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Last minute advice BEFORE your fantasy football draft

STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.

1 hr 4 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 28, 2026
Published
Fri, August 28, 2026
55
Player insights
53
Players mentioned
Topics
A.J. BrownTreVeyon HendersonA.T. PerryAdonai MitchellAlec PierceAmon-Ra St. BrownBlake CorumBraelon AllenBreece HallBrock BowersCaleb WilliamsCeeDee LambChase BrownChris Olave
Player analysis

Player insights

55

A.J. Brown

NegativeValue4:42

AJ Brown serves as the benchmark for the start of the second round in fantasy drafts, with other wide receivers being evaluated based on their position relative to his draft slot.

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NegativeValue6:43

A.J. Brown is used as a draft position marker at the turn of the first and second rounds, serving as a reference point for when drafters should consider Chris Olave.

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A.T. Perry

NegativeRole5:28

The injury to A.T. Perry (referred to as 'Tyson') is cited as a factor that solidifies Chris Olave's role in the Saints' offense.

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Adonai Mitchell

PositiveValue50:10

Adonai Mitchell is considered a good late-round target, specifically as a wide receiver option in the fifth or sixth round of drafts.

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Alec Pierce

NegativeBust9:13

Alec Pierce is an injury concern following a leaked video showing him limping; Nfc Hall advises against drafting him at his current ADP (inside the top 100), arguing he is being over-drafted given his injury recovery and lack of an off-season. Pierce's game relies on speed and athleticism, which will be hindered by his need to ramp up.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown

PositiveProjection0:00

Chris Vicaro views Amon-Ra St. Brown as a darkhorse candidate for WR1 overall, citing his role as the focal point of a condensed Lions passing attack, a high-scoring division, and a defense that forces shootouts. St. Brown has three straight years of double-digit touchdowns and consistent red-zone usage, making him a safe, high-floor pick in the middle of the first round; Nfc Hall also notes he is a high-end draft pick at the 1.05 position in a hero-RB build.

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Blake Corum

NegativeValue31:32

Blake Corum is mentioned as a mid-to-late round running back option to stash on rosters, though he is currently ranked further down the board than other mid-round targets like Jonathan Brooks.

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Braelon Allen

NegativeUsage45:39

Nfc Hall dismisses the narrative that Braelon Allen will force a 60/40 backfield split with Breece Hall, despite the buzz generated by Allen's 30-yard preseason touchdown run. The speaker maintains that Breece Hall is the superior, complete back for the Jets offense.

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Breece Hall

PositiveRole33:28

Breece Hall is a primary target and 'complete back' who should be drafted in the third or fourth round. Nfc Hall expects him to be ready for Week 1 despite minor injury concerns and emphasizes that he will be the focal point of the offense, dismissing any narrative of a 60/40 split with Braelon Allen. His outlook is further improved by an upgraded offensive line and his proven ability in both the run and pass game.

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Brock Bowers

PositiveValue35:45

Brock Bowers is an elite tight end option, though Nfc Hall advises against paying his expensive round-two price tag when high-upside alternatives like Colston Loveland are available later. However, he remains a high-value target if available in the 8th or 9th round to provide significant flex value.

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Caleb Williams

NegativeUsage75:02

Nfc Hall suggests that Caleb Williams could move ahead of Justin Herbert on his draft board if he has already secured tight ends Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren.

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CeeDee Lamb

NegativeUsage3:36

CeeDee Lamb is used as a historical ADP reference point, noting that Amon-Ra St. Brown was previously drafted behind him but has now surpassed him in market value. Nfc Hall also notes that drafting CeeDee Lamb makes Dak Prescott a logical stack candidate if he is available at the right time.

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Chase Brown

NegativeUsage19:06

Nfc Hall uses Chase Brown as a hypothetical example of a running back to draft in the early second round as part of a hero-RB build strategy to discuss roster construction philosophy.

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Chris Olave

PositiveBreakout4:55

Chris Olave is a 'flag plant' player for Nfc Hall, who expects the Saints' offense to improve. Coming off a 150-target, 100-catch season, Olave is viewed as a darkhorse to lead the NFL in targets and a strong, comfortable selection in the early second round.

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Colston Loveland

PositiveBreakout35:53

Colston Loveland is a high-upside year-two tight end target in the middle rounds (end of 4th to mid-5th). Nfc Hall believes he is an elite talent who could challenge top-tier tight ends like McBride and Bowers in production, making him a superior flex option compared to many mid-round wide receivers.

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D'Andre Swift

PositiveValue18:44

Nfc Hall identifies D'Andre Swift as a highly appealing running back target who is consistently available in the 48-49 pick range, making him a viable option for managers who prioritize wide receivers early.

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Dak Prescott

NegativeUsage75:26

Nfc Hall views Dak Prescott as a logical stack candidate if he has already drafted CeeDee Lamb, but he emphasizes he will not reach for him and will only take him if he is available at the right time.

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Dallas Goedert

PositiveValue40:44

Dallas Goedert is identified as a viable tight end option to target when building out a roster, particularly for those who miss out on the very top-tier players.

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Dalton Schultz

PositiveValue41:47

Dalton Schultz has entered Nfc Hall's draft plan as a late-round backup tight end target, specifically in rounds 16 or 17, due to the current situation in Houston.

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Derrick Henry

PositiveValue15:30

Nfc Hall considers Derrick Henry an elite top-12 running back who is currently settling into the end of the second round, representing a significant value for managers seeking a bellcow back.

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Drake London

NegativeValue4:50

Drake London is identified as a wide receiver option to consider in the early second round, typically coming off the board around the same time as Chris Olave.

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Garrett Wilson

PositiveValue38:24

Nfc Hall argues Garrett Wilson is mispriced and represents an 'autoclick' in drafts, noting he can be found in the fourth round of FFPC drafts despite his elite talent and potential for high target volume. Nfc Hall believes Wilson will benefit from a veteran quarterback who understands the need to feed his primary receiver, leading to frequent double-digit target games even if the team is playing from behind. Additionally, due to the slow development of rookie teammates, the Jets' offense is expected to be condensed, making Wilson and Breece Hall the primary focal points for touches.

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Geno Smith

NegativeRole40:32

Nfc Hall characterizes Geno Smith as a veteran quarterback who, while not possessing 'all-world talent,' is capable of effectively managing an offense and funneling targets to a primary receiver like Garrett Wilson, similar to how Jacoby Brissett operated last season.

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George Pickens

NegativeUsage75:28

George Pickens is mentioned by Nfc Hall as part of his considerations for stacking strategies during the draft process.

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J.K. Dobbins

PositiveRole32:25

JK Dobbins is recommended as a bridge running back to start the season, providing reliable early-season production while managers wait for higher-upside players to flourish. He is suggested as an RB3 on a build to be used in September as an RB2.

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Ja'Marr Chase

PositiveValue14:49

Nfc Hall notes that drafters in the 3-4-5 slot are frequently starting their builds with Ja'Marr Chase, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Puka Nacua, effectively securing four wide receivers in a row due to the depth of running back value available in the fourth through sixth rounds. Additionally, Chase is viewed as a first-round receiver who triggers a potential stack with Joe Burrow, though the speaker does not force the reach.

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Jahmyr Gibbs

NegativeValue34:33

Jahmyr Gibbs is mentioned as an early-round anchor player, illustrating a draft strategy where managers secure a top-tier back early before filling out the roster with mid-round value.

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James Cook

NegativeUsage37:10

James Cook is used as a hypothetical scenario to illustrate the high value of his handcuff, Ray Davis, in the event of an injury.

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Jameson Williams

PositiveUsage2:25

Jameson Williams is expected to be a key beneficiary of the Lions' condensed passing offense, serving as a primary target alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba

NegativeProjection0:58

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is considered a solid player, but there are concerns regarding his offensive coordinator change and the fact that he plays on a team with an elite defense, which may limit his weekly shootout potential. However, Nfc Hall identifies him as part of a common early-round wide receiver cluster for drafters in the 3-4-5 slot, allowing them to pivot to running back value in the middle rounds.

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Jaylen Warren

NegativeValue34:15

Jaylen Warren is used as a benchmark for previous ADP, noting that Rhamondre Stevenson's recent rise has moved him past the range where Warren was typically drafted.

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Joe Burrow

NegativeUsage73:45

Nfc Hall views Joe Burrow as a viable stack option if he drafts Ja'Marr Chase in the first round, but he will not force the pick; he is comfortable waiting until the fifth or sixth round and will only take Burrow if he falls to the right draft slot.

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Jonathon Brooks

PositiveValue31:25

Jonathan Brooks is viewed as a high-upside 'bellcow' running back target in the fifth or sixth round. While he has significant potential, Nfc Hall notes that managers need to see him take over the role early in the season, making him a player to stash while using veteran bridge backs in the interim.

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Jordan Mason

PositiveRole32:25

Jordan Mason is suggested as a bridge running back option for the early part of the season to help managers secure points while waiting for their drafted depth to emerge.

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Jordyn Tyson

NegativeValue12:16

Nfc Hall ranks Alec Pierce only slightly ahead of Jordan Tyson, noting that Pierce has fallen in his personal rankings due to concerns regarding a potentially annoying long-term injury.

