Mock Draft Episode! + Meat Your Maker - Fantasy Football Podcast for 8/27

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With your host, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright. Oh, welcome in. We're back again. Check it. I mean, we're back every day. I know. We never leave. We even have an extra episode this week. Oh, that's right. We have a very important extra episode hitting on Saturday. A very special edition. Today is Thursday, August 27th. We have a mock draft show today.

The fantasy football time machine tomorrow. And then we have a bonus episode of this show that will hit your feeds. You can watch it Saturday. It is our live show here in Phoenix. 800 foot clan members strong attending that live event, our bold prediction show. Tons of special stuff happening out there. And, I mean, it's going to be.

quite enjoyable. It's going to be crazy. It's going to be quite enjoyable. Listen, what popped into my head, Mike, was we have said before at one of the live shows, Andrew Luck retired. Yes. And I want to give you context for that moment. So we had the show prepared. Andrew Luck retires literally while we're in the green room about to go out on. We thought it was a bit just that we were like, oh man. Are we getting God? Someone got God so bad. Do you want to know what that would be equivalent to today?

That would be Joe Burrow retiring at our live show. That is the age equivalent. Are you calling your shop? No, no. The Reaper does not come for Joe Burrow. But that was the equivalent. He's not the fancy retireer. No, not currently. You also killed the queen, but. Yeah. I mean, they did. You really did. Well, I mean, when you comp anybody to somebody in their late.

probably what was he 80 90 years old yeah i mean your odds are there that something might happen sure in the near term but um no we're so excited it's going to be so much fun so much going on like i said a mock draft show today we have some news to catch you up on i don't think we have any catastrophic injury news to share with you today which is nice in fact we have some of the opposite some players getting off the pup all right uh we are less than two weeks until kickoff wow yeah two weeks from yesterday that's wild yeah wednesday night

So this weekend and next weekend, Labor Day weekend, are the two biggest draft days of the year. And if you're not prepped up and you're not ready, the ultimate draft kits available now at ultimate draft kit.com. Let's get it going. Leader of the pack, presented by PetSmart. Well, this has been a fun debate each and every week, guys. We're talking through unsettled situations committees at the wide receiver running back position and where we think the fantasy value is going to end up.

I mean, we did the Dolphins, I believe, last week, right? We talked through that mess of a wide receiver room and a little update. That one might be less messy. Than this one today? No, no, I'm saying with Chris Bell who is actually like... You don't think that makes it more messy? I think it makes it less messy in terms of like, he's good.

right yes Chris Bell was that's that's been the question all along well no it's like I think yeah he's a first round talent you're like with an injury recovery that pushed him down in the draft we think that these other guys like you're calling your shot on who's capable but it's like Chris Bell

is a player who should have gone in the first round. Pause. That is a fabulous future segment. He's good, right? I want that segment on this show. Mark it down. That would be amazing. But go on. Yeah, the issue is, yes, he is probably the most talented of their wide receiver core coming out of college. However, week one for a rookie off an ACL who hasn't participated, you can't possibly expect him to be even decent for fantasy, which means...

All he does is money to the water. Which, to be fair, our big takeaway, I think, at the end of last week's segment was, there is no value here. But there is value here. Yeah, today we are talking about the Steelers, running backs. You know, it's a strange thing when Kenny Gainwell departing was the departure of your best receiver? Well, your leading receiver in receptions anyways. And honestly, he played great. He was fabulous for this team.

Jalen Warren is still there. He is the first player off the board in fantasy right now for the Steelers in the sixth round. I don't know if it is warranted, but he feels like sort of a fart of a pick to me when I get to that point in the draft. And then you get Rico Doudal, who has at times been maybe Mike's favorite player in the world, proved last year because it was the year of Mike that after being, sir, he proved multiple years ago.

Do you think he proved what he did last year in Dallas? I don't. I don't think he had to... When you put up a thousand yards in like half a year? I think that's proof. I don't. I don't think his run in Dallas was ever as impressive or close to as impressive as his run last year in Carolina in terms of explosive games. I mean, there were times. There was a stretch of weeks last year where Rick McDowd was the primary discussion point for the explosive insane games. We had the 206.

rushing yards followed up by 1803. He can't even take a RICO compliment because he needs it to be bigger RICO compliment. Well, that's his RICO tattoos get offended. Yeah. So RICO Doudal is now on the Pittsburgh Steelers, sharing the backfield with Jalen Warren. We know one thing about this backfield. We know Caleb Johnson won't be taking away any carries from Jalen Warren or RICO Douddle. But Dowdell's going around later than Jalen Warren. I have Dowell rated ranked higher. What is?

the takeaway for you like this team Aaron Rogers you know Metcalf Pittman new head coach new identity we're so used to the Tomlin identity in the backfield it seems wide open it is and that where it's more difficult of you know when Rico is on the the the Panthers with Chuba I felt like it's Rico is the better player to me so it was the I can you know it took a while for Rico to

to take over the job, but it felt like this is something that could and should happen. Jalen Warren is an excellent player. Like, he's far better on the ground than I think that most people realize or give him credit for, and he's a multifaceted running back. And his face just did something. I have just discovered the wildest RICO Dowdle information. Okay, please. Let's have it.

