a slot guy to some degree, but the reports coming out of training camp
42:35that he's doing a lot of outside and downfield stuff. So that could be really nice for anyone who's bullish on Parker
42:41Washington this year. Again, this is something that I think that the preseason kind of usage report and snapshares and all that, that's going to
42:49be really, really valuable.
42:50>> Yeah. And and just to touch on that, we're going to be doing a weekly recap just like this following the actual
42:55preseason games themselves. So if you, you know, if you want to dive into the numbers once that stuff kind of starts
43:00to roll out, the first preseason game or the first, you know, week one preseason games will start tonight and we'll have
43:06videos going live Monday, Tuesday covering that. So make sure you're subscribed to the channel if you want to get some more in-depth numbers with that
43:12stuff. Yeah, Parker Wash like it it's so clear that when you were watching them play last year, like there's a clear
43:16chemistry between Trevor Lawrence and guys that he trusts to catch the ball by the end of the year and that was Parker
43:21Washington and Jacobe Meyers and his target share was not super high because he's sharing, you know, routes with a lot of guys, but his target rate in
43:29terms of like getting targeted when he's actually running the routes, top 20 in the NFL last year, around 25% and I'd
43:34imagine that's only going to grow as he continues to get more and more solidified in the offense. And I think probably the most intriguing part of
43:41this is we talked about Luther Burden being Ben Johnson's Zaman RA is like Liam Cohen is kind of a mastermind with
43:49slot players as well, right? And I think we saw with Godwin. It's like no reason Parker Washington can't be a similar
43:54type guy that's getting these six, seven targets a game. And he's also like a little bit more explosive downfield than I think people probably realize. Like he
44:04can make plays downfield. He's also great with the ball in his hands. Like a Yak monster actually. Someone that I think profiles a little bit like Debo
44:10Samuel. Like he's he's a little bit built like a running back and he can run with the ball in his hands. So I think
44:13there's a lot going for him. My biggest concern, yeah, would just be all right when they do get into 12 13 personnel.
44:18Like sure, maybe he's on the field for a few of those, but who knows? You know, is he going to be the guy that gets the
44:2490% snap rate? If you told me it was, like I don't know how high I'd be drafting this guy, but he'd probably be
44:30a little bit dangerous. So, for me, when I if I have to choose buy or sell, I'm absolutely buying the hype on on Parker
44:35Washington.
44:36>> We're on the same page there, man.
44:38>> All right. Um, Luther Burton, we already kind of touched on. I think I don't know if Luther Burden's hype was necessarily
44:44like media manufactured as much as it was like fantasy manufactured. Um, he definitely got a lot of hype. Ben Johnson's been kind of riding it the
44:50entire summer as well. I think we both probably given our takes on this. You are very much buying the hype on it. I
44:55was wait and see mode, but I'm I'm happy to grab him if I feel like he falls to me at uh at value here. I guess we can
45:02maybe talk about the other two pass catchers in Chicago that we didn't really touch on. That's Coulson Love, who's been getting an insane amount of
45:08love as well this offseason because of how well he performed down the stretch.
45:11And then Roma Dunce as well. He's not getting like a ton of hype or anything, but I think he's worth touching on just
45:15because, you know, he's kind of like the forgotten man that he's really talented, but like what spot does he have in this
45:22offense? So outside of burden, do you buy or sell both Coulson Lovelin and Roman Dunay?
45:27>> I have to buy Coloulston Lovelin. This was a guy I had a massive amount of in his rookie year. I was disappointed to
45:35see that it came so late, but I felt vindicated because it did happen cuz this guy is quite obviously the real
45:42deal. There's no doubt about it. And you couple that with all the buzz about him.
45:47What was the quote? Like Coulson Loveland is the sun that the Bears offense orbits around. It's just ridiculous stuff. It's obviously not
45:55actionable or meaningful in any way, but it's awesome to see stuff like that. So, >> I legitimately think Coloulston Lovelin has tight end one in his range of
46:03outcomes this year. He He's just that unique of a talent and his ability to not only be a effective and efficient
46:12playmaker, but is also to just rack up and pile up targets. We saw some pretty insane target totals from him down the
46:18stretch, including in the playoffs last year. So that's super bullish for his year two prospects and overall outlook.