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Josh Downs

PositiveBreakout9:09

Josh Downs is projected for a career year and is a primary target in the Colts' passing game alongside Tyler Warren for the first half of the season. Currently available in the 6th-7th round range, he represents a value dip due to his recent injury and Alec Pierce's return. He is expected to see increased usage in two-wide receiver sets, and a top-24 finish would provide a significant fantasy edge.

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Justin Herbert

NegativeUsage74:15

Nfc Hall considers Justin Herbert a priority for a stack if he has already secured Ladd McConkey, provided the value aligns; however, he may pivot to Caleb Williams if he has already drafted Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren.

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Justin Jefferson

NegativeValue3:36

Justin Jefferson is used as a historical ADP reference point, noting that Amon-Ra St. Brown was previously drafted behind him but has now surpassed him in market value.

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Juwan Johnson

PositiveUsage40:21

Juwan Johnson is expected to benefit from Taysom Hill's injury, positioning him as a potential weekly top-12 tight end; he is a solid late-round target to pair with other tight ends.

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Kyle Pitts

PositiveValue38:26

Kyle Pitts is considered a late-round tight end option who could potentially have a 'dream year' and shake up the position rankings if he hits his ceiling. He is part of a solid late-round tier of tight ends that allows drafters to wait until the 6th or 7th round to fill the position, providing a luxury of building depth at other positions first.

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Ladd McConkey

NegativeUsage74:15

Nfc Hall notes that drafting Ladd McConkey in the third round increases the appeal of Justin Herbert as a quarterback stack, potentially moving Herbert up a slot or two in his rankings for that specific roster build.

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Malachi Corley

NegativeRole48:57

Malachi Corley has not had a strong start to training camp. As a first-round pick, expectations were for him to contribute immediately, but it appears his role will be limited early in the season.

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Mark Andrews

PositiveValue41:08

Mark Andrews is a veteran tight end who is currently being ignored by many drafters; however, due to a condensed Baltimore passing tree, he could potentially provide one more productive season, offering veteran upside.

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Parker Washington

NegativeValue9:38

Nfc Hall compares Josh Downs to Parker Washington in terms of their current draft position, suggesting Downs offers similar value as a 'Parker Washington clone' for the Colts' offense but at a better price point.

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Puka Nacua

PositiveInjury0:58

Puka Nacua is viewed as a risky draft pick due to a lingering groin injury that has kept him from practicing for weeks, leading to concerns about his status; despite this, Nfc Hall highlights him as a key wide receiver target for managers drafting in the 3-4-5 slot who are opting for a wide-receiver-heavy start to their rosters.

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Ray Davis

PositiveSleeper34:19

Ray Davis is recommended as a late-round handcuff target to provide depth and potential plug-and-play value during injury absences for starters.

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Rhamondre Stevenson

PositiveRole31:18

Rhamondre Stevenson is projected to have a massive role to start the season, with Nfc Hall viewing him as a perfect target for roster builds to provide 10-15 points early on. His ADP has risen significantly from the 70s/90s to the sixth round, and he could climb into the top 60-65 overall if TreVeyon Henderson's injury results in a multi-week absence. He is valued for his potential to see 15-20 touches per week in a high-upside offense.

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Sam LaPorta

PositiveValue0:19

Sam LaPorta is dealing with minor injuries that are not considered long-term, but his potential absence or limited status early in the season further consolidates the Lions' passing game volume toward Amon-Ra St. Brown. He is also highlighted as a late-round tight end target that provides drafters the flexibility to wait on the position while still securing a reliable starter.

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Terrance Ferguson

PositiveValue40:27

Terrence Ferguson is a popular late-round tight end target who is widely liked by fantasy analysts and serves as a solid depth piece for a tight end room.

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Tony Pollard

PositiveRole32:25

Tony Pollard is identified as a bridge running back to utilize in September to provide 10-15 points at the starting position while waiting for other rostered players to develop.

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TreVeyon Henderson

NegativeInjury33:50

Trevon Henderson's draft value is currently impacted by an injury sustained at practice. Nfc Hall notes that if the injury leads to a multi-week absence, his draft stock could fall, and he may see reduced usage if the team opts for a 50-50 split upon his return.

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NegativeValue50:42

Nfc Hall remains a long-term supporter of TreVeyon Henderson, but acknowledges that Rhamondre Stevenson has overtaken him in immediate role projections for the upcoming season.

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Trevor Lawrence

NegativeUsage75:13

Nfc Hall identifies Trevor Lawrence as a potential eighth-round stack option if he has already drafted Jacksonville pass-catchers like Parker Washington or Brian Thomas Jr.

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Trey McBride

PositiveValue35:45

Trey McBride is an elite tight end option, though Nfc Hall notes that his round-three price tag is expensive compared to later-round breakout candidates. He is considered a high-value target who can potentially outscore wide receivers drafted in the late 20s range.

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Tyler Warren

PositiveUsage10:44

Tyler Warren is a high-upside year-two tight end and a central figure in the Colts' passing game for the first half of the season. He is a strong middle-round target with a path to high-volume usage similar to Trey McBride, potentially reaching 100 catches. Nfc Hall suggests he is a viable flex play in PPR formats, potentially outscoring wide receivers drafted in the same range.

