Fantasy Football Podcast 2015 - Rookie WR's, Interview with Adam Aizer, Mailbag

He's a guy I was going to really love if he got signed by the Saints. Oh. Because that's who I saw him going to. They were high on him. And I was like, man, here it comes. He's going to land with New Orleans and he's going to be Breeze's new target. And I was just disappointed because he's a guy I like. I think he has a lot of talent. But, man, there's just not. He's not getting reps over Hilton. He's not getting reps over Andre Johnson. He might get him over Moncrief. Which is baffling. Because Moncrief is taller and faster.

And was a highly productive wide receiver last year for his targets. I feel like there's something they don't like about him. Moncrief? Yeah, I'm just throwing that out there. I think there's a personal, something that they don't like about him that much. Or is it T.Y. Hilton, who's, I believe, in a contract year. I don't know what it is, leverage or something. But anyway, that's the story on Philip Dorset. I agree with Jason. You know, he has some dynasty value, but he's going to disappoint you if you draft him year one. I don't think he needs to go off of anybody's boards.

Is there anybody else here before we go and talk to Adam Azer from CBS Sports? We've got an interview coming up with him. But is there anybody else in this list? Green Beckham was a guy we thought would go a little higher. He ends up with the Titans and Marcus Mariotta. Yeah, that's disappointing. It's a bad match for him. It's a bad landing spot. It's a bad situation. Well, just especially for this year when you have Mariotto, Domo Arrigato.

Coming in and trying to learn a pro system, it's going to be hit or miss for Green Beckham on a weekly basis. So dynasty could be different. Mariotta could surprise us all and be a fantastic quarterback, but this year you're hands off for me. I know this sounds really stupid what I'm about to say, but I honestly believe that. It always does. I know. I know.

But if Odell Beckham didn't have such an incredible year last year, I feel like people would be off of Doyle Green Beckham just a little bit more than they are. Wait, the name association? Yes, the name association. Nobody's high on Green Beckham? David Beckham certainly is very high on him. David Beckham? He's bending him into his lineup. Don't get caught up on the name. Because I saw so many, so many things pre-draft talking about how this is the guy you need to target.

Like first, he's going to be the most talented, the number one guy in the long term. He's like Calvin Johnson, and he was being touted like crazy high. If he was really like Calvin Johnson, I don't care of the character issues, he wouldn't have dropped to where he dropped to. He was the number one high school recruit coming into college. And you know what? I would have really liked him if he ended up on the New Orleans Saints. I would have liked him if he hadn't had an incident of hurting a lady.

I just, I'm willing to give him a second chance on those things as he comes in the NFL if things get straightened out. But second chance is notwithstanding, he ends up in a bad situation. Yep. With a, with a quarterback that's not necessarily a, you know, a downfield year one success. So let's, uh, let's go ahead and take a break here from the rookie wide receivers. Mike, you got something to say. I want your finger up like this. I want this on the record.

Uh-oh. As we talk... We know. You're the biggest Chipotle fan there is. We got it. That's on the record. That's spoken for. Oh, you have it. That's official. Max Williams. I've been thinking about... We've got to have a nickname. You have a guy with two X's in his name. I like Doseckis. I'm coined in Dose Ekes. For Max Williams. You heard it here on the fantasy footballers. That thing is going to spread like wildfire. Dosecques. Dosecys.

All right, let's change gears. Let's talk to Adam Azer from CBS Sports. Would you like me to repeat the question? All right, we are joined by the illustrious Adam Azer from the CBS podcasting fame. In our opinion, besides Andy, of course, the best host in the podcast game. So we are going to get to know Adam a little bit with a couple quick questions. So Adam, can you say hello to the people?

