Fantasy Football - First MOCK DRAFT of 2026! - Podcast for 5/19

to the fantasy footballers podcast with your host, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright. Welcome in, one and all. That was me. That was disturbing. It was. I wasn't sure if there would just be silence. The silence was deafening. That was not going to work for me. Welcome in to the fantasy footballers. Mike Wright, Jason Moore, Andy Holloway, back with you Tuesday, May 19th. Apparently it's not too early to mock draft because that's what we're doing today. And why not? Yeah. Rookies have teams. We've actually- Aaron Rogers is finally back. Oh, man. We've been waiting on that to mock draft because he's going, thank goodness. He's going so high in mocks. He's going to fix it. For the Steelers fans and loyal, I was really afraid they weren't going to finish with six or seven wins. What do they want? Do they want Rogers?

there because he's clearly better than their other options. No. Do they want to have a chance at getting a quarterback in next year's very good quarterback draft class? I think they don't want, I mean, the ones that I know that are lifelong Steelers fans, the people that I've talked to, I asked him that question all off season. And they don't want him back. But, sorry, but you got him. You got him back. I mean, we. We've got Aaron Rogers again. So I'm happy to be back on the show. Voice is mostly there, not quite completely. But at least we're not like doing a mock draft show where I have to talk through everybody's picked. But no, it'll be fun. We've got a lot going on. The UDK is less than two weeks away. You can find that at Ultimate DraftKit.com. We've got some really exciting new features that we haven't announced yet that are also going to be launching for the UDK at no extra cost, but really, really.

cool features that we've been wanting to add for a long time. It's no extra cost, but it is extra boss. Thank you, Mike. That's a fact. UltimateDraftKit.com for that. People from the 70s are like, oh, yeah. Yeah, they are. No, I'm with that. That's hip. And I would give it a 3 out of 10. I'm going to be honest. No, you're not from the 70s. No, thank goodness. No. For first of all, Jason, you think a Papa Josh? You don't get, or. Yeah, Josh loved that joke. You don't get to rate anybody's jokes today. because we already started doing video player profile videos for. Oh, goodness gracious. A number of the players that go into the UDK. The UDK has over 100 player profile videos. And you chose to crush it to make some jokes that really, we just left them in. Yeah. You're going to love it. You're going to love it. They're special. So we'll get into some news and we'll get right into the mom. News and notes from around the league. Just checking in with Al Borland real quick. Were the, uh,

Would you say Jason crushed it with the jokes? I crushed it is not the term I would have used. But I did laugh at one of them. Hey, I'll take it. That's awesome. The Steelers re-signed Aaron Rogers. One year contract worth up to $25 million. I hate this, man. Like, Aaron Rogers is an all-time great, an all-time great elite quarterback. and we're at the party too long. We want it. You needed, I get it. If I'm, I'm the him, I'm probably playing until the wheels fall off because then after this, you're like, you're totally done. You'll never play football again. But it's, my memories of him are becoming tainted. Negative, yeah. They'll come back to, you know, I hope so. I'll be remembered for the Packers years. But do you think that Aaron Rogers is like full of himself?

What? The whole world knows that Aaron Rodgers. I love me some me. Okay, so let me. So that was the table set for the next comment. I think that he is very confident in his ability. My point being, how can you not have that sense of self? If you can just completely blow this team off for the entire off season and meander back into the building and be handed $25 million. That is I mean not going to help the ego you're saying I just think that it's an impossible if you can just at this age of your career just walk into I don't know if I want to come back all right I'll take the 25 mil like that's a tough place to be um saw some OTA clips already he was one of the first guys in the building throwing to pitman throwing to Metcalf back he's in the he's in the building Jacoby Berset is not I'll say there was also a guy taking snaps in the backfield Jason

Yeah, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Is it a club? It was Caleb. I don't know who you're talking about. Your favorite? I have no idea. I have. Well, he wasn't really a my guy. No, okay. But I don't know. I bet he thought about it. Oh, yeah. He should shut your mouth. Hold on. I can still mute Andy. All right. Andy's muted. Wait, what? Oh, yeah. I've got a mute. This was a new thing he figured out. That was funny. And now he gets to do it all the time. Do what? You can't say nothing. Jeremy, remove this immediately. I told him that and he's left it for like five shows. There will be a problem. Yes. That will happen. Yeah. 67% of Aaron Rogers passing yards last year came after the catch. The highest total in the entire NFL. Dead last and average depth of target. Gross. Lowest yards per completion of any 10 win team in a decade. When your leading receiver is Kenneth Gainwell. That's going to happen. Yeah. Yeah, but there's a.

