1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: This episode is presented by Yahoo Fantasy, the most valuable 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: commodity I know of his information. All got five dollars. 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: This is a rain up the Tracklhit. You're saying that 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: humans need fantasy to make life bearable. Humans need fantasy 5 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: to be my goodness, best, relentless, refusing to give up. 6 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 1: All right, hit that horn? Verys what's going on? Everybody? 7 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Fantasy Flex Podcast. I'm your host, Chris Raybon. 8 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: Today's episode is very special. It is our seventh annual 9 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:54,279 Speaker 1: Experts Guide to Fantasy Football and today's episode sponsored by 10 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: Yahoo Fantasy. And what better fantasy analyst to do an 11 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:04,559 Speaker 1: expert guys with than the expert himself, mister Sean Kern 12 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: or Seawan. Congrats on another great season, three year run 13 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: of being top five in terms of rankings accuracy. What's 14 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: going on? What's up? Yeah? 15 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: This is what our seventh or eighth time we're doing 16 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 2: this expert guide on how to you know, win your 17 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 2: fanas football league. So looking forward to hopping in and 18 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 2: discuss with you. 19 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we're gonna go through pretty much everything that 20 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: we check boxes for as we're going through our leagues 21 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: and our process and you know, the advantage for us 22 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: that we get to do it all year round, So 23 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: I think the rankings take a big step out of 24 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: if you might be with just and you still still 25 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: consider yourself newer to the game or obviously there's never 26 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: a shortage of things to learn, even for guys like us. 27 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: But we're gonna give you all the knowledge we have. 28 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: And if you're getting ready to go in and try 29 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: to crush your league this year, why not use the 30 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: same projections that we use, because guess what you can. 31 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: Our Fantasy Labs NFL subscription gives you access to all 32 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: those player rankings, customizable draft cheat sheets, and more. New 33 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: subscribers can use code flex twenty that's fl ex two 34 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: zero for twenty dollars off at Fantasy labs dot com 35 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 1: slash flex. So go win your league with the number 36 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: four and the number six two top six thirty three 37 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:45,959 Speaker 1: percent of the top six Fantasy football most accurate preseason 38 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: rankers of the past three seasons, and I can't I 39 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: can only speak for for Sean. I know he's probably 40 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: even better than that and in season, So make sure 41 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: that you go and use that code for twenty hours 42 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: off at Fantasy labs dot com. Slash flex. So this 43 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: pad is going to be two main sections. It's gonna 44 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: be how to win, and then it's going to be 45 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: positioned by position. What are we looking for when we're 46 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: actually evaluating these players? But let's start with how do 47 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: we win? Sean, You've done a lot of winning in 48 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: fantasy over the past. I don't know, I'm not even 49 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: gonna date you, but I'm going to say a very 50 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: very large stretch of your life. You could say it 51 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: about three decades, a long, long time. 52 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: Randy Moss's rookie season was actually my first draft ever, 53 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 2: if you want to date me. 54 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: But yeah, I. 55 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 2: Think at a high level, just general, you know, principles 56 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 2: on how to win, especially if you you're starting, you know, 57 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 2: for the first time in a specific format, is to 58 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 2: have specific player rankings by position for that specific league 59 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 2: based on the league scoring. So there's unique leagues that 60 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: reward four points for a passing touchdown or six points 61 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 2: for a passing touchdown or full PPR things like that. 62 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 2: You just want to make sure that your rankings are 63 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 2: based on that league's scoring. And then from there, you know, 64 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: you kind of want to have a general idea of 65 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 2: your draft strategy based on where you're picking from. So 66 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 2: when you have picks one through four or nine through twelve, 67 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 2: you're probably going to have a different strategy just based 68 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 2: on the players that you're going to even have access 69 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 2: to in the first few rounds, and then from there 70 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 2: you're gonna have to draft according to position needs. So 71 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 2: having a basic draft plan, you know for the first 72 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,799 Speaker 2: you know, four picks middle of the draft or later 73 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: is important, and then I know you're going to talk 74 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 2: about this, we both agree, but average draft position is 75 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: so key. 76 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: Knowing when players are. 77 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: Going to go is the name of the game because 78 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 2: that kind of dictates your strategy of you know, you 79 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 2: got to take a certain player because he's not going 80 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 2: to make it back to you, or you know, you 81 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 2: know that these certain players will fall to this round. 82 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 2: So they're a nice backup plan. But specifically for your league. 83 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: Ideally you're in a league with friends, family, where you 84 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 2: really know what teams and players they like, and that'll 85 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 2: give you a better sense as to win players are 86 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 2: going to go ahead or behind adp. So if you're 87 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 2: in a league of buddies that you know have a 88 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 2: handful of Bears, die hard Bears fans, you have to 89 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 2: assume players like Kayleb Williams, DJ Moore, Colson Lovelin might 90 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: go a little earlier than ADP. So just having a 91 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: good sense of your league in general and how and 92 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 2: when they'll draft is critical. But I think you know, 93 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 2: having good rankings based on projections and understanding you know, 94 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 2: average draft position, win guys will go is the key 95 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: to having successful draft, which is obviously very important when 96 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 2: it comes to building you know, winning fantasy football team. 97 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely. At its core, winning in fantasy football is 98 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: it starts with the draft, and the draft is about 99 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: maximizing your value in relation to the draft capital that 100 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: you have, and that could come in big chunks. It 101 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: could come all in a few players, but it's possible 102 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: it can come as much as almost every single pick 103 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: or round in the draft. So you have to be 104 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,479 Speaker 1: aware of how to build edges in different ways. And 105 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: I think ADP, because of that, is the most valuable 106 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 1: draft data point, because even if I didn't have my 107 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 1: rankings on our projections, I would at least know how 108 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: to out know the consensus and I but I would 109 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 1: also and I would know how to fade them. So 110 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: you're not gonna win by following ADP. That's why accurate 111 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: rankings are so important. But knowing that ADP is something 112 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: that is an average and that it's generally predictive of 113 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: how the draft's gonna unfold overall, it gives you a 114 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: lot of ways to attack. And I think sometimes you're 115 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: going to see edges in terms of positional value. That 116 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: is a big thing. Where let's say you have rankings 117 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: and those rankings are correct from a positional standpoint in 118 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: terms of, you know, generally, but there could still be 119 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: a lot of different ways a draft could unfold. If 120 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: you had let's say, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henriett as 121 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: the you know, running back two and three last year, 122 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: well if everyone's just fading running back for the first 123 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: two rounds, you know, it completely changes up the draft. 124 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: And so I think the key is understanding the value 125 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: in terms of positions, you know, not just players within 126 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: those positions, and then being able to take advantage of 127 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: that as the draft unfolds. All the everything you're trying 128 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: to do, all the edges you're trying to build, they 129 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: can happen even when you're not picking, because not only 130 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: are you trying to maximize positional value, which tends to 131 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: happen when there's a run on a certain position. And 132 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: you know last year a lot of people drafting wide receiver. 133 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 1: Early this year, there's a point late in the first round, 134 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: early second where there's a bunch of running backs, some 135 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: more risky than others go. So there's always these kind 136 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: of pockets. And we'll talk about one of our favorite 137 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: pockets have been later on the show. But there are 138 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: positional pockets that tend to emerge year after year. So 139 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: that's one of your biggest edges. Always understanding how to 140 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: fade the consensus is key because what you see with 141 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: average draft position is when you're when you start going 142 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: off the board by more than a roundsworth of picks 143 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: early in drafts, it's yeah, that's when you start seeing 144 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: a downtick. But if you're generally keeping it to guys 145 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: where they were to make it back to you the 146 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: next round, that's when I think you shouldn't be hesitant 147 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,839 Speaker 1: to follow adp or ranks, whatever it is to the 148 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: t each time. You're gonna get a lot of potential 149 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: outcomes that are different by switching it up, especially if 150 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: you draft you know more than one team you don't 151 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: want to just be kind of going by, you know, 152 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: these strict rules because it's it's gonna let the draft 153 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: kind of determine, it's gonna dictate too much. You want 154 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 1: to be in position to dictate. So I think the 155 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: biggest edges tend to come from fading ADP, but within 156 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: doing it well and knowing how to do it, you know, 157 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: now just doing it for the sake of being contrarian, 158 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: because you still there's still only a small window of 159 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: players that you're gonna really want to pivot to fate. 160 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: But fading the media, I think is something that's so easy. 161 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: I mean, there's just so many puff pieces this time 162 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: of year, so, uh, you're gonna be able to fade 163 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: the media pretty much all year. And and everything's just gotten 164 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,199 Speaker 1: crazy with the box and AI and just the current 165 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: media landscape. So I'm sure that's gonna be even more valuable. 166 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: And but you also got to know how to fade experts. 