The “My Guys” Episode + Players to Forgive: LIVE in LA

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Every football fan is different. Some won't wash their lucky mustard-stained jersey until the season's over. Some insist they can't 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.

Granger knows if you're a procurement manager at an industrial manufacturing facility, you're balancing inventory and budget while sourcing critical supplies across the operation. Too much inventory? Cost climb? Too little? Production slows. Granger's $2 billion in on-hand inventory helps you get what you need when you need it. So you can help keep budgets balanced and lines moving. Call 1-800-Grangeer. Clickr.com or just stop by. Granger, for the ones who get it done. Welcome in.

Two. You're going to feed them early, Jay? You are all my people. Welcome into the fantasy footballers podcast live in Los Angeles at the Largo. They forgot where they were for a second, but they figured it out. No, that's us. We have a great show for you today. I'm so excited. My goodness, full house. Full house here in L.A. I got a great quick question for you guys, so prepare your minds.

Prepare your brains. Okay. There is one more stop on the people's fantasy tour. It's going to be easier for us. It's back home. We're going to drive down the street. Here's a quick question for the day. It's a good one. Who is a player that you or maybe the fantasy community? They don't want to forgive. You don't want to forgive, but you probably need to forgive. You all have one, I know out there. So Mike, Jason, they're all yelling them as well.

Who's the player that you probably should forgive? I'm going to let Jason go because it's a man that I have... You've already done with your emotions. So here's mine. But you should too. Yeah, I mean, you've forgiven him, Mike. You should forgive him. I should forgive him. But I'm going to be really honest. I'm going to be vulnerable here. Oh. I...

I have not forgiven him. I really, truly, 100% have not. I find that, so, you know, we want to be honest with our rankings. We try to be as accurate as humanly possible. We put a lot of work, energy, effort. But I know there is bias in this pick because I was so scarred. Everyone remembers. I built a super team last year. Yeah, I remember. And that super team included one of the best running backs in the game. One of the captains. Devanta Freeman.

Yeah, yeah. And he, along with a few others, personally dive-bombed my team. We've all been there. And look, I recognize it from the analysis side. I recognize that he's on a high-power offense. I am not in the least scared of the incoming rookie or Edo Smith who stinks. This is maybe... You hear that, Eto? This is maybe the best...

Is he here? I can't. If he is, we don't know. The whole Atlanta Falcons offensive line is. But the reality is this should be a good offense. I know that I'm not as high on Matt Ryan as you guys, but it's still a good offense. The offensive line might be the best they've had in years. And DeMontza Freeman's not currently injured. He's actually fine right now. So everything says he should be a quality fantasy option. And I look at my rankings. I think he's in my 20s. And I'm not drafted him. And you know what?

Sometimes you just got to take a guy off your board in spite, and I've done it. DeVont Freeman, I do not forgive you. Oh. Jason! At least I'm honest. That took a turn. Did you hear the question? I should forgive, but haven't. That's the answer to the question. That is technically accurate, Mikey said he should. My goodness. But he has not. Are you going to go? Sure. No, no, I'll jump in here. There's...

There is a tight end in the landscape, and look, that position has been referred to as a lot of things. Yeah, it's not good. Most of them are words that we can't say on this podcast. Let's just say it's... Let's go wasteland. Have you, like, we've all been watching HBO's Chernobyl. That's pretty much, that sums up the tight end landscape of how it happens. Too soon, Mike.

For a Chernobyl joke? Too soon for... Look, Mother Russia, I apologize. That's the first apology you've given to them. Yeah, you know what? I take it back. I apologize for nothing. But look, there is a tight... Mike, you're famous for not apologizing. Look, there is a tight end who's going out there. Look, he is by no means, and he is not the new hotness. He is...

He's basically... What's the opposite of that? Old busted. Yeah. But here's the deal for this player. Let me read off his finishes before last year where he got hurt. As opposed to his name. Go on. Tight end six, tight end five, tight end four. Like, those are great finishes. He's old. Delaney Walker. He's back. Forgive him. With a Walker. Forgive him for getting hurt. He's going... He's going to be... Never!

I'm not saying that Delaney Walker is going to bring you top three numbers. But Delaney Walker is well within the realm of finishing easily as a tight end 12, if not better. He's just, he is safe in a landscape that is disgusting. You can boo now, and then we'll talk at the end of the season. The guy coming off the ACL, I just want to be clear. So you're forgiving him for injuring himself. Is that what, because that's what that is, right?

Well, he didn't injure himself. For being injured. Yes. Delaney Walker or Jordan Reed this year, Mike. We all know the answer. Why you got to bring up Sophie's Choice on the podcast, bro? You know I love injured tight ends. You do. So just to chime in real quick, because I get it. I know that Delaney Walker seems like a good value. I feel the same with Greg Olson and plenty of these old guys from yesterday.

Sure. But the reality is, like, Trey Burton was the tight end seven last year. If you just look at that, you're like, oh, great, he was great. But Trey Burton sucked. Nobody was happy. Nobody was happy that they drafted Trey Burton. So the point is here, I feel like I want to take a shot at a guy who had, like, Jordan Reed.

