The Fantasy MVP Episode! - Fantasy Football Podcast for 9/4

I saw a report that Rome was expected to be fine. I think we did get updates that were both very positive. I didn't see the Swift one. Swift was a cramp. Yeah, I didn't see that. Swift is fine. I had looked. A little while after the news broke, it was basically the first update we got was that the Rome thing was minor. And it wasn't. And they weren't saying anything about Swift. And it wasn't a concern. But that the Swift one, when he went down in practice was.

a lot of pain and it looked bad and um but it was always but if it's a cramp midsection yeah that was the encouraging thing about the swift news it was not his leg it was like he's grabbing his midsection which well that's that's that's that's great i mean i it seems like that means swift should be fine for week one i my rocheon i hadn't seen that it was a cramp yet and i hadn't gotten the update but uh brother you got to start hydrating the day before i'm pretty sure they stay i think swift

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Before we jump into the fantasy MVP, we're going to take our first quick break. No matter what triumphs are in store this season, legendary game days start with a Miller Light. Miller Light is a true American Pilsner and the original light beer brewed since 1975, made with simple ingredients including malted barley for rich.

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Go to millerlight.com slash footballers to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Game time is Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. What's up, Foot Clan? You are confident and disciplined and focused on details, just like everyone here at the fancy footballers, right? Those are words you used to describe us. In other words...

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patterned aluminum trim. Inside you've got all that comfort. You know, Jason's a comfort guy. We like the comfort. Comfort rains with leather seating surfaces and 12-way power front seats with power lumbar. You can learn more right now at GMC.com slash Sierra 1500. Who's your fantasy MVP? Andy has the buttons, but I am the host. That was incredible teamwork.

Yeah, I heard it. And then, you know, then you thought about it. And you were like, that's it. Oh, yeah, that's me. Reminders, so Fantasy MVP, we reached out to our friends around the industry, and we said basically like, you know, this is up to you. Is it your favorite value pick of the draft? Is it just your favorite pick? Is it your calling your shot on a breakout? So we kind of leave it open to the...

the fantasy expert and their just their insight how they want to handle it so we're going to start off here great friend of the show rich rebar at lord rebe's from over at sharp football analysis absolutely legendary mind in the space let's hear what he has to say

All right, footballers, this year my fantasy MVP is Colston Loveland. He ended the season with at least 15% of the team's targets in each of the final nine games was targeted on 24.7% of his routes for just under two yards per route run over that span. And over the final five games, he played on 81% of the team dropbacks, receiving a target on 31% of his routes with 2.34 yards per out run. Even in a split season of work as a rookie, he showcased his weekly upside. He had four top three scoring weeks at the position.

Only Trey McBride matched that and had more. And as Loveland came on to close the season, we saw Ben Johnson adopt more of that 12, 13 personnel. They were sixth in 12 personnel. Second and 13 personnel over that span. Chicago is elevating Luther Burden into DJ Moore's role. This allows Loveland to remain a featured target in the offense and Col Commets presence, lets Loveland move around the formation and arguably the de facto slot receiver. But as a rookie, he played everywhere. 57% snaps in line, 22% from the slot, 17% out.

and he can win everywhere. Ben Johnson wants to score the most points in NFL history, and Colson Loveland's going to score the most points for any tight end this season. Oh. That ended with a fire take. I love it. Lord Reeves, Lord of the nerds. Reeves and his dad, I mean, he always brings incredible information. Obviously, you agree with this, Mike, since that is. Yeah, no notes. That's one of your my guys. So there is a lot of unanimous opinion on Loveland.

here. We are kind of all in on Loveland. Yeah, that one I have, I have no notes. All right. Ian Hartitz of Roto Wire, absolute domination on Twitter at IHeartitz. You can find him and he, I mean, he's always cracking me up over there, giving you good insights and good jokes. Let's see who his fantasy MVP is. What's up fantasy footballers? Ian Hartett's here from Team Roto Wire with my 2026 fantasy football MVP.

Give me Dolphins wide receiver Chris Bell. Whoa. Yeah, yeah. Get your laughing out. No, no, no. Parker Washington or a Chase Brown like these other alleged fantasy football experts. Amanda People's guy, give the people a true sleeper they can get in the last round of your home league draft. And that is Mr. Chris Bell. I dare you watch that game against Miami last season and tell me this dude doesn't look like the second coming of Mr. A.J. Brown. Without the knee injury, we were looking at a legit...

round one talent who's now recovered. We got out there in the preseason. We're off the popliss. We are ready to go for week one and an offense with nobody else to throw the football too. Look at this death chart. Malik Washington, Caleb Douglas, Dejan Love, Jaylon Tolbert. You told me Chris Bell is not going to rise to top of that immediately. I know Ian, it's the Dolphins. They're going to run the ball. Are they going to run the ball? That's a great thing to say in August. Not when you're down 28 a half time in every single game like we're expecting.