167 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: And what I mean by that is there's there's a 168 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: lot of very smart people in this industry. Uh, you know, 169 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: obviously you're one of them, Sean, But whatever the dominant 170 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: strategy emerges between you know, certain consensus of experts, uh, 171 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: it's going to influence a lot of drafts, and you 172 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: have to kind of understand, you know, what, what's going 173 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: on there, and that if everyone else is kind of 174 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: doing the same strategy that was only supposed to work 175 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: because no one was doing it, it's it's probably not 176 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: gonna work. So there's a lot to just really nailing 177 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: that position of value and trying to find your edges 178 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: by slowly but surely cumulatively every every round building up 179 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: a little bit more of an edge, and by not 180 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: taking busts early. I think that is one of the 181 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: biggest things, So really understanding not necessarily who you're gonna 182 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: targe because you don't know who's gonna exactly be there, 183 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: but you can control who you can kind of fade. 184 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: So I think that's that's always a big one for me. 185 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: Sean is early in drafts you always say you can't 186 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: really win your league, but you can you can lose it, 187 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: And I think it's the same thing with sleepers versus 188 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: busts or targets versus bus It's like you can't control 189 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 1: who's there at your draft slot, but you can control 190 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: who you don't draft because you're you know, you kind 191 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: of have a strong opinion about Okay, well, either they're 192 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:01,559 Speaker 1: not going to be there, or if they are, I'm 193 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,560 Speaker 1: not taking them. So I always actually valued my kind 194 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,680 Speaker 1: of do not draft with a little more than my 195 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: targets list, because I think that's really where draft for 196 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: one early in the weegue or lost early in the draft. Yeah, 197 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: that's a great point. 198 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,319 Speaker 2: And yeah, just when it comes to the first few rounds, again, 199 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 2: you're just trying to avoid disaster, and sometimes it's out 200 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 2: of your control. Like heading into the season, we didn't 201 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 2: know Christian McCaffery was dealing with like an achilles injury 202 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 2: that you know, pretty much wiped out his entire season. 203 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 2: That can happen. That's again that's outside your control. But 204 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 2: there are guys in the first few rounds that are risky. 205 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 2: Maybe they are dealing with a known injury heading into 206 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 2: the season, or they're on a new team, or they're 207 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 2: getting older where they just have more risk than other 208 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 2: players in the first few rounds. And that's kind of 209 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 2: what I like to do, is avoid those guys, just 210 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 2: go the safest route, because you know all those guys are, 211 00:12:57,679 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 2: you know, being drafted in the first few rounds for 212 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 2: a reason. They're they're pretty much all gonna do well 213 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 2: if they stay healthy, so I just, you know, play 214 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 2: it safe. And then it's the middle to later rounds. 215 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 2: That's when I'm swinging for the fences, taking big chances 216 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 2: where a guy, you know, he's not a guaranteed lock 217 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 2: to go off this year, But that's that's when I'm 218 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 2: more willing to take risks where you know, the first 219 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 2: three rounds, I maybe playing it much much safer and 220 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 2: being a little bit more conservative when it comes to 221 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 2: you know, who I'm drafting exactly. 222 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: And that's why the ability to adjust dynamically to your 223 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: draft is so important, and it's something that the best 224 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: way to do it is just to have the knowledge 225 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: yourself and be prepared because there have been over the years, 226 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: and you know, you've mentioned it, You've been doing this 227 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: for three decades. I'm around the same UH, and we've 228 00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 1: seen so many different strategies come and go and so 229 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 1: many different methods of doing it. And now, you know, 230 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,960 Speaker 1: I'm sure everyone thinks they can kind of do it 231 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: with AI and this and and different things like that. 232 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, if you rely 233 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: on anything other than being present with the correct UH, 234 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: knowledge in your draft, you're you're you're not maximizing your 235 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: potential edges. So I think that you know, kind of 236 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: getting getting those things out of the way, making sure 237 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: you have your rank is making sure you have everything 238 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: so that you you can just draft and not worry, 239 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: you know, not be overloaded with decision fatigue. And that's 240 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: where I think, you know, even things like people don't 241 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: talk about this as much in fantasy, but winning the 242 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: intangible game, right, you know, you kind of alluded to 243 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: it sean league rules, scoring settings, Uh, you know, if 244 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: somebody's drafting in more than one league, if if you know, 245 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 1: they might not be paying as much attention to that, 246 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: or I think another one is just with when it 247 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: comes to these projections that we do. I think one 248 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: of the biggest edges for us is always we find 249 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: that even compared to a lot of consensus and other experts, 250 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: players who are going to miss time with injury or 251 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: suspension that's already guaranteed to happen pretty much like it's 252 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: already a certainty, those players tend to be very overvalued. 253 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: It's really hard to kind of properly value them when 254 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: it's not you know, it's going to be something less 255 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: than a full season, and maybe even something less than 256 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: three quarters of a season, So you know, things like 257 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: that winning the intangible game. I think one of the 258 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: keys that people tend to struggle with at all levels 259 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: of fantasy is the late rounds. And on one hand, 260 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 1: you could look at the numbers and say, there's not 261 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: a lot of important picks that get chosen there, But 262 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: that's the whole point. You know, as you said, Sean, 263 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: you got you got to play it safe early to 264 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: put yourself in position that if you hit one of 265 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: those picks, you know, it should be game over because 266 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: there's only going to be so many you know, pooking 267 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: the cops and guys like that each year, Bucky Irving, 268 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: who you nailed, But if you didn't set up your 269 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: team and you took too many chances early, and it's 270 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: not a best ball format, and we'll do a whole 271 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: nother pot on that bout the way. Because it's such 272 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: a different even though a lot of times the ranks 273 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: more or less come up similarly, it's it's a total 274 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: different strategy. But I think it's really about, uh, you know, 275 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: kind of winning all these different ways in drafts, and 276 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: you know, putting yourself in position to where, you know, 277 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: hitting on a mid round pick, a late round pick, 278 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: when it gets less likely it is going to do 279 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: even more for you. So, uh, you know, what do 280 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: you what do you kind of do when you're as 281 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: you're going through a draft and you're you know, trying 282 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: to trying to get into that point in the draft 283 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: where you're saying, Okay, I kind of played to save 284 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: early on. I you know, prioritize my my floors and 285 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: other people probably drafted like flies because they're making bad picks. 286 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: When do you start to pivot? What comes into play? 287 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 2: What are you thinking about? I think it, well, it 288 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 2: depends on every draft. Again, it's kind of where your 289 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,439 Speaker 2: draft slot position is that kind of dictates that for me. 290 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 2: But typically the middle rounds, I think people aren't willing 291 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,919 Speaker 2: enough to be aggressive when it comes to the middle rounds. 292 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 2: If you drafted teams last year, go look at your 293 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 2: draft and see how many players you end up dropping, 294 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 2: you know, from like round five or six. Like sometimes 295 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 2: it's funny to go see like how off we all were, 296 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 2: Like ADP was on some of these guys. 297 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: So I'm only going to take shots pretty early on. 298 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 2: But I think at at a larger point, I think 299 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,239 Speaker 2: this is where like mock drafting and just getting your 300 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 2: hands dirty certainly helps because you know, I play around 301 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 2: with what happens if I take you know, a quarterback 302 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 2: earlier like Josh Allen for Jackson, Like can I still 303 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,439 Speaker 2: get the team I want? And by just having you 304 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 2: know a lot of mock drafts under my belt, I 305 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 2: kind of understand the builds that make sense, the players 306 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 2: that I keep, you know, finding fault to me in 307 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 2: you know, round. 308 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: Six through nine. 309 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 2: So I think just doing mock drafts and like really 310 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,439 Speaker 2: trying out certain strategies and seeing what works what doesn't, 311 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 2: it actually helps me take care of blind spots, you know, 312 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 2: early on, Like a couple of months ago, my first 313 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:30,479 Speaker 2: you know drafts I was doing, I was realizing I 314 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,919 Speaker 2: wasn't taking receiver early enough. So you just kind of 315 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 2: hone in on your strategy when when you do all 316 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 2: these mock drafts. But typically, yeah, rounds five through ten 317 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 2: I think are critical to take the guys that you're 318 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 2: high on. Like, like you said, you don't always want 319 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 2: to follow ADP. That's not how you win. You got 320 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 2: to take stands on certain guys. Draft guys a little 321 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 2: bit ahead of ADP, making sure you get them knowing 322 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 2: which guys will fall in ADP. So I think just 323 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 2: getting all as many reps as possible to kind of 324 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 2: get your strategy down, because again it changes based on 325 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 2: your draft order. But again I think that those rounds 326 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 2: five through ten are so critical on getting those league 327 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 2: winner type guys. 328 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's what we're doing, like maniacs in March. 329 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 1: And I mean, you know, for anyone that's not familiar 330 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 1: with Best Ball, the the average draft position is so sharp. 331 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: The minute the draft happens, people have already been taking 332 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 1: these rookies what seems like way too high, and it 333 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 1: tends to be higher than they go sometimes in August drafts. 