Fantasy Football Podcast 2015 - News and Notes, Sleepers for 2015, Special Guest, Mailbag

of the news every single off season right it's not boring covering me no no you had you had your season of uh signing everybody and going for your dream team if i recall and uh then you've had a couple years with with chip now and um years yes you were writing uh writing a couple weeks ago about the possibility of lashan mccoy being shipped out of philadelphia

Yeah, I wrote that. I wrote that Nick Foles could be traded. I'm finding myself to be prophetic at this moment. I know. I know. I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next. Start writing about how we're going to win the Super Bowl this year, and maybe it will happen. Yes, also a fan, I should say. Take me through the first blockbuster that we saw was LaShawn McCoy, as you predicted, shipped off, heading to Buffalo. And...

DeMarco Murray suddenly arrives last week. And what, from a fantasy perspective, are we going to see from that backfield now? Because my goodness, it looks different than a year ago. It looks a lot different. You know, and the thing about it from a fantasy perspective that I think you can't forget is that Ryan Matthews also.

also aboard. If it was just DeMarco Murray, I think it would be a much easier question to answer because I think DeMarco would lead the league in rushing and you'd be thrilled to have them on your team. You know, I think one of the big reasons that you bring in DeMarco and Ryan Matthews is to split the carries. I just think that's why you do. You think that's the way it'll break out pretty close to a split?

I think DeMarco is the leadback. My guess right now is something like 55, 35, and then a little Darren Sproles peppered in. You know, Darren Sproles will obviously have his typical role outside of carries, but I think he'll get about 10% of the carries. The Eagles carried the ball. They rushed the ball 29 times a game last year. I think that the goal is to move that up. And I think that's part of the reason why you bring in two lead backs.

I don't think Kelly was happy with the amount of running, so I think you could probably expect maybe 35 carries a game. The Eagles run about 70 plays a game with this ridiculous pace that they run. So you think it's possible that DeMarco is still seeing an 18 to 20 range? I think it's definitely possible he touches the ball 20 times a game. You know, if 15 or 16 of those are carries and four or five are balls coming out of the backfield.

I think DeMarco can get 20 touches. I think Matthews can get 15 touches, and I think 5 to 10 touches a game for Sproles. There's enough, when you put it, when you include runs and passes out of the backfield, they will distribute the ball.

Yeah, and they're obviously a potent offense, despite the changes going on. At first, you know, you think a guy like DeMarco might get overdrafted a little bit. Big name, obviously, was the number one back last year, goes to this offense. And then you think maybe, because the way the Ryan Matthews signing happens, and you think people might think the opposite direction, but I'm 20 touches a game for DeMarco Murray in that offense, that puts him probably a top five back still, doesn't it?

I think so. I think he's certainly number one back. No question. He's an RB one in fantasy football in my mind. I don't, you know, here's the thing. Philly was the only place he could go that has a better rated offensive line over the last two seasons than Dallas. He's actually going from a great offensive line to the only better offensive line for running the ball.

in the NFL, and he fits the scheme. I mean, for two years, Chip's been telling LaShawn, run straight. Work on your lower, yeah, work on your lower body strength. Work on your lower body strength so you don't, so you can hit those holes with confidence. And it's the first downs. You know, that's the thing. First down running, it's one of the best things DeMarco Murray has in his game. He was the best first down runner in football last year, and LaShawn McCoy, one of the worst.

when you get those first and tens and then they become second in tens with Lashon McCoy trying to dance, it changes your whole offense. And with the way the Eagles run, you get 32nd possessions. Yeah. Because you get first in 10. You run up to the line of scrimmage, second and 10. Now you have to throw the ball. You throw it as incomplete. All of a sudden, you're on third down. You've spent seven seconds. Yeah, absolutely. And when we saw that with McCoy, he did not look comfortable. It was in his head, I think, last year.

Well, 4.1 yards of carry 24th in the NFL. You know, the overall production, I get it. It's there, 1,300 yards, whatever it is. But that's because they stuffed the ball in his gut 300 times. 4.1 yards of carry, 24th in the NFL last year in that stat. His elusiveness rating was 15th out of 18 backs as far as avoiding tackles without the help of his offensive line. And that's supposed to be his forte. Yeah. And so you get a guy who you get two guys who are one cut backs.

That line, Evan Mathis is on the trade block. We are hearing rumors of that. I'm hoping that that is not the case. I'm hoping that a market does not develop for him because he's still got one or two years left. But you've got one of the best centers in football and Kelsey, one of the best tackle pairs in Jason Peters and Lane Johnson and Evan Mathis, and they're going to have to figure out the right guard spot. But there will be holes. And the question is with McCoy.

Are you confident enough to just hit that hole? And I don't think McCoy was a lot of times. With Murray and Matthews, that's what they do. Yeah, and I'm tempted to move on to the Foles Bradford situation, but I have to ask then, if this offense is going to run at that type of a clip, is Ryan Matthews a RB3? I mean, in your book? I mean, is he touching the ball 10 times? I think you mentioned it earlier. Is he a sneaky draft pick, possibly, if he slips? Oh, yeah.

Ryan Matthews should be on every fantasy roster. I mean, there should be no league where he is not rostered. Even in a standard 10-team league, Ryan Matthews has to be rostered at least at the beginning of the year because of this offense. I just don't think you...