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Full transcript

Episode Transcript

586
0:00breaking down highlevel fantasy draft strategy and flag plant players with NFC Hall of Famer Chris Vicaro. Chris, one of your guys this year is Aman Ross St.
0:11Brown. Could we be looking at a Darkhorse wide receiver one overall season for St. Brown? We know we've got some problems in the secondary in
0:19Detroit. St. Brown's coming off of a careerhigh in terms of targets. And now you've got the Sam Laaporta uh dealing with a couple of injuries here. nothing
0:28longterm, but just opens up even more of a clear alpha wide receiver one role for Aman Raw.
0:35>> Absolutely, Theo. Uh I think he has if there's going to be someone that challenges Jamar uh for wide receiver one this year, uh I think it could be
0:43Aman Rah. Uh you factor in what, like you said, you're dealing with a team that has a a below average defense to
0:50put it nicely. Uh, and what we're looking for in fantasy here is we're looking for the the shootout games, the back and forth games, the up and down
0:58the fields here. When you compare him with Puka and JSN, listen, they're both solid. I I I don't want to knock Puka or
1:06make this seem like I'm knocking Puka or JSN, but these are teams with two elite defenses. You don't see uh, you know,
1:13maybe an avenue for Puka and JSN to be in weekly 38 28 games like that. A Manra has the opportunity. He's the focal
1:21point of the passing game here. Plays indoors. Um, again, a defense that is uh on shaky ground and a division that you
1:30could see a lot of games breaking out uh with the Vikings, the Bears, the Packers, all defenses that are below average. Um, and you could see a lot of
1:39highscoring games here. Add in the Sam Laapora issue now and we don't know if Sam Leaporta is going to be there from
1:45the start and you got a really condensed offense here with Aman Rah and J Mo uh in the pass game here. I don't see how
1:52Aman Ra doesn't smash on a weekly basis.
1:55>> Yeah, he's just so locked in. It's also been three straight years of double digit touchdown catches and he gets all
2:02those end zone targets. Like he's continually getting end zone targets, continually getting like hyper utilized in the red zone. There's there's like
2:10not a whole lot to like. If anything, it's like Aman Ross St. Brown's sort of the boring pick because he's been so
2:16good for so long. And there was so many years where he was going behind CD Lamb, behind Justin Jefferson. And it's just
2:24like he keeps trending up. Those other guys now go behind him. It's it's been a just a complete takeover by Aman Raw.
2:31And then >> don't we want to be safe? Yeah. Yeah.
2:33And Thea, don't we want to be kind of safe in that first round here when we're picking in the middle there and you you
2:38you know, Puka's got a little bit of a head case now. Uh he's got a groin issue. He hasn't practiced in weeks. You
2:44know, you factor in you got JSN who's got the offensive coordinator change. Um and you look at a Monrod and it's like
2:52you really can't find any warts here. So when you're in that four through six spot, it's a nice comfortable click to
2:59pick uh to click on a Monra.
3:01>> Yeah. and also just sort of the way things are sort of shaking out uh NFC wise uh where you play the the majority
3:09of of your of your fantasy football competitions. You get access if you want to at a running back inside of round
3:16two. So you can start off with that high level wide receiver and then it keeps your sort of flexibility in round two.
3:23But one other player sort of going inside of round two that we're seeing trending up and up and up ever since the
3:28Jordan Tyson injury, >> we're talking flag planes today. One guy who's been sort of my flag plant has been Chris Alave and I was really happy
3:35to see that you had him listed as one of your guys as well. Last year over 150 targets, over 100 catches. We expect
3:43this Saints offense to take a big step forward and now with no Tyson it feels like a Lav's role is so solid on a
3:51weekly basis. Another guy who's a sort of a dark horse to I think lead the NFL in targets this year.
3:57>> Yeah, we saw it last year at the end of the year. he was just lighting up the the scoreboard. Um, you know, I think
4:03there's a case to be made, Theo, after AJ Brown comes off the board at that turn. You know, you got Lamb, you got
4:09Jefferson that kind of living right there at the end of the first and then AJ at the turn. And then there's, you
4:15know, I feel like in drafters heads, it's like, all right, what are we going to do with the wide receiver position
4:21here? We start moving guys up here. Uh, you know, Drake London is usually a name that comes up off off the board next,
4:28but what we're seeing in drafts now, Theo, on a nightly basis this last week is it's becoming all green at the turn.
4:34Uh, the running back position is taking over that like 10 through 16 round range uh pick range there. I think there's a
4:42case to be made for a to be that name uh that next wide receiver off the board when that second round starts after AJ
4:50Brown comes off the board. you're dealing with London. Some people are loving neighbors moving up the board.
4:55Um, you know, uh, there's a lot of other names here, but I think a lav could be comfortably looked at, uh, right there.
5:04Early second round.
5:07>> Yeah, I think a lav is completely completely locked in. And and Chris, we're recording this on Wednesday. uh you got a pretty big draft on Friday and
5:16I you've you've had some serious skin in the game for for years and years and years. Uh you know, shout out to the
5:22IRS. We're not going to ever reveal anybody's true number on this show, >> but it's going to be hard to get away
5:27from these guys this year because uh big entry fee draft on Friday night. Uh why don't you talk about that that league,
5:35the NFC Legacy League.
5:38>> Theo, I'm pumped for this one, man. How can you not be if you do what we do, right, and play in these high stakes
5:43leagues? Well, they pretty much created the ultimate highstakes league. Uh this Friday night at Circa in Vegas, uh 100k
5:53entry, uh 12man league PPR, NFC rules, um you know, it's it's the big one, Theo. You win this and and your whole
6:03year is uh is is made. You know, >> you can go over you can go over every other every prime time. You just win
6:08this one and you're you're you're all good.
6:10>> I don't care how many leagues you're in.
6:12If you hit this one, um the you know, you win 600K uh to the winner, which is crazy. Um I'm really looking forward to it. It is, you
6:22know, you got a lot of heavy hitters in this league. You got Nelson and Hubard and and Steve Stevie G uh as one team.
6:30You got Chad Schroeder and Mike Santos, some of the big names, the big whales in this industry. Uh it's going to be
6:36interesting, Theo, because I think a lot of strategy goes into this uh type of draft. You know, there's a lot of people
6:43in this draft that aren't NF uh NFC drafters, right? So, maybe they don't know the flow of how drafts go. The
6:51maybe the wide receiver heavy build. I know a couple guys are FF um PC drafters. Maybe, you know, they're not familiar with the style. Then we're
7:00bidding on um we're bidding on with fab uh money uh our draft spots. So that's a whole strategy before you even enter the
7:10draft. You know, where do you want to set up your your spot? Who do you want to put your position yourself in front
7:16of behind? Um a lot of stuff goes into this, Theo, but I am telling you I I am pumped for it. Um and uh Friday can't
7:25get here soon enough. Yeah, it's I I'm doing a a $2,500 entry New York super draft with Chris and I also do another
7:33$2500 Well, not not splitting a team, actually split that one with Nelson. We go headto-head with Chris and then your podcast partner Dan Williamson who I
7:40split a team with him and we do a $2,500 entry uh super. So, just put that into perspective. It's like 40 times that
7:48entry fee for the Legacy League. Really a fun one and I'm going to cover it on this podcast. I'll do something because
7:54it's it's such a big draft that I want to sort of get it out there to my audience and sort of go over some of the
7:59picks and the strategies that different drafters execute. You bring up those drafters who are not necessarily high volume guys. I think an entry fee like
8:07this size is going to attract people who are gamblers and that sort of thing, especially when you put it in Las Vegas.
8:14Um, so you never know what you're going to get. And I know there's some some years where, >> you know, we draft against each other
8:20and it's sort of the usual suspects where you recognize the names in the room. You sort of get into a cadence in
8:25the flow. This could be a wild draft, Chris, because people, I think, are going to go get their guys and then
8:31you've got these people who they don't care necessarily about the same ADP that other people are seeing, and they don't necessarily uh know what you and Chad
8:40and Nelson and Dave Hubard have been doing because they haven't been drafting against you guys. So, it could be a net
8:45benefit for you. It could also just be a wild one. So, it's going to be a really fun board uh to review. I'll try to do
8:51that sometime this weekend. You're drafting a ton, though. And let's stay at the wide receiver position. A player that you're into, and we had like an
9:00injury scare, but now everything's looking really good. And we've got sort of a a a real parallels where everything's looking really good for
9:09Josh DS and everything's really looking shaky and questionable when it comes to Alec Pierce. There was a video that leaked this week where guys limping
9:18around does not look right. Um it's it's kind of hard to describe the gate unless you actually watch the video, but
9:25doesn't look like a guy who can get out there and sprint at a high level and he's not even close in if this video is
9:31any indication. DS could be in store for a career year and sort of gives you a little bit about like that discount
9:38Parker Washington sort of where he's going in drafts.
9:42>> Well, first off, I I've believed in the talent of DS uh right off the bat um for the last couple years. It just hasn't
9:49come together. Okay, now you come into this season, Pitman's gone. Okay, Theo, one of the things that shocked me the most so far in draft season is how
9:59people keep clicking on Alec Pierce. I don't know if it in in the 80s. You know, I'm waiting for this guy to fall
10:05to where I believe he should be on the board, and that's past pick 100.
10:09Everybody's just clicking on this Alec Pierce like I I know what he did last year. Uh it's a bet on him being there
10:16week one. this guy didn't have an off season, you know, when he's dealing with this issue and having surgery, he's got
10:22to get ramped up again. I don't see how I I know that the reports now are, oh, he's going to maybe return back to
10:28practice. That doesn't mean anything. He still has to ramp back up. He's he's hasn't been in his same regimen all spring and summer getting ready for the
10:37rigors of the NFL season. He's going to be lagging too far behind. To me, there's no way this offense in the pass
10:44game isn't centered around Ty Tyler Warren and Josh DS at least for the first half of the season. And when you