334 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: So that's what we're kind of doing. But I found 335 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: that you know, first of all, if you're not if 336 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 1: you're just trying to if you're a you know, more 337 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: of a nubie or intermediate like, that's that's gonna be 338 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 1: in any that's going to all be reflected in our rankings. 339 00:19:57,920 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: If you're really if you're really trying to be an 340 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: ex but you don't want to do or you don't 341 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 1: have time to do, like a hundred mot drafts, like 342 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: probably even more than that. I mean, we get under 343 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: our belts between like real drafts, mock drafts, everything in between. 344 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,479 Speaker 1: I think just I think the most valuable thing for 345 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: me is just looking at the at the average draft position, 346 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: which again is why I say it's it's always the 347 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: most valuable data point in my opinion, because you could 348 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: just kind of look at it round by round, apply 349 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 1: to your league or whatever, and start from the bottom 350 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:32,919 Speaker 1: and say, Okay, if I'm in a twelve team league 351 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: that goes fifteen rounds, who do I like in round fifteen? 352 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: Just asking yourself that question and saying you a lot 353 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: of times, what you're gonna find is, you know, there's 354 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 1: a couple of quarterbacks here that I would take, And 355 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: you know, we'll start to get into into the weeds 356 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,360 Speaker 1: on position of strategy metrics that we like to use 357 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: and don't, but generally speaking, you're gonna if you look 358 00:20:57,640 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: at the draft kind of upside down, even if you're 359 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 1: not necessarily mocking or doing real drafts or something like that, 360 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: just kind of being able to look and say, Okay, 361 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: these are the players that tend to be available here, 362 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: and these are the guys you know, these are the 363 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: positions that kind of stand out. These are the guys 364 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:24,640 Speaker 1: that stand out against that that adp. Sometimes there's a lot. 365 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,680 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's half the half, the quarterbacks, you know, the 366 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 1: backup quarterbacks. Sometimes it's only one or two guys, so 367 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: and you never know who's going to be there. It's 368 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: average draft position, but it's so valuable because I think 369 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,360 Speaker 1: what happens a lot of times is if you're drafting 370 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: against people that you're better than that, they're naturally Probably 371 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 1: one of the reasons you're better than them is because 372 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: they're not putting as much effort or they don't have 373 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: as much knowledge about the light rounds. But even experts, 374 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 1: because we do this so often and we do this 375 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 1: all year, I think we tend to be biased towards 376 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 1: the guys we like, and you know that we tout 377 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,679 Speaker 1: and so there's there's multiple ways to kind of get 378 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: an edge regardless of who you're playing against. And there's 379 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 1: so much upside to it because a lot of the 380 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 1: picks you can make late, like you got like a 381 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: guy like a Let's say you just throw Keaton Mitchell 382 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: or somebody on your team. They're gonna screw guys if 383 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: they hit. They're also gonna screw teams that drafted players early. 384 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: You know, even if it doesn't happen quite like that, 385 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 1: it's a lot of times what what happened is you know, 386 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: I remember us always talking about like Jarious Tony was 387 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 1: the guy that I think we were low on, and uh, 388 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,719 Speaker 1: if you drafted the guy go after him or with 389 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: Shanahan's backfield. A lot of times the guy that goes 390 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: after him much later, you somebody wasted a draft pick. 391 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: And that's why I say it's all about building those 392 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: edges and avoiding busts early, because by avoiding a bus 393 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: you could win twelve times in a round. Let's say, 394 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: let's say in a hypothetical situation, there were you know, 395 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 1: everyone else in a twelve team league, AH, chose a 396 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: bust and you chose somebody that smashed. You didn't win. 397 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:13,399 Speaker 1: You didn't just get an edge once that round. You 398 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: got an edge tough times. So it's I think that's 399 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: how you have to think about it in terms of 400 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: of of getting an edge, and that you can. You 401 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,199 Speaker 1: can do it in so many different ways and you 402 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: have to use all of them, and it's it's going 403 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 1: to change depending on your draft. One thing I want 404 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,439 Speaker 1: to get your thoughts on before we jump to positions 405 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:43,719 Speaker 1: is drafting based on rankings, and you know how to 406 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: do it and how not to do it because you 407 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:50,440 Speaker 1: are go to rankings their year and I know sometimes 408 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: you you get frustrated because there's there could still be 409 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,719 Speaker 1: times when somebody drafts wrong. And so to speak off 410 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: your rankings, you got to talk to me about what 411 00:23:58,560 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: that's about. 412 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's that's a critical point, because you 413 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 2: know our rankings are going to differ from ADP. You know, 414 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 2: where we're going to have a guy we ranked, you know, 415 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 2: thirty slots higher than ADP. Let's say, so that's like 416 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 2: two to three rounds ahead of ADP. And a common 417 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 2: mistake I see people make is they draft that guy 418 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 2: where we have him ranked, so a couple of rounds early. 419 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:28,159 Speaker 2: You know, in theory, that's that's good because you know, 420 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 2: we are projecting that guy to be better than the 421 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 2: market thinks. But you're kind of killing the value by 422 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 2: doing that, because the idea is you want to get 423 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 2: him as close to ADP as possible, knowing that he's 424 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 2: better than where he's getting drafted. Or in theory, you 425 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 2: know he's offering more upside than where he's getting drafted. 426 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 2: Now that doesn't mean you just wait until you know 427 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 2: exactly where he goes. 428 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: You will want to, you know. 429 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,199 Speaker 2: Take that guy a little bit ahead of ADP, so 430 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 2: you make sure you get him. But again, you want 431 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 2: to wait as long as possible, as long as you 432 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 2: can in theory to get him. That's kind of how 433 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:07,439 Speaker 2: you're locking in the value is getting that guy a 434 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 2: couple rounds later than he should is the name of 435 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 2: the game in my opinion. And you know that's I 436 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 2: haven't rolled him out yet, but over the next couple weeks, 437 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 2: I'm gonna have my tiers and strategy pieces for every position. 438 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 2: And I think it's also important to kind of talk 439 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 2: about the idea of tiers in general. I like to 440 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 2: bucket guys within position within tiers because a lot of 441 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 2: the guys that you know we ranked, you know, we 442 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:39,640 Speaker 2: could have say wide receivers ten through twenty separated by 443 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 2: like a point or two, so we really consider all 444 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 2: those guys interchangeable. Where you know, someone's taking the wide 445 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,920 Speaker 2: receiver ten and you know round two, whereas somebody going 446 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 2: in round four is just like a couple points lower. 447 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:58,880 Speaker 2: In our projections, but you're gonna have a couple rounds later, 448 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 2: So knowing that you can kind of decide when to 449 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 2: draft certain positions. So I get like way more detailed 450 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:09,400 Speaker 2: and granial level when in my tiers pieces. But it's 451 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 2: important to just kind of bucket players within the positions 452 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 2: themselves in tiers to to kind of get a sense 453 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 2: when it's important, when it's critical to attack a position, 454 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 2: because you know there's going to be a big drop 455 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,679 Speaker 2: off from that player to the next. So I think 456 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,239 Speaker 2: at a high level, uh, when it comes to that, 457 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 2: you're you're thinking in terms of tiers, but also, like 458 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 2: you said, when you're comparing rankings to ADP, you don't 459 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 2: want to you know, rob the value by taking them 460 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 2: too early. You do want to draft them, you know, 461 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 2: as late as you can, as close to ADP. That's 462 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 2: how you're you're locking in value. And that's that's the 463 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 2: mistake I see people see is they just draft based 464 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 2: on our rankings, which which is smart, but you need 465 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 2: to you need to be factoring in when they're going 466 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:52,880 Speaker 2: as well. 467 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:58,360 Speaker 1: Absolutely, and it's even more crucial when you're drafting in 468 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: those first few round I would say the first five 469 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 1: or six rounds, because that's when you're drafting the core 470 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:06,480 Speaker 1: of your team, and there's always so high for a 471 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 1: guy to go. There's not going to be a big 472 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: edge to necessarily a guy who is taken let's say 473 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: in the third round instead of the fifth, like he 474 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 1: still only has two rounds to go up. It might 475 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: be a big value compared to the consensus in our 476 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: ranks or somebody else's ranks, but at the end of 477 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: the day, a guy taken early, there's always so much 478 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: higher he can go in terms of ceiling, so there's 479 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:35,680 Speaker 1: a kind of a limit to how much you can win. 480 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: So that's why to your point, you want to just 481 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: ideally get him at or below ADP then, and that's 482 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: really kind of what it is. Almost throughout the draft, 483 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: you're trying to get guys at or below ADP. You're 484 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: really never trying to reach, especially in traditional non basketball 485 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,360 Speaker 1: formats where there's not even stacking coming into play necessarily, 486 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:01,800 Speaker 1: because even if there's a positional run, a lot of 487 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: times it can make the most sense to or the 488 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: value is going to show in not just following it blindly. 489 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: It's gonna be the pivot to maybe not this, not 490 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: even like, if let's say there's a big run on 491 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: running backs, sometimes it might not even be worth it 492 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: to like, okay, just take the next wide receiver. Maybe 493 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: now you can get a team with Brock Bowers and 494 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: a stud quarterback or something like that. That teams that 495 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: you just couldn't build if there wasn't this run. So 496 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: there's a lot of different ways trying to gain an edge, 497 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 1: and it's all gonna depend on how the draft unfolds. 