Mock Draft Mayhem: Head-to-Head Battle! - Fantasy Football Podcast for 7/1

Most people listening probably expected Garrett Wilson off the board there. And that's where Mike would have. Yeah, that would have been. But I do. I am very enthusiastic about Jemir Gibbs potential. And there's no better play. Like I don't want to bet on him necessarily to start the year being this like league winner. But I don't have to with those other two guys. So back to Jason on the clock. Garrett Wilson and T. Higgins go back to back. I don't know if Higgins would have been tempting for you there. No. I like Higgins in the third round, but Higgins and Devante Smith are very, very similar. Obviously, they're both the wide receiver twos that are extremely talented for their team. The fact that I have Jalen Hertz, if I was going to be picking between T. Higgins and Devonza Smith, I would have chosen Devante Smith. Right now, I'm in the third round, I don't have a running back. So this is where if there's no running back I like, I'm going to go pretty much zero RB and just figure it out, draft a handful of later round running backs, and try to take that strategy.

There is, however, one running back that I like on the board. There's only one? Well, there's only one to me that is in... Too much information. Look, I'm trying to help the people. To me, Najee Harris is still a running back one. I think he gets the work. The upgrades on the offensive line, I don't think can be overstated for the Steelers considering how bad they were. They were a back half bottom. tier offense last year. I believe the Steelers this year are going to be a middle of the pack offense. And that's a huge jump. A lot of times we only think of big jumps as in which offenses are going to become a top five, top six scoring offense. But if we're drafting all the Steelers based on what happened last year when they were putrid and then they move up to a middle tier offense, that's a huge. Yeah, you get value back. Can I ask you a question about that then? With your confidence of them moving to middle of the pack, something we never would have considered.

as a, you know, during last season, you like Deontay Johnson, he was brought up on the show. Are you actually willing to have two Steelers on your roster? Yeah, I think I would be. I mean, this isn't, it's because of the value, you know, it's not like I'm spending a second and third to get those two guys. If I would be, I would be spending a third and a seventh to get those two guys. So if I'm allowed to make this pick, usually in the middle of the third when Mark Andrews is available and he is, that's an auto pick for me. But because Mike forced to.

quarterback. I don't like having a quarterback and tight end. You run out of other positions. Shouldn't have said that. I will draft Najee Harris if I am allowed. Yep. Make it go through. Also, just as a note, because you are through your first three rounds allowed to get your own picks, when Mike uses his opponent mayhem, I'm a, I'm going to come after you, bro. You're getting Tom Brady. Good. Good. Yeah, yeah. I get it. So. Naji Harris is the pick. If Mike had handed me your pick there, I would have gone Mark Andrews to 1ZU, double 1ZU to see what that looks like. Olave goes next. Mark Andrews does go off the board, and then it's Debo, Ken Walker, Devante Smith, Amari Cooper, and then going into the fourth round, we have Metcalf, a pair of quarterbacks, back-to-back, Burrow, and Lamar. I would have considered...

Burrow a little bit here in the fourth. Keenan Allen, Aaron Jones and Calvin Ridley. Aaron Jones in the middle of the fourth. That's one I feel like you might look back on after the year and go, wow, that's a steal. Jason back on the clock here in the fourth round. Yeah, he is. I am. You know, I think it's worth saying. So if you would have given me Mark Andrews and I would have onesied, onesied, it's funny because I love Cooper Cup. In the middle of the first, love it. I love Jalen Hertz. I think he's going to be phenomenal. He was my guy last year, and I would love to have him. And I just said Mark Andrews is my favorite pick in the middle of the third. So you'd have three great picks, but that highlights how important roster construction is and thinking through your whole draft, not just who's the guy I like on the clock. That was a hard word to say, you know. I didn't even say anything. But here's the thing, Jason. You took Najee Harris. You could have taken Mark Andrews.

Here's the fourth round, and you have Mixon and Dobbins on the board. You have Miles Sanders, who you love on the board, Cam Acres, who you love on the board. Any regrets of not going onesie? Because you could have built a decently strong running back room and had maybe the best at each position for those other three. It would have been interesting to see how it works, because I don't usually do it. At the end of the drafts, I mean, obviously, I like Mixon. In fact, if I'm allowed to make a pick, that's going to be my pick here because... Mayhem. Okay, okay.

