FA Frenzy Continues + Snap Goblin Returns, Watson Watch! - Fantasy Football Podcast for 3/17

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. Click ranger.com or just stop by. Granger, for the ones who get it done.

the fantasy footballers podcast with your host Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright. Welcome in. Thursday, March 17th, the fantasy footballers podcast, back with you, Mike Wright, Andy Holloway, Jay Gris. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Jay Gris, ecstatic.

At the holiday or just another chance to shine? No, it's little known fact about the cardboard bear extraordinaire. His lineage? Yes, his great-great-grandfather from Ireland. Really? Yes. Didn't know that. Didn't know Ireland was filled with bears. You have no idea. They shoe them over to a corner of the island, but bears everywhere. Wow. In the highlands. Yes. Somewhere.

Well, another lesson. Don't look it up. Just accept Ireland swarming with bears. You learn that one on social media, I'm guessing. They swam here. Oh, bear's very strong swimmers. Boyant, buoyant bears. Welcome into the show. Excited to talk free agency with you. We actually waited as long as we could to record this episode of the show. At some point, you have to hit record, Mike. You can't just wait and wait and wait because news is breaking literally.

We're about to start the show today, and we find out Cole Beasley's released. Yes. So news is going to happen during the show. We've got the trusted Kyle, the Borgogan, and the trusted. The trusted. And Brooksie as well, untrusted. And they're going to be letting us know if any news breaks. No final destination as of right this second for Deshaun Watson, but we have some finalists and a ton of other free agency news, trade news.

released player news and the landscape is changing quickly. We're going to have a bunch of teams with new faces. Yeah, I'd said it before we started. The NFL is like there's some interesting things happening with like wide receivers ending up with much longer term deals than you would have ever expected. But free agency is that time where you have to, you have to overpay. That's just part of the process. That's what Zay Jones was counting on.

Right. All right. I promised it on Tuesday. We have the official listener league spot to give away. Oh? So thank you to everybody that pre-ordered the Ultimate Draft Kit at Ultimate DraftKit.com. We actually just updated the Dynasty Pass. We'll have a new mock draft in there soon as well. But there's a lot happening. Hopefully you're enjoying it. But we promised a winner. And we have a winner.

Do we have a drum roll? We have a drum roll as well. Yeah, I was just kind of teasing with some pauses, long pauses. I am very excited for you to say this person's name. And here we go. The winner, Milton Cigara. Oh, nicely done. Milton Cigara, you are the winner of the listener league spot. You get to play with us this year. Congratulations.

We shall be in contact with you. Some of the other Milton's out there with different last names were, they were the ones really holding their breath. Yes, Bradley. Milton Bradley? How did you not see that coming? That was the lowest of the, that fruit wasn't even attached to the tree anymore. It was on the ground. And it really got me. It really did. It was blind. I said it blindly, then realized it.

I feel like one of those guys on Wheel of Fortune lately. Oh, goodness gracious. They're really not, are they not vetting that group enough? Yeah, barely the demand for contestants, not as strong as it used to be. Wow. In the age of Wirtle and Fuddl. Yeah, we should be. Which is way better than Whartle. We should be all over that. Congratulations, Milton.

We're excited to play with you. You can follow the show, Twitter, at the FF Ballers. If you have 10 seconds, which I know, we're busy these days. But if you have 10 seconds, we would appreciate it if you left the show a review if you're listening on Apple Podcasts. It helps the show. And we'd love to hear from you. We do read those, and we appreciate it. Shall we get this thing started? Are we ready to rumble? Let's go. Pre-agent frenzy.

Let's begin with the Deshaun Watson watch, because that is dominating headlines and Twitter and the latest news as of this recording. The Browns have been eliminated from contention by Deshaun Watson. Now, one thing that we learned a couple days ago was that for Deshaun Watson to be given permission to meet with these teams.

The Texans had to pre-approve a trade package. So what's built into that equation is that if he's meeting with them, there's a deal ready to go. So if he chooses to waive his no trade clause, which is why this is part of the equation, otherwise the Texans would be picking the home. If he chooses to wave that clause to one of these teams, that trade is done. Deshaun Watson will have a new home. If you're handicapping as of this recording, the Saints seem like they're in the lead. Yes.

with the Falcons, seemingly in second place. No final destination for Watson yet, but we know he had a second meeting with the Saints. Yes, and part of the equation of trading for Watson, he has a gigantic contract. I mean, for a team to trade for him at this point, I mean, you're...

