Free Agency Winners & Losers + Buy/Sell, Pants Check - Fantasy Football Podcast

and Jack Doyle. Now, I'm going to talk more about Jack Doyle. Real quick, Hayden Hurst. If you don't know who he was, he's a first round draft pick from the Ravens two years ago. Same draft class that they got Mark Andrews. They drafted him ahead of Mark Andrews, but he was injured early. Mark Andrews took over and has the rapport and is awesome. It's better than Hayden Hurst, just flat out. And so they were able to trade after Austin Hooper went and signed with the Cleveland Browns. They were able to trade their...

essentially their backup tight end in Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons for like a second round pick. I think they gave some compensation back as well. But the opportunity for Hearst goes through the roof. I mean, you know, Austin Hooper was the tight end one in the weeks that he was healthy before injury most of the season last year. And, you know, the passing volume will be there for him. Hayden Hurst projected obviously as a great prospect. That's why he was a first round NFL draft pick. So I think.

Look, he's a huge winner. Whether or not it ends up coming to fruition, I believe I'll probably just see him as a weekly streaming option in the right matchup. I don't think he's talented enough to just come in. You do. You think he's talented enough. He's the name that I think I was just excited to see him in here because.

The compensation they paid for him, the role Austin Hooper had, and the way that this offense has used tight ends, whether it was Tony Gonzalez long ago with Matt Ryan or Austin Hooper's evolution. I just think there's a great sleeper opportunity for Hayden Hurst. You know, you can't go out and say, yes, it's going to happen. But from a, the tight-in landscape, when we're looking at upside, like, I'm very excited about Hayden Hurst and that athletic profile. Even more than, like, you know, I know Jack Doyle has an opportunity with Philip Rivers.

but I don't know if I like him as much as Haydenhurst. Yeah, look, I'm fine with either. The reason I put both them together as middling tight ends is just because it gives us two more tight end options in such a gross position for fantasy next year that could actually be very relevant. So on the other side, on Jack Doyle's side, you've got a guy who has had fantasy relevance in the past when he had Andrew Luck, who's coming, look, he didn't go anywhere.

But free agency has made him a huge winner because you had Eric Ebron, you know, who just two years ago had double-digit touchdowns leave the team. You have, obviously, he lost Andrew Luck and stunk this last year with Jacoby Brissette and also dealing, you know, with other issues and injuries. But now, I mean, look at his, look at Jack Doyle's career receiving percentage, right? Comes in, let me read you his catch percentage.

71%, 81, 85, 78%, 74, 78. He's a good receiving tight end. Last year, 59% is what he was able to receive from Jacoby percent. Now you've got Philip Rivers coming in. And so you've got kind of the trifecta, right? You have Eric Ebron leaving, Philip Rivers, who has always utilized the tight end coming in is going to give far more accurate passes, much to my chagrin to say that. And then you have Frank Reich, and this system is a system that has always

leaned on tight ends. That's why Eric Ebron has had success there. Jack Doyle's had success there. We always, you know, freak out about Moali Cox and his gigantor nature. But with Philip Rivers and Jack Doyle now being the primary tight end, I think he'll be involved a lot. I think he'll be a very fantasy relevant player. So these two guys are my big winners in free agency. And hopefully, hopefully it means that the tight end landscape isn't just you have one of the top three or you're dead in the water. And there's a couple more options this year.

To me, the biggest winner is Drew Brees. I talked about the fit with Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders, you know, you look at Michael Thomas and that catch percentage that Michael Thomas has when targeted from Drew Brees. And then you give Drew Brees maybe, I don't know, a top five most sure-handed wide receiver in all the football on the other side and Emmanuel Sanders. It just seems like a perfect match for Drew Brees. I'm sorry, 14 of his 27 touchdown passes went to people.

Players lined up in the slot, whether it was Michael Thomas, Jared Kuuk. Jared Kuuk. Or Treyquan Smith, Taysam Hill. That's a spot that Emmanuel Sanders can thrive. He's just so surehanded. And it gives Drew Brees this baseline lifter, another target on the opposite side of Michael Thomas, the weapons that they have, Alvin Camara out of the backfield. I think Drew Brees.

is positioned to be a top-tier fantasy option despite the age escalation problems that he has. He's just set up for a Super Bowl run, and so I think he's the biggest winner getting Emmanuel Sanders. Drew Brees was like, it's interesting that people aren't talking about the season for fantasy purposes that Drew Brees actually had last year.

Because of the injury? Is that why? Fantasy finish? Yeah, but if you look at him, he had one bust game. I'm removing the one where he tore the ligament in his hand. I'm not holding that against him. But other than that, he had one bust. When he came back in week eight against the Arizona Cardinals from then on out, he ended up as the quarterback three. I mean, he was awesome last year. And I think really.

broke the expectations for for what fantasy players have come to expect from Drew Breeze where you're like yeah he's he's a great quarterback great real life quarterback he'll end up as a low end quarterback one so Jay I'm as you're not like the Drew Breeze fantasy poo pooher but when I when I've tried to give him some some dapp give him some love of like we should be excited about Drew Breeze and his fantasy performance how do you feel about him

being great last year and then going into this year with the addition of another great wide receiver.

No, this is a great time for Drew Brees. A couple years ago, as he was getting older, as this became more of a running and defensive team, I was down on Drew Brees' prospects because coming into those seasons, that's when he cost the most. He was, you know, you had these giant name guys who were great for fantasy year and year out, and so he was a highly drafted guy. Now he's old man withers who was injured for part of the year last year, and I don't think people are super excited.