Okay. Yeah. No, go ahead. Man, I'm, I just, you were talking through all those guys you like, I'm like, that's interesting, but more interesting to me is what, who would Andy pick if, if he were on the clock with your team right now? Oh, I already have it. I know. I know who. I already have it. I was, I think I know who you're picking. I was sending you telepathic messages. And look, you've kind of taken the, um, the beating so far. Right. And by kind of. You've had the entirety of the beating so far. But I, look, I know how much you love this guy. Yeah. You might not love anybody as much as this guy. So in the fourth round, why not pair Cooper Cup, who I assume is your number two wide receiver with your number one? That is who I thought. Terry McLaurin. That is who I assumed you would give me. And the nice. Please select Terry McLaren. The nice news is that if.

The, if Mike had picked, you got off easy. I did. If Mike had picked that I just need to repick and choose someone else, I would have chosen Terry McLaren. Okay. I thought you were going to give him. I was going to be more ravenous. You thought he was going Hawkinson? I thought he was going Hawkinson. That would have been, I don't know. I don't know if you could have that. But Terry McLaren here, ahead of a running back need with some other wide outs on the board. You know, I know you love him. You got to have him. Justin Fields goes next. T.J. Hawkinson after that. I have McCaffrey, Jacobs, and Gibbs. Running back is, well, pretty much off the table for me. I mean, never say never. That's a real problem. See, I think I realize now the risks associated with positional stacking in a draft like this. If I'm allowed to make the pick.

I'm not happy with how thinned out the wide receiver room has gotten. There's a lot of names that you recognize Hollywood and Mike Williams and Godwin and Judy. Justin Herbert is sitting there as a potential tear break at quarterback. Kittle and Pitts are not really in strong consideration. I'd like to go. I think if it is my pick, I think I'm going to go to Mike Williams here. I think that's going to be the pick, but it's not. Yes. There's just, there's no chance. I'm not going to get a balance this team. No. And I mean, it's like tit for tat, you know, Andy pick for Jason. Give it to me. And I think that. We'll see if Jason is merciful. Oh, yes. To Andy. Jason, please make the pick. Yes, I would love to. I want to be merciful to my good friend Andy because right now he obviously has Chris McCaffer, Josh Jacobs, and Jemir Gibbs. Yes.

That is a great... That's robust. That's robust running back. But it's also... I made a mistake. It gives you the power to maybe take someone who's got great upside. but a lot of risk. Because, you know, you've got running backs to cover up if it doesn't work out. So I think Cam Acres is perfect for this spot where, I mean, you're talking about a guy who could be a top six running back. I mean, he could be out of the league. But there's so many running backs. So now you have Christian McCaffrey, Josh Jacobs, Jamir Gibbs, and Cam Acres. In the history of the fantasy footballers, we have never started a draft. It's not going to go well for you, man. And we've got time left.

So Camp Acres, huh? Yeah. Congrats. I like Camp Makers. Whatever the opposite of zero RB is. That's what I'm running out there. McCaffrey, Jacobs, Gibbs, and Acres. This is new territory. Hopkins Mixing, Herbert, and Dobbins go next. I'm back on the clock. Don't do it. But Mike could give you a running back here. Mike Williams would have been my pick. Again, I can't believe Mike Williams made it through that, that turn there. But I mean, come on. Like, we got to build. This is a, this is a squad that. Look, Dan Campbell, if Dan Campbell played fantasy football, he would give you the absolute seal of approval. What did I do with Gibbs in the third? You say, I set the table for my own demise. And I'm, look, but I will be merciful because I'm giving you a player that I love.

You don't love him as much as I do, but I'm just going to share the gift of the brand new starting running back for the Minnesota Vikings. Yes. Alexander Madison. No. Yes. This five running back start. Let's see. Oh, and I hate Madison. Let's see what happens. Oh, it started so good. This has gotten even better. Jeffrey Jacobs, Gibbs, Acres, Madison. Yeah. That is a strong running back room you have there. Can you run, can you, now that we're going to be up in the sixth round, can you run through your, uh, tight end quarterback in wider. Yeah. Hold on. Done. Yeah. All right. Oh, it was, it was compounded by the, like, Miles Sanders was there. I thought maybe you'd give me James Connor, but no, you give me Alexander Madison. Yeah.