You are going all in. Like you're picking up all of the baggage of his unresolved situation. And you had a tweet this morning from Andrew Brandt who was saying that the team will take on his $35 million salary pending a suspension because that can change things. If he is suspended for the six games, you don't pay him for that. Then his cap hit goes down to about $22.5 million, which that really changes things for.

for a team this year and you're all and you're trading at least three first round picks at least that was the that's what the rumor mill is saying that's part of it and a player so you are really going one like one thousand percent in on watson being the future of your franchise if he lands in new orleans which again seems probable right now he will join alvin camera and michael thomas

and that's kind of been the pitch. Michael Thomas has led the pitch to come to New Orleans. And so. And Deonté Hardy. Yes. Which, if you haven't heard, Deonte, yeah, and of course, Adam Trowman. Yeah, my boy is there, of course. He'll be part of the trade back to Houston, but go on. Well, yeah, because everybody wants them on the steam. But Deontay Harris, he changed his name. He made some splashes this year. He changed his name to Hardy to pay homage to his stepfather. If you hadn't heard that news.

The way that the NFL works is once your name is locked in, it's a strange thing. But once your name is locked in for the season, the NFL will not recognize a name change. But just so that get used to hearing that, it's Deonté Harris is Deonté Hardy. Yeah, so you hear that name, it's not a new player. Right. And he, like, we don't, we don't know yet the final decision of Watts, but just saying like, Hardy.

was already a sort of interesting player to me of like the real under the radar type of a player where his target per route run metrics. I know he's an electric return man, but he was starting to get some more work in the receiving game. And his targets per route run and his yards per route run are like outrageously good. And then this would just elevate my talking about him. So if you're trying to get out in front of the fantasy hitman bump in Dynasty. Okay.

Yes. Look, I destroyed Adam Trowman last year. Well, we tried to stop you. Hardy would potentially play that Fuller role for the franchise. He made a lot of splashes with different quarterbacks last year on big plays. So, yes, I understand why you're saying he's interesting. And that's, of course, if the Saints don't add Will Fuller as well. Right. But the Saints have maneuvered themselves to somewhere 20 something beneath the cap now.

So, and the Falcons on the other side have not restructured Mount Ryan. And the reason they haven't restructured him is because not restructuring him is more advantageous to the trade situation. So it makes, that will have, if they don't get Watson, a restructure will happen and they'll maneuver the cap a little bit in Atlanta, but that hasn't happened yet. Aren't they in the situation they are in with his cap it because they kept restructuring him?

Yeah, I mean. Like his his cap hit, Matt Ryan's cap hit this year is $48 million. I believe six days ago they had a deal, or they're working on the restructuring, but it has not been finalized and it has to do with the trade. Right now, the cap hit for Matt Ryan is $48.6.6 million. That's not manageable.

But the new deal would drop his cap number by $12 million to $36. So that's what will happen if a trade doesn't happen. So there you go. Are you excited at the prospect of Watson to the Saints, Mike? Fantasy purposes, it absolutely makes sense. The Atlanta Falcons entire pitch has to be, to me, is just come on home.

Like you grew up here. And I understand that appeal. The appeal of going home for almost anybody. Did you see the picture? It's pretty strong. Did you see the picture of Warwick Dunn? I did not. So when Deshawn Watson was a youth, he's standing there out front a house with his mother. Oh, yes. And Warwick Dunn gave them the keys to the house. And he was a young man, you know, back then in Atlanta native. It was just an interesting picture to show the history.

of Deshaun Watson. He was also a ball boy for the Falcons. So I totally get that. But that's like, that's it. I mean. You certainly don't, like if you're given the tour, Atlanta's given the tour of the facility, right? Yes. You are skipping the wide receiver room. You're like, don't worry about that. Let me show you over here. Let me show you the tight end room. No, I don't know because that name has been floated. In the trades? Yes.

which would be Kyle Pitts. I don't know how you possibly trade for a franchise quarterback while trading away like the only offensive weapon you have. I mean, he'd be fading back to pass and you'd see one of those. It's Zekees. Oh my gosh. That's it. And then you would have no first round picks to refill your wide receiver room. I don't know. I don't know how Atlanta pulls it off. I can't help, but.

recognized now with Cleveland being eliminated and they were the only finalist in the AFC. So one thing that's happening without question is Watson's coming to the NFC. Brady just unretired. So you talk about the competitive landscape in the AFC and the Rams repeating and Aaron Rogers coming back and Dak Prescott and Kyler and these other quarterbacks like it's going to be a gauntlet to get through the NFC this year.

So the Saints, like I said, they restructured a ton of players, got to now 29.9 million in cap space. It's amazing how they do these every single year. So let's move on. Yes. It's just sad news. Now, Al is not here this morning. So do we have the drop or do I get to pick the drop? Well, I just want to get it out of the way. I just want it out of the way. Brooks, do you have it?