Week 18 Fantasy Football Rankings (Guest: Bob Harris)

Bob Harris from Football Diehards joins Jeff Erickson to discuss Week 18 and playoff fantasy, and how to help industry friend Emil Kadlec.

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00:00 – Intro
01:00 – Emil Kadlec & the history of fantasy football
10:00 – Week 18 Tips
12:30 – Bench Risks
19:45 – Nick Mullens
22:00 – Tua Tagovailoa
24:00 – Mason Rudolph
26:00 – Zamir White, Rachaad White
28:00 – SF Backs
31:00 – James Conner
33:00 – Saints backs
37:00 – Ja’Marr Chase / Tee Higgins / Puka Nacua
39:00 – Nico Collins
43:00 – Garrett Wilson
47:00 – Stefon Diggs
49:00 – Trey McBride

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#fantasyfootball #fantasyfootballrankings #Week18

The fantasy playoffs are over in most leagues but there are some people with skin in the game still and there’s a lot of NFL teams with skin in the game we’re going to talk about that and a whole lot more going on in our fantasy industry as

Well with our good friend Bob Harris coming up next on the Roa wire fantasy football Podcast greetings everybody Welcome to the rotal wire fantasy football podcast Jeff Ericson here with the great Bob Harris from football die hards and soon to be football guys uh Bob thank you for so much for spending some time with us happy new year thanks for joining us

Today uh thanks for having on I always love coming on with you it’s great I I love listening to you you know our shows so on certain days like kind of dovetailing each other so I get to sit there at the uh dial in about half hour

Early and listen to the show I always love hearing you man exactly we uh you know on those Monday and Thursday nights it’s uh we get to do the first half of the game you get the second half and the calls afterward and that first look at

The next week so uh but this week we might actually have a bigger audience no Thursday night game we’ll see Dare To Dream but uh we’ll see about that off the top unfortunately we have some negative news about a good friend of ours ail catlick um you posted uh just

The other day about this on Twitter you know he’s dealing with some health issues why don’t you elaborate yeah it’s you know Emil cathic has been the publisher and and the head guy at Fant president at fantasy sports publication uh since 1990 they he started that company and started publishing the pro

Forecast Fantasy Football Pro forecast magazine in 90 has published it continuously for 34 years since this year was our 34th will be last with him at the helm maybe someone pick it up and keep it going but he was diagnosed with cancer as the season began pancreatic cancer he’s been undergoing chemo all

Season long being really aggressive he is determined to fight this out and uh I was uh super impressed that he made it through the full season but now he is stepping down and and moving on so uh you know Emil has has been a big part of

The fantasy industry as I said you know the start 1990 some of the things that he brought about uh in addition to the magazines which we started out with the one the pro forecast eventually worked up to four titles with over a million on the news stands uh huge distribution uh

But he also started the the high stakes industry basically the world championship of fantasy football in 2004 uh he started with Lenny papano they grew that into a huge thing and you saw that turn into an industry unto itself he uh he and I and along with a

Couple other guys started the fantasy sports writing Association in 2004 you know just kind of the goal was to you know highlight creators and give people a chance to earn some awards and some some visibility and uh so we got that and he was in he was inducted in the

Hall of Fame of that in 2011 by the way he’s also in the fantasy sports trade and gaming Association Hall of Fame as well he should be um along the way he did some crazy stuff like you know everyone plays best ball and you know it

Came from somewhere oh I know where it came from it was 1998 we were all in the a league called the fanex fantasy experts league and everyone wanted to you know show off their skills but nobody wanted to manage the teams we were already in enough so he we call it

A draft Master format then but it was basically baseball right and that’s where that came about so he’s had a hand in many things and one of the things I think that has really been important that he’s done is really focus on the history of what we do the the hobby that

We play and he and I wrote an article he did immense amounts of leg work but about the founding of fantasy the original Fantasy Football League the goppel league the greater Oakland Pigskins prognosticators League uh you know back in 1961 uh they started out kind of hatch the idea it was all people

Affiliated with the Oakland Raiders whether they were in o parts of ownership or journalists who covered it and uh Bill wink andah uh was the guy who started it all wink and uh email tracked all these people down tracked down all the documents I have the original we had the original draft you

Know handwritten draft that’s amazing from that draft and interviewed all the people who all the still living participants in that draft and and one of them like was a you know people like uh Ron wolf who went on to be a pretty good uh general manager Scotty Sterling

A guy who went on into basketball but there were a lot of guys involved in it was just and emo felt was super important and he ended up getting Wink in into the fsti Hall of Fame right I mean it was just he’s always been driven about the history of things and that’s

Kind of been his uh his deal so uh so I hope you know I hope people remember him and kind of look at some of the things and check him out we have a GoFundMe it’s tied up the top i p it the top of my uh ex profile Twitter profile uh fo.

Hard so go check that out if you get a chance and if you feel like it uh you know uh give a donation if you don’t have the money to donate no worries share the thing or just send him an email he is loving hearing from people email. cathic gmail.com that’s also uh

On my Twitter profile right now so go ahead and check that out and he would love to hear from you but some of the things you know Jeff I think that you know the the number of people in this industry who you know got kind of a

Little visibility from the start of so getting in the magazines back in the 90s and stuff the list is long and uh and and just like I think that’s one of the things that I’m proudest of in my association with him is the number of people we were able to give platforms to

Right over the course right exactly whether through the magazines the website the radio show subsequently uh it’s been like to me this is like as I move on like we were talking before we’re both going to work for another 30 years and and we’re very old already or

At least I am uh but I mean that’s the kind of where I’m at my career the opportunity to raise the level and and share my platform with others has been phenomenal well that was instilled in me by email and he started instilling it from the day I started working with him