But he is my fifth RB, so I'm feeling he's just, he sits on the bench, along with three others. All right, Jerry Judy off the board, Jason mercifully back on the clock. Now, from the mayhem tracker here, Mike has, Mike has one mayhem left for each of us. Yeah, I have my nope. which is just he's going to shut something down. Yeah, and we have to. And we get to pick again. And make a different selection. So I'm on the clock here. I've got Cooper Cup of Tarran, which means I can, that means I'm guaranteed to be able to draft another position. Yeah, you, you, I am not getting six RBs to start this draft. It's, is beautiful, man. This is wild, wild. The gift of Jacobs and Gibbs, which I thought Mike was giving me was a curse. All right. Mike, you have cup, hurts, nausey, and.

Terry McClellan. Jason does. Yeah, I'm sorry. Jason does. I regret giving him Terry McClorn. I should have done something far worse. But you're back on the clock. All right. So here I think I'm in a position to take the best player available. If there's a great running back, if there's a great wide receiver, someone that I believe in, I will take them. There's a handful of wide receivers I like. And at running back, there are. A couple running backs that I think could be good. There's one running back I like. That would be James Connor. I only have one running back. So I would take James Connor if allowed to make the pick.

Mike is giving the nod of approval. Yeah, Mike seems like he needs to give his finger a rest. Yeah. Push that button too much. I'm a little worn out over here. So now I'm okay with, you know, the Hertz and the second, because Hertz is going to be awesome and dominating this season. The fact that I was able to get what two running backs I believe in in Najee and James Connor to go to, you know, the number one and number two wide receiver, Cooper Cup, and. If you need, which one's number one? Well, Tara McClure. Okay. If you need to trade for a running back at some point during the season, I'm available. I'm taking offers. Hey, Team 12 doesn't have one yet. No, they don't. They went almost full wide receiver stack. After Connor, I'll go quickly. Kid will cook, DJ Moore, Damian Pierce, Drake, Lund, Chris Godwin. Godwin at 512. Interesting potential value there. Pitts and Goddardt, back to back.

Not that I have the luxury of looking tight into quarterback right now. Christian Watson, DeAndre Swift, Hollywood, Rashad White. Jason's back on the clock. You know, Hollywood was someone I was hoping would sneak all the way through to be my wide receiver one. But Jason may ruin my plans on the remaining wide receivers here. We'll see. Yeah, I mean, I hope to. No matter what, mayhem or not on this pick, I'm certainly taking a wide receiver away from you. I am sitting here on the clock. If Kyle Pitts had made it to me, this is a spot in the middle of the sixth where Kyle Pitts gets too often, and I would have drafted him. He went at the top of the sixth. So I'm going to go with a guy who somehow is still on the board. Don't do it. Mike Williams, so you wanted three picks ago, two picks ago. I tried to take him two times. Yeah. Yep. I'll allow it. All right. My man. Oh, good, because Tyler Lockett was still there. And I was just worried.

There were two great wide receivers still left. We have enough rounds where I was hoping I didn't have to burn my final power up. But seeing Tyler Lockett making onto your squad here would have been very disappointing. But you went Mike Williams. And then Lockett, though, went ahead of me. So Camara in between those two picks, I'm on the clock. Are you sad that Camara went? You're a little disappointed. You can't drop them. Should something happen to him, you could wait it out very easily. Not sad. Here's the deal. I've got five running backs. I'm taking a wide receiver. When you're in a position where this is my wide receiver one, there are names on the board that I am excited about this year. I like Brandon Ayuk, a ton. I've talked about it. I like upside of Jahan Dotson. But there is one player on the board that will fill this role of wide receiver one, and I will have enough confidence that he can do it.

that is being massively undervalued, in my opinion, that has done it every year for a generation. I don't even know where you're going. Mike Evans. Mike Evans is the pick. Really? Mike Evans at 610, Godwin 512. Welcome to the Lockett. Oh, I should not have selected. No, you know, Mike Evans is fine. So, you know, this is the Lockett, Metcalfe situation of last year. Quarterback confidence dwindles. Metcalf and Lockett were undervalued. That's what I see with Godwin Evans. I'm okay with him as my first. I almost feel better than Mike Williams in that situation, just knowing that week to week Mike Evans is that premier target. So I'll take him there and then goes Pittman, Giovante, Deontay, which would have been my pick with the next one, if Mike let me have him. And unfortunately, Brandon Ayuk went next, who also would have been my pick. So I need to at least glance at the other positions. Darren Waller, the best available tight in at quarterback.