10:52could click on Josh DS in that sixth, seventh round range right now where you're seeing an actual little bit of a
10:58dip on Josh DS um in the last couple weeks, maybe because a of the the injury uh getting nicked up a little bit to him
11:07personally, but also the the talk of Alec Pierce coming back early. Um when you factor all that in, you're getting about a little half a round extra round
11:18now on Josh DS. Josh DS could be my wide receiver for any day of the week uh on all my teams this year and I've been
11:26doing it regularly.
11:28>> Yeah, I like that a lot. And again, NFC is a start three wide receiver with a flex and a lot of times people are
11:35putting a wide receiver in that flex spot. uh maybe maybe less so often that this year than than others Chris where
11:41where people are sort of running back centric but if you could get a run out where you get Josh DS and he's your wide
11:46receiver four and you end up with a top 24 season out of him that's a significant edge and there's also been a
11:53lot of um really it's the the coaching staff as well as the beat reporters talking about how Josh DS is going to be
11:59used in two wide receiver sets which was a real knock to him. I know in my rankings over at Rotoire, which you can
12:05get access to using the code Theo35, get 35% off. I've moved Alec Pierce like way lower than ADP. I I I mean, he's to me a
12:16a little bit of ahead of like Jordan Tyson, but you're looking at a a really potential annoying long-term injury. And then it's the ramp up period where his
12:26game is based on athleticism and speed and that high yards per reception uh total which he's been so dominant with.
12:33Pierce was also a guy that we were I mean in some NFC leagues and FFPC leagues, he was a waiverwire pickup last
12:39year. It's not like he's some established star. So completely with you on that one. Let's >> I also like what you just said, Theo.
12:45Sorry not to jump in. I actually like what you said with the Parker Washington comp. Uh, I I could look at Josh DS as a
12:52as a, you know, a knockoff three round.
12:55Um, you know, you get an extra three rounds on Josh Downs as a a Parker Washington clone for the Colts offense.
13:04So, uh, I like that comp a lot.
13:06>> Yeah, we can just keep going down the list and keep finding those PPR scam guys until until we run out of them,
13:11Chris. And we will we will run out of them. Um, let's let's pivot off of some of the flag plans. I want to talk a
13:16little bit of draft strategy because I mentioned the running back running back.
13:20It's been you've got so many analysts out there and then there's so many highstakes players that I've been seeing this year that are starting their drafts
13:29out running back running back. I just recorded with Darren Armani. Uh Darren Armani runs Fantasy Mojo. uh does so much stuff that's great in terms of ADP,
13:38in terms of high stakes, >> but he was talking about how this year is really it's like the lowest we've ever seen with these zero RB starts. And
13:47his he was talking about uh FFPC, but something like 5% of main event teams right now are choosing to start out
13:54their drafts with their first running back off the board in round five. You notably, Chris, you won uh the prime time using a zero RB strategy. So Chris
14:04took down and you were really like you don't get credit for this Chris there's always like guys sort of like a little
14:09bit and you've done content before but you're definitely a player first but I believe you were the first highstakes manager to take down a major contest
14:18using a quote unquote zero RB strategy back in the day.
14:22>> Where are you at with this strategy? Is it even obtainable this year the way running backs are getting pulled up? And
14:28what has been sort of like your go-to structural strategy with your own drafts this year? Or are you open-minded to different builds?
14:36>> Definitely open-minded to different builds. Uh and you're seeing it all. I think that's the great uh I think that's the interesting uh part of being in all
14:43these drafts on a nightly basis this year, Theo, is you see down the board, you know, the guys that are in that 345
14:49slot that start off with Jamar and JSN and Puka. A lot of these guys are hitting four yellow stickers in a row,
14:56right? They're hitting the four wide receivers. There's good value at running back in this fourth, fifth, sixth round range uh right now at the running back
15:04position. So, you could come back to it after these three or four wide receiver starts. Uh to me, this year, it's not my
15:12go-to strategy at all. Um I like getting um you know, a robust running back strategy. You know, the one bellcow. Um
15:21I think there's great value. I think there's a significant dip off after the first two rounds at running back when you can get those click on uh one of
15:30those elite top 12 guys ending with usually Derek Henry who is I think going to be living in the end of the second
15:37round now u when you can get one of those bellcows it makes it opens up the board for you no matter what spot you're
15:44in um you know to you can if you get some wide receiver value to keep coming you could keep going uh wide receiver.
15:53After that, you could get your third, fourth wide receiver in rounds four and five and then come back and get a second
15:59rate running back to be your RB2 in the sixth round or the seventh round in drafts right now. Um I see a lot of
16:07people going running back running back out of the back end and I can't blame them. The names are are tremendous.
16:12These are Bellcows, guys that are going to touch the ball 20 times a game, guys that are doing it both in the rushing
16:18game and receiving game. Uh the problem I see with that Theo is and I'll just speak for NFC drafts because that's my,
16:26you know, home base is, you know, you're in that 8 to 12 spot. You start off with the running back running back and you're
16:33in a golden spot uh this year for a wide receiver in round three, right? when you start off and you're in that, you know,
16:40overall pick 25 to 30 range in the in the third round to the middle of the third, you're getting a an animal at
16:48wide receiver, a stud wide receiver uh one uh to start it off with, but the the market starts shutting down a little
16:57bit, starts uh you know, drying up a little bit when you get to the end of the fourth round and into the fifth
17:03round at the wide receiver position. And for me, I don't like to see my wide receiver two not be a big dog. Uh, never
17:11mind a wide receiver three. So, it's tough for me to go running back running back and then try and hope I get lucky
17:18in a draft room where nowadays there's really not that many soft rooms to get a solid wide receiver two and three late
17:26in the fourth round and early in the fifth round. So, one running back is good enough for me, Theo, whether it's
17:32at the end of the first or early in the second. And then if somebody falls in those middle rounds three, four, five,
17:40that I like at the running back position, I'll click on them as my RB2.
17:44So, um, I hope that answers that question.
17:47>> Yeah, for sure. And I think you really make a good argument. And some people listening to this, you know, if you play
17:52in a Sleeper or Yahoo or an ESPN or even an FFPC, it's very different to think about having picks number 12, 13, and
18:00then 36, 37, just a routine snake. But NFC, you've got the third round reversal. So 12, 13, and then like you
18:09said, 25. Then you I mean, you could be sitting there just dying inside watching the wide receiver run between picks 25
18:17and 48. And it feels like a lot of the guys that we were getting earlier in the summer at 48, 49, once there gets to be
18:24a little steam and momentum, those guys are going to be way off the board. So then you feel like you're having to pull
18:29up and sort of settle for the wide receivers left as opposed to going and getting your guy. On the flip side,
18:364849, if you want to go wide receiver at like 12 or 13, then get one at 25. I know I'm going to get access to a
18:44running back at 4849 there 100% of the time. Guys like DeAndre Swift, really appealing names are falling into that range.
18:51>> So it's it's a really interesting strategy. One one question I'd have for you and I think this is a a really a
18:56philosophical conversation for a lot of players with your success level. Let's you're in a herb build. You draft let's say Chase Brown at the beginning of the
19:06of the second round or let's say you started your draft out with Aman Raw at the at the 105 and then you ended up
19:12with Omari and Hampton in round two.
19:14>> Yeah.
19:14>> How likely are you in a hero RB build to prioritize having your own handcuff running back? You see some of these guys
19:22coming out and saying I never handcuff.
19:25Handcuffing is low EV. Then you got other guys coming out there and and first of all the guys who say I never
19:30handcuff I never hear like Chad Schroeder Nelson Susa Ab bagoba make some like big statement like that. It's usually an analyst but there's guys
19:38saying never handcuff your own running back because Chris I I'd rather take some other upshot guy. Maybe I'm going to hit on somebody else's handcuff in
19:46like round 14. like how important is it to you to structure your draft with your own handcuff? Is that something you
19:52routinely do in here builds?
19:55>> Uh yeah, listen, you know, I I definitely do. Um I have no problem. I I'm not one of those guys that shies
20:02away from handcuffing your own running back. uh your your bellcow. Uh if I can do it, you know, if I draft a Bree Hall
20:09in the third or fourth round and there's and I'm getting through the draft and you know, uh there's not somebody that I
20:17really want to click on hardcore um you know, at my wide receiver position or I'm good at everything else and I need
20:24some running back depth. Yeah, I'm clicking on Brilen Allen. No doubt about it. um you know when he could sit there
20:29on my bench as my running back four or five and I you know I don't have my team blown up if Hall goes down um I'll do
20:38that all the time. Absolutely. I am inclined though to you know once I have my team filled out Theo and you're
20:45through like 12 rounds and you have everything covered you know I'm a guy that likes to build that running back depth B on my bench. you know, I start
20:53going in for the handcuffs and you'll see me go three, four green stickers in a row, um, with all the, you know, the
21:00Ray Davis types. Um, just because you give yourself on the bench three or four shots where this is a violent game
21:08football and you see guys not only not just go down for the year, but hey, oh, pull the hamstring, he's out two or
21:14three weeks. Those weeks are valuable when you could stick a Ray Davis in there or any handcuff for two or three
21:21weeks and you could get your your RB2. A lot of times we build our teams where the weaker position we're loaded at
21:27receiver. We have a good elite tight end, elite quarterback. Our RB2 spot is a little uh you know shaky. You know,
21:34maybe your RB2 is a Jaylen Warren or a JK Dobbins. Well, now if you can bring in a Ray Davis who's going to get uh,
21:41you know, 15 20 carries in a big offense for two or three weeks and and not have any drop off, you know, it's big. It
21:48completes your whole team for that time span. And never mind like, you know, an injury for the whole season. Now you