498 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: And that's really what we're trying to stress is that 499 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: there are these different ways to get edges, and you know, 500 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: there are message to do them, but there's no one way. 501 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: There's no one strategy, there's no one thing. The average 502 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: draft position is an average, So always remember that. I 503 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: think that is so key and it's a good segue 504 00:28:54,960 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: into positional strategy. And man, it used to just be 505 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: running backs. Everyone was taking running backs at the top 506 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: of the draft. And then somewhere along the line, the 507 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: NFL got smart to it and they started realizing that, 508 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: you know, just like as fantasy owners started realizing, these 509 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: guys get hurt a lot, maybe we shouldn't build our 510 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 1: entire offenses around them, our entire teams around them, and 511 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 1: so the leaves changed a lot. And what's the resulted 512 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: is receivers are just as in I would say at 513 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:34,479 Speaker 1: this point, tend to be more valuable early on than 514 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: running backs. And there is a big reason for that, 515 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: and we're going to get into it. But what it 516 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: really creates is a situation where you still have your 517 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: study running backs, still have your stud receivers obviously, but 518 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: after that there's a frozen pond, right, Sean, just I mean, 519 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: what is the frozen pond? Well, tell everybody out. 520 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, So, I mean, just at a high level, you 521 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 2: made an excellent point that just running backs, they're they're 522 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 2: very They're still very important, important and fancy, but they 523 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 2: are the most fragile position for a variety of reasons. 524 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: But there is this range. 525 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 2: Now where us other experts are very cautious when we're 526 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 2: drafting running backs because we know the risks, and. 527 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 1: A lot of people call it the dead zone. 528 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 2: I don't love that name because it implies you you 529 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 2: don't want anybody in this range. That's not true either. 530 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 2: I think there's there's gonna be guys we want to 531 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 2: target in this range. But I like calling it the 532 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 2: frozen pond. Here because in theory, it's you know, all 533 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 2: these running backs on surface seems safe. You know they're 534 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 2: heading into week one as the team starting running back, 535 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 2: let's say, or they had a really good season last year. 536 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:56,240 Speaker 2: They seem safe on the surface. But you and I 537 00:30:56,280 --> 00:31:00,479 Speaker 2: can identify red flags where you know one thing can 538 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 2: change and boom. You know, their value tanks. Their floor 539 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 2: is much much lower than people realize. And what happens 540 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 2: if you're walking on like a frozen pond and the cracks, 541 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 2: you're cooked and it happens instantly. Doesn't mean that you 542 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 2: can't get across the pond unscathed. But that's that's kind 543 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 2: of what the range I would say, like running backs 544 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 2: ten through thirty are kind of in that bucket where 545 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 2: you know, for any number of reasons, And I know 546 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 2: you have your reasons to potentially avoid some of these backs, 547 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 2: but it could it include you. 548 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: Know, changing teams or changing schemes. 549 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 2: You know, they might be getting older, they might be 550 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 2: on the wrong side of thirty. You know, they might 551 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 2: not have a strong of grip on the lead role 552 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 2: like people might think. Like last year, I kept saying, 553 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 2: Rashad White, you know he has the most competition she's 554 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 2: ever seen in you know, his three years in the 555 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 2: NFL with Bucky Irving now backing him up. So things 556 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 2: like that can be a red flag. But that's kind 557 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 2: of the term we use for these running backs. We're 558 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 2: in the you know, running back ten through thirty range, 559 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 2: where on the surface it might seem you know, nice 560 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 2: and shiny, but there might be some reasons. 561 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: Why you know they're gonna tank. 562 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 2: You might you know, not be able to play them, 563 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,719 Speaker 2: or might have to outright drop them based on all 564 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 2: these reasons. But it's a very risky and delicate range 565 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 2: to be drafting running backs. Is the frozen pond tier. 566 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:39,520 Speaker 1: Absolutely, and we'll talk exactly how to draft running backs 567 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 1: in the frozen pond tier. But now that we've kind 568 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: of told you guy what it is, what exactly the 569 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 1: frozen pond tier of running backs is as a definition, 570 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: Let's look at a couple. Let's just tease a couple. 571 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: Now we have our eye on heading into twenty twenty five, 572 00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: presented by Yahoo Fantasy. Sean take us off. 573 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd say Aaron Jones of the Vikings is one 574 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 2: that sticks out for me. He's being drafted running back 575 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 2: twenty five. Once again, on the surface, seems like a 576 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 2: steal because he finished RB sixteen last year. Granted he 577 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 2: played every single game. He didn't get injured miss any time, 578 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 2: so that alone is kind of a red flag. Typically 579 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 2: running backs do miss a handful of games. So he 580 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 2: was very fortunate in terms of his injury luck last year. 581 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 2: But he didn't have much competition. He had what Cam 582 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 2: Akers and ty Chandler were his backups, so they couldn't 583 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 2: really push him for touches. This year, they brought in 584 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:46,480 Speaker 2: Jordan Mason, who I think is very talented. He thrived 585 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 2: on the Niners last year when Christian McCaffrey was out, 586 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 2: and they're already saying, you know, he might eat into 587 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,520 Speaker 2: Aaron Jones' goalline usage. So this is a situation where 588 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 2: Aaron Jones, he's on the wrong side of thirty. He's 589 00:33:58,400 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 2: already thirty, he's turning thirty. 590 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: Won this year. He has added competition Jordan Mason. 591 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,759 Speaker 2: And you know, he played every single game last year, 592 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 2: so I think he's going to be drafted closer to 593 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,760 Speaker 2: his ceiling and his floor is much much lower because 594 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:17,320 Speaker 2: you know, at times last year he had fumbling issues 595 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 2: and they tried to bench him but they didn't have 596 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 2: anybody that replaced him, so there's a chance that Mason 597 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 2: could outright replace Aaron Jones this year. So it's a 598 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 2: it's a risky situation. So you know, running back twenty five, 599 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:31,880 Speaker 2: I think Aaron Jones kind of fits the bill of 600 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,240 Speaker 2: somebody I would consider as part of the frozen pond. 601 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: Heier, I mean frozen pond. It seems like a old 602 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 1: school NFC Central type of deal. But then it's the 603 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 1: NFC North. Now I'm on to stay in that division. 604 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with the guy drafted even Highe and Jones, 605 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:57,319 Speaker 1: and that's David Montgomery going at running back twenty one. 606 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,360 Speaker 1: He does have the red flag of there's definitely a 607 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: guy to replace him, and Jamier Gibbs might have just 608 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: earned himself a bigger share of the workload just with 609 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: his performance last year. You have a new coaching staff, 610 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 1: You're expecting the Lions to have a tougher overall schedule 611 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:21,200 Speaker 1: and thus game scripts, which tend to hurt early downbacks 612 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:25,600 Speaker 1: a lot more because they're not getting as many chances 613 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 1: in the receiving game. They're not getting as many chances 614 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 1: to score touchdowns because the team isn't running at the 615 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:33,759 Speaker 1: goal line as much and not getting to the goal 616 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: on as much, and that describes Montgomery's reliance and where 617 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:41,279 Speaker 1: he scores the most fantasy points to a team. He's 618 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,919 Speaker 1: also now at that and getting going to be past 619 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,360 Speaker 1: that peak age for running backs. He's starting he started 620 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:49,400 Speaker 1: to deal with some injuries. I just think there are 621 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: a lot of red flags for Montgomery, and then you 622 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: look at his efficiency, which is not always the most 623 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 1: important thing for a running back if he has a 624 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:01,600 Speaker 1: locked in role, and Montgomery still will have some role, 625 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 1: of course, but his efficiency went down last year and 626 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:08,920 Speaker 1: that's not a good sign, especially because it wasn't just 627 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 1: his after contact efficiency was it was before contact, And well, 628 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: that does tend to also bring in some of the 629 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:21,359 Speaker 1: offensive line. The offensive line for Detroit is probably gonna 630 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 1: be a lot worse, especially on the interior where Montgomery 631 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: makes most of his hay. So just a lot of 632 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:29,839 Speaker 1: things kind of pointing toward we've been getting rich kind 633 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 1: of taking Montgomery as a steal these last few years 634 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 1: and him out playing ADP and still finishing as the 635 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,759 Speaker 1: RB two. But now there's no not as much room 636 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:43,040 Speaker 1: for error unless you're just expecting Gibbs to miss more 637 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:47,240 Speaker 1: than the normal running back games by probably at least double, 638 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: like if maybe he has to miss six or seven. 639 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:54,160 Speaker 1: So I am all in on Montgomery on the frozen pond. 640 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: We got two NFC North running backs and fantasy football 641 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:02,240 Speaker 1: is a back up the group chats, get those draft 642 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:07,320 Speaker 1: boards ready, and buckle up for season filled with breakouts, busts, 643 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:12,440 Speaker 1: overreactions and more. It's all happened in this year and 644 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:16,520 Speaker 1: Sean nin we're playing on Yahoo Fantasy and you should too. 645 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:21,120 Speaker 1: So whether you're a first timer or you're a vet 646 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 1: making your millionth league, now's the time to get excited. 