Feel It or F--k It 6.8.26: An RSP Podcast with Bob Harris and Matt Waldman

There is concern about AJ Brown's knee health and whether he is damaged goods following his trade from Philadelphia, though Waldman believes the Eagles' narrative about the injury may be exaggerated.

Matt Waldman projects AJ Brown's floor at approximately 120 targets, close to 80 receptions, and a little over 1,000 yards with 7-10 touchdowns in New England, which he considers still good enough for wide receiver one consideration.

AJ Brown has 15 receptions of 50+ yards since the start of 2019, tied for most in the NFL, demonstrating elite big-play ability.

Was a slot receiver at Mississippi and a good one; could switch inside/outside with Jalen Coker in the Patriots offense.

AJ Brown was a slot receiver at Mississippi and a strong one, which could allow him to flex between slot and outside receiver roles in New England alongside other receivers.

Has been climbing up inside the top 10 in projections and ADP will likely follow based on the steam of the offense, the quarterback, and recent news.

If drafted cheaper early in best ball formats, drafters should feel good about the value as the price will likely rise soon.

AJ Brown carried gravity in the Eagles offense even when not targeted, and his departure creates uncertainty about how the offense will function without his presence.

Brian Thomas Jr. will improve enough but not enough because of Trevor Lawrence, as the QB's accuracy issues limit his upside despite extra reps together.

Brian Thomas Jr. will improve enough but not enough because of Trevor Lawrence's inconsistency, as the quarterback has shown errant throws and poor chemistry with Thomas on vertical routes.

Brian Thomas Jr. is a good vertical receiver whose rookie success was limited by Trevor Lawrence's errant throws and poor chemistry on vertical routes, leading the Jaguars to add other receivers like Jacoby Meyers and Parker Washington mid-season.

Brian Thomas is being phased into a third receiver role behind Jacobe Meyers and Parker Washington, with the Jaguars prioritizing short and intermediate pass catchers over vertical threats.

Brian Thomas averaged 6.2 targets and under 10 points per game in 14 games with Trevor Lawrence last year, dropping to under 9 points per game over the final eight games as Meyers and Washington emerged.

Brian Thomas was wide receiver two overall only in his final six games with Marcus Jones, not with Trevor Lawrence, making expectations for a WR2 finish with Lawrence unrealistic.

Bryce Young has been hanging in there with some inspired moments, suggesting the Panthers' quarterback situation may stabilize if he continues to show improvement.

Godwin is a bargain at wide receiver 40 and is looking very good in camp; despite past injury concerns, he should be ready to perform as the number two receiver in the Buccaneers offense.

Godwin will likely lead the Buccaneers in receptions and be more efficient than Mike Evans due to increased slot usage, with a projected 8 touchdowns.

Rodriguez is mysteriously absent from OTAs and is not working out well in best ball formats, which is something to watch as he competes with Tutin for carries.

Waldman believes Hubbard's best days are probably behind him already despite receiving an extension, and he has concerns about his durability given his age and recent missed games.

Sutton was wide receiver 14 last year and wide receiver 11 the year before, but is being drafted as wide receiver 35 this year—the analyst plans to have a ton of him and doesn't expect him to fall that far.

Allen is a potential replacement option for Rasheed Rice in the screen role if needed.

Daniel Jones' 2024 season may have been a one-year wonder in a heavily schemed Colts offense, with concerns that the scheme will be found out and his success may not be sustainable.

DeMario Douglas is mentioned as the current slot receiver for the Patriots, with Waldman suggesting Kaylen Boote could be an upgrade over him in that role.

Currently the slot receiver in the Patriots offense; Jalen Coker could potentially be an upgrade over him.

DeVonta Smith has high expectations as a potential monster wide receiver one in the Eagles offense, though it remains to be seen if he can be the player everyone believes without AJ Brown in the mix.

Devonte Smith's ability to be the player everyone believes he is without AJ Brown in the mix is now in question, as people had talked themselves into him becoming a monster wide receiver one in the Eagles offense.

Could be an upgrade to DeMario Douglas as a big slot receiver who could deliver big plays with teams occupied with the outside receivers, and could switch inside/outside with AJ Brown.

Could wind up going to a team where he becomes a pretty good starter and maybe even better than Romeo Dobbs has to offer.

Not currently projected or ranked pending clarity on his role and situation.

Going as wide receiver 69 at 184th pick overall; Grank approves of that ADP.

McMillan will be fourth in the Buccaneers receiving hierarchy, fitting best in the slot where Godwin will spend most of his time.

Royals is a viable replacement for Rasheed Rice with the additional first-team reps he's receiving; he had better hands than Rice coming out of school and is a skilled player after the catch.

Royals had better hands than Rashee Rice on similar looks and is a skilled player after the catch, positioning him well to fill Rice's role.

Waddle is projected for 201 fantasy points in Denver and will be more efficient on a yardage standpoint than Courtland Sutton, though Sutton will lead in targets and receptions.

Waddle could easily become the top option in Denver's offense, with the analyst feeling positive about his role despite being moved around more often.

Jonathan Brooks is viewed as the true future at running back in Carolina and could form a RB1/RB3 combo with Trevor Etienne if the team solidifies their offensive line and quarterback situation.

Jordan Addison is the biggest loser in Minnesota's offense with Kyler Murray, likely becoming a distant third receiver if Murray's pattern from Arizona repeats.

Signed by Patriots for a fair amount of money but expected to be more of a blocker with low target volume in the low teens.

Mike McDaniel's footwork adjustments for Herbert are scheme-oriented to emphasize quick passing and play-action, which should help Herbert avoid the problematic intermediate range where he has struggled historically.