46:25And then Romo Dunay, I I think you could guess just considering how high I am on the year two guys. I'm having a tough
46:31time getting to. I'm not full fading him, but it's harder for me because I remember writing up just like back in
46:38the last two years writing up Romo Dun and just waxing poetic about how strong his usage was. He looked like an alpha
46:46wide receiver one in terms of his role.
46:48Obviously, the the texture of this passing room, this pass catching core has changed with the arrival of Loveland and Burden. I still think that there is
46:57a world in which this guy pays off. The discrepancy between where we see the ADPs on Underdog and where he's going on
47:03the ESPN's, the Yahoos, the sleepers, he is getting pulled up in in your home leagues and in your reddraft leagues.
47:08So, I'm probably not going to have much of him. I'm still willing to leave the light on though, but given all the
47:16excitement that I have for the other two guys, it's just he's like you said, the the forgotten child, the the forgotten
47:22stepchild, whatever you want to call it.
47:24>> It it's it's a little similar to BTJ where it's like you want to believe that he's a really talented player, but you
47:29just look at the offense and you're like, where does he fit? You know, like does the does the play caller like
47:34really see him as a big integral piece of the offense? Does he want to run the offense through him? And it doesn't feel
47:39like that's the case for Rome, unfortunately. Like, he'll have his days, but will he have the full year?
47:45Probably not. Let's move to some uh under the radar rookies that we are either looking at in the later parts of
47:51best, but maybe some high upside shots in your double digit rounds of your home leagues here. And these are the guys
47:58that I feel like recently have gotten the most hype out of their respective camps. And I'll start with the most recent one. We'll actually we'll just do
48:05like a quick uh a quick run through.
48:07We'll give your we'll get your takes on them as like a prospect and then if you think they have any actual relevance in
48:12the in the reddraft leagues throughout the year. Here we have Baltimore Ravens Jacobe Lane who you know we had the Baltimore beat reporter come out and say
48:19like hasn't seen a training camp like this from a receiver in Baltimore ever.
48:23A dude who's been covering the team I think for like 27 years. Uh you have the two Browns receivers in Denzel Boston,
48:28Casey Conpsion. put very big draft capital into retooling their receiver room, but obviously like a t a terrible situation, but the Denzel Boston hype is
48:36very very real right now. Then you have Cyrus Allen out of Kansas City here. Um I I think you know despite the the big
48:44names at the top, the Rashi Ricees, the Xavier Worthy, I don't think they have like a lot of legitimate well-rounded talent there. So I do think there's
48:50opportunity in the passing game there.
48:52So what say you about these three four prospects? Are there any of them that you are actually like actively going out
48:58and pursuing in reddraft leagues you think have real upside? You you think have real staying power in the great year of 2026? I really don't
49:06unfortunately. I I'm excited about these guys prospects, but just knowing how deep your typical home league is, it it's not really going to reach a point
49:15where I'm drafting any of them. Perhaps I'll take some stabs on Denzel Boston, but he's the only one that really comes
49:21to mind. It's just it's hard to see a path to any of these guys having the week-to-eek consistency that makes you
49:29actually want to insert them into your starting lineup. You you got to make that decision each and every week. Are you ever going to be able to move hop
49:36onto your app, make the click, and move these guys in your starting lineup? I don't see it. Jacobe Lane, monster at
49:42the catch point. Absolute monster. A friend of mine calls him glue hands Jacobe Lane. He is so good in contested situations and in the red zone. Then
49:50again, you just look at the offense.
49:52Lamar Jackson has had a hard time sustaining secondary pass catchers just given the nature of how runheavy this offense has been over the years. There's
50:00room for Zay Flowers and given the the thinness, the lack of depth at the tight end position, Mark Andrews has been able
50:06to get there on the back of touchdowns.