What about Malik Willis? Could he be good or okay? You look at him over the last two years, small sample will be damned. He ranks first in Olam everything we can possibly measure about a quarterback. Chris Bell is a young baller with a path to breeze past triple digit targets with a quarterback who might not suck. That's my pitch. Love you guys. I'm out.

He snuck Dajon Love under the gun jar. Yeah, he did. He's a jokester. Andy is applauding. Andy loves this. You, Andy is like all. Do you have any bets on dolphins to win the Super Bowl? Not yet. Because you're going to get some great numbers on that. This would have been a perfect time to go to Ducer's Alley for a dolphin, but the dolphin's not there. So I'll have to go, Papa Josh, your best dolphin? No, you bet your best dolphin. No.

That's not bad for a guy who literally used to be a dolphin trainer. That's a dolphin being killed. Yeah. I think someone with a machine gun. We had a deucer who was like, oh, Monday's Labor Day. I know. He's, what do you call it? You think we don't know what you're, I called it vacation maxing. Yeah, he knows he's got Monday off for Labor Day. So he's wrapping up. Yeah. It's not a busy time of year. I think it's just the biggest draft weekend. I think the calendar is going to include some extras, extra no-no days. Oh my gosh.

You ruined it for everyone, Matt. Hope you're happy. One half decent dolphin impersonation and he can get out of town. Chucks up the deuses. I'm out of here. So Chris Bell, we know Andy's in on it. I'm concerned about the early season here of missing so much training camp and really being able to go. Is my voice good enough to make a small compelling argument? Yeah, sure. You're going to have to do it for your MVP anyways.

I know. So, yeah, do you want to save it or do you want to just ruin it on Chris Bell? The point. The funny thing is to me, and I'm just, I'm going to try not to be, like, dogmatic about this because it's certainly not a guarantee the dolphins are any good whatsoever. The thing that I think is so funny is it's like they were a terrible football team with Mike McDaniel and Tuotunga Milo. Okay? I know you can go back two years and say,

Their offense was humming and functioning. They were not last year. And Mike, I would just remind it. They were 7 and 10 last year. So they, like, to call, to say their awful team is. Let me put it in the category of whatever gets you fired. Yes. Okay. That's fine. Sub 500 and the offense struggled. Mike McDaniel is fired. We bring in not Mike McDaniel, and we bring in not to a Tungawe, and the default place for all fantasy analysts is worse and worse.

I just want the, I want the possibility here when you have a head coaching change, when you have a regime change, when you have a quarterback change, it can get worse, it can get better. Some teams we have high expectations for, and they don't show up, and they're not the guy that we think they're going to be. It's like the charges every year. Or sometimes we're surprised and maybe bringing in a bunch of new coaches and a bunch of new training staff and a bunch of new...

systems and the numbers that Hartett said about Malik Willis. Maybe maybe Malik Willis isn't the best at every single thing because of the small sample size. But what if he's pretty darn good? Because he was drafted with draft capital that was, I mean, we've done this now 10 times with the Sam Darnolds, right? With the Gino Smith's, Baker Mayfields. Development is underappreciated at the level and we discount and throw players away.

Malik Willis was not a good quarterback in Tennessee. That was a long time ago. I love Matt LaFle and Green Bay in their system. I just want to leave the door cracked open for a middle tier offense. And that will change the landscape for Bell, for Willis, for A-chan, and the team. I think it's in reverse. I think it's they need.

They need Bell or Douglas, their two rookies, to step up to become a middle tier offense. So it's one and the same. If they are a middle tier, then one of those two guys really, really hit. For me and the draft day this weekend, I'm taking my shot on Caleb Douglas, the rookie they drafted ahead of him, who's been great at camp because my assumption is week one, week two, the first month of the season. I think Caleb Douglas is going to be playing more than 75% of snaps.

And I think Chris Bell is going to be worked in slowly. So the first opportunity to hit, if I'm, I don't want to hold on to Chris Bell for a month if he's playing 50% snaps while he's still working back from the injury, I would be shocked if week one he's out there for 75 plus percent of the snaps after missing all of training camp. I know he got into a preseason game. I think you're right about the snaps, but I think that there's a chance that after week one, you have a couple of massive plays. It's not all going to be snap count. It's going to be who makes the plays. And I think Chris Bell,

could surprise people. But I mean, I'm obviously with Hardits on this. Yeah. I like the pick because it is. This is a sleeper that even in really intense leagues, you can get Chris Bell late. And he was projected to be a first round pick before the injury. And funny enough, Jason, your case that you laid out, that's why I prefer Malik Washington. Sure. I want the vet who will be a starter. And like while the other guy, while the rookies are working their way in.