For you know it’s so easy to be proprietary right and keep something within your own Circle we’re gonna have our own staff involved and and nobody else we brought in everybody all the big names into the Masters forecast and the pro forecast I mean just never hesitated

That to have a diversity of ideas opinions and people uh come in and and share their ideas with us so uh that’s something that I’ll take with me going forward and something I’ll work to do uh throughout the rest of my career yeah absolutely and I’m glad you mentioned

The history aspect too because as big as fantasy football is it’s outpaced Fantasy Baseball I feel like Fantasy Baseball has a better grasp of its history uh yes for sure I I think perhaps it’s because it was started by a bunch of writers uh and there is a book

You know a number of books but like Ron Chandler has done a number of things to write about the history of it Larry sheer is writing a history of it as well I’ve been talking to him right okay I have as well and he you know great

Player good guy and uh looking forward to seeing that uh just you know going back to the days of like baseball weekly and John Hunt promoting the game and all that we we remember our our our predecessors and we remember those who who you know created some space for us

And uh I’m glad to see it’s doing that way in football too yeah if you go to a eil started site called fantasy Nation fantasy.com or he has interviews with I think of it’s about 30 people now people who started out in the industry people that you’ve long forgotten were in the

Industry he did like long form video interviews with them so go check that out at Fantasy nation.com you’ll you’ll see some interesting people some familiar names some unfamiliar names that played huge roles in the the early portion of the fantasy sports industry and some people you may have forgotten

And uh and some some newcomers who kind of were Pioneers in their own right like you know some women in the who played in the game or who have raised their level and uh and that’s something that’s always been important to us too I think we’re the first major magazine have

Female experts uh you know because why they were kicking ass in in high stakes games right right Kimber Scher and Jules mlan brought them in and they were contributors regular contributors to the magazine so uh so just always been like something that’s been really important

To him uh is the history and I’m glad that uh I’m glad that I got a dose of it yeah absolutely absolutely um let’s talk a little bit about week 18 but first real quick uh we start into week 18 quick note from one of our sponsors

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A chance to win a free RotoWire fancy football subscription enter now at smashup sports.com and join the future of fantasy sports welcome back to the r wire fantasy football podcast I’m my guest is Bob Harris uh Bob you you and I have played this game long enough to remember

When the last week of the season was the fantasy Super Bowl there are still some leagues that still do that out there not that many anymore I hope we’ve all earned I hope so but we haven’t though I know I remember an Aryan Foster last week of the Season carrying me to the

Title I remember that happening when original home League I think that was I was like the the Denver Broncos back when the Broncos were known for losing Super Bowls I was the Denver Broncos of our home league and Aran Foster broke that uh that curse I guess for the

Buffalo Bills now still yeah I think every year there you know we can think of runningbacks who won US titles or lost or beat us out for title games uh because it’s I mean and it’s kind of become the norm I just won a title this past week but just thanks to Justice

Hill right so you know running backs are the physician the magical physician but but the week you know now that we have the 18 weeks of the season 17 games it’s kind of changed the dynamic a little bit I think people are are like a little

More in tune with ending it and not playing week 18 maybe because you know just the added game has changed and people already had their league set up for the certain number but it works out a little better if you if everybody’s playing it turns out yep uh see lyen in

The chat saying uh friend created the league using ESPN’s default setting so he’s got skin in the game this week I mean that happens I do have one League where we have a total points BET right um and it’s based uh we have a steak dinner after the season like eight of us

Get together and the the W losers buy for the winners but we run through week 18 on that one so and I’ve gone from eater to buyer and in week 18 before so I I do feel like you know there like I I do play I love playing DFS you know once

The regular season’s over for me I I jump in the DFS and I do think there’s a lot more opportunities I’m a tournament player I’m not like a you know a bankroll building cash game player there’s plenty of people who do that really well I love playing tournaments

And there’s nothing better than sitting down to a slate of games with a handful of lottery ticket lineups in your hand and watch how it plays out and week 18 really opens up the possibilities there uh to some outlier players and some different lineup builds that maybe you

Can set yourself apart uh but also for the people in season long you’re gonna have to you’re have to work around I think the the the part for me Jeff is you’ve put so much effort we start like you and I will be starting right probably already are are plotting for

Next year and you know we put effort into our you know Research into plotting out our strategies and everything and to have it you know there’s enough there was enough difficulty and enough you know variance throughout the course of a regular season uh to deal you blows then

You add that extra layer of variance and volatility uh with week 18 man you’re taking your chances absolutely absolutely um so yeah stay on top of the news we already saw uh Carson went is going to start for the Rams that just dropped about a little bit ago so that’s

Another team we can put on our bench wrists uh there this week and there there’s I think there’s like six of them maybe even seven uh if you count the Bengals although I saw T Higgins and Jamar Chase practicing at least present at practice today we’ll see what level

Of activity on I heard I heard Zack Taylor saying they’re you know they’re they have every intention to win but then he throws into caveat however that happens right like so you’ve got to watch out for that because playing win is different than playing all your

Starters and you know there it’s a it’s a fine line uh but it is a line and you have to watch it and I think the Bengals on that they have nothing to gain with a win other than I think they they’re closing they want to have a winning

Record probably I mean you’re a big fan so we you’d like to see that as well I think they’d like to see that if it works out that way but maybe they catch a break because Cleveland will be playing probably nobody they’re gonna not be playing Joe Flaco so I’m guessing

Omari Cooper and others will probably ride the fine as well absolutely and I think with the Browns too they’re they’re diving deep into who who’s starting for them too already uh so it’s it’s going to be a real challenge that’s for sure um let’s start