21:56cash in on one of those lotto tickets that are sitting on your bench in rounds 13 through 18. So, uh, I mix it up. I do
22:02it all different types of ways. I like to come out of my draft with at least seven running backs on my roster.
22:08>> Yeah, seven running backs. And again, NFC is a 20 20 round 20 roster spot format. I'm with you. Getting that
22:14running back depth. It's also like those handcuff running backs when you have them on your roster. They might be zeros, but there's never any question
22:22mark about when you have to start them.
22:24It's an injury. It's an opportunity.
22:26They go right in your lineup. And also those guys are all like if James Cook were were to go down for the season
22:32besides ruining like a whole month for me like I'd be dead inside. Uh Ray Davis would be a 45 50% waiverwire ad if he's
22:41sitting on their on the waiverwire. And even if it was a 3-week absence, he'd still be a 30% ad, maybe a 35% ad
22:49because people are desperate for those plug-and-play running backs. So really really like that.
22:54>> Let's talk about one wide receiver. It's sort of a segue to one of your running back flag plants, but one wide receiver
22:59you didn't mention that I've been really coming around on and I sort of keep moving him up in my rankings, Garrett
23:05Wilson of the Jets. We just had Frank Reich coming out and calling Garrett Wilson and Bree Hall both bellcows. He talked about how he's got all these
23:13starting depth, but he's got certain guys are different than others. Goes Bree Hall's a bellcow, Garrett Wilson's a bellcow. I'm all about coaches calling
23:20wide receivers bellcows, but Wilson was running so pure to start last year.
23:25We've seen these big target totals, these big target share seasons for him, and it feels like this could be like a
23:31post hype sleeper Wilson year. Quick thoughts on Garrett Wilson. Chris, we're going to leave a little bit in the tank here. I know you got a $100,000 draft,
23:38but I'm going to pick your brain on one guy that I'm into and see your thoughts on him.
23:42>> No, don't mess this up, Frank. Right. I mean, that's what we're that's what we're looking at here for this Jets
23:47season, right? He comes out today and he and he calls Garrett Wilson and Bree Hall his bellcows. Uh, yeah. No kidding.
23:54you know, like this is what we wanted to hear. Uh, Theo, I think they're both a little mispriced. You know, I think you
24:01can make a case for Garrett Wilson being an end of round two wide receiver. I think you can make a case for Bruce Hall
24:06being a third round running back. Uh, you know what it is in this industry and in regular football, it's the Jets,
24:13right? So, everybody has to, you know, spray the the the smell uh for the Jets when we talk about them. You know, you
24:20hear it all the time on shows. As soon as you talk about Hall of Wilson, you get the negative, ah, but it's the Jets.
24:26Something's going to go wrong. This and that. Listen, you got to, you know, I don't, I'm in the camp of not knocking
24:32Gino. Okay, Gino is a um, you know, a veteran quarterback. Knows what he's doing out there. Does he have all world
24:39talent? No. But just like a Jacobe Brassette last year, he could come in and run an offense. And what do we want
24:46from our wide receivers like a Garrett Wilson is just get me the ball. just know who your guy is that you need to
24:52feed and who your main guy is and sit back there in the shotgun and pepper him all week all day long. And I think
25:00Gino's smart enough as a veteran quarterback to know that's where his his bread is buttered. And Garrett Wilson's going to eat this year. He's going to
25:08have uh you know a lot of double-digit target games in this um offense. And it's another defense that is subpar and
25:17you could see this team playing catch-up. And when you're playing catchup, Garrett Wilson's gonna have a lot of those empty catch uh you know, a
25:24lot of those games where you look up at the box score, the Jets lose maybe 31 to 17, but Garrett Wilson's 9 for 125 and a
25:33touchdown. And that's good enough for fantasy for me.
25:37>> Yeah, know I'm with you. And we don't need Gino to be fantasy relevant. We just need him to support guys and run a
25:42normal offense. You think about like the some of the quarterbacks that that Garrett Wilson has had to deal with. Uh it's been tough and we talk about
25:50getting guys who we know are supremely talented. Garrett Wilson obviously uh offensive rookie of the year was a first round high first round pick for the
25:57Jets. G they gave him a ton of money and we've drafted him early. There was NFC drafts. I remember heading into year two
26:05he was going as like a late first round pick. Now you're getting him at at an affordable price tag. In FFPC sometimes
26:12you'd get them in the fourth round right now. I feel like that's almost an autoclick. And then we mentioned Bree Hall and the first show that I dropped
26:19here when I when I took over uh at Rotoire was a Darkhorse League winners uh video/podcast and the running back there was was Bree
26:28Hall and we're just coming back full circle here. Bree Hall you mentioned sort of being underrated. Bruce Hall was another guy that we were drafting him at
26:35one point as like a top five pick in these drafts. Now he's just sort of sitting there. He's going to have to get
26:42the work as a receiver. How confident are you that he can bounce back and get to maybe those numbers that we saw? Not
26:492023. We don't need 70 plus, but we do need we need 50. We need 55 catches this year.
26:55>> And I think that's going to happen. And I think it's twofolded here with Bree Hall so far. I think he was going to
27:00start getting steamed up. He was starting to move into where you saw drafters taking him late in the third round a couple weeks ago. Uh then what
27:09happens? He gets hurt in practice, right, Theo? So now the price isn't going to keep going up. is only going to
27:14come back now because people aren't seeing him hearing the the the blurbs each day. Oh my god, Bree Hall do dominating practice. He's on the shelf
27:22for a couple weeks, but it looks like we're in the clear here where Bree Hall is going to be okay and he's going to be
27:27in the lineup week one. I think what's going to happen with Hall is he's going to be there the first day of practice
27:33leading into week one. They're resting him down. They know he's got a lot on his plate. Um, also mix in the fact
27:39that, you know, Brilen Allen breaks off that 30-yard touchdown run in that first preseason game and now everybody starts jumping back in on the Brilen Allen. Oh
27:47my god, he's going to be in a, you know, Hall's going to be in a 6040 split with Brillin Allen this year. Um, we know
27:54what Brilen Allen is. Okay, to me, Bree Hall is a complete back. He's been on some crappy teams the last couple years.
28:00He's flashed. I think uh you know he's there's that stat where I don't know how many 15 plus yard runs he had last year.
28:08Even running behind a subpar offensive line. The offensive line is upgraded this year. I like what they're doing on their offensive line. They keep
28:17investing in it. He's going to be able to run behind that line and we know what he can do in the pass game. Uh to me he
28:27he's a a really good foundational back if you start off wide receiver heavy in your drafts when he's there in the
28:34fourth round. I cashed in um uh Theo the last couple prime times that I did. I got him 47th overall and 45th overall uh
28:43in those drafts in the fourth round. And like I said, I think when you start off with three monsters at the wide receiver
28:49position and your running back room can start off with a fourth round Bree Hall, uh, I think you're in really good shape.
28:56>> Yeah. I mean, you're getting the her RB build in a modified way because if everything shakes out, Bree Hall could
29:03end up returning the same sort of value that we're seeing with some of these running backs going in the late second.
29:08I have Bree Hall like like really high in my rankings over at Rotoire. high enough that it could get me in trouble
29:14if he has a bad year, but I'm willing to sort of bet on him. I've been taking him in FFPC whenever he's there at like the
29:20310, 311, 312. That's like an auto pick.
29:24And again, FFPC, I can start an extra running back versus NFC. So, the this gets a little different in the ADP. Um,
29:31one running back, just before we move on from the Jets, Theo, you know, let's look at what's happened here. You know, Omar Cooper
29:38hasn't gotten off to the hottest start here at uh in Jets camp. A first round pick. They thought maybe he would
29:44contribute right from the jump. It doesn't look like that's going to happen. And then Sadique at the tight end position. He's been banged up all
29:51summer and we know how important it is for tight ends, rookie tight ends to get in camp, learn the, you know, not only
29:57what you have to do in the receiving game, but in the blocking game. So, this is two major pieces that it looks like
30:03the reigns are going to be held back a little bit early on and that just means more touches for Wilson and Hall here.
30:10Uh I I know we have Adai Mitchell, but um and I think he's a good click uh as well as a wide receiver, five or six
30:19down the board uh for your fantasy team this year. But man, it just looks like this is a condensed offense that Wilson
30:25and Hall are going to be the focal points uh as they should be. Yeah. No, completely with you. One running back
30:32that you also added to your flag plant list and this one sort of hurts and I've had to move this guy up and I've had to
30:38slightly move down. I'm a Trayvon Henderson guy. Everybody knows that.
30:42I've been a Hen I've been a Henderson guy since he came out of Ohio State and I was a Henderson guy in the draft and
30:48dynasty wise I'm I'm still a Henderson guy. But it's looking very apparent that Stevenson's going to have a massive role to start the year. I've moved Stevenson
30:56up uh begrudgingly. Um, where where are you at with Stevenson? How much exposure do you have to him on your own builds?
31:02>> Yeah, Theo, I I just think first off, we're seeing it in drafts this last week. You know, him going from being
31:08drafted in the late 80s and 90s where people were taking this guy reluctantly three rounds after Tayon Henderson, three, four rounds after Trevon
31:17Henderson would come off the board, clicking on Raandre as their RB4 or even like their RB3. Now look at it, you
31:24know, now look at it. At this point, we're we're taking a starting running back on a big-time offense with a big-time quarterback, and you were
31:32getting him in rounds seven and eight and even nine for the last two months.
31:38Uh to me, it just looked like it was a perfect scenario to put a Raandre, you know, one of those builds. It's all
31:45about how you build these teams. Also, Theo, you you can get a nice Bellcow come back in with a Jonathan Brooks
31:52type, a guy that you know, Blake uh I don't want to say Blake Corin because he's a little further down the board,
31:57but you know what I mean. In terms of the way you build these teams, there's certain running backs that you get in
32:03those fifth, sixth, seventh round range.
32:05And uh you need a solid veteran early in the season, you know, to get you through to see what you have with some of these