We're all looking for whose fault this is. We're looking for the guy who did this. Well, let's give him $25 million. The reason that happened is because of Aaron Rogers. You look at like, there was a part of this offseason. We thought, well, Howard would be the starting quarterback. Then they draft Drew Aller. And now Rogers comes back. And you look at, well, like, is he ever going to have a shot to do anything? Allegedly Howard was second up as of the very, very early. Sure. Well, not. There you go. Bucky Irving, Buccaneers general manager talking about Bucky Irving saying he will be limited due to the shoulder during organized team activities, but should be ready for training camp. I mean, this is, this has been a long time. Yeah, well, it was a recent surgery. So I think what happened was we, we just didn't know when he had the surgery up front. And so recently it's been reported, hey, he just had surgery a little while ago. But the timeline on this specific surgery should really be fine. He's.

He's not in jeopardy for a week one absence of pop, anything like that. He should really be fine. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said the team is, quote, trying to see how Alvin Camero will fit on the roster. I don't see how he does. Please don't. Yeah, so that will change things for Travis A. Chan Jr. Cardinals Jacoby. I hate the Cardinals. Welcome. So does this guy. I mean, how do you manage to be like the worst schedule release in the league? And then. Now you're in a contract dispute with Jacoby Brissette who didn't show up to the first practice. Do you know who's not showing up the practice? Is Jacobi Brissette? And we have to worry about this because he's the starter. I'm not worried. Cardinals are the underdog. For fantasy football purposes. Oh, he's super important. I'm extremely worried. Yes. The Cardinals are underdogs in 17 out of their 17 games. If you told me Jacoby Brissette was not the starting quarterback for the Cardinals. Oh.

My Tray McBride projection changes tremendously. Like, Tray McBride is amazing, but his numbers were incredible with Berset. Do you think with being underdogs in 17 games going after the number one pick presumably towards the end of the season that Jacoby Berset is going to play 17 games, even if he's healthy? It's concerning. Carson Beck will see time on the field. And he'll see time in the fantasy playoffs. This is one of the reasons why to me I prefer Bowers to McBride this year. It's just a really difficult one to project when that change could happen. If it happens, if they pay Brissette, maybe they play him longer. You know, it's kind of weird to pay a guy to be your starter and then say you're going to pull him in 10 weeks. If you're losing consistently with him, I think you keep on losing. Fair. Kishon Booty is not practicing or participating in offseason workouts. It seems the Patriots are trying to move on.

There's been rumors of them willing to take a fifth or sixth round pick, I think. There was a question on the last episode on Dynasty Week of when you put a player on the trading block, does it diminish their value? That's how it feels like everyone knows Kashan Bouti can be had for nothing. So it's just like a game of chicken of like, will you take a seventh? But I would love it if he goes like to the dolphins. I would say he feels like a chief. Yes, he does. Yes, he really does. They're like, is it good enough? No, but we're going to do it anyways. Well, this, I mean, that would be, you know, the AJ Brown rumors and then Kyle Williams is there and they've got weapons. They don't need, what, he had 33 catches. They all felt like big catches. Yeah, he was, he was excellent down the field. Yeah. He can help a team, but. Any other news? I got breaking news. I can keep talking however long I want now.

without jason muting me oh man my mute button no yeah you know what i'm gonna work on something else then okay uh oh no i don't know what that means all right we are going to jump right in the fantasy footballers mock draft we think this is the earliest we've ever mock draft did did um 12 team half PPR. Oh yeah, baby. Thank you for the maca lock a ding dong. Vibes. 12 team half PPR, one quarterback, two running back, two wide receiver, one tight in, one flex, four bench spots. Every single spot in the draft is filled by a human being. That's right. Take that AI. Well, one of us could be a lizard person. We don't know. Okay. Well, yeah, that's possible. Brooks has got the first pick. I'm drafting at two. Jason at six. Mike at 11.

We're going to take a little, this is a lay of the land opportunity here to see where players go. Brooks took Bejean Robinson 101. Good work, Brooks. And so I'm going to go up and follow him with Jimmy or Gibbs. That's a good picture. Now, if you were at one, you would have gone Gibbs. Gibbs is my number one overall. Yes. So I would have gone Gibbs. So that puts. So bad jobs, Brooks. Two running backs at the top of the draft. Followed by Jamar Chase, Puka, Nakua, and Jassan. It's wild because our league of record, which some of you, if you've listened for a long time, you followed along with our League of Record and you know the format and we have a franchise player and three keepers. Gibbs, Chase, Puka, and JSN all available. And just like our League of Record, I am picking where there's a big tier break. Because I think that those three wide receivers, everyone loves the two main.