Off uh you know let’s let’s just we can talk about these teams here that are doing that there um yeah you know David andoku sitting out with an illness oh you know it’s like all these these guys Jeff Driscoll that’s that’s who it is Je Driscoll is getting the start yeah this

Week uh one other thing about the Bengals um they they are 0 and five in division this year they do not want Tois division um that is a motivator but they’re facing Jeff Driscoll so maybe there’s a chance I think Driscoll had a a cup of coffee with them too at one

Point in time if I recall correctly I think everyone has yeah yeah that’s true there there was a phase where they they rolled through a bunch of different quarter they did before the pre- burough era and then the when burrow got hurt Driscoll was there I’m pretty sure um so

Motivation Revenge Jeff Driscoll Revenge game narrative there we go for yes what do you think about the Ravens uh I I know they’ve lost after having the buy uh before they lost the Titans that one year and there was some talk about them being off their game and Rusty I don’t

Know how how big that is but I can’t imagine them exposing L Mara too much I I don’t think they’ll expose him to anything we’ll see I mean I’m expecting Tyler hutley uh Odell Beckham has some incentives that he might like to reach I think or I think that might be reachable

Um I wouldn’t overdo that though but but I I I do think Hunley might be a decent play in this game right like I think he’ll get the full run uh they have Harbaugh has been pretty pretty dicey about it you know you know yes very very

Cy about his his framing of it but but my sense is we won’t see any Lamar if much if we see any at all yep yeah I agree I I agree I think the same is true with the ners we already know mcaffry is not going to play uh they’re going to

Nurse that injury but I I would think hey they’ve clinched the number one one seed that’s their right to rest everybody and now that we see that the Rams are resting starters I mean even more incentive for the ners to rest theirs right I and Kyle Shanahan had a

Pretty robust discussion about that this week you know the Fine Line like you only have so many players right you can’t sit everyone that’s right U but he did talk about it a little bit and and you can sit the most important ones I think we’ll see a a full dose of Sam

Darnold probably be another really solid play given the Rams approach because the the Rams kind of did this last year too they were in a similar spot last year and so now we know the offensive players we Matthew Stafford sitting down uh I think I would expect that across the

Board to the degree possible but again you can’t sit everybody there are going to be starters playing so if you think the defense is just going to totally lay down now they’re gonna be 11 guys out there and a lot of them are going to be regular starters yeah we don’t have 90

Guys on scholarship that’s that’s definitely an issue there for sure uh we Chiefs have already mentioned they’re going to bench Mahomes this week and other starters almost certainly Kelsey’s going to be one of those um so yeah just keep that they did that last year as well

This is this is not new for them yep and then the lions are the the other team that I’m kind of watching a little bit too I think the line reflects that the the threat of them sitting some guys at least for a half a game they’re only a

Three-point favorite over Minnesota yeah I think so too and I I Know Dan Campbell’s talking a mean game and and still looking to bite kneecaps and whatnot uh no we I don’t know if we want to go into last week but boy what a you know for whatever you thought about the

Call and I mean there’s a lot of I mean they were maybe they were they were pushing the envelope a little bit with everybody reporting that whole kind of thing uh but beyond that once you miss that kick it don’t cut your nose off to spite your face play for the tie you

Know two times I mean so he has no one to blame for himself but but I do think that that there’s probably a little bit of language in there that I’ve heard that makes me makes me believe that they aren’t gonna like have the pedal to the

Metal the whole time even if Dan Campbell would like to think they do right and I even heard that he didn’t want to he he went for two CU he didn’t want to play another period which with suggest that we don’t want to have him play extra periods this week either um

So uh I would be see but you know we’ll see about that I I I feel like this is like a play for a quarter play hard for a quarter and then rest of your guys or maybe I think exactly I think that’s exactly what I feel like yeah and that

Doesn’t mean like you know we always talk about it too like in games where this it seems like a really lopsided uh thing you know I can’t play any guys well because the game script might ruin them well you know if they’re going to get up by some points they’re probably

Going to you know need some play so you know somebody’s going to have to do that scoring for them to get up before they pull the guys so you know there it’s not like if you’re in some kind of season long league and you don’t have a viable

Pivot at quarterback or something that you couldn’t play golf and hope for the best yeah Raman Ross St Brown for that matter I that that’s good luck finding a pivot this week on that uh we we’ll Endeavor to find some of those pivots but uh you know we’ll see it’s going to

Be tough um I just remember two years ago the Packers were in a similar situation on the road and bakari got hurt right um and that’s the thing you want to avoid I mean that that there is a real R yeah I think I think there are

Teams that we’re going to want to mind this week like looking for some of the ancillary players that we wouldn’t normally play uh none of those will be on Detroit yeah I agree I don’t have a good faith I think there’s enough on some other teams that are gonna be

Playing all out absolutely by the way I’m seeing a bunch of questions in the chat room we’re going to hit those at the very end of this keep them coming we love seeing them there uh before we hit quarterbacks another quick uh sponsorship note get ready for the

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Does look fantastic I’ve not been there I’m I think I’m gonna go to Vegas in a week so I’m gonna have to visit it by the way I’m just seeing Nick Mullins is gonna gonna get the nod for Minnesota who has you know they need to win absolutely and which yeah that raises

The question why the heck didn’t he start last week um why did you wait so long to put him in said everyone who has Justin Jefferson on a championship roster right right and just it’s only our playoff hopes on the line here what could I mean jiren Hall looked so

Overmatched in that game so overmatched like he didn’t even belong on the field I felt horrible for him his family’s all there every you know big too before the game and H would like this and I do think like when we look back on this season you’re going to look at some

Moments like that decision you know uh Campbell’s decision I think you know there’s gonna have to be some serious like No One’s Gonna lose their job but someone should get a Stern talking to I believe right like hey okay Mr analytics okay Mr tough guy let’s think this