I can't do it right now with how thin my wide receiver core is, but Lawrence, to, I'm just going to have to play that late with the hand I've been dealt by you sons of guns. So at this point, I'm looking at wide receiver. I'm thinking about Jehan Dodson. I'm looking at Traylin Berks. He came into camp in great shape. Yeah, the news has been very positive on Berks. So I think I'm going to go with a strategy here at wide receiver of top target in the offense. I view Evans as that, and I view Traylenbergs as that. If you're allowed. If I'm allowed. I will allow it. Okay. So Mike's saving that so I can have fear throughout the remainder of the draft. Evans and Traylenbergs, look, it's not my dream team starting a wide receiver. What I know is that they're both going to receive regular targets on a weekly basis. I know you like Traylenberg, Jason.

I do like Trailerks. He would have been my pick without question. He was highest in my cue. I was ready to try to select him if Mayhem did not intervene. I am balanced right now enough in this type of a league. I've got two running backs, three wide receivers, and Jalen Hertz. I'm not in love with any of the tight ends. Usually in the middle of the draft, I don't do tight ends. I'm going to take Mark Andrews in the third. I'm going to take Kyle Pitts in the sixth, and then I'm going super late. whoever is available, you know, with one of my last picks. So having Jalen Hertz and having that strategy for me at tight end, that means I'm just looking at running backs and wide receivers and I like a lot of them. I really like Jordan Addison. I would have probably selected Johan Dotson here. This is this is one of those situations where we've talked about this over the last couple months. When you take a Terry McLaurin.

And you like Jahan Dotson. Tara McLaurin, I think, is the better player, will have a better fantasy season, is worthy of the pick. I liked the pick. But it does take Johan Dotson out, who might be a better value because now here we are three rounds later and he's available. But I love Jordan Addison. I'm happy to take Jordan Addison. And I like David Montgomery at Running Back. So given all of that, I would- Which one do you like the most? I would select, hmm, let me think how I want to play this. The first ever, like, you say a name that you don't want to pick to try to get me to push the button, but then I don't push the button and you end up drafting someone you don't want. Or do I make you think that I think that? And instead, I'm going to go, Jordan Addison, if you allow it. Uh, no. Yes, I got you sucker. I wanted David Montgomery the thinker.

Oh, I had three wide receivers and two running backs and only David Montgomery I wanted. Booyah. He seems happy, Mike. And David Montgomery, sorry, Mike. He seems real happy. David Montgomery, James Connor, Najee Harris. Not a bad way to piece your running back room together after Cup and Hertz to start the draft. You're back on the clock. After Montgomery, Pacheco Press, Dak, Prescott. Brass Prescott. Jackson Smith and Jigba. I think you still said it wrong. Darren Waller. Dak Prescott. Did you call it brass? I heard something like that. Brass musket. Brass musket. Quarterback. Bill Braskey. Jackson Smith and Jigba Waller, Dylan, Watson, B. Robb, Kirk, Dodson. Addison.

Pickens and Tony. So it's really nice seeing a big run of more wide outs. Yeah, I was a little sad at that. There was a piece of me that Hope Jordan Addison would make a background. I think his situation in Minnesota and his talent will really blossom and shine. So since there was a run of wide receivers. As flowers do. Yeah. They blossom and then they shine. You know, like a sunflower. It looks like it's, you know, letting off its own life. Okay. All right. I'm going to go with a different rookie, one that I think I have much more concern about. I'm not as confident as I am in Jordan Addison, but he's got a much better quarterback and his situation is pretty good. No, I have Mike Williams. I was going to take Quentin Johnston, but I just saw I have Mike Williams, so I'm not going to take. You almost may him yourself? I almost did. Instead, I'm going with a post-hype sleeper, a guy that I loved, unfortunately, last year in Gabe Davis.

