Speaker 1: You found Fantasy Football Weekly Micro a deep dive on
Speaker 1: one player in just five to ten minutes. Now here's
Speaker 1: your host, Paul Charge Fantasy Football Weekly Micro edition on
Speaker 1: Paul Charchian. This is an experiment that we're doing that.
Speaker 1: Now you may have heard several times, I hope, so anyway,
Speaker 1: which we do a deep dive on one player who's
Speaker 1: got some controversy, some unique elements, some shifting sands around
Speaker 1: that player. My conversation today is with Tyler knabilely gid
Speaker 1: Keuillotine Leagues dot Com writer Hi, Tyler, Hi, I'm excited
Speaker 1: to talk about some Tony Pollard. Tony Pollard, Yes, he
Speaker 1: has the upside to be the highest scoring player in
Speaker 1: fantasy football this year. You think, so the upside, everything
Speaker 1: goes perfectly, Okay, right, I'm intrigued. Now, Well, you do
Speaker 1: not agree that if if, if they do not bring
Speaker 1: in another running back to meaningfully take carries away from
Speaker 1: Tony Pollard. If I tell you he's gonna get three
Speaker 1: hundred fifty touches in on high powered offense that loves
Speaker 1: to give the ball to running backs at the strike,
Speaker 1: which he's never gotten the past, if he takes all
Speaker 1: those Zeke carries inside the five. You tell me Tony
Speaker 1: Pollard can't be the high scoring player in fantasy football
Speaker 1: if they don't bring in another meaningful running back. I'm
Speaker 1: totally with you. I think they will, just because I
Speaker 1: don't think they're gonna give to Tony Pollard three fifty
Speaker 1: plus touches. But we'll see. This is a team that
Speaker 1: gave DeMarco Murray three hundred and fifty touches when they
Speaker 1: franchise tagged him, knowing that they were just going to
Speaker 1: grind him up and if at the end of the
Speaker 1: year they felt like he was you know, there was nothing,
Speaker 1: he was washed. They were just gonna let him go,
Speaker 1: which he did and went to Philadelphia. They signed him
Speaker 1: to a big deal and he was he was totally washed.
Speaker 1: That could be the scenario here with Pollard. You know
Speaker 1: they could they could just and Josh Jacobs on the
Speaker 1: on the franchise tag last year, got all those all
Speaker 1: those carries last year on the franchise tag. Now the
Speaker 1: Raiders decided to bring him back. So I feel like
Speaker 1: Josh Jacobs still is still going to be a good runner,
Speaker 1: and maybe they'll do that with Pollard. What I'm saying
Speaker 1: I think the franchise tag tells me you're getting use Okay, well,
Speaker 1: I like it. I like this kind of a little satin.
Speaker 1: It's the first hot take we've had a little bit
Speaker 1: like Tony Pollard could be RB one, he could be
Speaker 1: RB one. Okay's got I think he's got RB one
Speaker 1: upside in him if if everything breaks right for him.
Speaker 1: All right, well let's talk about his game a little bit.
Speaker 1: Everybody's seen the highlights. You know that Tony Pollard's got
Speaker 1: big play potential. Yeah, so he went as the RB eight. Uh,
Speaker 1: he finishes the RB eight last year, RB nine average
Speaker 1: points per game. He's currently going RB ten. That's middle
Speaker 1: middle of the round two in best ball, which I
Speaker 1: think RB ten and ADP usually means end of the
Speaker 1: first round in like home league stuff like that. So
Speaker 1: there's that. There's that as well. I think the name,
Speaker 1: the name of the game of Tony Pollard is efficiency.