Through a little bit next time exactly exactly for Campbell I don’t think it’s analytics I think he hates kickers I I think he I just think he Jake of the Jake cely of the NFL yes exactly who hates kickers more let’s let’s debate uh I mean they remember they spent remember

They went like his first year they cut both the kickers in Camp uh and just said well we’re just going to have an open Tri they kickers are fungible that that’s his mindset there um and you know maybe yeah yeah exactly the Rams went back to Mah yeah that’s crazy um just

It’s just wild to see that certain teams just don’t trust their kicker at all burn a fourth round pick on a guy and ex way you go exactly let’s talk about some of the players that are playing this week uh because I think there’s uh some

Interesting ones here um I I don’t know what to make out of a couple different players here um notably a quarterback uh you mentioned Mullins I think against Detroit that’s probably going to be a pretty good start but I want to talk a little Tua and uh Tua going against the

Bills rested late in that loss to the Ravens he was dealing with the shoulder coming in it’s offensive lines of shambles he may not have Jaylen Wadd there’s a lot of arguments against him this week he hasn’t even been that good for the last four or five weeks fantasy

Wise anyhow what are you doing with them this week I’m probably looking for other options they probably you have them I mean if you drafted to a you know early double digit rounds or right close to that he was probably one of those situations I know for me when I’m

Drafting players in that round I’ll often draft two in the same range and you know feel like I could play either one of them and there was a period early in the season where two was lighting it up that period is over and he has not

Been lighting it up and you would think somebody who plays with Tyreek Hill that Tugboat is to drag the the ship of productivity along it has not to the degree that you would hope for so and look they’re they do a lot of scoring on the ground so that’s that’s part of it

As well we’ll see what happens with Raheem moer this week but either way they’ve still got plenty of depth at the running back position I think you can run against the bills as well so I’m probably gonna dial back on to a little bit I mean he’s he’s a startable

Commodity I want to say where I want to look at my rankings real quick I like I have like top 10 but just barely I have them nine also so have nine yeah it’s like like Tua or Trevor Lawrence great yeah I think Baker Mayfield’s in there as well like that

There’s a tier in there that I think is the same group of guys exactly I’ve got I go Tua Lawrence Gino Mayfield in that order I got Nick Mullen at 13 I don’t know I mean it’s it’s a tough call um yeah I think so I I’m kind of in that

Same range I’m going to uh Mayfield I have Derek Carr right there I think is a kind of a tougher matchup but he does have something to play for so you got to like that menu’s in the mix there Tyrod Taylor is one maybe easily overlooked

Too yeah I mean he had that long scramble at the end that reminds you of what he’s capable of um and then just some terrific plane calling in the last 45 seconds of that game doesn’t matter for the Giants in fact they probably better off losing close but still I mean

Just it just Brian gets them St talking to as well yes and P Carol at the end of that Seattle Rams game same thing Mike McCarthy too let’s like make the whole list people yes oh clock management skills for a thousand Alex ohay U is really bad stuff um let’s talk a little

Bit about Mason Rudolph okay playing well points the lastek I mean yeah I’m not I’m not against this I mean there’s you know nothing really uh too exciting here except playoff burst on the line right so so I do like this and against a Baltimore defense that probably going to

Not be you know all into it I we’ll see if some of the pieces definitely injured guys aren’t going to play right you want see Kyle Hamilton you want to see Kyle Hamilton right probably a few others so so I am kind of thinking Mason Rudolph

Might be a decent play this week yeah I think it’s pretty telling that Kenny Pickett’s probably healthy enough to play and they’re like no we’re gonna stick with Rudolph here all the drama last week that he you know that he didn’t want to be the backup what was

That they took him to Seattle and he didn’t want to be the backup he’s denying that but it seems odd that you would take somebody all the way to Seattle and assume he’s going to be the number two and then he’s not yeah pretty odd stuff there um good be an

Interesting offseason in Pittsburgh we’ll be you know yet another team that’s probably looking to improve at that position Russell Wilson yes oh God Russell Wilson to Atlanta Russell Wilson to Pittsburgh Russell Wilson here and there and everywhere I think Russell Wilson to Atlanta makes sense until they get Justin

Fields don’t do that to poor Justin Fields though I mean I don’t wish that upon him unless they get rid of Arthur Smith then then okay then we’ll talk and they’re not yeah exactly so don’t do that to poor Justin Fields but it’s probably that more importantly don’t do

It to us right take something beautiful and ruin it there H gross we are on the blue wire Network here and as always we like being on the bluewire network so here are some ads thank you for your patience with our ads thanks to the bluewire network great

Studio by the way in the win if you ever get a chance to check that out if you ever do a show from there really good staff really cool Studio that they have there it’s pretty cool uh let’s talk running backs because this is like you said Justice Hill won leagues last week

We can find some others this week it’s part of the scramble U are you big on zamir white this week yeah I think part of the thing with zir white is you know not that the Raiders have anything to play for but Antonio Pierce does yes he

Pierce wants that damn job and Antonio Pierce has figured out defense and running the ball are his ticket uh to keeping that job and I think we’ll see more of the same I thought you know I felt like last week and maybe feel the same on the radio on my live streams

Every question was zir white or somebody yeah right and and I mean I felt like he was the nail and I’m a hammer I’m like nailing that thing every time I’ll probably be the same this week yeah thing about the you know especially and it’s may be more important this week

Than ever but you know I think going into drafts next year the thing I’m going to be chasing is certain volume so much volatility in the NFL in terms of outcomes and the way games play out that in unexpected ways uh there seems to be