There is not a player who has played in this offense. He made Nick Foles look like a start. He made Mark Sanchez look like a reasonable starter. Riley Cooper had a year of being fantasy relevant. Deshawn Jackson went from being an inconsistent deep threat to a stud receiver for one season. Jeremy Maclin caught 85 passes and 10 touchdowns. Jeremy Maclin is not an 85 catch 10 touchdown player. Yeah, and that's something we talk about a lot on the show is the implications of these. When players move.

A lot of the time it doesn't work out, but you have to look at the system they're moving into to project, right? And so in this situation, you cannot get into a better offensive system than Chip Kelly's system because he knows how... As long as Tim Tebow's not under center. Hey, we'll get to him. The rest of the show is all Tim Tebow. No. Oh, good. So carrying that over to quarterback, we had Jason, Jason last week, said he thought that Sam Bradford in that offense could be in a...

top 10 to 12 range possibly. I thought that was pretty bold. Is that bold with what's happened at the wide receiver position on that team? Losing Macklin, the signing of these two big backs, is that an overstatement? Well, I wrote in one of my articles that if Bradford's ACL does not explode like a landmine on contact. Which is a very high probability, but yeah. It's a big if, it's a very big if.

You know, I think that, I think 10 to 12 was an understatement if he starts 16 games. So where's the ceiling? His ceiling? Yeah, where's his legitimate ceiling, non-Homer ceiling, fantasy football ceiling, where's his ceiling? His ceiling, if he starts 16 games, is below the elite tier of quarterbacks and right in that next group, 7 to 10. Okay, so fill up.

Rivers and uh with Matt with Matt Ryan okay in that group and you know ahead of Andy Dalton's ahead of the Jay Cutlers ahead of that group I think that I think that Bradford um has you know number one overall pick talent he's got he's got the two things that you want to run in this offense with one of which Foles doesn't have at all which is quick release you know Foles great

I love Nick Foles. I'm not going to say anything disparaging about Nick Foles. I think he's a great quarterback and a great guy. But he's a big lumbering fellow, and he takes a long time to get that ball out of his hands. Bradford has a very quick release, and he has a very quick mind. He's a guy that, you know, he comes from that spread offense in Oklahoma, where all they did was, you know, have hot reads. And so everything was, snap the ball, get the ball out of your hand. Snap the ball, get the ball out of your hand. The Eagles run a lot of those bubble screens.

Which all count for fantasy points. We have to remember that. I've seen Demarius Thomas get Peyton Manning a lot of fantasy points. Absolutely. And also, don't forget, DeMarco Murray, Ryan Matthews, and Darren Sprouls. They all catch basses.

They all catch passes, and they are guys who will catch a ball for one yard and turn it into a 36-yard screen pass touchdown. And, you know, Zach Kurtz, Brent Selick, and the Eagles had in today, in town, Jalen Strong. Oh, yeah, a boy from out here. I love Jaylon Song. In town, he's a guy where if...

If Evan Mathis is not traded, if Guard does not become a huge need for them, Jalen Strong would be right now today, my guess is who they pick at 20 in the first round. All right. So if Sam Bradford can put up those type of numbers, he's definitely throwing the ball to somebody other than those three running backs.

Jeremy Macklin moved on. I don't blame Philly at all for not paying that money. I give Macklin a ton of credit for betting on himself and getting a $12 million check at the end of it. He bet on himself and he bet on Chip Kelly's offense. Yeah, totally impressive. So what is, Jordan Matthews is a guy that we all like here, obviously a second year receiver, one of the 12 or so last year that made a contribution. You got to love Jordan Matthews and his upside potential. Is the next guy going to be?

The rookie, the strong or somebody coming out, or is it going to be? No, the Eagles staff is really high on Josh Huff. I have heard that. Third round pick last year. Third round pick last year out of, what's that school, Oregon. Return kickoffs, right? He did a lot of special teams. He did. He had the longest play of the year for the Eagles, had 103-yard return. And toward the end of the season, I can't remember what week it was. But he came on strong late.

make some mental mistakes, which kept him off the field. But when he was on the field, guys, he's quick. He gets in and out of his routes very quickly, gets, you know, in and out of breaks fast. He's a guy who's going to be on the outside opposite Cooper with, I think Matthew's going to stay in that slot. That's what I was going to ask you, too. Is there somebody that Huff reminds you of in the fantasy world right now? You know, honestly, a 2014 Jeremy Macklin. So a younger, a younger version.

Okay. Yeah, I mean, you know, he reminds me of Jeremy Macklin, if everything's going the best. You know, Jeremy Maclin's going from a great situation to about as bad a situation as you can go to in the world of offensive schemes. Yeah, to an offense that didn't have a wide receiver catcher touchdown last year. Right. And I think Huff is going to be the biggest beneficiary because he's the guy who's coming from being, you know, I've often said, if you're the number one target in a Chip Kelly offense, if you're the primary target.

you're going to get numbers. Right. You know, you look at Deshawn, you look at Jeremy Macklin, you look at any of those years at Oregon. When you were the guy, you know, you just come in and you get numbers because that's... That's the way the offense functions. That's the way... Yeah, it funnels through you as a target. I think Huff is going to be that guy on the outside. And then I think Cooper...

obviously was a huge disappointment last year to everybody, both in fantasy and real life, you know, coming off a big year in 2013, and did nothing last year. And I think he's the guy who could end up being replaced by a guy like Jalen Strong, if Jalen Strong is the pick. That makes a lot of sense. And I think what we're saying here then is Huff is a...