Speaker 1: He it's everyone always talks about how he's been the
Speaker 1: most efficient running back because Zeke's getting the carries third,
Speaker 1: one fourth and one ye your one yard. But Tony
Speaker 1: Pollard in twenty twenty one fifth highest and yards per
Speaker 1: attempt at five point five twenty twenty two third highest
Speaker 1: in the yards for attempts at five point two, So
Speaker 1: actually went down, but he was higher up high. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1: Still great efficiency of anything over five is great. Now
Speaker 1: here's the reason I think RB one might be a
Speaker 1: little lofty for me. Is there receiving profile. So he
Speaker 1: was tied for seventeenth in receptions among running backs in
Speaker 1: twenty twenty two with thirty nine catches. Okay, which is
Speaker 1: the exact same as the season prior. All right, Naji
Speaker 1: Harrison Michael Carter had more than him last season. It's
Speaker 1: just two notable names. I'd okay, but I would come
Speaker 1: back with Ezekiel Elliot's not gonna be there to catch
Speaker 1: his past there. That is very fair. Now, another telling
Speaker 1: staff that I thought was actually very interesting. Seven of
Speaker 1: the top of the top ten high scoring running backs
Speaker 1: from last year were also in the top ten for
Speaker 1: receptions among running backs. The only three that weren't were Pollard,
Speaker 1: Derreck Henry, Nick Chubb. Now, Derrick Henry and Nick Chub
Speaker 1: are two completely different types of players, and what Tony
Speaker 1: Pollard is. Yeah, So I'm interested to see because I
Speaker 1: feel like like in my head when I looked up
Speaker 1: the number, I was like, oh, he's pie finished like
Speaker 1: six or something, and receptions among running for the seventeenth
Speaker 1: and I was very surprised. Yeah, And in fairness, Eeke
Speaker 1: only at seventeen catches last year, but we know traditionally
Speaker 1: Zeke had been had a lot more than that. For
Speaker 1: whatever reason, they dialed down his receptions last season. But still,
Speaker 1: if I throw seventeen more receptions at Tony Pollard, He's
Speaker 1: not going to be tied for seventeenth among running backs,
Speaker 1: and receptions will probably be in the top ten at
Speaker 1: that point. And that's why I still think. I still
Speaker 1: think he can have potentially RB one upside in him.
Speaker 1: All right, So well, how different is this offense with
Speaker 1: Zeke out of it? So only two of I think
Speaker 1: is the thing you want to look at is maybe
Speaker 1: Tony Pollard, if he is the guy as you think
Speaker 1: he might be, is just the scoring opportunities that he
Speaker 1: could have. Because only two of Pollard's twelve touchdowns came
Speaker 1: from inside the five yard line, he had just six
Speaker 1: rushes inside the five right, and Zeke, of course is
Speaker 1: known for his rushes inside the five exactly, Zeke had
Speaker 1: sixteen attemptions at the five yard line. Those carries were
Speaker 1: good for seventeen total yards and nine touchdowns. Yeah, the
Speaker 1: nine touchdowns on sixteen attempts is great return you're trying
Speaker 1: to get for carries inside the five. You want to
Speaker 1: see touchdowns at at roughly half of the carries should
Speaker 1: be touchdowns. He turned sixteen attempts into nine touchdowns. That's good.
Speaker 1: That's a number we want to see. If Pollard's going
Speaker 1: to be at fifty percent now, I mean, you know
Speaker 1: we can we again, if we can roll these together,
Speaker 1: that's and six rushes and twenty two attempts from inside
Speaker 1: the five between the two of them last year. If
Speaker 1: Pollard's gonna get twenty two attempts from inside the five
Speaker 1: and convert half, that's eleven touchdowns right there, just from
Speaker 1: inside the five yard line. Yes, I think I think
Speaker 1: you're just being a little too much on They got
Speaker 1: to bring somebody in. This running back draft class is loaded,
Speaker 1: so they might just draft a big guy like a
Speaker 1: Roshawn Johnson. Dwayne McBride's just a big guy to just
Speaker 1: be Zeke two point zh pye a little bit more
Speaker 1: efficient because it'd be a younger, younger running back. But yeah,
Speaker 1: I think they're gonna bring somebody else in. I'm not
Speaker 1: saying it ain't Ronald Jones. I can tell you that
Speaker 1: much because that guy doesn't worry me. Yeah, I'm not
Speaker 1: worried about Ronald Jones. I don't think anyone's worried about
Speaker 1: Ronald Jones. But I just, I just I'll believe when
Speaker 1: I see it. That's what kind of with the stance
Speaker 1: I'm taking on this right now. Like, I honestly think
Speaker 1: they could draft Bijean Robinson. That is the most Cowboys
Speaker 1: thing to do is just get an elite running back talent.
