Fantasy Football 2018 - Explain Yourself! Ranking Debates & Hot Takes

with injuries last year. Like at an unbelievable pace, they had the Arian Foster's brother trainer situation. Oh, we're bringing him back. Yeah, that was a low blow. But their offensive line, back to health, back to a pretty strong unit. And I, I am buying into what Gruden is saying in Washington. But what he's saying is that he is the first and second now back.

But they're not going to rely on him to be a receiver. Like, I mean, and that's where my issue comes here. On third down, and that's fine. My issue, but when you say that he's not going to be the third down back, that we've got Chris Thompson, that doesn't mean that that's not literally saying third downs. Chris Thompson comes in first and second downs. He doesn't. That's saying the receiving role. That's the, that's synonymous. Well, Rob Kelly was productive. Was productive, but not.

Not number 17. No, not in the passing game. No, not in the passing game at all. My point is even first and second down can be productive. There's been, I mean, I don't even remember the last time that, I mean, what, we got to go back to like Clinton Portis. Did he receive the ball when the, when they're starting running back for the Washington Redskins was a pass catcher. Because if you look last year, if you say, okay, he's got a chance to be a top 20 running back for Darius guys. Last year.

The only guy with fewer than 35 targets at running back. Oh, he'll get 35 targets. See, I don't think he'll get 35 at all. Jordan Howard was the only one. Right. And I think that Darius Geis is a better talent than Jordan Howard. I feel like Jay Gruden is like my mother. That's a strain. You're going to have to explain yourself. Because every time I go over to my mother's house, she's repainted a room. And we've been through Matt Jones.

Rob Kelly, Somaget, P. Ryan, and here's Geis. Is he ever going to be content at the running back position? What does he actually expect from this? Because every offseason, he's repainting his backfield. And I, that's why he's down for me is I don't know where his loyalty really lies. It's not like he didn't draft P. Ryan. Fourth round pick, though. They're talking. Wasn't there a time when him and Rob Kelly were skipping through the park together? Yeah, undrafted free Robert. Oh, an undrafted skip through the park? Yeah. It's not as delightful as you would imagine.

with a second round pick. In 2014. That's where the similarities end with him and my mother, by the way. She wasn't a second round pick? No, Jay Gruden and my mother. That's what I'm saying. In 2014, Alfred Morris had 265 carries over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns with Jay Gruden as the coach. You're talking, okay.

So now we've been through five. Well, I'm just saying your target number was 35. Alvar Morris got 26 targets. Alfred Morris. Darius guys can actually catch the ball. Wait, 26. Yes. My number was 35. Right, but my point is Alfred Morris can't catch the ball. Darius guys can. Neither can't. Yes, he can. Yes, he can. He was not fully utilized. That's what do you believe? Sure. In LSU, they don't pass to their running backs. But.

My film study of Darius Guy showed me enough to say Darius guys can catch the ball plenty fine when Alex Smith is going to give him check down targets. And he's a stud at the position. It's more than just me worrying about Chris Thompson taking everything in the passing game in the third down. Yeah, I just don't believe that Washington and Gruden utilizes that banging, running back in the passing game and all. I mean,

P. Ryan last year had 22 targets. Rob Kelly had seven. They combined for 29 with, you know, if you had one healthy player. I just don't believe that the targets will be there for guys who didn't catch the ball at LSU, regardless of whether he could or could not. And he clearly did not. I mean, it doesn't seem like that's what he was drafted to all of a sudden utilize that talent. They drafted him as if he's the player that he was in college. And that was behind a lot of other running backs. What if Chris Thompson goes down?

Well, I guess that's fair. Also known as what if Chris Thompson plays an NFL season? Win will Chris Thompson? Well, Chris Thompson went down last year and Somaget P. Ryan still only had 22 targets. There you go. That's interesting. All right. You guys are telling me Emmanuel Sanders is going to be good again. Yeah. Yeah. What? Yeah, like, duh. You're like, hey, this dark chocolate candy bar is delicious. It's really difficult. That's weird. What do you think sugar is good?

You're like, I had one. This one chocolate bar I had was really bad. But every other time I eat it, it's very good. Like Emmanuel Sanders. Yeah, except, is it going to be old Emmanuel Sanders or new Eric Decker and new Jeremy Macklin? That's the concern that I have with Emmanuel Sanders. Didn't change teams. And the career situation. No. Analogy is void. Not void. Not accepted here. Changed quarterbacks. And I think you saw.

How many of you believe that what you saw from Keenum last year was the new normal for Keenum? Me. I do. I said it all last year. Or anomalous in 67% completion percentage. Mike? The completion percentage up at 67 is whatever. But Case Keenom has... That's right. I'm not asking Jason. Case Keenham, in my opinion, has shown himself to be a competent quarterback in the past. And then you have an entire season of...

being thrust into the starting position, almost taking your team to the Super Bowl, I believe in Case King. I think he's a massive, massive upgrade over what they had last year. Yeah, and that's fine, and that's fine. Sanders could bounce back. I lean on the side of, you know, last year it was a struggle, right? I mean, he finished 61st.

He belongs higher than 53, where I have. He was banged up for much of the year. He's got more than enough talent to be good, but he's also the de facto number two on an offense that sputtered tremendously last year, new quarterback. Defense is going to be what wins that team ball games this year. I don't think it's going to be on the arm of Case Keenum, and therefore I don't think I want to take the number two on that roster where...