running backs Bijon and Gibbs everyone loves. Then it becomes a question when you're at the sixth pick of, do you believe in Chris McCaffrey? Obviously, he was the best player in fantasy last year. Do you think he's going to repeat? He's awesome. Do you go elsewhere? Do you go to CD Lamb? Do you, like there is, I think those first five are going to be the same first five in every draft. But now I have to decide where to go. I mean, you're a huge Jonathan Taylor fan. He's on the table as well. Amon Ross St. Brown, I think, would be, you know, right there in the mix. What is he, number three at wide receiver for three straight years? Correct. In half PPR. Never drafted as the number three wide receiver, by the way. I'm going to take Jonathan Taylor over Christian McCaffrey. I believe in him. I think he's a superhuman. Daniel Jones will be back. I think the, we forget how dominant JTT was.

at the beginning of last year. I mean, he was lapping Christian McCaffrey for fantasy points. So I'm just going to take the younger guy that I trust more. All right. Well, Jason went with Jonathan Taylor. So running backs for he and myself. McCaffrey goes next. CMC at 7, followed by Amman Ross St. Brown at 108. James Cook to Papa Josh at 10. C.D. Lamb back in the first round this year at 110. And the hit man on the clock. I could see sometimes inside Mike's soul, and I just wonder if I'm going to take Kenneth Walker. Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm wondering what you're going to do. But A-chan is there. Jefferson is not yet drafted. So, I mean, I think that there are quite a few choices. It's a pretty standard format here in half-PPR, two running back, two wide receivers, not over-emphasizing the wide receiver spot. But what names are, I mean, is Walker in the mix? Walker is in the mix.

But, yeah, I'm going to take money bags here. I'm going to take Devon A. Chan. Yeah, A. Chan goes to the hitman at 111. That's Etienne. Jason. Jason, we can't even make this joke because we will break. We were, even when we were talking about A. Chan's name change, then I got screwed up and I was like, okay, what is it Devin? And I'm like, no, I know this, but you can't do these things. We can go back to A chain. Does that help? It was better. So Devon A. Chan, Justin Jefferson at 112 and Ashton Genty at 201. I am, I'll say this. I am the most bullish among the three of us on Ashton Genty by a long shot. One of the things that I love about Genty for this year, if there are those that are just needing another reason to believe.

Ashton Ginty is going to be in a position likely with Kirk Cousins who loves to check the football down. And Ashton Genty is very effective in that part of the fantasy football world. I mean, you want that receiving work from your running back. And I think that there's a huge opportunity for a quick start for Genty in the receiving game. One of those players, I think, that can do it. So, Mike, you're back on the clock. A. Chan was your first pick. We're in the second round now. Yep. So I got the long wait. to my next pick, I imagine, like this is interesting to me of, of I haven't really mocked yet or, or done any bestball stuff. So A-chan being there at 11 and then I can draft another player who I think is an RB1, like going RB heavy at the 11 is, it feels like that's an impossibility. And yet here we are. So I got A-chan, you can ask me the question.

The Kenneth Walker question again. Yeah, are you? Yes, I am. Yeah, okay. You know, it's a shame that, like, I felt so proud of you to be able to resist the temptation. Well, yeah. And then it just rolls right back to you. A. Chan's better for fantasy football. I can admit that. Yeah. So Mike ends up with A. Chan and Ken Walker. I mean, that's fun to see. At the 11? What's there. I mean, this is the first time any of us have done a full mock with people here with the staff. So. Sequin at 203. I mean, that's like that's interesting to me. Like Sequin has, you know, we spent a lot of last off season or last season with a broken down offensive line and he struggled. Sequin struggled. But if you bring back, you know, Lane Johnson, is there a chance that Sequin ends up being top three again? I mean, I think that that's at least in the realm of possibility. Yeah. So I would say Barclay doesn't, it doesn't feel like it's completely over.

And a return to a top five, top three season, I don't think is out of question. Sequin goes at 203. Drake London next at 204. I think our first, you know, biggest leap of faith so far, Amari and Hampton to Kyle at 205. I love it. And Chase Brown at 206. So it feels like a tear breakthrough. Yeah, if Hampton had dropped to me, he would have been an auto selection. Here, I'm looking, I'm in the middle of the second. And there's a lot of players I like. So it really comes down to who do I think I can get in the next round? Which position do I think is deeper and players that I personally like that could drop to me? I think there's more at running back, surprisingly, than at wide receiver. I'm going to take my wide receiver six. A little bit ahead of ADP, but I'm going to take Rashi Rice. Yeah, you wouldn't have gotten him.