One thing you can rely on and it’s a narrow band of players that give it to you is certain weekly volume you do not get fantasy points without a ball in somebody’s hands and zamir white I think this week has that certain volume I’m looking forward to seeing what he could

Do with it yeah uh looking to see the price it’s no longer quite free Square level on DraftKings it’s 6,000 now no they C on finally been a little while yeah is Jacobs done is this just like they’re done with I feel I feel like it

I mean you know and that’s look that’s something to watch right I mean it’s I suppose it’s possible he can come back I don’t know that they’re going to push him in and you know he’s got a future to think of I don’t know if he wants to get

Pushed in so uh we’ll see how it goes I’m counting on it I’m I’m expecting it to be white so watch that people be mindful of it if there is a hint of Josh Jacobs around uh then dial back yeah um you might be able to find at the running

Back position players who are not starters that could be great like Eli Mitchell maybe might be a decent start this week or maybe they go all the way down to Jordan Mason we’ll see so I I I know I think it was uh maybe Matt Barrow

From the athletic uh who said that he expects it to be uh Jordan Mason that that Mitchell’s still a little beat up and that he probably will be the piece that they lean on more heavily yeah I I I could see that and the thing is I I remember Willie Parker third

Stringer Willie Parker going off on the need to win Buffalo Bills when it you know when the Steelers already clinched and that was our introduction of fast Willie Parker uh yes um so running backs in particular you want to find the guys that are going to get that volume even

On the teams that you like you said they don’t have 90 players they have 55 you know they you know you gotta have some good players still playing in these games there is a and it was by the way Matt barrows from the athletic who said

That by the way there is a universe in where Melvin Gordon might become relevant again this weekend yes that’s right that’s right um good for him um he he he’s one of the uh first to suffer from the you know suffer from the valuation of running back oh

Yeah for sure yeah he he remember he had that first out with the Chargers and didn’t get what he wanted this was a year after Lev Bell um and he never got his L Bell never got his either by the way let’s let’s remember people you know

You say well he’ll make it back if he he no that money is gone you’re never getting that money right you’ll get some other money and you may make a fair amount of it you’re never getting that money when you sit out you just I agree

I agree uh he he did get a contract at least but it it set the future for others to get lesser contracts and you see like Joe Mason I mean Joe Mixon playing a pay cut this year uh you see other backs like that and it’s just the

Way of life in the NFL it sucks but it is what it is unfortun unless you’re my Sanders and you get everything you want and you you suck yeah that was wild that was so six million six million for that yeah indeed um I’m gonna have to Dow I

Think I feel like I need to downgrade Gibbs and definitely Kiron Williams kyen Williams what are you doing with him next year um you’re drafting him in the first round um I mean without fail I think if he if he slides down outside the top three or four I’ll I’ll be all

Over that I think you know you’re looking early on you’re going to see mcaffrey and he should be right I mean I was looking at what I wrote about him going into last season I could keep the same damn thing and just tweak the numbers a little bit right minor tweaks

Of the of the average points per game he’s still a player and a half at the position and but Kiren Williams was not far behind him that kind of Leverage over the field is valuable and it’s volume based in both their cases right that’s what I’m talking about the

Importance of volume and if the offense is good better still or the offense is serviceable enough better still but Williams has been just a total Workhorse I don’t see a situation like I think we all thought going into this year that it was GNA be cam Acres we saw the late

Season run last year we thought maybe they would build on that obviously didn’t work out but you didn’t have to pay for that I think you’re gonna have to pay for this this year yeah and I think the difference is I I mean the talent’s more is is stronger and it’s

Had a longer stretch I’m concerned about durability obviously uh that’s one thing I going to watch for but it transformed the Rams offense I’m old enough to remember when he was like a failed satellite back because that was last year right coming into the league exactly exactly uh so that’s definitely

Something to watch for Bob my number one running back this week is James Connor I never thought I’d be in that saying that this year but he’s on a roll he gets a Seattle run defense that just got absolutely gashed last week and I I think Arizona I mean they’re playing

Hard right now and I don’t care that Seattle something to play for they can’t stop the run yeah they did last week right I mean that’s the thing about Arizona they if they were gonna bail they would have bailed last week we wouldn’t have seen Kyler Murray I mean

There there’s a lot of lot of reasons for this to back my number one is Rashad white uh because he’s playing Carolina sure you know the the the team that’s been laying down the most for for running backs so but but Connor is right up there for me as well Connor’s been

Amazing right I he’s another one of those guys in the running back so-called Dead Zone uh you were getting in the six seventh round in draft that’s totally paid off I know he missed time it happens uh you know me Jeff I’m injury agnostic I don’t care if somebody gets

Hurt everybody’s going to get hurt uh look at this year Justin Jefferson will tell you that it could happen to and it will happen to everybody at some point so I don’t shy away from that but in Connor’s case I know he has the history

Of getting beat up this year he got beat up a little bit but when he was on the field and especially down the stretch when it mattered most I said last week that Justice Hill won me a title well James Connor was on that roster as well

Uh in that lineup and he also was a big part of that and I’m going against a team with Christen maccaffrey and and some other Heavy Hitters and and here I am taking him down with Conor Justice Hill I’m I’m in on Conor he’s a great

Player uh and has a nice enough role I think maybe next year we’ll see a little more Michael Carter uh you know I think they’ll work him into the mix a little bit more they year they haven’t had the opportunity it’s been all Connor and going back to the San Francisco game I

Mean he was phenomenal in that game phenomenal against the Eagles when people didn’t expect him to be I think this week I’ll be playing him as well all right very good can I interest you in a Jamal Williams this week you can well you know I’m waiting to see what’s

Up with Alvin CRA because the Saints do need a win here so if they get CRA in I’m sure they will but I do think we’ll also see more Jamal Williams than we’ve gotten up to this point yeah I think so too I just don’t know if we’ll see him a