647 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:35,160 Speaker 1: Yahoo Fantasy has been the premiere fantasy platform for as 648 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 1: long as I can remember, and I was just man, 649 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:42,759 Speaker 1: I was playing in strangers. That's how long ago I 650 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:45,920 Speaker 1: can tell you that I've been playing on Yahoo. So 651 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 1: I just want to say you should be too. And 652 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:56,840 Speaker 1: to celebrate twenty eight years of Yahoo's fantasy greatness, Yahoo 653 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: Fantasy is dropping twenty eight Big move Eature is over 654 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:03,160 Speaker 1: twenty eight days, giving you more ways to play, more 655 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 1: ways to draft, and more ways to win. It all 656 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:12,240 Speaker 1: begins August fourth, so stay tuned, get started by creating 657 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:16,440 Speaker 1: or joining a Yahoo Fantasy football league today at Yahoo 658 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:23,920 Speaker 1: Fantasy dot Com slash Flex. That's Yahoo Fantasy dot Com 659 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:31,319 Speaker 1: slash Flex. Fantasy Flex listeners, it's your boy Chris array 660 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:34,279 Speaker 1: Bi here and August twenty third, make sure you save 661 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:38,439 Speaker 1: the date. Joe's on Breed Street in Chicago. Sean Kernan 662 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:41,320 Speaker 1: is gonna be there. I'm gonna be there. Some special 663 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:43,759 Speaker 1: guests will be there as well. All you need to 664 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 1: do rs VP link in the episode description. It is 665 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: free looking forward to seeing you there. We're gonna get 666 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: to talk about the froze and ponds, and I mean 667 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,440 Speaker 1: it is so frozen this year. One way or another, 668 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 1: the frozen pond tier is going to dictate drafts, all 669 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:16,759 Speaker 1: drafts because I mean, talk to me about just the 670 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,799 Speaker 1: strategy of wide receiver versus running back. But with the 671 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 1: added wrinkle that this year almost everyone in drafts is 672 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:28,399 Speaker 1: avoiding running backs for the in the third, fourth, fifth, 673 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: sixth rounds. So it's kind of put like, how does 674 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,040 Speaker 1: that affect your draft strategy? How should that be affecting 675 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 1: people's draft strategies with this kind of massive swing toward 676 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:44,480 Speaker 1: these middle round wide receivers and away from the running backs. 677 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's it's I think it's moving closer 678 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:52,360 Speaker 2: to my overall draft strategy is I definitely try to 679 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:56,240 Speaker 2: get two to three wide receivers as early as possible, 680 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 2: because just when it comes to the wide receiver position, 681 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 2: it's much much tougher to be adding guys from the 682 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:07,120 Speaker 2: waiver wire in season that end up being you know, studs, 683 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:11,480 Speaker 2: like a top twenty type player. Whereas running back again, 684 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:15,319 Speaker 2: it's so volatile that it adds risk on drafting guys 685 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 2: early because they can get hurt, they could lose their job, 686 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:23,279 Speaker 2: things like that. But you know, all these backups are 687 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,319 Speaker 2: in play where if somebody misses time, another guy could 688 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 2: step up. A good example is someone like Zach Charbonay. 689 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:32,320 Speaker 2: I had, you know, my bench in a lot of 690 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 2: leagues last year where you know, I'm not playing him 691 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 2: when Kenneth Walker's healthy, but once he misses time, I 692 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:39,759 Speaker 2: know I have a top ten running back, so I 693 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 2: could just plug him in. 694 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:42,919 Speaker 1: You don't really get that with wide receivers. 695 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:45,920 Speaker 2: You know, if Drake Lennon miss his time, Ray Ray 696 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,120 Speaker 2: McLeod isn't all of a sudden the top twenty wide receiver. 697 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:53,040 Speaker 2: So it just goes to like most of the time 698 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,239 Speaker 2: there's only one running back on the field, where you 699 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,040 Speaker 2: know they might have two to four, sometimes five wide 700 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:02,400 Speaker 2: receivers on the It just has to go with opportunity. 701 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:06,960 Speaker 2: These running backs, you know, they're getting tackled twenty plus 702 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,279 Speaker 2: times a game, so they're getting hit the most, so 703 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:12,319 Speaker 2: usually the smaller player on the field, so they're more 704 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:15,239 Speaker 2: prone to injuries. So a lot of different reasons why 705 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:19,359 Speaker 2: running backs are so volatile and risky taking early on, 706 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:21,840 Speaker 2: which is why I think I think the public is 707 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,600 Speaker 2: you know, having a better sense of that and gravitating 708 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:29,400 Speaker 2: more towards the zero RB approach and you know, valuing 709 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:32,200 Speaker 2: wide receivers a lot more. So it's not really changing 710 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:35,279 Speaker 2: anything on my end because again you're looking at the 711 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:37,400 Speaker 2: same thing as me. All these running backs from like 712 00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:42,319 Speaker 2: ten through thirty, I could create a scenario where you 713 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:44,600 Speaker 2: know they're going to be a disaster for you this year. 714 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:47,480 Speaker 2: Doesn't mean all of them are gonna, you know, bust, 715 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:50,400 Speaker 2: but it's just very risky. Whereas you know, when you 716 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:54,640 Speaker 2: look at receivers, most of these guys for wide receiver 717 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 2: ten through thirty are all excellent, and I want as 718 00:41:57,480 --> 00:41:59,799 Speaker 2: many of them as possible. So it just has to 719 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:03,120 Speaker 2: go the nature of the position itself, the game itself, 720 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:08,359 Speaker 2: and you know, just knowing when you can get these 721 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 2: certain players. So again I'm still you know, valuing wide 722 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:15,040 Speaker 2: receiver very highly in the first several rounds of the 723 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:15,799 Speaker 2: draft because of this. 724 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:22,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's important to also consider the context of 725 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:26,280 Speaker 1: this particular your end of every year. Twenty twenty five 726 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:31,240 Speaker 1: is a year where the zero RB strategy tended to 727 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:35,239 Speaker 1: fall flat on its face. Yeah, and you know, now 728 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:38,839 Speaker 1: we have another opportunity to use it. It's if it's 729 00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:45,040 Speaker 1: something where there's no correct strategy, you can win with 730 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:47,959 Speaker 1: all the different strategies. If you look at the long 731 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 1: term data every almost every year, there's a way to 732 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:54,880 Speaker 1: win any which way. But there does tend to be 733 00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:58,880 Speaker 1: a bit of a bias. And so the thing to 734 00:42:58,960 --> 00:43:02,520 Speaker 1: remember is that there are gonna be ways to There're 735 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:05,799 Speaker 1: gonna be drafts where you might end up not you 736 00:43:05,840 --> 00:43:08,680 Speaker 1: might end up getting running backs early because everyone else 737 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:11,520 Speaker 1: is thinking that same thing. It's really comes it really 738 00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:14,280 Speaker 1: comes down to the value. And I think when the 739 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:19,000 Speaker 1: entire board gets sharper, which I think it did, it's 740 00:43:19,040 --> 00:43:23,120 Speaker 1: just gonna put the onus on the individual drafter to 741 00:43:23,160 --> 00:43:27,560 Speaker 1: make sure that they are truly taking advantage of value 742 00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:31,760 Speaker 1: versus adp and not just blindly following a strategy because 743 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:33,799 Speaker 1: they predicted that it was gonna be the best one 744 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:36,080 Speaker 1: heading into the draft. You should The key is to 745 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:38,840 Speaker 1: know how to use every strategy, know what it looks like. 746 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:43,080 Speaker 1: And that's why we tend to be so comfortable fading 747 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:47,640 Speaker 1: running backs in the middle rounds because what's gonna happen 748 00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:49,759 Speaker 1: is you don't know which of those guys in the 749 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:52,440 Speaker 1: frozen pond they're gonna sink to you. I guess you 750 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:57,080 Speaker 1: could say, but they some of them will, and you 751 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:00,160 Speaker 1: just buy. You just take the dip on those guys. 752 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:04,279 Speaker 1: And that's the whole point. How do I leverage the 753 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,440 Speaker 1: value at different pockets in the draft? The answer isn't 754 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:10,440 Speaker 1: to necessarily always stock pile running backs. Some years it 755 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:12,880 Speaker 1: will work better than others some point with some players 756 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:15,719 Speaker 1: in some draft spots that will work better than with others. 757 00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:17,920 Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, you have to 758 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:20,680 Speaker 1: look at it and say, I might be better off 759 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:25,359 Speaker 1: treating all these guys interchangeable. And because I see there's 760 00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:29,359 Speaker 1: a lot more difference at wide receiver, at tight end, 761 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:32,879 Speaker 1: at quarterback, even in terms of guys you can get. 762 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:37,280 Speaker 1: So it's not necessarily like look at this and say 763 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: I have to draft two running backs early like it's 764 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight again. But also I don't have to be, 765 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:46,839 Speaker 1: you know, on this zero RB strategy. I just have 766 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:51,719 Speaker 1: to understand in what scenarios in a draft depending on 767 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:53,680 Speaker 1: you know, what is it a super flexes is a 768 00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:55,800 Speaker 1: normal one QB league where there's always going to be 769 00:44:55,880 --> 00:45:00,640 Speaker 1: quarterbacks around and tight ends this year too, to understand 770 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:03,160 Speaker 1: that there's gonna be an arms race at receiver one 771 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:07,480 Speaker 1: way or another. So I'm usually just like you, I'm 772 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:10,680 Speaker 1: trying to draft at least as many wide receivers in 773 00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:15,480 Speaker 1: those first sixth rounds as I had flex positions starting 774 00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:18,640 Speaker 1: in my week, and preferably one more than that because 775 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:22,120 Speaker 1: wide receivers tend to miss about one to two games. 776 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:24,640 Speaker 1: Last year, it was a little higher for wide receivers, 777 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:27,400 Speaker 1: which is part of the reason everything went kind of 778 00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:31,120 Speaker 1: haywire and swung across to running backs. So running backs 779 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:33,960 Speaker 1: are really the only position that is missing. Instead of 780 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:36,560 Speaker 1: it's you know, one to two, it's for running backs, 781 00:45:36,560 --> 00:45:40,560 Speaker 1: it's usually three to four or more. So that just 782 00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:43,120 Speaker 1: changes the whole mass. But even at receiver, if you're 783 00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:46,280 Speaker 1: starting let's say three in a flex, you're expecting eight 784 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:49,120 Speaker 1: six to eight games missed plus bye weeks, So you 785 00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:52,560 Speaker 1: tend to you're gonna need to treat the draft, I think, 786 00:45:53,239 --> 00:45:55,279 Speaker 1: and I'm curious as to how you approach the show, 787 00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:59,279 Speaker 1: But I kind of think of it as there's a 788 00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:02,880 Speaker 1: part of the draft when startable players are available, and 789 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:06,680 Speaker 1: there's a part of the draft where startable players are 790 00:46:06,719 --> 00:46:09,840 Speaker 1: not available any longer, and that just comes down to 791 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:12,200 Speaker 1: your starting line up side in a lead, but it 792 00:46:12,239 --> 00:46:14,759 Speaker 1: tends to be around the tenth round, so I usually have, 793 00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:18,040 Speaker 1: rather than any kind of specific strategy, you know, I'm 794 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:19,360 Speaker 1: going to do this in the first round. This is 795 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:21,799 Speaker 1: the second round. Running back, wide receiver. I'm looking at 796 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:25,040 Speaker 1: it like I need at least five top forty wide receivers. 