The TRUTH: RBs Part 2 + Late Round Hits - Fantasy Football Podcast for 1/28

It's obvious why. Bucky ends up at 16. White at 20. Consistency wise, Bucky at 16. White at 22, so not far off of their fantasy finishes. The storyline, though, rookie running back. Second half consistency, eight overall for Bucky Irving. You would think that meant White's consistency in the second half would have declined. It was the opposite. He was at 16. Still very relevant. Rashad White, though, next year. seems like he will enter the undraftable category for me. That's an insurance running back. Like somebody else in our league, like we've got a guy that just takes players that nobody wants to draft, Nick, and he will draft for Shaw White and probably get good value out of him and play him. And he'll be the guy that I want to play against and he'll perform against me. That's just where White's going to fall into the committee. But this is the Bucky Irving backfield at this point in time. In the beginning of the year,

There were a lot of questions that Todd Bowles had to answer at the podium talking about, are we going to get Bucky more involved? And, you know, he would come out and say this is Rashad White's backfield, but yeah, Bucky's earned some touches. And I think it was a fair and well-earned transition. Because, you know, the first five weeks of the season, you had Rashad White, who was really the... the center of the running back core the previous year at 67% of the snaps. From that point on, he was down at 51% of the snaps. And they played pretty even snaps. These two guys were pretty 50-50. But if you look at it in- That doesn't work for Rashad White. If you look at it in chunks of the season, the further and further they got to more and more important games. Bucky started usurping him in the snap count area while he should have because he was a much more explosive player.

So this will be Bucky's team. And I don't think Rashad White is undraftable next year with his work in the passing game. And you still always have the built-in upside, just like we had with David Montgomery and Jemir Gibbs. Whenever you draft either one of these guys, you've got the opportunity for them to become the takeover back from an injury. A couple other things I wanted to mention here. One is you said like a natural transition. You got to remember these are not, these head coaches are not just looking at explosive plays alone. when they're selecting who's out there on the field. They're looking at pass protection. He's a rookie. He's learning the playbook. He's making mistakes on a play or doesn't make a mistake. The other story for Bucky was that, you know, he's on the injury report with his toe injury, then a hip and then a back. I think the toe was, was the toe was. Was that the mummy game? The toe was week nine against the chiefs, 14 hip and back. And then he was.

You know, he had limited snap counts a couple times. He played 17, but man, he was beat up. And that's the question mark around a guy that, you know, is 510, 195. Yeah. And I think that was the Carolina game in week 13 where he had 28 opportunities, 25 carries on the ground as a smaller back and was so good. He was the running back one that week. But I remember walking to the locker room. He was like a mummy. He was wrapped up like a mummy. And then the next week. He basically only played 16% of snaps. Got the ball four times because he was, he was dead. Yep. And, yeah, Rashad White's going to fill that late round, pass heavy, upside, like you said, if either guy gets hurt, roll. 17 was David Montgomery. We got to talk about Gibbs on the last episode. Consistency rank of seven. And man, I had him. I felt it. Consistency rank top 10 running back every week. Somehow he always did it.

I mean, it wasn't, it wasn't great. I mean, it's 7% great games. He didn't go out there and win you the week. But goodness gracious, he got a touchdown every year. I was like always, he's just my automatic. 79% good game. I'm going to get, you know, 10 to 15 points every week in half PPR, not even worried about him. He's such a, I think he's a tough pick for fantasy players. Maybe that is going to change, but maybe not. I mean, Jemir Gibbs is just. What is it? Sonic and Knuckles, right? I mean, Gibbs is so explosive that I think it's fair for anybody watching the game to always want Jemir Gibbs on the field. If you're a Detroit Lions fan, you would want that. But Montgomery brings something to the offense. It's just a matter of, does he get into the end zone? He did this year, 12 touchdowns. 25 touchdowns on the ground in the last two years. So will he get into the end zone next year? Yes. And the worry of the injury?

is irrelevant. He was back playing football this year. So I'll be fully in because David Montgomery is not going to rise. He did this last year. And if anything, he's going to fall from where he was in the dress last year. Because of Gibbs' fantasy finish? Exactly. You're probably right. You have the Ben Johnson variable of he will no longer be in town. What does the offense look like? I know they'll do their best to keep it the same, but will they have the same success when you don't have that mastermind sequencing your plays? And the other thing that was just, was weird was two years, like Gibbs rookie season, right? You felt like there was a difference between the two in terms of like, well, no, Gibbs is going to, he's a passing weapon. And then at the end of the year, you know, Monty gets hurt. Gibbs takes over. And then they stay with Gibbs, you know, like towards the end of two years ago.

Gibbs was getting snaps. He's getting all this goal line work. Then you have this year, and their receiving work is almost identical. Before the injury it was, yeah. That's because I think that's part of the genius of Ben Johnson to me was you don't have a prototypical. Well, Melvin Gordon's out there. He's not going to get thrown the football. And Eckler's out there, so he will get thrown the football. They're both capable, so why run plays that are specific to one? You need to have the threat of both for both guys out on the field, and Monty is more than capable. If you wanted to throw him the football, like if there was no Gibbs, Monty's catching a lot of passes. Monty would be a league winner. I mean, these guys both know the full playbook. They're both inside the five-yard line. They're both in the receiving game. They're both. Sorry. Yeah, I'm just saying either one of them goes down. The other one is absolutely going to help you win in your league.