Whole lot in the uh the passing game like we see Camaro I mean no one no one does that no no one gets 13 targets with all all within three yards of the line of scrimmage I that’s I’m fine with it with him though I mean that’s all like I’m APR

Cack them up sir I can hear Andy Baron right now turning over in His Radio talking about PPR leagues I know how much he hates those uh so yeah but that that would that is that that’s something I’m gonna be watching for any other running backs

You’re keep an eye on that you wouldn’t normally this week uh I think there are a few like how about this one Tony Pard yeah I mean like here’s a guy who’s kind of fallen out of favor right I mean he was a guy last week I was like I’m

Looking at my options very carefully this week I’m not looking at my options it’s Washington as horrible as they are at stopping opposing passing attacks they are equally as bad as stopping opposing running backs so yeah he’ll be a piece that I think is going to be

Ranked higher and have way more way more you know way better outcome than he normally would I think you’re looking you know I me I think Devon aan this week this might be a good week for him uh and some of the other Usual Suspects I’m looking for outliers that that I

Like I mean I don’t see a lot of outliers here I got Jonathan Taylor fairly High the expectations especially against Houston um single Terry should be up there as well so I think Bean Robinson this week if ever Arthur I know it’s Arthur Smith it’s not Bean we love

You sir but not you I did start Tyler alir in a championship game last good call it’s just it’s a it’s a really pathetic running back room for a championship game but so it goes and unfortunately I I had this loaded wide receiver room but then I lost Keenan

Allen and Amari Cooper last week so I I lost Cooper and one and I think I had in that League I was without Keenan Allen as well and I think in the king’s classic uh auction I was going up against Curtis Patrick and trying to defend my auction title uh and uh failed

Miserably because some of those pieces were missing it was rough yeah it’s tough this is that the for my league it’s a my my original home League the one that started rootwire um and you know Peter shank in that in it a number of other folks that have been there forever and

I it’s a super Flex league three receivers and a flex and I had all these guys missing I even lost Joshua Palmer oh you know it’s like come on I can’t even get the backup to the B you know to him there it’s just it was brutal so it

Goes and I picked up the wrong guy I mean it happens it happens I did that exactly uh one more ad then we’ll talk wide receivers are you ready to revolutionize your sports betting approach begin with the two-e free trial at odds are.com where Cutting Edge AI technology sharpens your Edge in the

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Free trial download today we smart strategy triumps over luck welcome back to the rootwire fantasy football podcast Jeff Ericson here with Bob Harris uh quick reminder uh we are doing this to try to help out our friend Emil catlick you can check out his GoFundMe right

Here I’m posting in the Forum right now again and you can check it on both of our respective Twitter pages as well Bob let’s talk wide receivers okay what imp impact do personal Milestones have for you I’m I’m thinking of Jamar Chase I’m thinking of Puka akua both of them are

Chasing individual Milestones while having some incentives not to play this week right teams like their players to hit these milestones and like they you know they will try to get them out of the way you’ll see a receiver multiply targeted over and over and over again

Until they get him that numbers I and I know Tyreek Hill you’re a little too far away sir I think I’m gonna dismiss you but I mean he would love to hit that record what 268 I think away I mean he’s hit 200 but he’s got other incentives too so we’re

Not worried about him playing but yeah you think in general and I know that the the perception a lot of times is like oh these owners don’t want to play these players dis incentives they don’t care they’re gonna they’re gonna pay anyway that and it’s really good for the locker

Room for players to get a little assistance hitting their hitting their incentives if they’re reasonably close so if they have an opportunity I think they’ll try to do that puka is a little beat up though for for me he might be a candidate to not get his right hit his

Milestone so I’d be a little worried about him I’m a little worried about all the RS but especially the beat up ones I mean if somebody has had been dealing with injuries and a guy like puka who’s winds up questionable for this that or the other last week it was a hip it’s

Been various things I’d be a little I’d be a little worri worried about him especially now that they announc that Stafford’s not playing right when’s playing yeah so it makes makes makes a little bit more sense uh T Higgins probably should sit um I I I don’t think

One more is GNA help his contract you know maybe Chase too yeah Chase too Chase wants to get his 100 catches so he’s four away from that uh but I don’t know uh we’ll see I mean we’ll see what happens with that but it’s and we just

Got the official here on Sam darnold by the way okay Sam darnold is official now I I would bench Deo and iuk as well you know I you’re gonna see like my update on Thursday of my rankings is just GNA take forever um and I already moved some

Of these guys down but you know adding guys in too like as we’re digging into the corners to find some players here it’s going to be kind of tricky right Jan Jennings didn’t play last week so he’s got a concussion yep yeah so we’ll see what goes on with him exactly uh

Nico Collins let’s talk Houston Indie this is a game is a fun game yeah uh ni Collins might be the last man standing in Houston Noah Brown got hurt again last week or Woods got hurt again last week John mie is you know just hey yeah he is he he unfortunately never fully

Recovered from all from his multiple issues healthwise there um it’s there will be there will be a Xavier Hutchinson share in some of my uh some of my tournament lineups for sure if there especially if there’s no no Brown we’ll see but Nico to me is locked

In I mean gotta be you’ve got to have him in your lineup it’s CJ Stout as well and I think you know I think the the Texans having something to play for having CJ strout back in the mix just like Jeff I was talking about this the

Other day with somebody uh you know as we go into next season I think there’ll be some hard decisions between between on draft day between Brock pie and CJ strad and I think you look at the comparisons well what what what’s the common denominator there oh it’s the