797 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:28,840 Speaker 1: I want at least three top fifty running backs, and 798 00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:32,560 Speaker 1: then depending on what else happens, my quarterback and the 799 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:34,920 Speaker 1: tight end will kind of fit into that. Usually it 800 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:37,080 Speaker 1: comes a little toward the later half. But how do 801 00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:41,080 Speaker 1: you kind of approach the different positions in terms of 802 00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:42,920 Speaker 1: is there are there any cutouts for you? Or you 803 00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:45,160 Speaker 1: tend to looking at it tend to be looking at it, 804 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:47,320 Speaker 1: you know, with the early rounds and then a distinct 805 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:49,239 Speaker 1: strategy like how are you kind of setting up those 806 00:46:49,280 --> 00:46:53,319 Speaker 1: tiers to work for you as the draft progresses. Yeah, 807 00:46:53,360 --> 00:46:54,520 Speaker 1: that's a great way to put it. 808 00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:58,359 Speaker 2: I definitely think similarly where you know, by this five 809 00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 2: round ten and I want at least five receivers. I 810 00:47:02,040 --> 00:47:05,359 Speaker 2: think it's important to also consider the league setting. Some 811 00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:09,600 Speaker 2: leagues only use two wide receivers versus three when it 812 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:11,879 Speaker 2: comes to your starting lineup. So in leagues where you're 813 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:15,759 Speaker 2: only starting two receivers and still just one flex, I'm 814 00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:18,520 Speaker 2: gonna lower that number a bit. Maybe I'll have I'll 815 00:47:18,520 --> 00:47:21,560 Speaker 2: want four wide receivers by round ten, but I think 816 00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:26,040 Speaker 2: it's critical to understand your league specifically. But yeah, in general, 817 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:28,759 Speaker 2: you know, wide receiver is the one I think is 818 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:31,760 Speaker 2: the most important to attack early, and like you said, 819 00:47:31,800 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 2: just kind of as quarterbacks and tight ends, if they 820 00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:37,960 Speaker 2: fall to me, great, If not, I am more than 821 00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:41,440 Speaker 2: willing to not draft a quarterback or a tight end 822 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:44,000 Speaker 2: and the top ten if it works out that way, 823 00:47:44,040 --> 00:47:48,879 Speaker 2: because over the past few seasons, you know, I've gone 824 00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:52,080 Speaker 2: into leagues where I don't even have a quarterback and 825 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:56,360 Speaker 2: I just stream, and you know, you can usually produce 826 00:47:56,760 --> 00:47:59,359 Speaker 2: a top ten quarterback that way, and you might even 827 00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:03,640 Speaker 2: stumble off. You know, someone like Bo Nicks wasn't drafted 828 00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:05,440 Speaker 2: in every league and he ended up being a top 829 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:08,000 Speaker 2: ten quarterback. I know you were high on Jaden Daniels. 830 00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:10,880 Speaker 2: You could have got him later in the draft. So 831 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,880 Speaker 2: there's just so many guys year after year that you 832 00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:17,480 Speaker 2: could end up stumbling on, even if you punt. Quarterback 833 00:48:17,600 --> 00:48:20,919 Speaker 2: or tight end. Tight end specifically has had a ton 834 00:48:20,960 --> 00:48:22,880 Speaker 2: of league winners that you can get later on. So 835 00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:26,880 Speaker 2: I'm usually not, you know, worried if I don't have 836 00:48:26,960 --> 00:48:30,000 Speaker 2: a quarterback or tight end. I say round ten, and then, 837 00:48:30,040 --> 00:48:33,840 Speaker 2: like you said, I'm stuck piling my bench typically with 838 00:48:33,880 --> 00:48:36,160 Speaker 2: backup running backs. Running backs I think that have a 839 00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:38,920 Speaker 2: ton of upside if the starting running back were to 840 00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:42,920 Speaker 2: go down. So you're right after you get to you know, 841 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:45,560 Speaker 2: round ten, you're you're gonna be drafting guys that might 842 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:48,200 Speaker 2: not be startable right away, and I think that's that's 843 00:48:48,239 --> 00:48:51,640 Speaker 2: when it makes sense to reload up with backup running backs. 844 00:48:51,640 --> 00:48:53,560 Speaker 2: And one thing to point, I think you touch on 845 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:57,600 Speaker 2: it briefly, but just last year, running back position overall 846 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:00,279 Speaker 2: was very healthy. I think it was only the Christ 847 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:04,440 Speaker 2: McCaffrey that missed more than like three games. That was 848 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:07,080 Speaker 2: the running back that was drafted you know early on. 849 00:49:07,320 --> 00:49:10,560 Speaker 2: So last year, all these a lot of these backs 850 00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:14,640 Speaker 2: played all seventeen games, which is not common. Typically backs 851 00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:18,440 Speaker 2: missed two to three games on average. And you know, 852 00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:22,120 Speaker 2: oftentimes we have a handful of running backs missed you know, 853 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:24,759 Speaker 2: several games. So last year we just didn't see that. 854 00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:27,359 Speaker 2: So a lot of these backup running backs didn't hit 855 00:49:27,440 --> 00:49:31,799 Speaker 2: because of that. So I think people might you know, 856 00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:35,160 Speaker 2: look into that a little bit too much from last year. 857 00:49:35,160 --> 00:49:37,080 Speaker 2: But at the end of the day, the running back 858 00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:40,560 Speaker 2: position is very volatile, and you can you can land 859 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:44,799 Speaker 2: guys you know outside around ten that hit. So at 860 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:47,560 Speaker 2: the end of the day, you know, the first several rounds, 861 00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:51,359 Speaker 2: I'm loading up at receiver and running backs that fall 862 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:54,680 Speaker 2: to me or quarterback, tight end when it when it 863 00:49:54,719 --> 00:49:58,440 Speaker 2: makes sense. So that's kind of my general approach. But 864 00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:00,480 Speaker 2: then you know, when you're in the draft to just 865 00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:02,680 Speaker 2: but overall, that's that's my plan heading in. 866 00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:05,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's I think you hit on a key 867 00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:10,000 Speaker 1: point late just now when you said tight end quarterback 868 00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:14,160 Speaker 1: when it makes sense, and it's so true because there's 869 00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:19,840 Speaker 1: a fragility to quarterback and tight end rankings because and 870 00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:24,200 Speaker 1: and ADP because if you look at this year, for example, 871 00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:29,800 Speaker 1: there's only about what eight to ten of them going 872 00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:34,480 Speaker 1: in the first h five rounds five six rounds combined. 873 00:50:34,840 --> 00:50:37,560 Speaker 1: There's just not many quarterbacks and tight ends going. So 874 00:50:39,080 --> 00:50:41,120 Speaker 1: if a guy goes around earlier, or a couple of 875 00:50:41,160 --> 00:50:43,959 Speaker 1: guys go around earlier, and somebody else goes around later, 876 00:50:44,000 --> 00:50:46,399 Speaker 1: I mean, it's just it can be. It can lead 877 00:50:46,440 --> 00:50:52,080 Speaker 1: to wild swings in terms of value, and it's something 878 00:50:52,120 --> 00:50:56,359 Speaker 1: to consider a lot more. I think when you're in 879 00:50:56,520 --> 00:50:59,120 Speaker 1: high stakes leagues, leagues where you have to be not 880 00:50:59,239 --> 00:51:02,880 Speaker 1: just maybe twelve like eleven other people you know of 881 00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:05,960 Speaker 1: your friends, but you got to be an entire industry 882 00:51:05,960 --> 00:51:08,160 Speaker 1: experts or something like that, that's where you really want 883 00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:11,320 Speaker 1: to take those bigger risk. And I say risk because 884 00:51:11,360 --> 00:51:13,920 Speaker 1: not that I think Rock Bauers is catching you know, 885 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:17,440 Speaker 1: less than ninety balls if he's healthy. But what I 886 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:20,480 Speaker 1: mean is there's just so much risk because there's so 887 00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:24,160 Speaker 1: many other wide receivers there and running backs that people 888 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:27,160 Speaker 1: are fading that are also valuable. So it's really about 889 00:51:27,239 --> 00:51:32,479 Speaker 1: the kind of prioritization of wide receiver, then running back, 890 00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:37,759 Speaker 1: then tight end, and then quarterback, because even bad quarterbacks 891 00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:42,080 Speaker 1: are gonna there's there's just less of a drop off 892 00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:45,200 Speaker 1: versus a bad tight end could give you nothing. So 893 00:51:46,480 --> 00:51:49,839 Speaker 1: I think it's important to you know what, because now 894 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:52,719 Speaker 1: I think the thing the new trend, and I'm glad 895 00:51:52,760 --> 00:51:55,440 Speaker 1: it's here, is there's a lot more super flex with 896 00:51:55,880 --> 00:51:59,120 Speaker 1: quarterbacks eligible, and there's a lot more two QB leagues. 897 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:02,160 Speaker 1: But there's also just a lot more people willing to 898 00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:06,360 Speaker 1: wait to draft a quarterback. So talk to me a 899 00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:12,080 Speaker 1: little bit more, just like how you evaluate quarterbacks, because 900 00:52:13,040 --> 00:52:15,719 Speaker 1: I think rushing upside is starting to come into it, 901 00:52:16,160 --> 00:52:18,279 Speaker 1: or it's always come into it, but it tends to 902 00:52:18,320 --> 00:52:22,000 Speaker 1: be something that is just it's almost like a cheat 903 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:24,600 Speaker 1: code this day and age, even though people are onto it. 904 00:52:25,480 --> 00:52:29,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, rushing upside has been key. You and I 905 00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:32,520 Speaker 2: have been harping on it for years now. That's how 906 00:52:32,520 --> 00:52:36,000 Speaker 2: we ended up with Jalen Hurts as a rookie several 907 00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:38,600 Speaker 2: years ago. That's how you ended up on Jayden Daniels 908 00:52:38,680 --> 00:52:41,320 Speaker 2: last year. I think you know, rushing upside is the 909 00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:44,520 Speaker 2: cheat code. It's why someone like Justin Fields might not 910 00:52:44,560 --> 00:52:47,320 Speaker 2: be a great real life quarterback, but when he's playing, 911 00:52:47,800 --> 00:52:50,719 Speaker 2: he could put up top twelve numbers because of his 912 00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:54,920 Speaker 2: rushing upside. So it's absolutely critical. I think I would 913 00:52:54,920 --> 00:52:58,400 Speaker 2: say that for like one QB leagues, especially because we're 914 00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:03,200 Speaker 2: shooting for upside. Now you mentioned super flex two QB leagues. 915 00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:08,359 Speaker 2: That's a completely different strategy. That's when you're drafting quarterbacks 916 00:53:08,440 --> 00:53:13,520 Speaker 2: earlier and often because there's at any given time there's 917 00:53:13,560 --> 00:53:16,799 Speaker 2: only thirty two starting quarterbacks, so if they're start, if 918 00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:21,640 Speaker 2: you're starting twenty four of them across the league a week, 919 00:53:22,480 --> 00:53:24,960 Speaker 2: the supply is not there to everyone just sit there 920 00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:27,920 Speaker 2: and wait for quarterbacks. So in two QB super flex leagues, 921 00:53:28,280 --> 00:53:31,920 Speaker 2: they go much much faster, or they go much earlier 922 00:53:32,320 --> 00:53:37,200 Speaker 2: because there's higher demand. Now in those leagues, you know 923 00:53:37,280 --> 00:53:42,360 Speaker 2: the Sam Donald's, the you know Jordan loves c. J. 924 00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:45,560 Speaker 1: Stroud, guys that you know go outside the top twelve. 925 00:53:45,600 --> 00:53:48,480 Speaker 2: I think those guys are more valuable because you know 926 00:53:48,480 --> 00:53:50,960 Speaker 2: they're going to provide you a higher floor, which is 927 00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:55,000 Speaker 2: important in two QB leagues. So you know, my the 928 00:53:55,040 --> 00:53:58,600 Speaker 2: way I evaluate quarterbacks and draft them changes significantly. 929 00:53:58,680 --> 00:54:02,840 Speaker 1: Whether you're starting one quarter back or two in the league. 930 00:54:02,920 --> 00:54:05,560 Speaker 2: But yeah, when it comes to fantasy upside, I think 931 00:54:06,360 --> 00:54:10,080 Speaker 2: this day and age, rushing is key because it gives 932 00:54:10,200 --> 00:54:13,280 Speaker 2: it gives a quarterback a higher floor and ceiling weekly 933 00:54:13,680 --> 00:54:16,280 Speaker 2: which is a hidden way to you know, really dominate 934 00:54:16,280 --> 00:54:18,480 Speaker 2: your league as having one of those. But you know, 935 00:54:18,520 --> 00:54:21,960 Speaker 2: there's a lot more of them these days, So it's 936 00:54:22,040 --> 00:54:23,960 Speaker 2: you know, we have more of these guys coming in 937 00:54:24,040 --> 00:54:28,200 Speaker 2: like jayde Daniels. Now Caleb Williams does have some rushing upside. 938 00:54:28,239 --> 00:54:30,120 Speaker 2: Maybe we'll see more of that this year, Drake May. 939 00:54:30,880 --> 00:54:34,080 Speaker 2: So there's a lot more guys with rushing upside in today's. 940 00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:34,520 Speaker 1: Day and age. 941 00:54:34,560 --> 00:54:36,480 Speaker 2: But yeah, at the end of the day, I think 942 00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:38,839 Speaker 2: that's that's one of the the secrets I think when 943 00:54:38,840 --> 00:54:41,319 Speaker 2: it comes to, you know, sleeper picks in late round 944 00:54:41,360 --> 00:54:44,319 Speaker 2: quarterbacks is if they do have that rushing upside, they 945 00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:45,080 Speaker 2: can really pop. 946 00:54:46,560 --> 00:54:50,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, and with that they're just I would say that's 947 00:54:50,600 --> 00:54:56,200 Speaker 1: one of those situations when you start talking about these 948 00:54:56,800 --> 00:55:01,440 Speaker 1: like weeks that straight from the norm, like people aren't 949 00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:06,920 Speaker 1: necessarily going to be even even an expert like you 950 00:55:07,000 --> 00:55:09,120 Speaker 1: and I aren't playing as many of those weeks as 951 00:55:09,120 --> 00:55:11,920 Speaker 1: we play traditionally or as we play, you know, certain 952 00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:15,799 Speaker 1: other weeks. So just remember that there's always going to 953 00:55:15,880 --> 00:55:19,600 Speaker 1: be a little bit more dissonance in these situations. And 954 00:55:19,719 --> 00:55:22,680 Speaker 1: but that's that means there's more to exploit fundamentally if 955 00:55:22,719 --> 00:55:25,800 Speaker 1: you kind of understand that, you can get in it. 956 00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:29,560 Speaker 1: So like, for example, if if you're at the wrong 957 00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:33,200 Speaker 1: end of a positional run at quarterback in a two 958 00:55:33,239 --> 00:55:35,919 Speaker 1: QB or a flex league. First of all, it makes 959 00:55:35,920 --> 00:55:37,520 Speaker 1: a big difference whether it is you know, it is 960 00:55:37,560 --> 00:55:39,640 Speaker 1: just a two QB or it's a two QB plus, like, 961 00:55:39,680 --> 00:55:41,920 Speaker 1: there's a lot of just that can change a lot. 962 00:55:42,000 --> 00:55:45,080 Speaker 1: But one of the things you have to consider is, Okay, 963 00:55:45,440 --> 00:55:50,640 Speaker 1: there's always going to be four teams that essentially miss 964 00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:53,719 Speaker 1: out on a week one starter, and you have to 965 00:55:53,800 --> 00:55:57,319 Speaker 1: kind of say, how do I win if I'm one 966 00:55:57,320 --> 00:56:00,799 Speaker 1: of those fourteens. That's that's a thirty three chance that 967 00:56:01,239 --> 00:56:03,680 Speaker 1: there's gonna regardless if everyone wants to have an arms race, 968 00:56:03,719 --> 00:56:05,719 Speaker 1: there's only so many of them, right, So you have 969 00:56:05,800 --> 00:56:09,880 Speaker 1: to think about things like, well, I can let people 970 00:56:09,880 --> 00:56:13,399 Speaker 1: go and run and just uh treat it like a 971 00:56:13,560 --> 00:56:16,680 Speaker 1: two QB league in the sense of, okay, I'm only 972 00:56:16,760 --> 00:56:19,040 Speaker 1: losing the bye week. Really if I if I end 973 00:56:19,080 --> 00:56:22,560 Speaker 1: up with uh say, Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones or something, 974 00:56:22,600 --> 00:56:24,759 Speaker 1: you have to kind of think outside the box and 975 00:56:24,880 --> 00:56:28,359 Speaker 1: see what you're gonna conceide, just like real football, where uh, 976 00:56:28,480 --> 00:56:31,200 Speaker 1: every defense is trying to take away something. Every offense 977 00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:33,960 Speaker 1: is you know, they're aim they're gonna dictate terms and 978 00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:36,319 Speaker 1: the defense the best they could do, you know is 979 00:56:36,440 --> 00:56:39,279 Speaker 1: preplay is kind of decide that they want to take 980 00:56:39,320 --> 00:56:43,560 Speaker 1: away and go from there. So, uh, it really requires 981 00:56:44,840 --> 00:56:48,400 Speaker 1: a lot of you know, not just not just following 982 00:56:48,440 --> 00:56:53,760 Speaker 1: these general uh general rules of thumb, but really looking 983 00:56:53,800 --> 00:56:56,880 Speaker 1: into it and and and looking at you know, the 984 00:56:56,920 --> 00:56:59,640 Speaker 1: player value and okay, like who do we have if 985 00:56:59,640 --> 00:57:01,920 Speaker 1: you add the two guys up in our projections and 986 00:57:02,040 --> 00:57:04,439 Speaker 1: with your weeksgoing, who would you you know, what what 987 00:57:04,640 --> 00:57:07,920 Speaker 1: combination would be better with the ceiling change versus the 988 00:57:08,000 --> 00:57:12,680 Speaker 1: floor and whatnot. There's a lot to it. But you know, 989 00:57:12,719 --> 00:57:16,600 Speaker 1: we started talking about quarterbacks rushing upside for them, and 990 00:57:17,120 --> 00:57:19,520 Speaker 1: one of my favorite things during the season to talk 991 00:57:19,520 --> 00:57:23,320 Speaker 1: to you about is the pass catchers because you and 992 00:57:23,360 --> 00:57:27,200 Speaker 1: I both are really big on looking at very specific 993 00:57:27,640 --> 00:57:31,400 Speaker 1: metrics when it comes to pass catchers and to some 994 00:57:31,440 --> 00:57:34,200 Speaker 1: people they might be simpler. Then you think to some 995 00:57:34,240 --> 00:57:37,880 Speaker 1: people it's more it's it's complex, or you know, maybe 996 00:57:37,920 --> 00:57:39,640 Speaker 1: it's not the hype ones. But talk to me a 997 00:57:39,640 --> 00:57:44,360 Speaker 1: little bit about how you're evaluating, especially wide receivers but 998 00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:47,360 Speaker 1: in general pass catchers. You know, we're starting at the 999 00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:48,000 Speaker 1: route level. 