Herbert's processing ability is good but not great—he makes 1-2 poor decisions per week despite being a beautiful thrower, which limits his ceiling as a top-tier processor like Brock Purdy or Tom Brady.

Justin Jefferson is the best bet to be the most peppered target option in Minnesota with Kyler Murray, but if they aren't on the same page, he could demand a trade.

Kyler Murray has not produced multiple fantasy starters in his passing offense in his entire career, and the analyst is "f--k it" on the Vikings having more than one fantasy starter with him until proven otherwise.

Kyler Murray does not stay in the pocket to find efficient solutions, unlike other short QBs like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson, limiting his ability to support multiple fantasy-relevant receivers.

Waldman sees Kyler Murray as a potential competitive stopgap starter for the Vikings if he improves pocket efficiency and shows strong target distribution across multiple receivers in the first 2-3 games.

Evans will likely be better than Godwin in yardage and target share departments, though Godwin will lead in receptions.

Parker Washington is part of Jacksonville's new receiving strategy as a primary short and intermediate route option, forming a two-punch with Jacobe Meyers.

Rice is currently dealing with legal issues and is in jail, though he is getting rehab on his surgically repaired knee.

Rashee Rice is projected to have northward of 1,200 yards in the Chiefs offense as the true running back in a passing offense that uses short throws as an extension of the run game.

The Chiefs are likely tired of Rashee Rice's off-field antics and probably won't extend him, instead running him into the ground to maximize value while they have him.

Rashee Rice's contract situation and off-field issues will likely limit his role, with the analyst expecting Worthy to get half of what Rice is projected for.

Going as wide receiver 49, the second wide receiver off the board at 115th pick overall.

Saquon Barkley is expected to have a strong rebound year in Sean McVay's offense, with a Todd Gurley-style season as a strong possibility.

When Saquon Barkley doesn't have a good feel for how a play is supposed to develop, he tries to out-athlete people rather than making quick, well-managed decisions based on vision.

Saquon Barkley has historically been a better gap player than a zone player, though outside zone has been a good bridge for gap players learning zone schemes.

Analyst projects Saquon Barkley for approximately 1,500 yards from scrimmage this season, not expecting a full 2,000-yard rebound but open to raising the receiving projection if he reaches 50-60 receptions as the Eagles are discussing.

Barkley has been top 10 in fantasy points in three of his 16-game seasons, with last season being an outlier at 15th, which was not a terrible outcome.

Saquon Barkley has been a top-10 fantasy back in 16-game seasons three times, with last season's 15th-place finish being an outlier, suggesting strong historical consistency.

If Kyler Murray's pattern from Arizona repeats with Minnesota, T.J. Hockenson could have a renaissance as the peppered target option, similar to Trey McBride's role.

Hurst is an exciting player who will likely get north of 50 targets but may be a distant number three in the Buccaneers offense behind Godwin and Evans.

Johnson is one of the most underrated young slot players in the league and is a dynamic, smart football player who could be a breakout candidate if injuries occur.

Todd Gurley's 2018 season (1,250 rushing yards, 17 rushing TDs, 580 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs for 21 total TDs) is used as a comparable model for what Saquon Barkley might achieve in McVay's offense.

Travis Hunter's role as a deep receiving option may be reduced as Jacksonville prioritizes short and intermediate pass catchers, with more cornerback snaps expected.

Henderson is projected at running back 21 in current draft ADP, down from running back 18 last year, with a closer price to Rondre Stevenson (running back 29) than last season.

Henderson is projected to have an edge in touchdowns and rushing yardage over Stevenson, but trails in receptions, receiving yardage, and receiving touchdowns, with Football Guy's projections showing Henderson at running back 26 and Stevenson at running back 28.

Henderson needs to improve his route running, understanding coverage nuances, and quarterback rapport compared to Stevenson, and still needs to get better at creating something from nothing when plays break down and there's interior penetration.

Etienne flashed in limited time as a capable scatback and receiver, and could be a cheap Dynasty pickup as a future complement to Jonathan Brooks if the Panthers rebuild successfully.

Trevor Lawrence's inconsistency and errant throws limit Brian Thomas Jr.'s upside, making the quarterback the primary constraint on Thomas' fantasy production rather than the receiver's talent.

Trevor Lawrence has shown errant throws and poor chemistry with Brian Thomas in the vertical game, limiting the upside of Jacksonville's passing offense.

Trey McBride revealed that Kyler Murray would skip his first read and pepper the tight end with targets instead of distributing the ball efficiently across the offense.

Tyler Warren is going into the fifth round as a wide receiver in early 2025 drafts (14th pick overall), benefiting from vacated targets in the Colts offense.

Tyler Warren functions as a wide receiver in the Colts offense despite being classified as a tight end by defenses, similar to Ricky Rice, with less traffic due to Jonathan Taylor's dominance and the strong offensive line creating wide-open space.

Tyler Warren is working to improve his route breaks and efficiency this offseason, addressing a key area of development in his game that was previously limited to zone coverage situations.

Tyler Warren will likely be the second or third most targeted player in the Colts passing offense and maintain a massive role despite needing route-running improvements.

Without another compelling receiver outside of Alec Pierce, Tyler Warren could get shut down more often as teams study film and understand the Colts offense better, as evidenced by the Steelers' defensive approach.

At age 23, Xavier Worthy still has time to become a top 20 fantasy wide receiver for the Chiefs, and the analyst recommends staying patient with him in dynasty leagues.

Worthy will be the second most targeted wide receiver on the Chiefs and the third option in the offense, projected for just under 700 yards.

Worthy will outperform Taekquin Thornton, who is getting buzz in camp for his deep ability.