Yeah, I don't think he would have made it back to the third round. So, yeah, I mean, he was, when he's on the field with Mahomes, he scores a ton of fantasy points, and that's the game. Is that what we play? That's what we do. We're going for the points? I just want more points than my opponent. Right. Different than golf. No, no, no. In golf, too. You do want the most. In golf, I absolutely go for the most. You have had the most points in golf lately. Yes, thank you. Thank you. Um, Rashi Rice, Jeremiah Love at 208, the rookie. You know, I am, I am in a tornado of pain with my thoughts on Jeremiah Love. I have gone from like our consensus. We're like down ranking wise on our initial rankings. And it feels real bad. And then I start to think more about this situation and the, the Brissette checkdowns and how good in the receiving game Jeremiah Love is and how.

bad the Cardinals defense is and how many games there will be trailing in which there will be checked down city like I just I know that there's a percentage chance he is much better than this spot yeah I know it he's that good of a player is he is sensational his situation right now looks very unappealing because you do have other running backs that are going to be involved here James Connor has been a captain of the team they just paid money to Algier who obviously can They will be... They will be like dust in the wind, Jason. That's what's going to happen in about five minutes. Among seven running backs drafted in the top 15 over the last decade, they have averaged 290 touches. He will... You give Jeremiah Love 290 touches. He's a top 10. I'm telling you, there's just part of me that sees... Like, you're going to go out in week one, and he's going to be like 8 for 72 through the air. And then you're going to go, oh, gosh.

he feels like a nuclear option. Well, he goes to the Falcon here. In a way that where you could just nuke your own draft because the Cardinals are just so bad. I mean, you saw the Gentile year last year. Gentie's great and it wasn't amazing, but Cardinals also had a good offense with Berset. I know, I know. They had a lot of yards. They had a lot of yards. And Jacobs goes next. Malik Neighbors goes at 210. What do you think of that? He's going to be so interesting. As of this moment in time, my expectation is that he starts on the pup. I don't think he is there for week one. So when we come around to drafts in August, I'm curious how far he'll fall if it's confirmed. Like when we're doing a real draft, if we know that he's not going to be ready week one, where does he go? How far do you drop a guy who towards the end of the year should be on the field and crushing it?

For what it's worth, I don't think that he starts the year on the pub. I think he will be on the field in week one. On the side? Or in like in between the numbers? Yeah. So I'm on the clock at the turn here, 211. You know, I'm looking at, like, this is a spot where if you draft really early in the draft, you will definitely be tempted by the option to go one Z position here. Because you could take the top quarterback in the draft. You can take Josh Allen. I could turn around and take Josh Allen maybe at the beginning and next round. You could also go with one of the big guys at tight-in, McBride and Bowers. Well, I've only got to wait two more picks after this. And so I'm going to let it come to me a little bit. I see one wide receiver in a different tier right now that's left over on the board and it's Nico Collins. So I'm going to take Nico Collins at 2.11 and let Brooks make a couple of picks. Take Josh Allen and McBride.

Well, then I'd have Bowers. See, it's just perfect. All right. So he ended up going Kyron and McMillan. So he actually made it worse from me. Because now I have to make a decision. Yeah, I'm going to take Trey McBride. I mean, I have him far and away the number one fantasy tight end. So we talked about some of the risks that are in play. But that's where I'm going to go. And it starts the run of those names because McBride to my roster. And then Josh Allen goes next. Brock Bowers goes next after that. Pickens off the board as well. And Jason, you're back on the clock with Taylor and Rice. This is great for my beliefs. I, you know, I've got Rice as my wide receiver six. My running back six is still available in the third round. I think he'll be available in a lot of third rounds. Derek Henry. Yeah, that was. It's tough because at some point it can't keep happening. I almost took Henry with my pick. That was the one I was really considering if I went running back was Henry. So we'll talk about more of that.

Mike, you were laughing? Of just the, he wasn't there. Like, I had removed him from my player pool mentally and was like, okay, what do we got here? And you're like, oh, Derek Henry in the middle of the third. It's wild. Oh, man. So Jason went with Henry. We'll take a quick break and come back with the rest of the third round. All right, Jason. Derek Henry rushed for 1,5 yards with 16 rushing touchdowns last year. I'm telling you, I almost took him at 211. And he's in the third round. It's a steal. Jason with Taylor and Henry, with Rashi Rice leading the way as you're won. I've got Gibbs, Nico, and McBride, Mike with A. Chan and Walker. He's on the clock now. After Henry, A. Chan Jr., that would be Travis A.J. Brown, Chris Olave, and Brees Hall, that could be a steal. I do think that Bruce Hall is potentially, if he slips into the fourth round, just please take him in every lead.