I know you didn't just call me illustrious. Oh, I did, my friend. Yeah. Well, hello. Thank you guys for having me on. I really appreciate it. You guys are a good, great up-and-coming podcast, and I'm very happy to be here. Well, we appreciate that. So let's get to know, Adam. What is your favorite food? That is a good question. Didn't see that one coming. The big three, big three would be pizza, cheeseburgers, and...

burritos. Dude, you just became my best friend. Yeah, right. I was thinking, if he says burrito, then we got the trifecta going. Yeah, I don't know what I would choose. I've thought about, I've actually thought about that a lot, and as we're speaking, I'm seeing a commercial for the steak double dia at Taco Bell, and it's kind of making me lean towards Mexican food. Oh, let's just go burrito. You got to come out to Arizona, because we got a good out here.

I've been to Arizona. I had a horrible memory in Arizona. I know. Oh, I apologize then. What is your favorite movie? Probably Braveheart. Yes, that's mine as well. Thank you for such good taste in your food and movies. And last one about Get to Know Adam. What is your favorite football player of all time? Oh, man. You know, I don't really care about players, honestly. I never...

was into jerseys or autographs or anything. So that is tough. I talked to Tiki Barber on the phone one time and thanked him for some fantasy production. When I was in college, my brother met him and put him on the phone with me. So I'll say Tiki Barber, even though he was kind of a jerk after he retired. Yeah, a little bit. While he was playing, he and Strahan were my favorites. All right, so let's talk a little bit about the draft.

The first thing that people actually want to know what I think they want to know, do you have any bust alerts? I think Marietta. I said it last week. He's not exactly a fantasy bust, I don't think, because I doubt he gets drafted, really, unless it's a Dynasty League. And I could see myself being wrong on it. But I just looked at all the Oregon players, the skilled position players who are in the NFL, and almost all of them are bad. They do nothing.

You know, Jonathan Stewart, Ligera Blunt, they've had their moments. But like I said, I mean, it's like they get to the NFL, and they're like, oh, people cover us in the NFL. And it's just, it just doesn't translate. And when I watched him, for me, I got a lot of heat for this on Twitter, actually, when I was watching the, I had this opinion before that. I like college football a lot, and I'm an ACC guy, so I watch a lot of James Winston. I'm a Miami guy, so I hate James Winston, but there's no denying that he was a really good passer.

And I always thought he was a better pro prospect than Marriota. And then when they played against each other, I know Winston didn't have a very good game, but just from an amateur football fan scouting perspective, which I think we all become this time of year. Right. Like, there's no doubt in my mind, Winston was a real NFL quarterback. I just never really felt that way about Marietta, and I still don't. I don't think he's walking into a great situation either. So he'd be a bus for me. All right.

In Arizona, so we try not to be homers for our team, which I think we do a pretty good job of steering people from that. However, with the offensive line upgrades and the draft of David Johnson, I think I might need some talking down off of a ledge because my desire for him on my fantasy team might be a little bit too high. So what are your thoughts of David Johnson?

No, that makes a lot of sense, actually. You asked for another bust, and I think a potential bus could be Duke Johnson. Oh, right. If you're looking at rookie running backs, I like Duke. I think he's really best suited to let Isaiah Crowell carry the Rock a lot, and he can be kind of a Shane Vere type player. I think he's going to get too dinged up. So if you're choosing between running backs who are drafted in the third round, I like David Johnson a lot more than I like Duke Johnson.

I like T.J. Yeldon and David Johnson and Tevin Coleman. Those are the three after the two guys who were drafted in the first round, and we'll see what the injury situation is with Gurley. But after Gurley and Gordon, those three running backs, Coleman, Yeldon, and David Johnson have a really good chance to be good early. They're going to have, I think, opportunities. I was never an Andre Ellington believer, not because I don't believe in the talent. You guys in comment on this, but I just never thought he could stay healthy, and I never thought he could.

you know, average a good enough yards per carry if he was getting enough carries in between the tackles. So I think you're right. I mean, I think David Johnson has a really good opportunity. I can't sit here and say I know much about him. I didn't really watch him in college, but it's really not about that at this point. All these guys are talented. I'll let the NFL GM sort out who's better. I'm just going to look at opportunity, and he's got a great one. Yeah, we agree completely on Ellington, and we actually think David Johnson helps Ellington move back to that role where he was very successful his rookie year. Right.

