NFC East Breakdown, Josh Doctson, August Hype!

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Sit down on third downs and some pick their favorite team because, I don't know, just like football fandom, nobody's life is exactly the same. And that's why State Farm gets to know you, not as a policy number, but as an actual person. So they can help personalize a coverage plan that's just for you. Whether it's game day or just another Tuesday, State Farm has you covered. Hey, fantasy football fans, August is upon us.

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at Ultimate DraftKit.com. This is Josh Dachson. You're listening to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. To the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Coming to you from Draft.com Studios with your host, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright. Ah, let's do it. Let's do it. Oh, football is here. Wednesday.

August 1st, 2018. We're in August, boys. We're 24 hours away from real preseason football. Wink, wink, wink. Is that? Mitch Trubisky, Joe Flacco, going at it in the Hall of Fame game tomorrow. That's less than 24 hours away?

Well, technically it's a few more, but it's tomorrow, so I feel like I can. If you're listening to this podcast in the evening, it's 24 hours. Welcome in to the fantasy footballers podcast. I'm Andy Holloway, joined as always by Jason Moore and Mike, the fantasy hitman Wright. Hello. If you're joining us for the very first time, you've picked the right time because we are five days a week from now through the end of December. Brooks, are you ready for this? Yeah.

Wow. That was the loudest I've ever heard Brooks. He's been holding his breath for hours to get that out at that volume. Thank you, Brooks. I saw him doing jumping jacks and push-ups before the show. They're working. Keep it out, man. Keep it up. Keep it out, man. Zip it up and zip it out. Yeah, I'm very excited, guys. Oh, my goodness. There's the Brooks we know and love. If you haven't seen the New York episode, the live show, Brooks made it, or I'm sorry.

This was the Philly show. Brooks made a very special appearance on stage. So very excited for this year. Today's a great show. We've got the NFC East breakdown on the show. A ton of news to get through. A great quick question. We're going to sum up kind of what's going on in the NFL and what to expect. I've got things I'm excited to talk about. But let's start off with this announcement because you've asked for it for so long. The time is now. The time is right. And I want to make this announcement right.

The listener league. We are opening up official entries for the 2018 listener league. Jason is the back-to-back listener league champion. One year away from being the back-to-back-to-back listener league champion. You've already got the three-peet shirts printed. Mm-hmm. Careful. Phil will come after you. He owns that word. Oh, the three-peat? Yeah. Yeah. So here's what you do. If you want to enter...

the 2018 listener league if you want to be considered for the listener league you email us we're opening it for one week only one week only only very nice echo mike most echoes have a little laughter in the i felt like a monster truck ad for a second listener league at fantasy footballers dot com listener league at fantasy footballers dot com here are the bullet points for answering and you guys feel free to supplement jason mike

You don't send us your trophy case. We don't care how many times you've won in your league that will not earn you a spot in the listener league. We love smack talk once you're in the league, but that's not how you're getting in the league. We don't want a block of text that says, oh, look how great I am or look how whatever. I'm going to beat you. We don't want a story. The way you get in, you catch our eye with something. Something special. Something special. Something spicy. We're not going to tell you what to do. We're simply letting you know.

the trophy case and the story of greatness and the garbage talk, while those are all fine and fancy free things. They will not get you into the listener league because this league is all about people having a great time because we put you into an exclusive, very exclusive club. You could be as famous as Brian Ketron, that loser who lost to me.

in the championship week last year. That could be you. We could shame you on this show. And we'll have over a thousand submissions. So everybody that's saying that just sends the email that says, I'd like in, stop it. Yeah. Come on. You got to bring it. All right. So it's open right now for one week and one week only, listener league at fantasy footballers.com. We do have one more stop on our Fantasy for the People tour, and that is right here in Phoenix.

You can grab a ticket before it sells out at ballerslive.com if you're in or around the Phoenix area. Come see us on August 24th. I'm excited to be back in the studio. I'm excited for this show. And look, let's jump in here. Quick question of the day before we get into the news, before we get into the NFC East Breakdown. We also have an interview with Josh Doxon at the end of the show today, wide receiver for the Washington Redskins, somebody that Mike has been a big fan of for quite a while. This is it. This is the year. Maybe. This is the year. I hope.

What are you watching for in August, guys? I can say what I'm watching for this year. You know, we talk a lot of times in preseason. I really love watching tight ends. But this year specifically, I am watching the rookie quarterback battles. That's what I want to see how the incumbents, you know, I want to see how Tyrod does and I want to see how Baker does. Josh McCown and Sam Darnel. Five first round quarterbacks. And, you know, some of them.

At least one of them will be starting week one, and it's going to be based on August. So I want to see who's it going to be and who looks like they're going to be pushing for that week two, week three. For me, it's rookies, but it's the rookie running backs. There are so many interesting battles here, and sides have been chosen. The line in the sand has been drawn, and we're all picking who we believe will rise, rise up, become a starter, who's going to stay a backup.