Because I think his, I mean, he has done so much with so little in New York, an offensive line is better than it used to be. Yeah. I think it's an interesting pick. I do think the Jets' offense, like, I love talking poorly about Jets, Brown's Cardinals. I just enjoy it. It's a hobby. It's one of my favorite hobbies. I actually think the Jets' offense should be okay this year. Like they have some really fun weapons, and Gino is not great by any means. Oh, he was the worst, yeah. Yeah, I mean, but it's like. he can still support enough yards to be good for fantasy. Mike, A. Chan, Ken Walker, where you're looking, you're at 311. Some of the bigger wide receivers on the board are names that you've liked in the past. T. Higgins, Garrett Wilson, Luther Burden. I don't have the courage to have gone running back, running back, and then have Luther Burton be my one. I mean, I'm real quick on the turn here, so I could take Bird and then another player.

I like if I wanted to assure I get him. So it's either burden, hand, or two in the... Goodness gracious. I got a lot of laughing back there. I got a lot from... You got a lot of sympathy in the back there. He was chuckling loud. He did like that one a lot. It's Garrett Wilson, who was dominant last year with Justin Fields. I agree that Gino should be better. That's just a... This is a scary proposition. When you go to running backs, you have to say, who do I hand the keys to my wide receiver room to? And, oh, man. I don't, so Jeremy is in between me and my next pick. I'm not, there's a name that I think he might go. Oh, man, I got like three guys. I got like three guys. Well, I don't. Well, why don't you say them out loud? Say them out loud. But the guy's, I know. It's a podcast, though. Jeremy, earmuffs. All right. So, I mean, it's like.

Higgins. He put his hands over his head, over his headphones, like that would block the sound. Higgins, Garrett, and Abuka are, it's like, I want to walk away from this turn. Emika, a big boo. Yeah, also him. So it's like, which one do I want to make sure I don't lose? T. Higgins is, as of right now, he's technically higher in my rankings than Abuka and Wilson, but by. you know, an overall five points. And so it's just the factoring in how he scores his points. I'm going to take Garrett. We're going to go to Jets here. It's the right, it's the right move. Give me the targets. If you're taking this as your first wide receiver, I want someone who's going to have 150 targets. All right, Garrett Wilson, joining Mike's squad.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. T. Higgins goes next at 312. Oh, he didn't do me dirty. Cam Scataboo goes at 401. I wonder where Cam will end up. I think camp is going to have a big say in our confidence levels for Cam Scataboo because I'd like him to be back and be healthy and be good, but I just don't know where he's at. Mike's back on the clock. H.N. Walker and Garrett Wilson, Mike, make the pick. Oh, man. So the names I would be considering here would be, you know, Abuka projecting the, a true breakout, not just a half of a season. Luther Burton is kind of the fun pick right here. I don't think it's terrible at the 402 to do it. But I'm going to go ahead. I'm going to go with Abuka who, like, the bears are difficult to project of who is it truly going to be. I think the answer is probably Mr. Loveland. It's just can burden.

as the number two, or my projected number two in the offense, really actually take the step. Very capable as a player, but will the targets be there? Well, one of my targets in this round is gone. Giovante Williams has gone at 404. Mr. Loveland. Yeah, and Bucky Irving. You jerk. And then DeVante Smith, who Jason was apparently pining for, goes at 406. So Mike has, what, two wide receivers, two running backs. I'm balanced. Jason, two running backs that are like 300 plus carry guys and Rashi Rice. Rashi is, he's a weird one. Yeah, I, you know, I do think his, his floor is so high. I am totally fine with having him be my number one. I would have loved to pair him with Devante Smith. I think Devante Smith will be a top 15 wide receiver this year, assuming no AJ Brown, which seems like a safe assumption. And what sucks here is like,

When I look at the board now, I was completely targeting Devante Smith. With him gone, I love Trayvion Henderson. I think he's going to be great this year. I think he's going to take a step up. And he is the best player that I see. But I feel like with Jonathan Taylor and Derek Henry on my roster with only Rice, that might be the best spot to take a Trayvion is when you have stalwartz at running back and you can allow, you know, it's still a committee for Trayvion. Yeah, this is really tough. There are, I think the wide receivers that are at the top of the board right now, I don't like that much. I prefer some other shots deeper in the draft. So I am. I'm going to take, I'm going to take Trevo, and I am very running back heavy to start this draft. Taylor, Henry, Trevo, and Rashi Rice. Ladd McConkey goes next at 408. New Denver Bronco, Jalen Waddle at 409. What do you think about that spot for him on the?