People have been very disappointed. The number two was coming off of three straight thousand plus yards seasons. Yeah. Everybody eventually comes off of them. My point, obviously you believe he returns to that stratosphere, and I believe that he may have seen his best days maybe behind him. My point was just as the number two, he's had great success. Yeah. A lot of number twos have, Mike. A lot of number twos have not. I'm always successful. And then there's Eric Jacker and Jeremy Macklin. Sometimes they're really good for you. And, um,

Yeah, the only questions that I have, I've got very cleansing. Yeah, I've got two, those number twos are, you know, they really relieve you when you draft them and they can be relieving for your roster. So I've got two questions. Question one is. Oh, we're going to talk about another one. Does anybody know who the all-time history of the world leader for passing yards is in college football? I do. History of the world. Yeah.

Yeah, it's Case King. Oh, it is? Second question. Second question. For my love of Darius Geis, hopefully a lot. Second question, who is the all time in the history of the world leader for passing touchdowns in college football history? Is it the same guy? Oh, it is. It's Case Keatom. So why didn't they draft him, Jason? Because he's small. It was sizes him. He's 6'1. Not 6'3.

Yeah, it's because he played in a... He doesn't have a super strong arm. He doesn't have a high flying. You know, he's been on, what, three different rosters now. He's been on Jeff Fisher's rosters. He was also on the Texas. Look, career 61% passer goes for 67% on a team that is built. Every piece around him was successful last year. And so do I think a 22 to 7 touchdown to interception ratio is going to stay for a guy who has the year before 9 to 11?

For a passer rating, career pass rating 86, he went up to 98. They paid for the hope that Case Keenum has leveled up like a Warcraft character. And I don't think he's done it. I don't think he's done it. And even if he has, even last year, the world was so great. And he threw for a Tyra Taylor-esque 3,500 yards. Go distribute that. I'm not feeling as cozy about the number two option. That's why I've got him ranked where I do. Again.

Risk-reward candidate. You guys like him. Maybe he's a steal. But first, let's talk about Jared Cook. Let's talk about Jared Cook as fast as we can. I can't even hate this one, Jason. Oh, good. I can't. You don't hate it? No, I don't. Mike and I have him at 21 and 17. Jason's got him at 11, or as I like to call it, tied in one category. I don't know if I can look in the mirror and look.

myself in the face and say I'm okay with it. Yeah, look, but I am. Jason, Jason did his cooking by the book. Tell me what's up with Jared. Here's why Jared Cook is ranked as my number 11. Now, and I saw your eyes when you saw your own ranking of him. And you weren't a proud man. I wasn't a proud man, but I actually lowered him to this point where I think he belongs. Wait, you lowered him? Yes. Now here's, to this point.

Where was he? He was too high. He was too high. But listen, the reason that we don't like him here is because of ceiling. He doesn't have the capability of being a top five tight in, and so we just dismiss him outright. But the reality is, last year, he was the 13th tight end, and he had two touchdowns. Okay, last year, Jared Cook was 10th.

In targets. Top 10 in targets. He was 11th in receptions. He was seventh in yards. I mean, these are how he, you know, the problem was he had two touchdowns. But now, now Michael Crabtree is gone and they brought in, you know, old busted replacements. He is used in that offense. And he's had a run, a stretch before of three, four, five touchdowns in a row. I gave him three touchdowns. If he had had four.

four touchdowns last year. Did you rank more than 11 tight ends? Yes, I did. I ranked like 60 of them. If he had had four touchdowns last year, which he's had five on multiple occasions of his career, then he would have been the tight end nine. So I think this is a very reasonable spot. If Amari Cooper really does stink, if that's who he is, someone else is going to have to catch the ball. I don't think it's even if he.

He doesn't have to stink. But Jordy Nelson, Martavis, Bryant. Yeah. Michael Crabtree's gone. I don't hate it. I do not hate Jared Cook. You have to admit they added more, don't you think they added more targets than they subtracted? They may have reshuffled the order in which they get distributed, but Jordy Nelson and Martavis will add up for more targets than Crabtree will. Yeah, I mean, it could certainly prove to be true. I will say this, because at the end of the day, what we want to do here is have the Foot Clan draft the best players.

win the most championships, bring home those hashtag footclan titles. And I will say this. I do have him ranked as my 11th tight end. I think that that is about where he will finish. But there are players that I would draft over him. You know, we don't just go 100% based on rankings. That's why the ultimate draft kit and, you know, the player blurbs and writeups and video breakdowns are so important. For instance, I would draft Jordan Reed over Cook because Jordan Reed has the opportunity, the chance, the talent to

If he stays healthy, be a top five guy. Cook doesn't. Top five is not in the recipe. So I would rather swing to the fences with those last picks rather than take a cook. But cook will be enough involved to where he's going to finish around there. When cook does something nice, you trade him twice. That's what I say. Get rid of him. I don't think you'll be able to. Just do your best. All right. Forget the rest. All right, Drew Breeze.

Jason, Andy, we both got him at 10. 10. Where he belongs. Mike, giving him one last ride on the hype train. When all was said it done, Mike, Drew Brees was your number two fantasy quarterback in six point league. You're darn right he was. So, in a manner that is better than his commercial acting, tell us why. Tell us why.

Drew Breeze is your number two quarterback, which maybe you could start by naming some of the guys that are behind him. Like Russell Wilson, like Cam Newton. Yeah, they are behind. Andrew Luck. They are, and who? Andrew Luck? That's the guy you're going to go with? Yeah, there are a lot of guys you're going to say. Carson wins. Yeah, I have Drew Breeze, and I would rather have Drew Breeze over these guys. And it breaks down into a couple different arguments.

for me. The Saints pass touchdown to rush touchdown ratio has last year you had an anomalous one to one. That just does not happen for Drewabree's teams. In 2016, 2.3 passing touchdowns per rushing touchdowns. Two the year before that, 2.1 the year before that, an incredible 3.9 to 1 rushing touchdown in 2013. I'm not calling for that.