I'd say what I won't, Mike. As opposed to Oldman Rivers. Yes. Yes. Well, you know, old men, they... They do. No, they with her. They make sense. But I don't think people are going to be, you know, climbing over one another to get Drew Brees in the draft.

And I mean, look, what Jared Kuk did for him last year was fantastic. And I love Emmanuel Sanders. I've said for years, if you've ever been on one of our AMAs and they're like, who's your favorite non-cardinal to watch? It's always been Emmanuel Sanders. I just think he's phenomenal. And now if he's the third option or, you know, a 2A2B option with Jared Kuk, then it's going to be great. I mean, look.

You know, you say, oh, he came back in week eight. That's still nine games he played. And in that stretch, he was on pace for 44 passing touchdowns and four interceptions. Now, I think Drew Breeze is going to be phenomenal and add a good value this year in the draft. That's the point. People will be crawling over one another to draft another another, Kyle Murray, picking up DeAndre Hopkins, a second year in the system. They might be crawling over one another to pick up Josh Allen, who had a solid fantasy year and then picks up Safon Diggs. They won't be doing that for Breeze because they won't be.

idealizing him the way that they will, these other players with the potential of being a number one or number two overall quarterback. But that's underestimating the value I think that Emmanuel Sanders will bring to the table, just being a sure-handed, another great option. They can put more trust in that passing game. I mean, we saw the pendulum swing, obviously, from the massive touchdown year for Alvin Camero on the ground to the minimal touchdown on the ground.

year last year. So that's a concern to some degree. But when you have as many options as Breeze has, it's exciting. Other potential winners I want to bring up before we talk about losers. I brought up Kyla Murray, Josh Allen. Baker Mayfield picks up Austin Hooper. He picks up Jack Conklin on the offensive line. Yes. Gardner Minshu picked up the loss of Nick Foles. Yeah, that's great for him.

Teddy Bridgewater ends up in a starting position, obviously, but also with Robbie Anderson. At the running back position, you've got, you know, Gurley out of town in Los Angeles. Darnell Anderson. Oh, famous. Yeah, if I could really convince myself and talk myself into that Darrell Henderson will get the majority of the time share for the Rams, he would easily be the clear winner.

of free agency of just like on the last episode. I'm just not sure that that will be the case. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he certainly has the highest upside in that backfield. Miles Sanders, you know, Jordan Howard's out the door. Miles Sanders has an opportunity there in Philly. Ronald Jones right now. We'll see how our bet turns out. But Ronald Jones has, look, I know that you guys were slow to accept any positive, uh,

anything from Ronald Jones, but obviously last year he had some very good games and was very impressive. And then Marlon Mack obviously has an opportunity. Sorry to tell you off. I just want to speak to that. I don't think I've accepted it yet. So when you say slow to accept, I take offense. Okay. You haven't accepted it yet. That's good. I mean, our bet was for the first round, right? You said running back in the first round. Top ten. They're trading up. Top ten.

One of the guys that I've brought up earlier in the month, T.Y. Hilton gets a reliable quarterback. I think he's a free agency winner. And then what do you think about Blake Jarwin, Mike, as a winner at the tight end position? Oh, be still my heart. Blake Jarwin's got an opportunity. He got money. It wasn't like top tight end money, but he's making a decent. This is an indie tight end situation for Mike. He's into the indie tight ends.

I don't mean Indianapolis. I mean like the bands, indie bands. The movies. There's a total film festival winner. I love Jack Doyle. So Jason having to sit over there and eat crow and talk him up. It's just warming the cockles of my heart. Blake Jarwin will be next. Yeah. Well, he does have an opportunity. He certainly does. So speaking of losers.

Okay. I just wanted a professional segue there from Blake Jarwin. But Jonah Smith is also a clear winner. Tied in, Tennessee. All right. Let's talk about losers. Jason, you seem like the right man to start. I'm starting. Okay. Mine is really, really simple. Mine is Robbie Anderson, who a lot of people thought this offseason he was going to go and sign a big, big money contract, come in and be someone's, you know,

savior, to be the one or to at least go to a team that really had a need of a downfield threat. Like the Eagles were often, you know, talked up. And maybe he wouldn't have been there one. Maybe Alshan is still considered the one there. But, you know, you pair him with a deep thrower with his speed and what his skill set is downfield. I think that would be really nice. Instead, he goes to Carolina.

with the Panthers after that, which is great because, you know, Cam Newton will throw that ball down the, oh, wait, Cam Newton is no longer the quarterback. It's Teddy Bridgewater, who's always his entire NFL career, not just post-injury, but pre-injury, has not been someone to push the ball down the field. And there are two other good wide receivers here. So he's not going to have a market share. I think Romney Anderson's going to be a guy who has.

a handful of really good games next year because he is still talented. They're paying enough money. It was a two-year, $20 million deal. That's not nothing. And so, you know, he's going to have some games, but I don't think you're going to be able to rely on him. I don't think you're going to be able to predict the games. Oh, so normal Robbie Anderson. Yeah, normal Robbie Anderson, but the hope, I mean, people that you have, you have Robbie Anderson in a Dynasty League. Mike has him might believe in another one. It feels really stinky, and I know I'm going to play him eight weeks when he does nothing and bench him eight weeks when he blows up.

But there was hope coming into, everyone was excited coming into free agency where he would land. And now it's like, oh, man, that stinks for fantasy. So I consider him a big loser. He finally got to get away from Adam Gase and unfortunately goes to Teddy Bridgewater. So, I mean, hopefully he throws the ball downfield and, you know, they institute this collegiate offense. But I just don't see him being a weekend and week out starter. Hopefully, the word hopefully, and then Robbie Anderson, they have been combined for years now.