So he played in Dallas in 2024, and he played in Carolina last year. Correct. And neither season was he just like declared the starter and played from the beginning, right? Correct. It took about half of the year. Listen to this. His opportunities in Dallas, 284, his opportunities in Carolina, 286. Okay. All right. His attempts, rushing attempts, 235, 236. Okay. His yardage, 1079, 1076. His reception is 39.

39. So would that make the Dallas year? Yeah, it would be impressive because it's the same thing. Six touchdowns last year for Carolina, two for Dallas. But I would say yes to a, I will stand partially corrected there. I think he was a dominator for a small stretch last year. But man, talk about just doing what you do. Yeah, it's funny because.

He is, he's shown in stretches that he is a very talented back. You know, hard to tackle, fully capable in the, in the receiving game, Rico has had his moments to shine. Yet no one has ever in his entire, not short career, been like, you know what? Let's build around Rico. You know what? Let's just make Rico our starter. No one's even been like, he's our starter ever. It's just, he starts every year as the backup. And he's like, okay, he's good enough. Let's give him the ball.

And I do agree, Mike, that this is his toughest. I think Jalen Warren is going to be his most difficult guy to use. It was like washed Zeke. Yeah. Come on. And then Chuba, who was injured when he finally. Chuba was fine, but RICO was better. And so year five for Warren never had a thousand yards season. Never had a thousand yard season. But also never, never really been the full starter. Not for a full year. To me, I am on the Jalen Warren's side.

And the reason, first of all, he is the wide receiver running back one on their depth chart right now. In both preseason games, he got the first snap and did not play much, which you kind of like to see those two things in conjunction. He also has played with Aaron Rogers now for two seasons. And when I look at the opportunities here, I think that the way that I project this is I think Jalen Warren will be the more prominent passing.

you know, passing game, not third down back, but the passing game back, then Rico Dowdle will. I think that Aaron Rogers will look for him the way that he looked for Kenny Gainwell. There's a reason why Kenny Gainwell led the team in receptions. It's because Aaron Rogers is borderline dead and just checks everything down. The goal line opportunities, I would imagine, go more to Rico. I just don't see this offense as one that's going to be like scoring a ton. It is a little funny, though.

the idea that like Aaron Rogers was there with Jalen Warren and not Jalen Warren was that receiving factor. But I mean, Jalen Warren does one thing for sure. He tends to get banged up and he tends to give a backup an opportunity to have a few starts. Can Rico take advantage of that? Yeah, and last year Jalen Warren 14 carries inside the five? Wait, total? And only four, five zone touchdowns? And Rico is just

It's hard because you want the running back to get the receptions and the goal line work. I don't think that that's how it will shake out. But what you do have is Mike, so Mike McCarthy was in Dallas when Rico had the breakout over the second half. Mike McCarthy is in Pittsburgh, brought in a familiar face, so he should be ready to go. I think it's worth.

getting some exposure to this backfield. I'm not overloading this where every league I'm in. I'm like, I got to get one of these Pittsburgh Steelers. But I think that there is a, there's a decent chance that one of them actually pops. Whose upside is higher? Rico. Rico, because of the touchdowns. But like, if it goes with any history of Rico, just draft Jay Lamarron. And then around week, I don't know, seven or eight.

Pick up Rico Dowdle. I'm actively targeting Dowdell. He's the winner. He's the winner in this competition for me on this show for Leader of the Pack. But I went through my UDK for the League of Record, and I went in and I marked my targets for these rounds where I have picks. And Rico's marked for me. Like I actually just think that there's a lot of opportunity for him to become the identity of this team. And that puts me kind of farther in that camp.

Leader of the pack for you, Jason. You said Jalen Warren? Jalen Warren would be the guy I would draft. I think he starts as the starter and has more passing work and stays healthy. And Mike, which side are you? Well, what do you think of this quote here? I know the quotes crying crazy. I apologize if I mispronounce the name of Mark Caballie. Steelers beat writer. So the end of the quote is Dowdell's quickness, speed, vision, and power make him much more than a platoon back. Even though Warren is very good, Dowdle will be the unquestioned RB1 when the season starts.