Speaker 1: I mean, they drafted Zeke fifth. Overall, they're gonna get
Speaker 1: a lot. Like a lot of people think that's gonna happen,
Speaker 1: I don't. This team already got burned on the whole
Speaker 1: Ezekiel Elliott. The whole the lifetime Ezekiel Elliott thing burned them,
Speaker 1: and they're just coming out of that burn. So they
Speaker 1: made they made the big investment in Zeke. Then he
Speaker 1: held out for a bunch of money, which they eventually
Speaker 1: gave him at the expense of keeping Amari Cooper, and
Speaker 1: they desperately needed a wide receiver. Now that was a
Speaker 1: huge mistake for them a tactical blunder. I don't think
Speaker 1: they're gonna go back to the well with a first
Speaker 1: round running back again after they just got burned on
Speaker 1: the whole Ezekiel career. Arc Not that Zeke was never good,
Speaker 1: because he was very good for a while, but you
Speaker 1: watch your first round draft pick deally to be good
Speaker 1: for longer than running backs are usually good for. I
Speaker 1: think they got burned because they paid him. I think
Speaker 1: that was the only reason they got burned. Like when
Speaker 1: it was in the beginning of Zeke was a rookie
Speaker 1: on that rookie deal for the first I think. I
Speaker 1: think he asked for that deal early. So the first
Speaker 1: two or three years, I mean, Zeke was dying in mind.
Speaker 1: He was rb RB one type finishes year year after
Speaker 1: year after year. And the other thing is in this draft,
Speaker 1: it feels like they need offense, like they their defense
Speaker 1: is elite. The problem in San Francisco in that playoff
Speaker 1: game last year was their offense. They got Brandon Cooks
Speaker 1: that receiver. They could drop another one. I'm not saying
Speaker 1: that they can't, but I think that I just think
Speaker 1: Bijan are like not chamer Gives because that's pretty much
Speaker 1: just Tony Paul or two point oh, but it is Yeah,
Speaker 1: that profile isn't right, Yes, but I just think that
Speaker 1: I wouldn't put it past them. It's Jerry Jones, like
Speaker 1: I wouldn't put it as to draft Bijan Robinson. Maybe
Speaker 1: you have to trade out for them a little bit
Speaker 1: because I think they're at twenty five twenty six in
Speaker 1: the draft. I think he'll I think he'll be there
Speaker 1: for that. I think Bijan will be there that far. Yea,
Speaker 1: just you know, just because that's what running that's what
Speaker 1: running backs to do now. Should buy talent. B John
Speaker 1: Robinson should go a way before that, should probably go
Speaker 1: in the top ten. But that's not where the reality
Speaker 1: is at the running back position. So we'll find out.
Speaker 1: So okay, so uh, let's talk about dynasty value for
Speaker 1: Tony Pollard where you know, at what at what what
Speaker 1: level would you prescribe him from a dynasty standpoint, because
Speaker 1: he's still young and has gotten pretty low mileage at
Speaker 1: this stage of his career. The thing is is he's
Speaker 1: gonna be on the Cowboys the season after this next one,
Speaker 1: because like you said, they just got burned when they
Speaker 1: paid They're like there, I don't think they would go
Speaker 1: back to the well and then you're gonna pay twenty Follard.