Shanahan offense Bobby SLO comes over from Houston it’s a good Supporting Cast that will continue to get better it’s all the things that you know made Brock py go from I know you know CJ stra was by no means Mr Irrelevant but it’s the same you know did we expect CJ Stroud to

Have this season I don’t think we did certainly the Carolina Panthers didn’t uh and so uh so there is a little Common Thread there and I think both of them kind of gain from that offense it’s a you know you know I’m not calling them system quarterbacks or game managers

Because I don’t think that’s the case but I think having a great system that you execute properly which both of them have with a strong Supporting Cast it’s like the recipe for success for quarterbacks makes you wonder what would happen to Bryce young if he had landed

In Houston correct yeah and I I you know and it’s so funny because both of their first both young and stoud their first preseason game they were running for their respective lives yep um the difference is it changed with Houston it didn’t change with Carolina um the other

Difference is Bryce young doesn’t need to be getting hit that much right oh yeah he some of this is on Bryce young for sure um I agree with you on that the other difference is he doesn’t have receiver is getting any sort of Separation to uh which is a real problem

There uh but I I am really curious to see what it looks like in year two with that Houston offense especially if they don’t you know Ro of wire’s depth chart you see an injured player you get the red mark the line player and all that their offensive lines got like 13 lines

13 players marked that’s all year yeah it’s brutal yeah it started it started right with the start of the season right they had like two or three three starters down or three fifths of their line gone in any given week so I’m super impressed with what CJ Straw’s done and

And if I had to count on him this week if I was in any kind of title game I would be super thrilled yeah and you know going up against Indie with Uncle Rico and Michael Pitman there I mean I I think that that one’s going to be a fun

Side as well I think there’ll be plenty of scoring because Houston’s defense was good last week against Tennessee but that’s Tennessee the week before they got absolutely torched by Cleveland happening this week yeah for sure that cover three that ind’s running is you know made for down the- middle

Stuff and and so I’m yeah I’m like I get carried away with my proje we do the same thing with you know favorable matchups that we do with unfavorable matchups which is we flate them to much greater than they are and yes these teams are probably scoring 100 points so

Keep your expectations in check but this is a game I want to be dealing mining heavily uh this weekend yeah and you have to play Showdown or play the Saturday two game slate if you want a piece of that action there but uh you know looking forward to that game I’m

Really looking forward that game a lot at stake there on that one there um couple other guys that are interesting to me here uh at this position uh Garrett Wilson less I’m less interested for this week but what are we doing with him next year because I I think even

With Rogers there’s some real issues at this Jets offense that they have to fix offensive line has to be first and foremost or Aaron Rogers is going to be irrelevant uh you know I mean whatever you think of Zack Wilson or the handful of guys who have tried to fill in it’ll

Be Trevor Simeon again this week because the Wilson is ruled out um and like whatever my complaints are about Zack Wilson they’re not that he won’t throw the ball to Garrett because he does he knows he’s smart enough to know what to do there and like Aaron Rogers obviously

Will be as well so I I think I think we’ll be I think we’ll be dialed back he’ll be one of the players that I’m looking for I think you probably make the same list I do as soon as the season is end I’ve already started mine of

Players who disappointed came up short in terms of uh and you know anticipated return on our investment it’s a big deal on Twitter I’m told um so uh so but that’s the that’s the key for me is I want to look for guys that are going to

Be huge values that are great players and this is what does it we we have a tendency all of us to remember the last things we saw and uh you know that’s why we drafted Gabe Davis you know a year ago well we drafted him we saw that huge

Playoff game and we overdrafted we do this on the regular so I sit down and I make a list of players who disappointed and I kind of rank them and how they disappointed us some of it season long right like Travis Kelce season long disappointment for the most part Patrick

Mahomes also but they’re going to be values I mean they’re going to be cheaper pieces or go much cheaper than we were used to paying them that doesn’t mean you can’t draft them people it means you should draft them at a cheaper price because they’re not horrible and

There’s a chance they could improve so uh so I’m going to feel the same way about Garrett Wilson he’s going to be on that list as well of guys who who came up a little shorter than we wanted certainly didn’t return the draft value we invested in them and there were a lot

Of reasons for them and not all of them were Garrett Wilson in fact almost none of them are do you find that our leagues are getting sharper I do of course yeah like I think like I oh yeah I’ll be able to get Garrett Wilson late 30 no no

You’ll be get in in the second round still no I feel there are certain guys that you can like you can I feel like you can gain a little leverage on and I felt like you know this summer for me jir Gibbs was one of them but that was

When I was getting in the fourth round before I started talking about how much I would rather draft him than bejon Robinson right in the first round and pretty soon I was you know because a lot of people I draft with are people listen

To my show we do a bunch of bestas balls pretty soon he was going to the third round yeah and then pretty soon he was sneaking to the second round damn it I need to shut the hell up about this guy but there are always going to be players

That you can like plant your flag on if you feel comfortable with them and maybe get a good you know get a good price on but for the most part like just like over the course of time again been doing this a long time I’ve been doing this 30

Years right you the audience has changed over those 30 years right like there used to be a time when the offseason was when I became an you know more expert right everyone’s doing the same thing as I am right my job is more filtering the information to help them become experts

So or to maintain their level of expertise uh so to speak so that’s that’s more the chore now than you know I I always thought it was funny like calling people a fantasy expert like I kind of consider myself a professional right because everyone I play against is

An expert I don’t play against anyone who isn’t and I look in the chat here I see Andre Andreas tski should try drafting with her should try drafting with her once I mean she will crush you and there’s and I feel like that’s like our entire audience are

Are these people who pay attention and it’s not like you know it’s not like it used to be when people would take the entire offseason off and not pay any attention come in show up with a magazine on the day of the draft and and just do their business no everyone knows