32:12players like a Jonathan Brooks. You know, we all have high hook high hopes for Jonathan Brooks, but uh you know, we
32:20need to see it here. We need to see him take over the role and that's why we're drafting him in that fifth sixth round
32:25range. But if you could start off the year with a JK Dobbins, a Jordan Mason, a Tony Pard, a Raandre Stevenson as your
32:33RB3 on a build and use them in September as your RB2 to give you that solid 10 15 points at your starting running back to
32:43position to get you to October when these guys that you draft earlier or have a Blake Corum on your roster or
32:51Brooks, guys like that to flourish. Uh, I just think it's in the build. I think that's where Raandre Stevenson is best
32:59drafted as, uh, on builds like that.
33:03>> Yeah. I mean, those guys are a bridge to like the chaos. You talk about the handcuffs and potential running back
33:08injuries. Uh, and with some of the younger backs, maybe potential takeover down the line. Those guys, we know what they'll be in the first six weeks of the
33:16year, and they're going at a range where it's not a huge price tag. some of those guys are moving up and I think with
33:21Stevenson >> it could be a really tilting one for fantasy managers especially with the free look where one of those two running
33:29backs is going to move up when we when we see the you know the post New England Seattle game I'm guessing one of those
33:35two guys is going to have a real game.
33:37Um but if the usage is dominant for Stevenson I think that's going to be enough to make him move up regardless of
33:43whether he scores 20 points or 18 points or something like that. Henderson also could fall if it's really if it's a
33:50really low touch game for Henderson. I could see him fall, but I think it might be a 50-50 split, Chris. Um, but a
33:57cheaper one. Yeah.
33:58>> And Theo, that's okay. Even if you're drafting Raandra at his price right now, now he's moving up in the last week.
34:03We're seeing people click on him in the 70s, you know. Uh, now you got to take him in the sixth round. He's like that
34:09name that comes off the board right after that next tier after like the Scataboos and ETN's come uh where he was
34:15going where the Jaylen Warren and Tony Pards and Dobbins were going. You know, he's moved up two full rounds pretty much now. Raandre adding the fact of
34:23this, you know, Trevian Henderson uh getting banged up at practice in the last couple days. We still don't have a clearer picture on that. If that turns
34:32into a multi- multi-week absence, you're talking Raandre maybe in the in the top 60 65 overall on draft boards. Again, Theo, when you're building these teams
34:43and you are like maybe the Jir Gibbs or Bejian owner in the one or two hole, right? And then you hit your four yellow
34:50stickers at receiver and you load up at receiver and you could come back in round six and click on a Raandre
34:56Stevenson as your RB2. I mean, there's not that many players that you can do that with that you can build a team with
35:04the the one Bellcow and then get a solid running back in that sixth round range and a Raandre Stevenson that could touch
35:12the ball 15 20 times a week. You know, he could catch the ball. Um, and like I said, you're getting it attached to a a
35:20really big-time offense that a lot of us love.
35:23>> Yeah, it's it's a really we're keeping an eye on on the Henderson injury. Uh we'll have some clarity hopefully in the
35:29next couple days, but sometimes these things are nothing. Sometimes they can be something that lingers. We'll keep an eye on that one for sure. Uh let's talk
35:36about tight end in just sort of a big picture thing.
35:39>> I've said it feels like the year of the tight end where elite tight end could matter a lot more. You got Brock Bowers,
35:45you got Trey McBride, then you have these two awesome year two guys in Coloulston Lovelin and Tyler Warren.
35:53Then down the down the board, you also have another cluster of I could see it happening. Tight ends that are in that
36:00potential tight end five guys who could potentially break into top three scorers, the crafts, the pits, those level guys, Fann and juniors. But let's
36:09talk about Tyler Warren and Coloulston Lovelin.
36:12>> They feel very important this year, Chris.
36:15>> They do. Um they are I I'm those two guys. I'm always interested early in drafts who's going to get Lovelin and
36:24who's going to get Warren just because the the build to me is so unique and I feel like it's such an advantage. You're
36:30not paying the round two price on Bowers. You're not paying the round three price on McBride and you're still getting these guys in Loveland and
36:40Warren who go off the board uh at the end of the fourth round and in the middle to end of the fifth round in
36:47Lovelin and Warren. And I think these two guys could make a run at both McBride and Bowers. It allows you to go
36:55through the first three rounds and get your combination of two elite receivers, one elite running back, or vice versa, then come back and still get an elite
37:05top four tight ends. There is a drop off after these four guys. Uh the the position as a whole, Theo, I agree with
37:13you. It seems like it's as deep as ever, but we know what happens. It just seems like it's a repetitive thing every year.
37:20We're always saying, "Oh my god, the tight end position looks so good. It looks so deep." And then the season starts and it's all like, "Oh, there's
37:28two guys dominating at the position."
37:30And guys are dropping off left and right at at uh tight end. But it seems like it's, you know, a solid 12 guys deep
37:39this uh this year. you get into that other um tier that you talked about with Craft, Pitts, Leaporta, Fannon. My god,
37:47I mean, when you can wait and build a a roster of running backs and receivers through six rounds, seven rounds, and
37:54then click on one of those guys to be your starting tight end, that's a great luxury as well. So, I mean, I really
38:01think the tight end position, you're good along the lines as you go through the draft board as long as you're not
38:06the the the the owner that's the last one or two to not click on one of these guys. But to me, I think Lovelin and
38:14Warren could easily next year be in the place of on draft boards where Bowowers and McBride are going.
38:22>> Yeah, I think you nailed it with that one. I think there's a chance like if we look at FFPC tight end premium, both
38:27those guys could be potential first round picks next year if it all falls their way. With Lovelin, it's like this truly elite talent. We already saw it
38:36last year down the stretch. With Warren, he's also extremely talented, but like you talked about with Josh DS, the picture is there for him to get like
38:45Trey McBride usage to have a 100 catches at the tight end position. They're they're both really really solid there.
38:52I I think that just when we look at tight end and big picture, uh this is going to be a record-breaking year for
38:5815 point per game scorers at the tight end position. It just feels like that's where we're headed. You've seen a last
39:04couple years of some of these guys getting extremely high catch totals.
39:08It's a copycat league and I think we could see it there. The the real wild card will be if one of those guys in
39:14that next tier ends up sort of being like a a shock tier two tight end. If you get like sort of a dream year out of
39:21a craft or a pits, that could sort of shake things up. But I think the best bet is probably Lovelund, Warren, those
39:28guys returning similar value to maybe potentially even a Trey McBride, but you're getting him at a much cheaper discount. I'll also bring up KD looks
39:36like he's going to play early. Um, I like Dallas and then I think Jawan Johnson, he gets a benefit from the
39:42Tyson injury. So, tight end gets a little deep, but you want to make sure you get it right. And then everybody
39:47likes Terrence Ferguson. We won't even talk about him. Everybody likes him.
39:50>> Yeah. Everybody likes Terrence Ferguson.
39:52And you can, like you said, Theo, you can build your tight end room with two or three of these guys if you're not one
39:57of them, one of the drafters that gets one of these top eight guys, right? Uh starting with Concincaid and moving on
40:03to KD and Goddard. Uh you bring in a Jawan Johnson that I think should could easily be a weekly top 12 tight end.
40:11Now, we saw last year what he can do.
40:14And now while Tyson is out probably for the first couple months of the season, I think if you start your tight end room
40:19with a Joan Johnson and a Terren Ferguson, uh that's solid. We're not even mentioning Jake Ferguson who's a name there and another guy Mark Andrews
40:29who nobody wants is forgotten about, but you know, Baitman, who knows what's going to happen with him. There's so many con, you know, that passing tree
40:37looks very condensed in Baltimore. Mark Andrews just might sneak out one more decent year. And if you have that veteran upside mix with a Mark Andrews,
40:47Terrence Ferguson or a Terrence Ferguson with even like a Theo like a Dalton Schultz now with what's going on in Houston. He's somebody that's entered my
40:56draft plan as like a backup tight end in round 16 17. There's just name after name where you could complete your tight
41:03end room. And I don't fault anybody Theo this year and I've been saying it for months on my show. If you're the
41:10Lovelind or Warren owner or even the McBride or Bowers owner and everybody in the room on the draft board just wants
41:17to keep waiting and passing on tight end, if you could come back and click on a a Fannon or a Leapora or Craft or
41:24Concaid in that eighth, ninth round if people want to give it to you and flex them out. I don't care what league
41:31you're in. I'm not even talking tight end pre and flex these guys out. you know, it's not a bad move cuz if I'd
41:38rather have the starting tight end that doesn't leave the field on some of these offenses like a Fannon over some of the
41:45receivers that go off the board in that range that you're just hoping, you know, hit.
41:51And it's an interesting interesting conversation uh in PPR leagues because I I know Dan Williamson and I split a team in that tag team uh online championship
42:01where McBride was sort of the best value on the board and it would went Bowowers McBride. I've seen a couple of people go
42:08with Bowowers McBride and then you get like the push back. Oh, you know, you took that second tight end and I thought
42:14um you know, I'll give a shout out to to Andrew Geller, the guilds, uh who plays a lot of high stakes. He said to the
42:19guy, I'm like, "Trey McBride versus wide receiver 28." Like that's that's really the argument. And wide receiver does dry up, but does Trey McBride outscore wide
42:28receiver 27 28? Coloulston Lovelin versus wide receiver 30. Trey uh Tyler Warren versus wide receiver 35. I understand you have to fill out the
42:38three wide receivers in a lot of these formats, but you start going down the list and I think you can find wide
42:43receiver versus tight end. you might go with the tight end scorer a lot even though historically that's been sort of a bad bet to make. Let's talk about
42:50stacking and correlating before you give kind of give your quarterback flag. You know, this has been a conversation I I I