Speaker 1: I think he'll be twenty He's twenty six right now,
Speaker 1: so he might be twenty twenty seven next season. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you already passed the prime at that point for a
Speaker 1: running back age And is he even better like on
Speaker 1: a different team. I feel like this is the perfect
Speaker 1: situation for him down It is the perfect situation the
Speaker 1: fourth highest scoring offense last season. So I think I
Speaker 1: think right now, if you're a win now team and
Speaker 1: you want to go make a trade, at no problem
Speaker 1: trading for totally Tony Pollard right now. He's a great
Speaker 1: ass that's definitely gonna help your team win now. After
Speaker 1: this season, I don't think his value is gonna get
Speaker 1: any higher than it is right now. Let's try. I'm
Speaker 1: with you on that. I agree the unknowns of his
Speaker 1: landing spot Latin next year make Tony Pollard somebody you
Speaker 1: could consider trading away in Dynasty and Empire formats. Let's
Speaker 1: talk about some of the running backs drafted around him.
Speaker 1: And again you said it's second round average average trap
Speaker 1: about the middle of the second round for Tony Pollard. YEP. Okay,
Speaker 1: so who's going around him? We got Derrick Henry Pollard.
Speaker 1: I'm of the opinion that Henry's close to washed. Have
Speaker 1: we been saying that for four or five years now,
Speaker 1: some more than others. Okay, before we do this, is it?
Speaker 1: Are we doing Tony Pollard with no one else coming
Speaker 1: in the front? Yes? Well, but BASI all we know
Speaker 1: right now, I'll still go in the middle. Maybe he
Speaker 1: may not, he may maybe it makes a big difference. Okay,
Speaker 1: so you're taking taking Pollard over Henry? Yeah, I think
Speaker 1: I think I would at this point Nick Chubb Chubb
Speaker 1: because that's super safe and a team that runs the
Speaker 1: ball constantly, great offensive line, yeah, and better probably better
Speaker 1: sailing for their offenses year with Shawn Watson playing a
Speaker 1: full season, I hope. So, yep, Breeze Hall coming off
Speaker 1: from ACL Let's say Roger's Ghost the Jets, which, uh,
Speaker 1: Breese Hall assuming that you know the cl is a
Speaker 1: huge question mark, but just assuming he's slated to begin
Speaker 1: the beginning of the year and you think that's gonna
Speaker 1: be the case, Breese Hall looked great in that offense,
Speaker 1: So yeah, I'd go Breese Hall. Josh Jacobs also want
Speaker 1: a franchise tag. Dude, it's a long pause right there.
Speaker 1: Maybe you don't like Pollar. What's your thought if PAULA,
Speaker 1: I gotta go, I gotta I just I started out
Speaker 1: this thing by saying you could be the high scoring
Speaker 1: running back in the league. So I've gotta go Pollard
Speaker 1: here until i have a reason to believe he's not
Speaker 1: going to get most of the work. Pollard last one.
Speaker 1: I think I know your answer, Travis Etn Yeah, I'm out. Okay,
Speaker 1: yeah Pollard. So if I'd take Pollard over most of
Speaker 1: these guys, but not all of them U with the
Speaker 1: unknowns now again, we'll see, We'll see who ends up
Speaker 1: in that backfield with him and the Cowboys. To your point,
Speaker 1: and I think it's a very salient one. The Cowboys
Speaker 1: maybe they don't draft Bejean Robinson, but they may be
Speaker 1: thinking two next year, knowing that Paul It's probably not
Speaker 1: on the team and they want to go get their
Speaker 1: running back this year for next year. Yeah, exactly so.
Speaker 1: And if that's the case, then you know, paul It
Speaker 1: gets to be a lot less interesting at that stage.
Speaker 1: As in a time share. I'm not taking him in
Speaker 1: the middle of the second round. It would be interesting
Speaker 1: to see what that offense would be like if he's
Speaker 1: the guy, because we've never seen that. Yeah, we haven't
Speaker 1: seen his career, so but he's earned it. He has
Speaker 1: earned it. He's earned it. He's a really good player.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to this edition of Fantasy Football Weekly
Speaker 1: Micro Edition. Be sure to stay tune. You're gonna get
Speaker 1: more Fantasy Football micros Monday through Thursday, and then of
Speaker 1: course Friday is the big edition of Fantasy Football Weekly
Speaker 1: as well. We'll talk to you soon, everybody, Bye bye,