So that's what I'm really watching for. What I'm really hoping for is the Ronald Jones Amir Abdullah moment. Where Ronald Jones, look, he is an electric athlete. He will have big plays. But I want that one big play. That jacks has ever dropped his ADP up so I can scoop up some more value and let everyone else draft Ronald Jones. I will say this. I like Ronald Jones the player. I am not prepared to die on Ronald Jones's hill.

The risks of Tampa Bay itself. He's not a good hill maker, so that's on him. It's just, it's a troubling hill to die on because there are variables with James Winston being gone. I love Ronald Jones. I think he's got an amazing opportunity at volume. I expect him to be pretty darn good this year, but I've got guys that like more than Ronald Jones. It won't be my guy this year.

I've got those already picked out. And I've got a surprise. Oh. Because people have asked when the My Guys episode, Brooks, is that about mid-August? Yeah. About the 15th somewhere around there? Sounds about right. So I've got my guys picked out, and then I have a third. I'm not telling anybody until the day of the My Guys episode. You know, I'm not going to tell you any of my guys. I'm up in your ante. You won't know any of my three. I'm not even going to pick my guys. He's not even going to be here for that show. I'll be there, but I'll say pass.

Yeah, that's how you, no risk it. Yeah. You don't need it. All your guys hit, if you don't have any. Less carbs, no biscuit, you know? Less carbs, no biscuit. All right, but just so you guys know, training camps already underway, the Hall of Fame games tomorrow. Week one of the preseason starts on August 9th, and I can't wait. It's going to be so exciting. The first game of the NFL season is Thursday, September 6th, Falcons and Eagles. Bird battle. I thought he said bird bath.

Bird bath. Let's get into the news. News and notes from around the league. All right, let's catch you up on everything you need to know for your fantasy football roster for the draft. The Vikings have signed Stefan Diggs to a five-year $72 million extension. 40 million in guarantees. He's locked up for six years of control in Minnesota. This matters to me. Big time. Yeah, I mean, I like Stefan Diggs.

The issue has been, does he play 16 games during a regular season? This deal matters to me in fantasy football. You got to follow the money. And it's been one of those things where, like, how big is the gap between Adam Thielen and Stefan Diggs? And look, this is a big time investment. And I don't predict Diggs to have a better season than Thielen, but he can. He definitely can. Remember when the Vikings signing Kurt Cousins?

was going to prevent the Vikings from locking up their studs. Money is unlimited. I've learned that from the Rams this off season. You can sign everybody to any type of deal you want. The Vikings are indebted to Adam Thielen cashed in. Yes. He did not take the long-term stance of I'm going to throw everything on myself. So he took the deal, which now Adam Thielen seems like an absolute value for the wide receiver position. Stefan Diggs.

is fantastic. Stefan Diggs is one of the next superstars in the NFL. So I love what the Vikings have done here. Get them locked up. I think that's the trick. As a GM, what you do is you sign somebody to a ridiculous deal. Then you sign another player on your team to twice the money so that the first guy looks like a steal. Oh, then you get GM of the year. Then you get GM of the year. How dare you call Phelan's deal ridiculous? He's the best wide receiver on the team.

And I said he's underpaid. No. Andy said you sign a ridiculous deal. Oh. No, I say it's a strategy. Well, no, I get the strategy. It's good. I'm just, I'm Mr. Adam feeling over here. That's fine. Yes, you are. Sticking up for my man. Well, I don't think we've talked about it on the show yet. Julio Jones agreed to a revised contract. He's back in camp. The Julio Jones fears. They've been assuaged. Yeah, that's good. That's right, Mike, assuaged.

I'm pretty sure that's the right word. I'm jumping on dictionary. You check that out while I tell you that the Titans have signed Delaney Walker to a two-year $17 million extension. That was really surprising. All the Jono Smith owners go. That's disappointing for those that are excited about. Look, if you thought that Delaney Walker wasn't going to be involved this year, you're wrong. They love Delaney Walker. Yes, I have...

I've been doing that quiet trumpeting of Delaney Walker when we've been talking about Titans this off season. Normally Delaney Walker is not the type of guy that I want to draft because his upside. It's not exciting, but he's just so steady. So steady. If you believe in the ascension of the Titans offense and Marcus Marriota, Jason. I do. Very much. Delaney Walker.

He might still be the top target on the team. This is the average draft position butt pat. This is get in the game. You give him two years, $17 million deal, and then you confirm what he is. And I brought this up on one of our live shows with Corey Davis argument. They were 28th and pass attempts in the league last year. This was a team that barely passed the ball and he was still steady. If you increase that, if you're a middle of the road pass attempt team.

Delaney Walker's starting to look a lot better. Delaney Walker's usually over the last couple years been like the fifth tight end off the board too expensive. This year he's going behind Evan Ingram, behind Kyle Rudolph. He's the eighth tight end off the board just ahead of Trey Burton. And if you're looking at, look, we like Trey Burton here. We think he's a good value. But if you're going to compare what you know in the known commodity of Delaney Walker, who's done it year in, year out with this quarterback versus Trey Burton, a hopeful upside guy,