The question is, do you believe they're going to keep winning? Obviously, this year, number one offense. 70% of Montgomery's carries came with them leading or tied. You know that when they're down, two-minute offense. They want the explosive versatility of Gibbs. They can both catch the football, yes, but Gibbs can get to places that Monty doesn't get to in the route tree. So, look, you're probably right. He'll probably be undervalued. And I bet you'll take him over this guy. Breeze Hall at 18. I'm out. Brees Hall Jason's favorite player. The sad thing is he has been. Consistency rank of 20. And I'm sad for you. He went from 16 in the first half. You know, you can live with that to 26 in consistency in the second half after being drafted as the RB3. Brees Hall was statistically, unequivocally, one of the true busts of fantasy football in 2024. Yeah, I mean the Jets.

team as a whole obviously was an implosion, a black hole, an albatross. This was a hugely disappointing season for a team that was, you know, thought to be vying for with the bills and with everybody in that division for the division lead. And it didn't work out. This team is a mess. The organization is a mess. Going forward, you would expect that Brees Hall is still going to be a centerpiece of the offense. that the new coordinator will get them more involved and yada yada. There's going to be all sorts of hype pieces of they got this new offensive linemen. We don't know what the Jets future will look like, but we do know it's bad because it always is. I mean, it's just, it's like, you know. There's no player that you have been more deeply destroyed by that has corrupted any possible unbiased analysis. Correct. I should not even be talking right now.

I think the truth of Brees Hall is going to be relative to expectation of Brees Hall. If you're drafting him in the first round as the RB3 and you get a consistency of 16, that's a bust, right? So even that first half consistency on a team that was like, what, dead last and rush plays inside the five-yard line, Brees Hall, eye test, film week to week, okay player, not great, much better. Jason is like sitting over there going, yeah, I know, that sucks. That's exactly what the biggest problem was. He wasn't special. He was special when you gave him the football in the passing game 10 yards, 7 yards down from the line of scrimmage in space. And he got ahead of steam and he could make some things happen in the open field. But no, from behind the line of scrimmage with the offensive line.

You know, that he didn't do a lot of things that were like you earned something more than what was given to you. Exactly. As a runner, I would agree with you. Whenever he gets the ball in space, he's, you know, watch out. But as a runner breaking tackles, getting around edges, finding the right hole, all of that stuff, I was really frustrated watching guys like Chuba Hubbard and Chase Brown be true difference makers and then constantly watch Breece Hall, who is a better, like. I mean, coming into the NFL, he's a better. He's a better running back. He's a better athlete. His schedule was real difficult, Jay. Oh, is, I assume this is not true. It was the second easiest strength of schedule for the running back. Like the jets were the, which we all know strength of schedule is not everything. But when it lines up and a team gets hot, like two years ago with the Cowboys, you're like, no, this thing can really explode. The jets, we were just staring at it, waiting, waiting for.

The second half scheduled to be incredible. And Brees Hall should take advantage of it. Braylon Allen, if Brees Hall misses time, should be able to take advantage of it. And the answer was no. Nobody. And we're two full years now from the ACL. I don't know what the story is going to be when you write about Brees Hall five years from now. But running backs usually peak genuinely. Whether it's athleticism or understanding of. NFL offense, whatever, but running backs usually peak and have their best season at age 24. That will be the next season for Breece Hall. The last two years, the Jets do not run inside the five-yard line. They're dead last second year in a row. So if the offense does better, if he has more opportunity inside the five-yard line, and he's coming into what should be his prime as a very young back, there are lots of reasons why it could really, really work. But among 46 running backs with 100 plus carries.

He was 36th in forced miss tackles per 10th. That's what I was talking about watching. You watch Chuba. You watch Chase Brown. These guys who have spent their careers being just a guy, you know, an untouted just average player. And then you watch the flip where Brees used to break all of that. And there was something off. There's no exploding out of a cannon type of situation. You didn't. I believe you said the word albatross earlier to describe Breece Hall amongst others. No, the Jets. The Jets. I am just curious. What is, what do you think the plural? How would you pluralize a bunch of Albatrossi. Albatrossi. I'm going to go classic. I'm going to go Albatrises. For albatrosses? Yeah, I would. Do you have the answer? No, I don't. Oh, I thought this was. I was waiting for the reveal. It's not albatrosses? It is. It is Albatrosses?