42:57had Justin Herszig on recently. Great baseball uh player, won best baseball mania, does really good work. But when we get into reddraft, when you're
43:06talking about a format like the online championship or the prime time, you're going against a pretty large field, but certainly not the level of teams as like
43:15a baseball mania where it's literally like a 100,000 plus teams out there. How often are you correlating and looking to build stacks like one quarterback with
43:26one receiver or one quarterback potentially with two receivers? once in a while a quarterback with a passcatching running back. And then to
43:35kind of elaborate on the question, when you're in a closed team like the Super or the Legacy League, does that become
43:43way less important for you?
43:45>> Let me answer that one um first. Uh definitely becomes less more important when you're when I'm just in a in a
43:52private 12 team league. The stacking does not uh factor in for me. Um definitely a secondary thing, Theo. Um, when you're talking an overall, like a
44:02prime time, FFPC, any any overall, uh, yeah, it's I think as soon as you start putting your team together through the
44:10first two rounds at the wide receiver position for me, do I chase it? No, I I don't chase it. The the only thing I can
44:17be honest about is I think if I'm in the three hole this year and I take Chase now it immediately goes in my head like
44:25all right, you know, when am I going to pull the plug on, you know, pull the trigger on on Burrow? Do I do it in the
44:31fifth or the sixth? If somebody wants to jump me and take him, that's fine. I could live with, you know, Burrow. Uh I
44:37could live with Chase by himself. I think that's one that, you know, you start immediately doing. But um I'm not chasing any stacks, Theo, but as soon as
44:49you take a receiver in the first to second round, it starts it's in the back of your head if that makes sense. You
44:55know, if you if you click on Lad Maconi in the third now, all right, maybe Justin Herbert moves up a slot or two
45:02over, you know, a group of quarterbacks that you have in that range. You know, if you click on Loveland or Burden, you
45:10know, maybe Caleb steps over Herbert.
45:13now, you know, Parker Washington, Brian Thomas, like that. All right, maybe it's Trevor Lawrence that on this team that I can get in the uh, you know, in the
45:21eighth round. So, that goes in my head, you know, same thing with Lamb and Dak, you know, um, and Pickkins. So, um, I
45:30don't want to cop out on that answer and not give you a solid yes or no, but based on who I draft early, that's who I
45:38start thinking for down the road. I'm not moving them up. Oh my god, I have to go get, you know, because I drafted CD
45:44Lamb, I'm moving Dak up two, three rounds. No, if it comes to me, then that'll be my quarterback. Um, so that's
45:50the best way I can explain it, I guess.
45:53>> I think you explained it well, and I think it's it's when the correlation becomes of value to you. Um, you're
45:59willing to do it, but it's not something you're going to reach in order to execute. And I think we saw people doing
46:04that years ago, Chris, where people would reach to execute a stack, and it rarely ever pays off. Once in a while
46:11you might thread the needle and get access to a guy who goes absolutely bonkers in round in like week 15 or week
46:1816 and you get sort of a a little bit of a boost. Obviously in some of these leagues where uh there's a a playoffs it
46:25might make a make a difference. But it's one thing where I'll give a shout out to Scott Barrett who I uh podcasted with a
46:31ton at Fantasy Points. He talked about like sort of getting out of best ball mindset where a lot of people draft
46:37these best teams all summer long.
46:39They're drafting hundreds of best balls.
46:42Then they get into like their 12 team Sleeper League or Yahoo League or ESPN league and they're like, "Boom, I've got
46:48this wide receiver. I've got to force this stack. Maybe I'm going to get his teammate as well." And then you end up
46:53with a two wide receivers and a quarterback from one particular team.
46:57You could end up sort of not only missing out on other values, but if you kind of uh uh if you attack the wrong
47:03stack, you could sort of ruin your home league build. So, I think Chris, you nailed it. like the super, the legacy
47:09league where you're going up against 11 other under managers, it becomes way way less important. But it's a nice thing to
47:15have uh sort of that combination if you're in a prime time and you're going up against at the end a couple hundred
47:20for a chance to win some huge money.
47:22>> I I will say this, Theo, you know, we we talked about the the going after your main quarterbacks. What I find myself
47:29doing a lot in these drafts is secondary stacks. And and what I mean by that is, you know, if I come out of the first
47:37round with Justin Jefferson, right, and then I come through and I get my, you know, my starting quarterback, I like to
47:44take Kyler Murray as my second quarterback, you know, my backup, so I could pair them up where if Kyler Murray and Justin Jefferson are on fire this
47:53year, maybe Kyler steps in for a couple weeks and becomes my my my hookup with my quarterback. I do that a lot with
47:59Christian Watson and Jordan Love as my second quarterback. I do that a lot with Ibuka when I was drafted I buouah a lot
48:06with Baker as my second quarterback. So I I think that's a sneaky little way to put stacks together where your team
48:13isn't surrounded by it. But if those combinations are on fire and they become like the top duo, which we could see all
48:20those happening, I have it. I have it on my roster. You know, there's no there's nothing guaranteed in this fantasy game
48:28which says that your QB1 that you draft in round six, seven, eight becomes your starting quarterback. You know, Jordan Love, Kyler, Baker, any of these guys
48:37that I mentioned, Perie, Stafford, these guys could all look at what happened with Stafford last year. You know, Stafford was barely drafted. He was QB1
48:44basically every week. So, these guys, they could be your backup quarterback.
48:50You can have correlation with your main receivers early in the rounds. You could do it with Goff and and Amanra. Goff's
48:57not being drafted as a top 10 quarterback right now. You could do it with all these secondary combinations this year. And if they're on fire and
49:06those are the offenses, then maybe they move into your starting lineup. So, uh, that's more what I've been doing a lot
49:13this year.
49:15>> I have a ton of Jordan Love late QB2.
49:19Um, and I'll say Jared Goff and and Bo Nicks to me, they sometimes both they just fall in that range where you can
49:26take them and they could end up being your starting quarterback for the entire year if things kind of run out their
49:31way. Really, really strong stuff from you, Chris. And let's talk about your flag plant quarterback, a quarterback that we saw take a huge step forward
49:38down the stretch last year.
49:40>> He's got uh some strong offensive skill position players around him and we love the play caller. talk about Trevor Lawrence and your expectations for him
49:49this year.
49:50>> I I love when first off, we saw it all come together for Trevor Lawrence late.
49:54It looked like everything just finally clicked, right? It took a while with Liam Cohen to to get everything down, but end of the season, middle of the
50:02season on, it started coming all together. I love when you give me a quarterback that has this upside, can also take off and run like Lawrence Ken,
50:11and now you put him in the same system with a great offensive mind like Liam Cohen here, and then you're going to
50:17give me all these weapons. Now, are they the greatest weapons when drafting these guys uh in the first or second round?
50:23No. But what it does is it gives me a lot of outs. You got Parker Washington, you got Brian Thomas, Jacobe Meyers. You
50:31could bring in a Travis Hunter as your wide receiver for and then nobody likes to give Brenton Strange any respect, but
50:37Brenton Strange is a solid move the chains tight end here that Trevor Lawrence loves. So even if a piece or two get nicked up, hurt out, this
50:48offense isn't going to collapse. There's a lot of weapons, there's a lot of outs for Trevor Lawrence's at Trevor Lawrence's disposal. So, you mix all
50:57that in, you you put it with the fact that you have a a a brilliant play caller, offensive mind, and Liam Cohen
51:04in another year where he's got the system down, and it just seems like if there's going to be a quarterback that
51:10makes a run at a top three overall uh season, it could be Trevor Lawrence, and we don't have to pay a heavy price for
51:17him.
51:18>> We also saw he was so effective as a runner last year. It's like the rushing touchdowns, >> most people are saying, you know, it's
51:24it's a those are are are something that are going to regress. And I think in terms of like the rush attempts and and
51:30getting the touchdown rate, if you're chasing like the analytics, then yeah, they should regress, but >> they're not going to go to zero. and
51:37Trevor Lawrence, they showed that he shows the opportunistic scrambling ability in this offense when you get the comfort level of year two with the same
51:45guy knowing when to take off and run and Liam Cohen knowing when to call his number on those design runs. We also saw
51:52that with Baker Mayfield and Liam Cohen.
51:55When Baker Mayfield had that huge year, he was also very effective as a runner.
51:59So that's been sort of a signal with Liam Cohen where quarterbacks produce in a major way throwing touchdowns and also producing with their legs. So I think
52:09you're spot on with Taw. He's also going in a range where Chris >> you see like the Josh Allen then it gets
52:14down to like the the next tier where it's the inf it's the Joe Burrow, Drake May, Lamar depending on your draft. then
52:22it's like the next tier and you get to sometimes where TAWA is like a low-end QB1 but you don't necessarily know when
52:29he's going to go. Usually you could sort of predict the run, but you're getting that sort of discount. So if he does
52:33give you a top three scoring year, it's even more impactful. So I I love that call out. Let's go rapid fire here.
52:41>> Brandon Aubrey or no Brandon Aubrey?
52:44>> Oh god, I love Brandon Aubrey so much.
52:46Uh Theo, I know it's rapid fire. I I just think there's I just think there's other um kickers that are just going to
52:54be as valuable or right behind him now that could kick it from 60. Dicker, Fairburn, um you know, uh Cam Little and
53:03you don't have to pay. You could get these guys four rounds later in good offenses as well. So, more inclined to
53:10give that spot to a running back or receiver.
53:13>> And I'm sorry about rapid fire. I know.
53:15No, no, no. But I had to give a little more context. [laughter] >> I mean, it's it's less a minute is rapid
53:22fire enough with us when we get going on talking on talking football.
53:25>> But Brandon Aubrey, we get a we get seven points for that 70 yarder when he hits it this year, right?
53:30>> Oh yeah, we do. Uh we get seven points.
53:32I can't even knock it. I will have some Brandon Aubrey teams just because I had him last year on on a lot of my big