50:08There's never been that second guy. Uh Rashad Baitman, he delivered some nice games in 2024 when Lamar Jackson put together an MVP season. it was never
50:18enough for him to be a viable starting option in uh your standard two start two wide receivers in a flax league. Denzel
50:25Boston, it's a very similar story. I I really like the talent. I I I remember back in the pre-draft process, this was
50:32a guy who people were mocking in the first round. He's basically a fringe first round talent in in my opinion, and
50:38he's a good player. I just don't think given the environment in Cleveland, there's just going to be enough room for him. I love Todd Monkin. The the
50:46quarterback situation and the presence of other guys, I think it's just gonna be too much for him to overcome. I'm really high on Harold Fannon. I think he
50:53leads this team in targets. And even with the buzz, you you have to acknowledge that Conception could also be a staple featured wide receiver of
51:02this offense. So, can Shador Sanders or Deshaawn Watson, if there are multiple pass catchers, and if Harold Fannon is leading the way, can either of those
51:11guys deliver a quality second receiver?
51:14My thought is no. My thought is no. Take the stab in one of your later rounds on Boston if you'd like. If you like the
51:20profile, because I did, so I I'd be open to it. Keep him on your bench for a few weeks, just evaluate the situation.
51:26Cyrus Allen, he really wasn't on my radar the after the draft and early in the offseason when he was kind of
51:33hitting rookie camp, hitting mini camp and all that stuff. It's nice to see him making plays. He He's on my radar at
51:39this point, but he doesn't really move the needle for me. We know Andy Reid has a long played out history of slowplaying
51:46rookies and their incorporation into the offense. There's only been a few guys over the years who have broken that mold. I think it's fair to be critical
51:53of the Chiefs wide receivers, though.
51:55Rashi Rice, one of those guys who is definitely a lot more valuable in fantasy than in real life. Xavier Worthy, has never put it together. So,
52:02there's an opportunity there. I think he belongs on the waiver wire to open the year and just see where things go.
52:08>> Yeah, I'm kind of align with you there.
52:10It it was like for Jacobe Lane it's exciting to see him like you know them getting possibly a legitimate wide receiver 2 three involved in the mix but
52:18it was one year ago that basically the stat that you kept seeing thrown around was like Lamar Jackson's it never produced like a top 25 fantasy wide
52:25receiver or something like that and then Z Flowers obviously had the breakout year but it wasn't that long ago that we
52:28were like Lamar Jackson literally can't really produce fantasy wide receivers and now we're asking for something out of a second or a third wide receiver
52:35there and it's like probably need to cool down quarterback situation is a nightmare in Cleveland though do really I I like Todd Mon coming in. I think
52:42he's a pretty sharp offensive coordinator. So, I have no problem taking shots on either of those pass catchers there in Cleveland because I
52:48think you always have to leave a little bit of room for things to break in ways that you don't know or players like a
52:53Shador to be a little bit better than expected and that can make all the world of difference in, you know, a 14th,
52:5815th, 16th round pick for the guys that you're taking very late in your drafts.
53:01Cyrus Allen is the one that probably has the most actual target competition here and the least likely path to real playing time. Um, so also, you know,
53:09tough to bite the trigger there. They're all exciting if you drafted them in rookie drafts and you're like, "Cool, my guys are getting a little bit of buzz
53:14right now. The values on the uptick, but they're they're fun clicks maybe in the last round of your draft." But hard to
53:20buy real hype here as it relates to reddraft and I think we are coming up on nearly an hour for the show. So, we will
53:28cut it there. The very first showing of Mr. Michael O'Hara here. Um, I gave them an intro already. let them know that
53:34your socials and everything will be linked down below. But how uh how did we feel the the first show went?
53:41>> Oh, it was a blast, man. This is the stuff I love talking through and getting your takes on. So, uh I'm looking
53:46forward to the other ones. We'll actually have players on the football field to talk through and give some takes on. So, we've been beating our
53:54heads against the wall talking about clips and tweets and reports for the last handful of months. the the cleats are hitting the turf, the pads are about
54:01to be on, and we're going to actually be able to to talk about actual snaps of football, which is just so exciting for
54:08me.
54:08>> Yeah. Going to be a beautiful thing. So, uh, again, if you guys want to hear us talk about what happens in the actual
54:14preseason games, and hopefully kind of give you a line on on what matters, what doesn't matter, subscribe to the channel cuz we'll be talking about it early next
54:21week. As I already mentioned, Michael's stuff is linked down below. So, go follow him if you enjoyed the video. And we will uh see you when we see you.
54:29Mochies.
54:48>> [music]
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