That's such a weird word. It was an albatrossity. I love it when the right answer is a dumb answer. I want to say albatry or something. Yeah. Albatry again. All right. Najee Harris at 22. Air ball. We weren't even acknowledging what happened. Jason. No, we were moving on. He lost it. He had an air ball before the show, too. Najee Harris at 22, consistency of 27. J.K. Dobbins at 23, consistency of 19. Rico Dowdell at 24, consistency rank of 29. That was good. Kenneth Walker, 26, consistency of 15. The truth of Kenneth Walker, it's a very TBD, new offensive coordinator again. And Charbonnet played better than he played last year. He did. Yeah, especially towards the second half of the year. Ken Walker, it's, look, he's not the same level of player of.

of Sequin Barclay. But like this, to me, I still believe in like the talent of the player. It seems like he's trying to do so much on every single carry. And he does succeed. Like Ken Walker gives you some highlights. Like do you guys remember the front flip play where he was on a body and then flips off? He can do things. Some players can't be, can't get rid of that quality. And when they lose their athleticism. It hurts them even more. Yeah. And if he is going to always be, I have to do everything player, you may see the continuation of what we've seen, which is year one, explosive 4.6 to carry, year two, still explosive, 4.1 at carry, year three, less explosive 3.7 at carry. I mean, it has gone down. He was, yeah, the yards per carry because he's trying to hit home runs. But at the same time, that stat J, 46 running backs with 100 carries.

Ken Bone Walker was number one in forced miss tackle rate. Like he is he is elusive. He is powerful. He just is he is not in a great situation. And he is in a timeshare. And he keeps getting hurt. He does. He is made out of wet newspapers. That's what his bones are made out of. Oblee, calf, ankle, I are with the calf, kept trying to come back. I mean, I think I'm going to be in though. He's too, you know. Mixing or Ken Bone next year? Oh. I still think I'm on the mix inside of that one. I'd probably be on the mix inside of that one. Connor or Ken Bone? Ken Bone. Yeah. That one will go walking. See, I just think it's if you get the right season and this team can perform, but I don't have confidence yet in the quarterback, the head coach. Well, they got to fix that line. PFF. The offensive line. Their offensive line per PFF's ranking.

31st. 71% of his rushing yards came after contact. That just shows what a special player he is and what a bad offensive line he had. Yeah. If that's where you said that he had a lot of chances to try to break tackles because they were like permanent. Yeah. You said it if the right season happens. Yeah. And I'm not expecting like I wouldn't push my chips that the right season's going to happen. But it's one of those players like Jonathan Taylor where if the right season happens, he's. you know, a top five back and a total difference maker. If it presents itself. And he started catching a ton of balls this year. So we got a Super Bowl coming up, huh? We do. Two weeks. A repeat of the one. Yeah, the one here in Arizona. We got any predictions? Are you obviously your chiefs? I mean, look, I called the Chiefs over the Eagles in the playoffs before. He definitely got the first down.

He definitely got the first down. If your butt is what qualifies. Oh, it's not, it's the ball? It's your, yes. Did you see the angle, though, of the, the ref that was on the ball side? Yeah. Was running across the field. Oh, for sure. And he had to get a cheese player out of his way. And he was way ahead of the line. And they put the ball where the. back judge was that only had a booty shot. 100% you are correct. Watching it live, I thought he crossed and got there because of that far. You're just talking about the one side angle. The down the, the directly down the line angle where you can. The best shot that we had. That's the one. The ball didn't make it over. Deucers Alley, do you think he got the first down? Raise your hand if you do. But you know their answers. No, I only knew one. I only knew the Falcon definitely believed he got it. I was on a cruise. I didn't even see it.

Three for three. Three for three over there in Duceusel. Well, the heart wants what the heart wants. I wish it was first down. Yeah, well, you know, big chiefs guy over here. I shouldn't know. The old catch. That one is more up in the air. The catch was not a catch either. No, no, no. No. That one, do people got mad at me. I loved your tweet. People got mad at me. I literally went to tweet the exact same. thing that you tweeted and saw that you did it. Oh my God. But that was, I mean, that was wonderful. People were not ready for my tweet. I just tweeted the Dalton Kincaid miscatch and said the reps called this incomplete. And the whole world. I mean, I had to block some people. Oh, man. That's a good. That's, that's 10 out of 10 tweeting. And you know what? You see Philly firing the guns off in the crowd straight into the sky. Did you see that video? What? No. Frickin Philly. No.

Philly. Look, you're your own thing, man. Wait, like real guns? Yes. Oh, my goodness. Dude, somebody's in the... Who's doing the security? I'm tired. I can kill people. It's like a cartoon. No. Yes, dude. Look at it. What, Yosemite Sam's in the... It was Yosemite Sam and Philly. A guy just pulls a gun out, throws it over his head and boom, boom, three into the sky. Wow. In the middle of a crowd. Can we not do that, please? What? Freaking Philly. Oh, man. Good. Man. They're a passionate bunch. I don't know if you knew that. Oh, this was not in the stadium. No. How would he get the gun in the stadium? That's why I was asking who's doing the security. No, no, no, no. Okay, that makes far more sense. It was the celebration. Let's celebrate with dignity and some self-respect as we had into the Super Bowl. Not Yosemite Sam? Oh, my gosh. No Yosemite Sam. All right. We're getting into.

Wide receiver truth on Thursday. More news more to talk about. It's been a good one. Take care. Goodbye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on join thefoot.com. And follow us on Twitter at the FF ballers.