53:38teams. uh Theo and my god like every week it just seemed like 18 points, 22 points. You're playing with an extra
53:46running back and you go up against a team that just kicks three extra points and you know uh he's indoors and anytime
53:55they're past the 45 yardd line of the opposing team, they're going to bring Aubrey out. He's just an unbelievable weapon.
54:03>> Yeah. I mean, I think kickers are a whole another conversation. I'm going to do a kicker rankings show. I think some
54:07people hate that. I like kickers. I think we could find another edge.
54:11>> I love it.
54:11>> I appreciate that. I appreciate that.
54:13Yeah, we find edges in fantasy football.
54:15And I think one thing you hit on was you named a bunch of big-legged kickers. I think that these coaches are way more
54:22comfortable letting these guys I mean 50 yarders used to be like, "Wow, my kicker hit a 50 yard." Now it's like we get 50
54:28yarders. Like Brandon Aubry is going to end up with like 14 of those this year.
54:32Cam Little uh they let him Cam Little could end up attempting a couple 70s this year. I think some of these coaches
54:39are sickos and they want to be attached to these guys who challenge NFL records and they're just willing to take a shot
54:45on it. Kickers are getting way better. I think this is a signal. So looking for those biglegged kickers as your initial
54:51draft strategy. I think that's the way to do it. And then obviously chasing good offenses, chasing indoor environments, and then Chris being
54:58willing to abandon ship early and get your kicker off the waiver wire and just stick with that guy. I think that's an
55:04underrated thing. Like there's no sunk cost with kickers. Be willing to grab that guy who's getting a bunch of field goal attempts and looks good early on.
55:12Good way to go about it.
55:13>> If you could know the final stats of any player in fantasy, who would it be?
55:18>> Okay, I'm going to go off the the the deep end a little bit on this one, Theo.
55:22Um, and and stick with me on this one.
55:26Tucker Craft, >> okay?
55:28>> Okay. And I'll tell you why. If I know Tucker Craft is healthy and he's going to put up the numbers that he was on
55:36pace to last year and basically hit the board, he's he would be being drafted right where Colston Lovelin is being drafted right now. if he's not healthy
55:45enough this year. We're seeing all the clips of him um that, you know, looking pretty good, looking like nothing ever happened. But he's also saying that, oh,
55:54they're going to manage his reps. And that's fine with me as well, cuz if you want to run the ball and have him on the
56:00sideline, I don't need him in there all the time. But if I knew what Tucker Craft's stats were going to be and if he
56:06was back to that elite top three or four tight end, then maybe it helps me determine if Christian Watson belongs more in the wide receiver round three
56:15range where all those Lad Mcconi Wadd uh Garrett Wilson guys go. You know, the the book is open on Christian Watson
56:23every draft. Some people feel like he's that end of third, early fourth round click. Some drafts you see him get to
56:30the end of the fourth, fifth round. Is he elite? Is he a solid wide receiver too or what? And then you bring into the
56:38fact that there's two more receivers that a lot of us love and Jaden Reed and Matthew Golden. And if Tucker Craft I
56:46knew his stats and if he his stats weren't going to be that good, that means Reed or Golden or both are going
56:52to pay off big time from that eighth round price range. One of them is going to be more like a fourth or fifth round
56:59price range wide receiver that could cash in big time. So, if I knew what craft stats would be, it would help me
57:05out with all the other guys in the offense. Never mind Jordan Love, who if they're all clicking, could be one of
57:13the biggest sleeper quarterbacks on the board who is a QB2 on a lot of my teams.
57:18He could be my QB1 if I knew Craft stats.
57:21>> It's a it's a really great wellthoughtout answer there. Craft was 14 and a half points a game last year when he went down and he had multiple
57:29tight end one overall weekly finishes. I had him on so many FFPC teams. That was really a huge painful loss. Um we're
57:37getting him in the eighth round in tight end premium last year, but he could bounce back this year. I mean the
57:43yakability that he has is special. It's sort of like the George KD type usage.
57:47And then uh yeah, if he kind of continues on what we saw last year when he was trending up, then he becomes the
57:53major value at tight end and with even with respect to Warren and Lovelin, Craft goes so late in some of these PPR
58:00formats. So just awesome stuff. Chris, you you record a podcast that's sort of dear to my heart, Fantasy Empire. Uh love the stuff you guys put out over
58:10there. Dan Williamson, Nelson Susa, Matt Modika, and yourself. all friends of mine and you guys are talking shop on high stakes fantasy. Uh really strong
58:20stuff. Let everybody know sort of what you guys are putting out and what you have planned for the season.
58:25>> Yeah, we've been going at it for over a month now. Theo uh our our show is every Tuesday 11:00 YouTube fantasy player pro
58:32uh profiler, you know, back in the day.
58:35Uh% man% that's where you came up uh in those streets. uh every th every Tuesday uh Fantasy Empire with like you said
58:44Nelson, Dan, and Matt. Uh we've been doing live streams. We have a live stream prime time draft tomorrow night, Thursday. Um uh you know, for everybody
58:54to get into and compete against the fantasy empire. And uh that's it. You know, we'll be every Tuesday throughout the whole season looking forward to it.
59:02Chopping up shop, talking about the week that just h happened right off of Monday Night Football and the week ahead. So,
59:09we have a lot of fun there.
59:10>> Yeah, I think that podcast really helps you out if you're a fantasy manager pretty much anywhere. All four all, you
59:16know, you all four of you guys have incredible amount of success playing high stakes and it's also like unique perspectives. You guys don't just
59:24blindly agree on all the same guys. It's it's a really great cadence and you know, wish you guys nothing but the best
59:30of luck this year with the show. It's one that I and just sort of like how the sausage is made here. I don't like
59:35listening to a lot of fantasy football podcasts in season because I want to lock in my own takes, but I make sure
59:40and I listen in on Fantasy Empire on a weekly basis, at least part of your show. Sometimes you guys go long, but
59:45you get a ton of like useful stuff with your thought process and and your delivery with it. So, really back at you
59:52and the feelings mutual for you and how you're killing it at Roto Wire and uh there's not that many shows uh that I
59:59tune in for uh because they don't speak my language, right? Right. And that's the high stakes language and and and I
60:05could relate to the shows, but I could relate to all yours and the guests you have on and how you chop it up with
60:12them. So, uh you know, great success uh for you uh continued success and you're doing a great job and I look forward to
60:20uh battling in uh New York >> with the live drafts uh next week.
60:24>> Yeah, we're going headtohead. Um I'm going to be in New York City. Actually, it's at Chris's spot. So, let everybody
60:30know about your your spot if you're in the New York City area. Chris, you're hosting the NFC Live Drafts. You got an
60:36awesome bar down in Tribeca. Let everybody know about it.
60:39>> Yeah, thank you. Uh, Theo, next Friday, September 4th, um, live at my bar, the Greenwich Street Tavern in Tribeca, hosting theFC drafts. I'm glad this is
60:50the second year in a row. First year was a a pretty major success according to everybody. So, uh, Greg Ambrocious, uh,
60:57jumped on the phone with me right after it was over and said, you know, hey, we're in for year two. Uh, this year's
61:03even bigger and better, Theo. Uh, you know, more leagues, more people attending. Um, it's going to be a packed house. All our leagues are sold out
61:12other than we have one prime time available at 10 p.m. So, if you're uh a late uh if you're a night owl and you
61:19want to come through and get in a high stakes draft, uh, come on through. uh food and drinks for anybody that has a
61:25draft. Uh looking forward to it. I'm going to be drafting six drafts in a row. Um I know a lot of us are guys like
61:32uh Nelson and Edelman and uh Theo. I know you're in the house for the New York.
61:37>> I do I do I'm doing three of you. So I go I'm going to go prime prime time prime time and then the New York Super I
61:44split with Nelson Susa. Why don't you talk a little bit about that New York Super draft? It's really sort of uh
61:50become sort of an appointment board that people want to see in high stakes.
61:54You've been in it longer than I have, but it's a it's like a murderer's row of drafters.
61:59>> Uh Theo, how can I describe the New York Super? It is hands down the hardest draft, the toughest draft with the most
62:08skilled highstakes drafters anywhere.
62:11That's including the 100K that I'm doing on Friday. this draft, even though it's $2,500 the New York Super, it'll be way
62:19harder with way more talent at the table than the 100K, the Diamond, the Platinum, any drafts you want to talk about. The best players are at this
62:29draft table. There's six Hall of Famers.
62:31There's overall champions, on and on and on. There is not a soft spot at that table. Uh you have to go get your guys.
62:39The builds are unique. Um, it's it's uh, you know, the draft I look forward to the most every year. I think most of us
62:49that are in that draft will stay the same. And when you win it, it's probably the biggest, uh, badge that you can
62:56acquire. Uh, you know, you know, regardless, minus winning an overall, if you win the New York Super, that's something to hang your hat on.
63:07>> Yeah. 100% 100%. Nelson and I we've we've >> we've had some some awful awful luck there. Uh we last year I I think we had
63:16a team that was challenging for it. Get to that final. Yeah. I mean it's been I had a year a couple years ago where I
63:22thought my team was really trending up and then I lose Will Fuller just to kind of show like the but this year you know
63:28we all go into it ton of confidence and it's and like you said it's a very challenging draft. It's like that draft.
63:35It's a really hard one, but it's also so en enjoyable going up against some of the best players in the country. So, I'm
63:40going to hope to take it down. I know you are as well, Chris. Best of luck from all of us here at Rotoire.
63:45>> You back to back, Theo. I'm going >> There you go. I know, man. You You got it last year. And best of luck from
63:50everyone here at Rotoire for you in the Legacy League. I'm going to be covering the Legacy League on a podcast. Uh I'm
63:56going to review the board. Uh so, we'll look and see sort of what Chris did in that draft as well as all these other
64:01great Mad Schroeder. Uh you mentioned uh Santos is in that, Nelson Susa, Dave Hubard, just a murderer's row there. Uh awesome stuff. And make sure you stick
64:10here with Rotoire all off seasonason long heading up to the to kickoff. We're going to help you crush your leagues this

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