1000 00:57:49,200 --> 00:57:53,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, so let's talk about say wide receivers. You know, 1001 00:57:53,680 --> 00:57:55,760 Speaker 2: first you want to see how often they're on the 1002 00:57:55,800 --> 00:57:58,600 Speaker 2: field running a route. So we always talk about that 1003 00:57:58,680 --> 00:58:02,680 Speaker 2: routes run rate as the percentage of dropbacks the quarterbacks 1004 00:58:02,680 --> 00:58:05,440 Speaker 2: taking where that that player is running a route. So 1005 00:58:05,560 --> 00:58:08,600 Speaker 2: that's going to dictate if that if that player runs 1006 00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:10,400 Speaker 2: around over ninety percent of the time, they're going to 1007 00:58:10,440 --> 00:58:13,640 Speaker 2: be more consistent. There's usually they're usually a stud in 1008 00:58:13,680 --> 00:58:15,760 Speaker 2: that case, you know they're a full time starter, but 1009 00:58:15,800 --> 00:58:19,680 Speaker 2: they're going to be more consistent. Whereas someone like Jaden Reid, 1010 00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:22,360 Speaker 2: he is, you know, a good wide receiver, starting wide receiver, 1011 00:58:22,440 --> 00:58:24,760 Speaker 2: but he's not on the field all the time, so 1012 00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:28,000 Speaker 2: he's going to be more dependent on game script that 1013 00:58:28,160 --> 00:58:32,160 Speaker 2: type of thing, so he might feel less consistent. And 1014 00:58:32,320 --> 00:58:35,360 Speaker 2: the other thing is how far down the field are 1015 00:58:35,360 --> 00:58:39,160 Speaker 2: they getting their targets, So that's their a dot their 1016 00:58:39,200 --> 00:58:43,320 Speaker 2: average depth of target. So if that's between you know, 1017 00:58:43,480 --> 00:58:46,400 Speaker 2: zero and ten yards closer line scrimmage, they're going to 1018 00:58:46,440 --> 00:58:50,000 Speaker 2: be more consistent because they're getting you know, higher percentage throws, 1019 00:58:50,040 --> 00:58:53,880 Speaker 2: whereas if somebody's getting targets downfield where they're you know, 1020 00:58:53,880 --> 00:58:57,400 Speaker 2: they're a dots over fifteen yards, they're a downfield threat, 1021 00:58:57,440 --> 00:59:01,920 Speaker 2: so they're they're getting lower percentage targets downfield where you 1022 00:59:01,960 --> 00:59:03,920 Speaker 2: know they're going to catch less balls, and when they do, 1023 00:59:04,600 --> 00:59:07,440 Speaker 2: it's an explosive play. So those those players to me 1024 00:59:08,120 --> 00:59:11,600 Speaker 2: are going to be you know, lower floor, higher ceiling, 1025 00:59:11,600 --> 00:59:15,280 Speaker 2: They're going to be vulnerable week to week where you 1026 00:59:15,320 --> 00:59:18,040 Speaker 2: know there's more risk to that. They're a higher risk, 1027 00:59:18,200 --> 00:59:20,680 Speaker 2: higher reward type player. So you got to know that 1028 00:59:20,760 --> 00:59:23,080 Speaker 2: you're drafting that type of player if you are drafting 1029 00:59:23,120 --> 00:59:26,360 Speaker 2: them versus somebody else, like a Keenan Allen type. Just 1030 00:59:26,480 --> 00:59:30,880 Speaker 2: always consistently getting you know, catches and yards. More stable 1031 00:59:30,920 --> 00:59:34,320 Speaker 2: guy and knowing when to take those those players. And 1032 00:59:34,360 --> 00:59:37,400 Speaker 2: we've kind of hit on that where you know, earlier 1033 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:40,760 Speaker 2: in the draft, I'm looking for more stability, whereas late 1034 00:59:41,080 --> 00:59:43,360 Speaker 2: I'm looking for more boombust, you know. 1035 00:59:43,440 --> 00:59:44,480 Speaker 1: High upside guys. 1036 00:59:44,520 --> 00:59:47,080 Speaker 2: So just those are the things that you know, I 1037 00:59:47,200 --> 00:59:50,640 Speaker 2: recognize when I'm projecting a player when it comes to 1038 00:59:50,640 --> 00:59:52,960 Speaker 2: the underlying data, is you know, how often on their 1039 00:59:53,000 --> 00:59:55,560 Speaker 2: feel and what type of targets are they getting. 1040 00:59:57,280 --> 01:00:00,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's a really great way to break it 1041 01:00:00,600 --> 01:00:05,080 Speaker 1: down because it goes back to how we started off 1042 01:00:05,120 --> 01:00:08,720 Speaker 1: talking about quarterbacks and what tends to differentiate the ones 1043 01:00:08,760 --> 01:00:12,560 Speaker 1: that hit for the most part is rushing upside. And 1044 01:00:13,000 --> 01:00:18,479 Speaker 1: that is because if you're projecting a quarterback in terms 1045 01:00:18,480 --> 01:00:21,160 Speaker 1: of his passing numbers, what you start to learn pretty 1046 01:00:21,200 --> 01:00:24,000 Speaker 1: quickly when you test out different when he back test 1047 01:00:24,120 --> 01:00:29,920 Speaker 1: different models, is that everything's very correlated to each other 1048 01:00:30,000 --> 01:00:32,880 Speaker 1: with past with passing. And what I mean by that is, 1049 01:00:34,320 --> 01:00:38,160 Speaker 1: if you have a quarterback who is very efficient, but 1050 01:00:38,240 --> 01:00:41,120 Speaker 1: you expect him to throw less, he's usually throwing less 1051 01:00:41,480 --> 01:00:43,520 Speaker 1: because he was able to be even more efficient and 1052 01:00:43,560 --> 01:00:46,280 Speaker 1: get the same amount of yardage on less throws because 1053 01:00:46,320 --> 01:00:48,960 Speaker 1: maybe his team's better, maybe the schedule is easier, and whatnot. 1054 01:00:49,040 --> 01:00:52,880 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of kind of correlation that cancels 1055 01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:55,240 Speaker 1: itself out and that it's the same thing with there 1056 01:00:55,280 --> 01:00:57,720 Speaker 1: is some there's some noise there with wide received with 1057 01:00:57,880 --> 01:01:00,960 Speaker 1: pass catchers, in general where you just be you know, 1058 01:01:01,000 --> 01:01:04,080 Speaker 1: if you get a lower rate of targets per route, 1059 01:01:04,360 --> 01:01:06,960 Speaker 1: it's not inherently a bad thing. You would expect guys 1060 01:01:07,000 --> 01:01:09,400 Speaker 1: who go down the field more and get more high 1061 01:01:09,480 --> 01:01:14,200 Speaker 1: value yardage to be targeted less, and they they you know, 1062 01:01:14,280 --> 01:01:17,440 Speaker 1: there's what what you tend to see more as a 1063 01:01:17,480 --> 01:01:21,640 Speaker 1: catch rate also decreases. But a lot of times that 1064 01:01:21,800 --> 01:01:24,600 Speaker 1: just comes down to the quarterback accuracy. So a quarterback 1065 01:01:24,640 --> 01:01:27,480 Speaker 1: that's inaccurate tends to be more inaccurate the more he 1066 01:01:27,520 --> 01:01:30,400 Speaker 1: goes downfield. So, uh, there's a lot there's a there's 1067 01:01:30,560 --> 01:01:34,800 Speaker 1: noise in past catcher data, and that's why it is 1068 01:01:35,480 --> 01:01:38,120 Speaker 1: very important, I think to kind of break it down 1069 01:01:38,120 --> 01:01:41,120 Speaker 1: into its components, and targets per route is a very 1070 01:01:41,160 --> 01:01:45,000 Speaker 1: sticky stop stat. And then for in terms of routes, 1071 01:01:45,320 --> 01:01:48,240 Speaker 1: you know, run per drop at that route rate, it's 1072 01:01:48,360 --> 01:01:52,720 Speaker 1: very it's it's it's very predictable on a team level 1073 01:01:53,120 --> 01:01:55,240 Speaker 1: when you know the player's role and for a lot 1074 01:01:55,280 --> 01:01:57,160 Speaker 1: of the guys that are going to be Fantasy relevant, 1075 01:01:57,360 --> 01:02:00,560 Speaker 1: we have a pretty good idea of the range of outcomes. 1076 01:02:00,600 --> 01:02:03,800 Speaker 1: And so for example, the average wide receiver one will 1077 01:02:03,880 --> 01:02:06,520 Speaker 1: kind of be around ninety percent, The number two receiver 1078 01:02:06,520 --> 01:02:08,720 Speaker 1: will be about eight somewhere, you know, eight to ninety 1079 01:02:08,720 --> 01:02:10,959 Speaker 1: percent in terms of his routes run rate. The number 1080 01:02:10,960 --> 01:02:13,120 Speaker 1: three guy will be in that fifty to seventy range, 1081 01:02:13,360 --> 01:02:15,280 Speaker 1: and so on and so forth. The other guys will 1082 01:02:15,320 --> 01:02:18,040 Speaker 1: be below, you know, kind of just rounding it out. 1083 01:02:18,320 --> 01:02:20,760 Speaker 1: They usually have about two point seven the average team 1084 01:02:20,800 --> 01:02:23,840 Speaker 1: two point seven wide receiver routes per drop back, and 1085 01:02:23,840 --> 01:02:26,479 Speaker 1: then running backs usually is one. So it's just how 1086 01:02:26,560 --> 01:02:30,479 Speaker 1: often is a back could be out there? Third down 1087 01:02:31,160 --> 01:02:33,280 Speaker 1: snap don't really matter as much. But yeahag running BA 1088 01:02:33,320 --> 01:02:37,320 Speaker 1: usually we'll take about about the sixty seventy percent of 1089 01:02:37,360 --> 01:02:42,280 Speaker 1: his team's backfield non quarterback design runs, and it'll be 1090 01:02:42,280 --> 01:02:44,040 Speaker 1: out there about half the time on routes because they'll 1091 01:02:44,040 --> 01:02:46,240 Speaker 1: block about twenty percent at the time, and so you 1092 01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:48,800 Speaker 1: kind of know these rates tight ends the kind of 1093 01:02:48,880 --> 01:02:51,040 Speaker 1: similar to running backs in the blocking rate, unless they're 1094 01:02:51,080 --> 01:02:54,320 Speaker 1: just the glorified slot guy. But these all these things 1095 01:02:54,400 --> 01:02:57,120 Speaker 1: are predictable, and then that's how you kind of get 1096 01:02:57,800 --> 01:03:02,520 Speaker 1: your your passing projections. Whereas when we talk about running backs, 1097 01:03:03,360 --> 01:03:07,680 Speaker 1: I'm curious, is you know, how do you evaluate running 1098 01:03:07,680 --> 01:03:10,160 Speaker 1: back given that at one point there was it was 1099 01:03:10,200 --> 01:03:13,920 Speaker 1: just okay, volume is more important than efficiency, but now 1100 01:03:14,200 --> 01:03:16,440 Speaker 1: every running backs volume has kind of gotten down, so 1101 01:03:16,720 --> 01:03:19,479 Speaker 1: efficiency is clearly important, just as Saquon Barkley and Derrick 1102 01:03:19,520 --> 01:03:23,040 Speaker 1: Henry Drafters last year. Right, So how do you just 1103 01:03:23,360 --> 01:03:24,720 Speaker 1: how do you kind of look at the running back 1104 01:03:24,720 --> 01:03:27,720 Speaker 1: position in terms of an evaluation of what goes into it? 1105 01:03:28,280 --> 01:03:34,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, so running back, we have a lot of running 1106 01:03:34,960 --> 01:03:39,280 Speaker 2: back by committees where you know, some running backs get 1107 01:03:39,280 --> 01:03:43,680 Speaker 2: more work on say early downs, goal line work, whereas 1108 01:03:43,680 --> 01:03:46,760 Speaker 2: other running backs might see more work in the passing games. 1109 01:03:46,760 --> 01:03:50,200 Speaker 2: So I kind of project running backs and buckets like that, 1110 01:03:50,240 --> 01:03:52,520 Speaker 2: but I think more importantly when it comes to running backs, 1111 01:03:53,880 --> 01:03:57,760 Speaker 2: I do my big running Back upside piece where I 1112 01:03:58,160 --> 01:04:02,720 Speaker 2: project at least into week one, you know, the expected 1113 01:04:02,800 --> 01:04:08,360 Speaker 2: touches for each running back when everyone's healthy, and then 1114 01:04:08,600 --> 01:04:11,760 Speaker 2: how that might shift if anyone of the running backs, 1115 01:04:11,760 --> 01:04:16,280 Speaker 2: whether it's a starter or the backup, miss time, because 1116 01:04:16,320 --> 01:04:19,720 Speaker 2: I think that's important to kind of gauge that's, you know, 1117 01:04:19,800 --> 01:04:23,680 Speaker 2: their their ceiling is a scenario where they're they're teammate 1118 01:04:23,720 --> 01:04:26,480 Speaker 2: that they're sharing this work with misses time, and how 1119 01:04:26,560 --> 01:04:29,320 Speaker 2: much of more of the pie do they pick up? 1120 01:04:30,240 --> 01:04:33,240 Speaker 2: So I look at it like a three dimensional lens 1121 01:04:33,240 --> 01:04:35,880 Speaker 2: in that way of you know, who's getting what when 1122 01:04:35,920 --> 01:04:38,560 Speaker 2: everyone's healthy, and then what happens when somebody gets hurt. 1123 01:04:39,120 --> 01:04:42,480 Speaker 2: So again it's it's different levels. It's you know, the 1124 01:04:42,600 --> 01:04:46,080 Speaker 2: running the ball between the twenties around the goal line 1125 01:04:46,200 --> 01:04:49,560 Speaker 2: and pass catching work, and and that's really kind of 1126 01:04:49,600 --> 01:04:53,920 Speaker 2: how all these running backs sort out. So yeah, that's 1127 01:04:53,920 --> 01:04:57,720 Speaker 2: why running back it's it's very tricky to project because 1128 01:04:57,720 --> 01:04:59,200 Speaker 2: there's a lot of moving pieces and at the end 1129 01:04:59,240 --> 01:05:03,960 Speaker 2: of the day, their end of season value can depend 1130 01:05:04,000 --> 01:05:07,640 Speaker 2: on some luck. It's it's if their teammate was healthy 1131 01:05:07,680 --> 01:05:10,360 Speaker 2: all season or not. You know, a lot of that 1132 01:05:10,400 --> 01:05:12,480 Speaker 2: comes into play. So that's that's a lot of what 1133 01:05:12,480 --> 01:05:15,240 Speaker 2: I'm looking at is you know, projecting everybody healthy and 1134 01:05:15,280 --> 01:05:18,120 Speaker 2: then when they're hurt and then kind of gauging everyone's 1135 01:05:18,240 --> 01:05:20,080 Speaker 2: upside from there. 1136 01:05:21,600 --> 01:05:25,479 Speaker 1: Exactly. Because the average running back is I'm gonna average 1137 01:05:25,520 --> 01:05:27,760 Speaker 1: about four and a half yards of carriage, So you're 1138 01:05:27,760 --> 01:05:31,200 Speaker 1: talking about, Okay, the best guys in the league are 1139 01:05:31,200 --> 01:05:33,040 Speaker 1: gonna get you like five, and the worst are gonna 1140 01:05:33,040 --> 01:05:35,280 Speaker 1: still get you at four. Now, I know there's more 1141 01:05:35,400 --> 01:05:38,240 Speaker 1: variance to that, but that that simplifies it a bit, 1142 01:05:38,280 --> 01:05:41,240 Speaker 1: and even per target, running backs are getting much more 1143 01:05:41,280 --> 01:05:45,600 Speaker 1: than that throughout, I think six per target, so there's 1144 01:05:45,640 --> 01:05:48,240 Speaker 1: a lot more to be gained by, and this is 1145 01:05:48,280 --> 01:05:51,360 Speaker 1: something key another one of those edges that we talked 1146 01:05:51,360 --> 01:05:53,400 Speaker 1: about off the top. There's a lot of different ways 1147 01:05:53,440 --> 01:05:56,200 Speaker 1: to get edges. Part of it is being accurate with 1148 01:05:56,240 --> 01:06:01,080 Speaker 1: your prognostications and rankings and projections, but there's so many 1149 01:06:01,120 --> 01:06:06,000 Speaker 1: other things that go into that that maybe it's just 1150 01:06:06,080 --> 01:06:09,080 Speaker 1: harder to be good at and so the more of 1151 01:06:09,120 --> 01:06:10,520 Speaker 1: an edge you can have on it, the better. And 1152 01:06:10,560 --> 01:06:12,240 Speaker 1: I think one of the big things for me has 1153 01:06:12,320 --> 01:06:17,040 Speaker 1: been understanding the organizational philosophy of a team of the coaches, 1154 01:06:17,320 --> 01:06:20,040 Speaker 1: because a lot of times, especially with running backs, there's 1155 01:06:20,040 --> 01:06:23,480 Speaker 1: a lot out of their control. But what's in somebody's 1156 01:06:23,480 --> 01:06:26,360 Speaker 1: control is what role they plays your point, are they 1157 01:06:26,360 --> 01:06:29,480 Speaker 1: gonna play only early downs? Are they trusted in past protection? 