The situation for him, though, you know, getting him. It's exactly the same. Yeah, it is. The situation is exactly the same. And, you know, his high ankle sprain in week two last year. And it's funny because if he wasn't as hyped as he was last year, he didn't have a bad season. You know, it wasn't like he had one of those just complete wash. I think he was the wide receiver 29 or something like that. But he was drafted to have a breakout and he didn't break out. So I'm going to take him here close to the ninth round. Yeah, you don't have the rose color last year for Gabe to take him here with some upside. Yeah. It was bad. But Gibson goes next. Michael Thomas. I'm on the clock. I'm going to play the game. I'm going to be honest. I'm going to be public about it in the face of mayhem. I'd like to have two as my quarterback. I feel like it's a tear break for me at quarterback. But I'm going to play the game. And the two guys drafting after me at the turn have quarterbacks.

and so it gives me the opportunity here to take another wide receiver. I hate the situation I'm in because, you know, David Montgomery, great value there in the seventh round. I can't even look at the running back tap. Like, that's not a possibility in this draft. Hey, you can. Yeah. Don't let someone tell you what you can. Even players, even players that I like on that list are out of contention for my team. Somaget, P. Ron, your guys there. Yeah, to be my running back six. Look, it's Quentin Johnston, if I'm allowed to make the pick. I'm going to take him.

because this is the perfect position. I've got two starters in Evans and and Berks, and now I can look to maybe get some late season emerging upside out of a rookie. We see them break out every year because my other options are has-beens. It's Cooks and Schuster and Sutton and these are not, or the injured Bateman. Like I'm not messing around there. I want the rookie if I can have the rookie. Make it happen. Yeah, because you're going to save your mayhem for a worse situation. uh cooks ingram juju and injoku here if permitted it is to a tongue of iloa yeah yeah oh man this has worked out real well things go wrong sometimes in a draft so i can't i can't draft him no but you get anyone else your choice yes anybody else great um collil herbert well play mike thank you

I am looking for that explosive ups. Thanks. Keep giving me running backs. So no Tua. That's brutal. He's not coming back to me. The weight is going to be so long. Same thing happened in our last mock draft. You know, it's tough. I look at Jameson Williams and I'm like, man, I'd love Jameson Williams minus the suspension here, right? Because of the potential upside of that player. I don't think I can do it. My team is too thin at wide receiver. Is his eight game suspension? I believe it's six, isn't it? Yeah, six. Brooks is nodding. I would never draft Cortland Sutton. I'd be embarrassed to tell my friends and family about that. I've already been noped, so I'm going to go to the well with Zay Flowers. Zay Flowers. I'm going to go back to back. Quentin Johnson's Zayflowers. I think that is the strategy of if you get stuck with five running backs to start to draft. Somehow. You're in a draft where other people make selections for you. And you're just loaded with testosterone.

I did it last year. To get a bunch of high upside picks here at the back, I think it's so, I think it's smart. It wasn't the same situation, obviously, but in League of Record last year, I was down a lot of picks at the top. And my strategy was at the back of the draft. I went Trailerks, Garrett Wilson, Chris Oliva. It wasn't Pickens. I think I had one more rookie wide receiver. And it proved super valuable later in the year because, you know, they were trade bait. They were very attractive in keeper leagues. So, yeah, I'm going to go Johnson and Flowers. And if I get one of those two to be what a Wilson or Oliva was last year, to go with Evans and Berks, I'm happy. That's a win. So I was tempted to go the player that went next, Pat Fryermuth, a little bit. Because I do feel like even though he's not a top tier tight end, he's going to be a very steady tight end. Tua went next, of course.

And Jason, you're back on the clock. We are mayhem free. Yep. So Mike, you can walk out the door. You can just leave. I was sitting here already playing the game in my mind of, okay, if I go this way, because the player that I want sitting here right now, this team has just worked out where I want it balanced. A lot of times what happens at a draft, if I grab two or three, you know, or five, like strong running backs to start a draft, then I'm going to kind of leave there with a lot more wide receivers than I do.

running backs or vice versa. If I start with three stud wide receivers, I'm going to shotgun approach the, you know, the running backs. But this has been a balanced draft back and forth. And so I want to kind of leave with about the same running backs and wide receivers. You have gone back and forth since round three. I didn't realize that, but I feel it. And I'm going to go back again. I'm going to take Somaget P. Ryan, a guy that Andy's been talking about, you know, you've got Giovante Williams here going. three and a half rounds ahead of Somaget P-Rine. And the expectation, I think, from us right now is that week one, the main man is going to be Somaget P-Rine. All right, Jason, you're back on the clock here in the 10th round. As we close out this draft, you went P-Rine. Penny would have been in contention there, too, I think. And then he went next. Jamal Williams, Sutton, Charbonne, Herbert. The quarterback I was targeting after Tua is now gone. Anthony Richardson. I was going to look at the upside there.