I feel like has a better shot of being a top six tight-end than Delaney Walker. I'm perfectly fine if you want to take the swing on Jordan Reed. So maybe he was the guy who should have forgiven. But who did the Titans promote to be their offensive coordinator? Delaney Walker? Oh my gosh. That's great for him. A tight-end assistant. Can I choose D none of the above on these old tight-ins?

Yeah, that's fine. That's fine. I get it. I get it. People forget about it. It's not like Corey Davis is stealing away value in Tennessee. Or anything. All right. The only man who can't steal candy from a baby. Yes. This show has been so negative towards the players that, like, allow us to have a job. Yeah. We're trying to forgive. And so far, DeVantza Freeman and Delaney Walker. Look, I can make it easier on you. Okay. This is actually a good. We should probably, look, the burns.

For top 10 picks, they're deep. Top three picks? Top three picks. We should forgive David Johnson. Yeah, the people agree. Like, I mean, if you're willing, I mean, maybe just throw it out there. Throw it out there. If you're willing to forgive. David Johnson. I wasn't ready. I had to plug the ear. I didn't get my Aguiliter on. So here's the thing. I was ready. Jeff Fisher was to Todd Gurley, what Mike McCoy was to David Johnson. Very accurate. Which is. That's on the SATs.

From what I can tell, what he was was a Dementor. Sucking the soul from his face. Yeah. And specifically, it's past catching. Because when David Johnson was everything in fantasy football, he had 120 targets, 80 receptions in 2016. Mike McCoy said, you know what? 76 targets. 50 receptions. Even though you were...

PFF ranked David Johnson the best pass catcher out of all running backs and wide receivers in 2016. And he said, let's not and say we did. Because Mike McCoy goes for a jog and he's like, whoa, this is too fast. Slow it down. And here's the thing. When Gurley got rid of his Jeff Fisher problem. Sure. People still doubt it. And the burns are real. You don't want to forgive.

But David Johnson is set up for success, faster pace of playing in Arizona. The song needs to come back. It's been a while. We'll get there. We'll get there. All right. So we've forgiven one of... One of three. Before we get into the news, and there's a lot to cover, and before we get into my guys, I do want to give a special shout out to our tour partner, St. Jude. Yes. Can you give it up for St. Jude? They do amazing work.

Everybody that bought a VIP ticket, you contributed right to St. Jude, our entire Phoenix show going to St. Jude, the UDK. Incredible partner doing incredible work, so we're very thankful to be with them for this season. Yes. So let's get into the news. News and Notes from Around the League, presented by Sleeper. LA is feisty. People love the news. They love the news. I know one.

player that loves the news. Oh, yes, he does. And his name is Michael Thomas. Michael Thomas. Michael Thomas. $100 million, five-year extension. 100 million. Yes. That's a really current movie. Very nice. I didn't expect that to land. I didn't at all. I was just, most of yours. You were saying? But the thing is, is the last time we had a show, he wasn't in camp.

Now he's been paid. He's the highest paid wide receiver in football. So the news story is he's going to play football this year. He's a news story for some. Oh, my gosh, yes. It was nice to have his holdout over for redraft for keeper leagues. You're all in on Michael Thomas. That's great. He's got a Hall of Fame quarterback. But I think for Dynasty is why this matters. You knew it was coming, but until it did, you know now that the future is secured. So let's say Drew Brees retires this year after this year.

He has paid so much money. Michael Thomas is going to be one of the, at that point, three highest paid wide receivers in the league that you have to get him the ball. He is the clear number one for whoever, for Teddy two gloves, or if they draft somebody. I think Bridgewater could get him the ball. So I've always been a little bit, you know.

Rewind the tape a year. And Michael Thomas, to me, hasn't been in that top three wide receiver in Dynasty standpoint because of the future of Drew Brees. But money matters in the NFL. He got paid. He's going to get his. Did Brees get a five-year life extension? A life extension? Can you get that? Career extension. Can I go there? That makes more sense. So he's in camp. It's a good point. In dynasty. That's a lot of money.

Julio will probably break that soon, by the way. Yes. Melvin Gordon's agent requested her trade. He is not in game. So we get to do the fun offseason Melvin Gordon, Ezekiel Elliott Watch. Let's cover them both because Jerry Jones came out and he said he's confident they'll reach an agreement, but then he won't cave and it could last months into the season. We have been very vocal, like very worried about Melvin missing time. It makes sense strategically for him to show up halfway through the season. Do the Vincent Jackson dance. Right.

But Zeke, we haven't been very worried about. Does any of this bluster in the news or in the public eye matter to you? Not for Zeke. This is just Jerry Jones posturing. He's looking through the camera to Zeke saying, you want to wait a couple months? Fine. I will wait a couple months because we're not paying you right now. You will come in. You have two years left on your contract. So I'm not worried about Zeke. So you draft him in the same spot you have him ranked right here right now.

As the four. Yes. I'm still drafting him in the top four, the big four of this year, but, you know, Barkley and Camara and McCaffrey, they're going to go in front of...