So you mentioned those first two guys, Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley. How do you think for where Melvin Gordon is getting drafted, do you think he's going to be worth the draft pick in third or fourth round, or do you think you'd steer clear and go for those other guys you mentioned that were on the third round? I don't know. I mean, I'm tired of Washington, of Wisconsin running backs, but I just feel like...

Gordon, he's a different breed than Monte Ball and Ron Dane, and I don't want to lump him with those guys. He's more of a playmaker, and I think he's going to have so many touches, potentially, that he might not average a great yards per carry, but he could still be really productive. So I'm tempted to think that short-term he could be the best rookie running back. I don't know about long-term. I looked at the Big Ten, and all of his opponent...

run defenses. And man, they were terrible. I mean, I can't imagine a high profile running back who faced worse run defenses than Melvin Gorda did last year. And over the last two years, when he faced top 40 run defenses, I think three out of four times he didn't really have that good of a game. I don't know if that means anything, but I have a little skeptical, but I just think the opportunity is going to be good. I think Gordon will return good fourth round value.

I don't think third round. I think third round seems a little too high for me, but fourth round, I could see it working out. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And with Gordon, you know, he's one of those guys. We talk about what you said, talent, supporting cast, and opportunity. And at least he has those in front of him. That's why I think David Johnson's attractive as well. If we shift gears and talk a little bit about what we saw last year, which was this plethora of rookie wide receivers,

exploding onto the fantasy scene, do you, you know, regardless of that, do you think, do you believe in the rookie ride receiver now that you've seen it with that many guys? Or are you stepping back off of that? Or what are some of the... Oh, no, I totally, oh, I totally believe it. I don't know that we should have the same expectations. Let's not put expectations too high for these guys. But I totally believe in the rookie wide receivers. I think Amari Cooper and Kevin White, you...

I'm not going to tell you which one to take first. We're having a tough time deciding, too. The answer is Kevin White. Oh, we disagree. Some of us disagree here, but. Yeah, some of us love the combine, apparently. We sure do. Jump high. Tell me why you're going Kevin White. I just, his measurables combined with a man that we lovingly call Smoke and Jay Cuddy and his just propensity to.

To take the one-on-one shot to not care, he will throw it up. And I think Kevin White can excel with a quarterback who's given him those shots. Plus, Alshan Jeffrey is not too bad. No, but, you know, they obviously have a new coaching staff, new offensive coordinator. They might try to run the ball a little bit more. They drafted Jeremy Langford, who I think was a good, good guy to target in Dynasty leagues, probably not seasonal leagues unless you're handcuffing forte. And then Amari Cooper is obviously the number one guy in Oakland.

I think, maybe not at the beginning, but by, let's say, the fourth game, it'll be the clear-cut number one guy. Yeah, and if you believe in Carr, then you can believe in Cooper. And even if you don't believe in Carr, you didn't have to believe in the Tampa Bay quarterback situation to believe in Mike Evans, right? Right. So are you off of Kadim Carrey? Yeah, I'm off of Cadeem Carrey.

Were you ever on Kadim Derry? No, I wasn't. I mean, that was the thing. Like, they never really had an exciting handcuff option. I don't know if they do now. You know, I don't want to sit here, and I'm going to say this on, we're doing a podcast tomorrow or Thursday, depending on people who listen to this, Thursday. I'm not going to sit here and try to be a scout and pretend that I know who's good and who's not. We're obviously going to have to look at opportunity. I remember last year, we did a dynasty draft on the air,

I took Alfred Blue over James White, and I think both Jamie and Dave were, like, ripping me for it. I'm like, come on, we don't know. We don't know. James White's Wisconsin running back. They're all terrible. And obviously, like, Blue wasn't great or anything, but White was much worse. So who knows what's going to happen with the rookies? I think you look at opportunity, and White and Cooper have a great opportunity, and I think Devante Parker is going to be really, really fantasy relevant this year as well.