1158 01:06:29,880 --> 01:06:33,240 Speaker 1: Do they have to play pass protection just because someone 1159 01:06:33,240 --> 01:06:36,560 Speaker 1: else can't. So like Karen Williams, you know, he was 1160 01:06:36,600 --> 01:06:38,520 Speaker 1: out there almost all the time, but he didn't catch 1161 01:06:38,640 --> 01:06:42,720 Speaker 1: many balls because he ended up having to protect because 1162 01:06:42,760 --> 01:06:44,720 Speaker 1: they didn't really want core him to do it, so 1163 01:06:44,760 --> 01:06:47,120 Speaker 1: they gave him his touches early. It's like if you 1164 01:06:47,160 --> 01:06:50,200 Speaker 1: watch basketball, a knick situation where you got to get 1165 01:06:50,240 --> 01:06:53,440 Speaker 1: Mitch Robb his minutes in the third quarter because in 1166 01:06:53,480 --> 01:06:57,000 Speaker 1: the fourth he's just a complete liability. So there's certain 1167 01:06:57,040 --> 01:07:00,480 Speaker 1: situations where a running back could actually get hurt from 1168 01:07:00,480 --> 01:07:03,520 Speaker 1: his backup being bad at something. And that's that's why 1169 01:07:03,520 --> 01:07:05,600 Speaker 1: you tend to find third down work is not really 1170 01:07:05,840 --> 01:07:08,640 Speaker 1: as important as just being a good pass catcher. So 1171 01:07:08,720 --> 01:07:11,840 Speaker 1: you get targets on early downs because if you're catching 1172 01:07:11,840 --> 01:07:13,760 Speaker 1: the ball on third down and probably means the team's punting. 1173 01:07:13,840 --> 01:07:15,720 Speaker 1: So just things like that to keep in mind, and 1174 01:07:15,720 --> 01:07:19,520 Speaker 1: then understanding the like the organization, what what are they 1175 01:07:20,040 --> 01:07:22,280 Speaker 1: looking for out of a running back. Sometimes you get 1176 01:07:22,320 --> 01:07:24,040 Speaker 1: guys come in and say we're gonna run this guy 1177 01:07:24,040 --> 01:07:25,600 Speaker 1: into the ground. Like you kind of saw that coming 1178 01:07:25,640 --> 01:07:28,960 Speaker 1: with the Eagles because they paid you know that they 1179 01:07:29,000 --> 01:07:31,840 Speaker 1: paid a hefty price for say kuon where you know, 1180 01:07:31,920 --> 01:07:35,040 Speaker 1: sometimes you see the opposite, you see, okay, there's been 1181 01:07:35,040 --> 01:07:37,640 Speaker 1: more of a committee this this coach like Shanahan, we 1182 01:07:37,680 --> 01:07:40,680 Speaker 1: talk about it all the time. It's even if you're 1183 01:07:40,680 --> 01:07:44,120 Speaker 1: trying to find that handcuff for McCaffrey be careful because 1184 01:07:44,280 --> 01:07:46,760 Speaker 1: if usually the guy after the guy after the guy 1185 01:07:47,320 --> 01:07:50,800 Speaker 1: in the chiefs backfield, the guy who's coming into the 1186 01:07:50,840 --> 01:07:54,040 Speaker 1: year as the number one guy hardly ever hits because 1187 01:07:54,080 --> 01:07:56,000 Speaker 1: andyur Reed doesn't like to run, and so that creates 1188 01:07:56,080 --> 01:07:59,280 Speaker 1: variants in itself, and then he's not very loyal to 1189 01:07:59,400 --> 01:08:04,280 Speaker 1: they don't price the high premium on Uh, they're running 1190 01:08:04,280 --> 01:08:07,000 Speaker 1: back room in the sense of it's all about mahomes 1191 01:08:07,000 --> 01:08:09,360 Speaker 1: in the passing game, so and really just mahomes because 1192 01:08:09,400 --> 01:08:12,160 Speaker 1: and so everyone else is interchangeable. They'll switch guys up 1193 01:08:12,360 --> 01:08:14,840 Speaker 1: if they need to very quickly, and so just kind 1194 01:08:14,840 --> 01:08:18,080 Speaker 1: of understanding things like that can give you a big 1195 01:08:18,160 --> 01:08:20,519 Speaker 1: edge because again, a lot of times what it can 1196 01:08:20,560 --> 01:08:23,600 Speaker 1: do is put you onto fading somebody that maybe no 1197 01:08:23,640 --> 01:08:26,240 Speaker 1: one else has a strong opinion about. So they're not 1198 01:08:26,280 --> 01:08:29,200 Speaker 1: necessarily fading that player even if they're you know, it's 1199 01:08:29,439 --> 01:08:33,000 Speaker 1: it's not a he's not a guy that's being taken aggressively. 1200 01:08:33,080 --> 01:08:35,439 Speaker 1: And those are the little pivots that end up winning 1201 01:08:35,479 --> 01:08:38,000 Speaker 1: your league because again, you know, you have you have 1202 01:08:38,080 --> 01:08:41,000 Speaker 1: so many you have all the picks to potentially win 1203 01:08:41,240 --> 01:08:45,719 Speaker 1: even when you're not drafting. So, uh, that's how I 1204 01:08:45,800 --> 01:08:48,559 Speaker 1: kind of see it and I want to close it 1205 01:08:48,640 --> 01:08:53,120 Speaker 1: out though, Sean with some great tips that you give 1206 01:08:53,160 --> 01:08:57,120 Speaker 1: every year to people who are still playing in leagues 1207 01:08:57,160 --> 01:08:59,679 Speaker 1: where you draft a kicker or a defense or both, 1208 01:08:59,720 --> 01:09:03,599 Speaker 1: which I would say mostly probably best boson one that's 1209 01:09:04,080 --> 01:09:07,000 Speaker 1: taking them out completely. So talk to me about your 1210 01:09:07,000 --> 01:09:12,280 Speaker 1: strategies for kicker and defense in leagues that draft them. 1211 01:09:12,800 --> 01:09:15,880 Speaker 2: Well, my strategies, I have none, because what I like 1212 01:09:16,000 --> 01:09:19,240 Speaker 2: to do is unless they for some leagues they force 1213 01:09:19,280 --> 01:09:22,400 Speaker 2: you to draft a kicker defense. You can get around 1214 01:09:22,400 --> 01:09:27,120 Speaker 2: this still with my approach, but I don't draft for 1215 01:09:27,240 --> 01:09:31,880 Speaker 2: kicker defense for a couple of reasons. First is, those 1216 01:09:31,920 --> 01:09:35,160 Speaker 2: two positions are very easy to stream in season. 1217 01:09:35,200 --> 01:09:36,760 Speaker 1: They're very matchup dependent. 1218 01:09:36,920 --> 01:09:39,719 Speaker 2: So every week I'm going to have a guy widely 1219 01:09:39,720 --> 01:09:43,000 Speaker 2: available ranked inside my top five or ten most weeks, 1220 01:09:43,000 --> 01:09:45,840 Speaker 2: and I could usually churn out, you know, a top 1221 01:09:45,880 --> 01:09:49,320 Speaker 2: ten kicker, top ten defense that way. So I just 1222 01:09:49,360 --> 01:09:51,479 Speaker 2: don't like spending draft keple on them. So what I 1223 01:09:51,560 --> 01:09:54,280 Speaker 2: like to do is I like to just take a 1224 01:09:54,320 --> 01:09:58,519 Speaker 2: couple more lottery picks of like backup. It could even 1225 01:09:58,560 --> 01:10:01,400 Speaker 2: be like a third string running back. Running backs that 1226 01:10:03,400 --> 01:10:07,040 Speaker 2: you know, usually we're drafting during preseason where you know, 1227 01:10:07,280 --> 01:10:11,160 Speaker 2: running back could tweak his ankle and be now questionable 1228 01:10:11,200 --> 01:10:13,320 Speaker 2: for week one or miss time. So I've done this 1229 01:10:13,400 --> 01:10:16,120 Speaker 2: over the years of just taking an extra couple running 1230 01:10:16,160 --> 01:10:19,840 Speaker 2: backs and it's cash out a couple of times. I 1231 01:10:19,920 --> 01:10:22,920 Speaker 2: think the first time I did it was when Leveon 1232 01:10:23,000 --> 01:10:26,960 Speaker 2: Bell there was some concern he might get suspended or 1233 01:10:27,000 --> 01:10:30,640 Speaker 2: something like that, so I just drafted James Connor with 1234 01:10:30,720 --> 01:10:33,799 Speaker 2: my last pick, and sure enough, right before the season started, 1235 01:10:33,840 --> 01:10:37,320 Speaker 2: I believe Le'Veon Bell suspended like four games or something 1236 01:10:37,360 --> 01:10:39,880 Speaker 2: like that. So all of a sudden, I had the 1237 01:10:39,880 --> 01:10:43,840 Speaker 2: Steelers starting running back for free. I could have drafted 1238 01:10:43,920 --> 01:10:46,920 Speaker 2: you know, some kicker, but instead I now had the 1239 01:10:47,040 --> 01:10:50,920 Speaker 2: RB one for the Steelers, so that pan, oh, no, 1240 01:10:51,040 --> 01:10:54,000 Speaker 2: Le'Veon Bell is a holdout that year. Yeah, as it happened, 1241 01:10:54,040 --> 01:10:58,160 Speaker 2: So anything can happened. Where I just you know, take 1242 01:10:58,439 --> 01:11:01,680 Speaker 2: a couple of flyers and then you just wait and 1243 01:11:01,720 --> 01:11:02,439 Speaker 2: see if they hit. 1244 01:11:02,560 --> 01:11:03,320 Speaker 1: Usually they don't. 1245 01:11:04,160 --> 01:11:06,679 Speaker 2: And then you know, come week one when it's time 1246 01:11:06,760 --> 01:11:10,519 Speaker 2: to you know, actually need a kicker defense, that's when 1247 01:11:10,560 --> 01:11:13,840 Speaker 2: I add my kicker and defense for week one and 1248 01:11:13,880 --> 01:11:14,880 Speaker 2: then kind of go from there. 1249 01:11:14,920 --> 01:11:17,840 Speaker 1: But I think it's just a tiny little quirk. 1250 01:11:17,840 --> 01:11:20,240 Speaker 2: We're looking for all the edges we can right, so 1251 01:11:21,160 --> 01:11:23,880 Speaker 2: more times than not it won't pan out, but you 1252 01:11:23,880 --> 01:11:25,800 Speaker 2: know there's a chance it could hit. 1253 01:11:25,840 --> 01:11:27,799 Speaker 1: That's why I call them lottery tickets. 1254 01:11:27,840 --> 01:11:30,240 Speaker 2: But just at the end of the day, if you can, 1255 01:11:30,840 --> 01:11:34,120 Speaker 2: don't draft a kicker defense instead, just you know, take 1256 01:11:34,120 --> 01:11:37,000 Speaker 2: a couple of flyers to see what happens the next 1257 01:11:37,120 --> 01:11:39,840 Speaker 2: you know, final week or two before the season starts. 1258 01:11:40,680 --> 01:11:46,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, and that is like just the most like I 1259 01:11:46,680 --> 01:11:51,640 Speaker 1: think the like the people who needed to hear that 1260 01:11:52,240 --> 01:11:54,080 Speaker 1: are going to benefit so much from it because it's 1261 01:11:54,120 --> 01:11:56,360 Speaker 1: it's just something that you don't even think, Like, I 1262 01:11:56,400 --> 01:11:59,280 Speaker 1: didn't even think about that before you said it. I 1263 01:12:00,080 --> 01:12:02,320 Speaker 1: may it maybe have happened by accident, but I wasn't 1264 01:12:02,360 --> 01:12:05,080 Speaker 1: like purposely doing it. It's just such a great strategy. 1265 01:12:05,320 --> 01:12:07,240 Speaker 1: And I think that's really how you have to think 1266 01:12:07,280 --> 01:12:10,920 Speaker 1: about these weeks, is that there are so many edges 1267 01:12:10,960 --> 01:12:13,880 Speaker 1: you could have. But for example, I think there's also 1268 01:12:13,880 --> 01:12:16,400 Speaker 1: a lot of experts that don't maybe put as much 1269 01:12:16,800 --> 01:12:21,120 Speaker 1: into their kicker and defense projection. So there are things 1270 01:12:21,160 --> 01:12:23,200 Speaker 1: that you know when you're like the the easy way 1271 01:12:23,240 --> 01:12:26,320 Speaker 1: to do it is you just look at a point 1272 01:12:26,360 --> 01:12:29,519 Speaker 1: projection for the team, which essentially usually comes down to 1273 01:12:29,840 --> 01:12:33,400 Speaker 1: their Vegas implied team total. How many points Vegas has 1274 01:12:33,520 --> 01:12:36,760 Speaker 1: is their you know, median each week that they're But 1275 01:12:37,760 --> 01:12:40,599 Speaker 1: there are other things, and there's also just in general, 1276 01:12:40,600 --> 01:12:43,080 Speaker 1: you got to be paying attention to league wide trends. 1277 01:12:43,080 --> 01:12:44,800 Speaker 1: I mean, there's more field goals than ever last year, 1278 01:12:44,800 --> 01:12:47,080 Speaker 1: and a lot of weeks are given more points for 1279 01:12:48,960 --> 01:12:52,360 Speaker 1: longer field goals now, and so there are gonna be 1280 01:12:52,479 --> 01:12:54,960 Speaker 1: edges to be had at kicker, so don't you know, 1281 01:12:55,000 --> 01:12:57,400 Speaker 1: and we like we like to just joke around a 1282 01:12:57,439 --> 01:12:59,920 Speaker 1: lot because they're, you know, of all the things we're doing, 1283 01:13:00,040 --> 01:13:03,599 Speaker 1: kickers usually have like among the least priorities. But there's 1284 01:13:03,640 --> 01:13:06,640 Speaker 1: still edges to be had at kicker in terms of 1285 01:13:06,680 --> 01:13:12,040 Speaker 1: the actual project evaluation process too. So there's you know, 1286 01:13:12,080 --> 01:13:15,720 Speaker 1: whatever edges actual disposal do them. And that's why I 1287 01:13:15,720 --> 01:13:18,519 Speaker 1: would say too, when you talk about not drafting a 1288 01:13:18,560 --> 01:13:22,439 Speaker 1: kick or defense, I've applied that to pretty much every 1289 01:13:22,439 --> 01:13:27,559 Speaker 1: position but running back. In certain drafts, because I mentioned earlier, 1290 01:13:27,640 --> 01:13:31,840 Speaker 1: there's gonna we we look for about a certain number 1291 01:13:31,840 --> 01:13:34,280 Speaker 1: of wide receivers in the early rounds and then they 1292 01:13:34,360 --> 01:13:36,439 Speaker 1: kind of run out and they're all interchangeable. Then it's 1293 01:13:36,479 --> 01:13:38,799 Speaker 1: like a frozen pond to wide receivers except their backup. 1294 01:13:38,800 --> 01:13:42,559 Speaker 1: So it doesn't matter. But if I draft five receivers 1295 01:13:42,560 --> 01:13:44,680 Speaker 1: in the first ten rounds, even if I even if 1296 01:13:44,680 --> 01:13:48,080 Speaker 1: I only drafted four and it's a two whiur receiver 1297 01:13:48,160 --> 01:13:50,960 Speaker 1: league or something, it might not make sense for me 1298 01:13:51,000 --> 01:13:54,000 Speaker 1: to have a guy on my roster when I could 1299 01:13:54,040 --> 01:13:57,040 Speaker 1: pick up anyone when it comes time for that, or 1300 01:13:57,120 --> 01:14:01,639 Speaker 1: multiple guys. So it's really about just maximizing your roster spot. 1301 01:14:01,680 --> 01:14:04,080 Speaker 1: And if you're if you're going to be a commissioner 1302 01:14:04,080 --> 01:14:06,400 Speaker 1: and play an active rolling that in your in your leagues, 1303 01:14:07,160 --> 01:14:08,800 Speaker 1: it is something to kind of think about to how 1304 01:14:08,800 --> 01:14:11,760 Speaker 1: you want how you want to approach that, because this 1305 01:14:12,080 --> 01:14:14,360 Speaker 1: is these are some of the edges that I think 1306 01:14:14,880 --> 01:14:18,320 Speaker 1: go overlook when everyone's just screaming about their favorite weight 1307 01:14:18,439 --> 01:14:21,439 Speaker 1: round dart throw that's got like a one percent chance 1308 01:14:21,680 --> 01:14:22,160 Speaker 1: of hitting. 1309 01:14:22,680 --> 01:14:25,920 Speaker 2: So, yeah, you made a fantastic You made a fantastic 1310 01:14:26,000 --> 01:14:29,400 Speaker 2: point about kickers and defenses. I still, you know, care 1311 01:14:29,439 --> 01:14:31,920 Speaker 2: about my projections and rankings for them, but especially in 1312 01:14:32,080 --> 01:14:34,760 Speaker 2: season when you and I we talk about you know, 1313 01:14:34,760 --> 01:14:38,679 Speaker 2: a waiver wire Streamer picks for the Week we're both 1314 01:14:38,680 --> 01:14:41,639 Speaker 2: taking it very seriously with our projection, so we'll we'll 1315 01:14:41,640 --> 01:14:44,680 Speaker 2: be breaking down kickers and defenses every week based on 1316 01:14:44,720 --> 01:14:47,120 Speaker 2: what you said. There's all these factors that go into 1317 01:14:47,120 --> 01:14:50,599 Speaker 2: it that are you know, matchup specific things like that, 1318 01:14:50,640 --> 01:14:54,040 Speaker 2: are like the environment they're playing in. So during the season, 1319 01:14:54,080 --> 01:14:56,080 Speaker 2: I absolutely take it seriously because that's kind of. 1320 01:14:56,000 --> 01:14:58,160 Speaker 1: What I do. I just roll with the you know, 1321 01:14:58,520 --> 01:14:59,000 Speaker 1: the flow. 1322 01:14:59,120 --> 01:15:02,400 Speaker 2: During the season, I'm I'm adding dropping kickers and defenses 1323 01:15:03,040 --> 01:15:05,759 Speaker 2: every week. So it's very important to have good weekly 1324 01:15:05,840 --> 01:15:09,200 Speaker 2: productions on those, which we both do. And yeah, that's 1325 01:15:09,280 --> 01:15:11,920 Speaker 2: that's a great point of during the season, we take 1326 01:15:12,000 --> 01:15:13,679 Speaker 2: kickers and defenses very seriously. 1327 01:15:15,000 --> 01:15:17,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just right at certain points, even when you're 1328 01:15:18,280 --> 01:15:22,240 Speaker 1: drafting in late August, anyone will do. It's like you 1329 01:15:22,240 --> 01:15:24,519 Speaker 1: ever been at a bar with a too late in college. 1330 01:15:24,920 --> 01:15:26,479 Speaker 1: You kind of know what i't to talk about. So 1331 01:15:29,000 --> 01:15:32,360 Speaker 1: we'll wrap it up with that. And this has been 1332 01:15:32,720 --> 01:15:40,080 Speaker 1: the seventh annual Fantasy Flex Experts Guide to Fantasy Thanks 1333 01:15:40,120 --> 01:15:43,160 Speaker 1: for tuning in. We'll have plenty of more NFL content 1334 01:15:43,280 --> 01:15:45,599 Speaker 1: on both the Action Network podcasts and of course right 1335 01:15:45,600 --> 01:15:48,960 Speaker 1: here on the Fantasy Flex. Will be sure to subscribe 1336 01:15:49,120 --> 01:15:54,800 Speaker 1: Rate Review wherever you listen, and I spoke about this 1337 01:15:54,920 --> 01:15:58,200 Speaker 1: a couple of times I think earlier, but make sure 1338 01:15:58,840 --> 01:16:03,160 Speaker 1: to market calendar for our live event August twenty third 1339 01:16:03,240 --> 01:16:06,679 Speaker 1: at Joe's on Weed Street in Chicago. It's totally free 1340 01:16:07,120 --> 01:16:10,880 Speaker 1: to attend. You just need to RSVP. I'll be there, 1341 01:16:11,680 --> 01:16:13,920 Speaker 1: Sean will be there. I think we're gonna have some 1342 01:16:13,920 --> 01:16:18,880 Speaker 1: special guests as well, so be sure to RSVP if 1343 01:16:18,880 --> 01:16:21,599 Speaker 1: you want to come through and kick it with us. 1344 01:16:21,680 --> 01:16:25,000 Speaker 1: And of course, if you're trying to find Sean, he's 1345 01:16:25,040 --> 01:16:27,880 Speaker 1: at the Underscore Odds Maker. I'm at Chris Raybond right 1346 01:16:27,920 --> 01:16:30,559 Speaker 1: those same hand. He's on the free award winning Action 1347 01:16:30,600 --> 01:16:33,840 Speaker 1: app as we are on ex and until the next time, 1348 01:16:33,960 --> 01:16:45,280 Speaker 1: all I gotta say get this money. Action Network reminds 1349 01:16:45,320 --> 01:16:49,160 Speaker 1: you please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you care 1350 01:16:49,200 --> 01:16:52,320 Speaker 1: about has a gambling problem, help is available twenty four 1351 01:16:52,360 --> 01:16:54,440 Speaker 1: to seven at one eight hundred Gambler