Something and and so you’re not you’re not getting away with anything the the things we used to talk about sleepers there aren’t sleepers there’s values now that’s why we’ve shifted our phraseology and our terminology and how we view players so exactly right so yes the audiences has and and the people you

Play with have gotten a lot tougher absolutely uh let’s talk a little Stefan digs Angelo brought him up in the chat room and I think it’s a good topic uh not a good topic cost me my Championship but that’s right I his lack of production’s been very pronounced over

The last month and a half now really and yeah since week nine yeah and Angela suggests that it might be because of Josh Allen’s shoulder and I could see it I think it’s also the offensive coordinator switching emphasis to the running game a lot more you seeing a lot

More designed runs for Allen uh and that’s nobody’s wide receiver friend in the Red Zone that’s for sure I think a lot of times we make these multivariable equations single Vari right we want to boil it down to the simple thing like Oh’s this like it D con like Dawson Ox

Came back also they changed cordinators also you know I mean there you know nothing is ever a single thing almost nothing maybe a torn ACL is a single thing right but but I think in most cases and all these things are correct right you can be right about all these

Things that maybe it is Josh Allen but maybe it’s the the the offensive design I mean it’s a it’s a big shift I think I said since week N I think it’s been nine games since he’s had a 100 yard game I think it was five of the first six and

Then it started diminishing and I think we’re you know I think the fuse is lit if they don’t have a lot of playoff success and he doesn’t have a big game uh there’s gonna be trouble people uh in Buffalo exactly right Josh Allen by by

The way is you know there’s a lot of talk about his neck so it’s not like you know Angelo is not wrong he is not I don’t think 100 per healthy in the shoulder and you know he’s taken a couple big hits now they’re calling it a

Neck I’m not sure if that’s not the same issue as the shoulder so so yeah you’re not wrong either Angelo that’s just there are multiple pieces to this indeed uh week 18 chaos really hits tight end pretty hard Travis Kelce maybe needs to get those 16 yards for a for a thousand

George KD probably not GNA play we already had darnold announced David njoku sat out practice today Cleveland’s locked in their position they’re starting Jeff Driscoll Isaiah likely two touchdowns last week but he might not he might be unlikely to play much this week uh even Tyler higgy dis dislocated left

Shoulder probably won’t play will see him we may not see Sam lorta which would be a devastating blow to the position it it is just nasty at this position we will see Trey McBride though yes we will and L of him lots of him so let’s talk a

Little Trey McBride for next year because I I I think we all love Trey McBride right now but you know and it just shows what what the tight end position is that there are like eight guys that I think I really want to have next year he’s definitely one of them

How high does he go for you next year um pretty high right I think probably top five based on the volume again I’m going to be drafting volume I’ll see how you know Mark Andrews Health is going to be part of this equation I mean Travis

Kelce is not out of the conversation uh Sam leaport is gonna be in the conversation uh so I think you know after that maybe you know like I think it’s easy to overlook Evan Ingram you know the volume that he gets if I’m focusing on volume not a lot of guys get

More volume the touchdowns weren’t there as much this year but the volume was so I think there but but McBride’s right up there and that portion of the conversation we’ll see what they do at wide receiver they’re going to have very high draic uh so maybe they add

Something to the receiver room and they’ll still have you know Hollywood Brown will still be on board and he has a good relationship with Kyler but right now there are no wide receivers on that team not named Greg dorch who are doing a single darn thing uh to forward this

Offense right I mean literally no other wide receivers and I had a lot of Hope for Michael Wilson coming in at the season maybe he can develop a little more he looked like the different piece right the yeah got hurt too much unfortunately right I use my Sesame

Street theory of of looking at Players one of these things is not like the other sometimes those guys have an opportunity to Excel and he did he did briefly uh but then the injuries hit him and so but just that receiving core has been done nothing and we started seeing

McBride though come on before zackers was hurt not in terms of the volume but in terms of what he was doing with the minimal volume he had his numbers that his per yards per catch everything we off the charts high and then Zach BS got

Hurt and the the volume went off so I would expect that volume to continue next year to some degree but we’ll need to watch and that’ll probably be the the determining factor of where he ends up as what they do at wide receiver I agree I agree Marvin Harrison Jr in that room

I could see that entirely possible fit like a glove there um so we’ll see about that uh got got confirmation Tyler Huntley will start for the Ravens so the dominoes are falling right now so we’ll see see a lot more of that ready to hit some Q&A here sure all right let’s rip

These let’s rip through these uh start off uh with um let’s see I had it right here okay George says um his his League does extend to week 18 PPR has to pick three uh between Bree Breece Hall Rashad white zamir white kyin Williams javante Williams and Elijah Mitchell I think go

Ahead yeah pretty good starting point here right I mean the the white brothers are are in my lineup again watch out for Josh Jacobs after that I mean Bree Hall kind of come into play maybe for me I think that’d be my choice yeah I think I

Go because we don’t know how much kirn’s gonna play javante Williams they’ve already said McLaughlin’s going to get more playing time this week he started actually technically ahead of javante last week and was the better back and as you suggested earlier it’s probably gonna be Mason instead of Mitchell so I

Think it almost solves itself yep I think so all right Lyin says uh has to choose three choose running back PPR Lake choose three running backs single Terry Zeke zamir white again like you said it seems like it’s every week Ty khil strong um Ty Johnson is that yeah

That’d be my guess here um it would Pro single Terry would be the starting point for me zamir also well zamir single Terry and then after that I mean KH had a pretty good game last week yeah it has been and I’m tempted to do this like the Bears have never won in

Green Bay right mie wants a win Justin field like I know there’s a lot of people like what are they going to play for they There’s jobs on the line people that’s what they have to play for just like Antonio Pierce so I’d be tempted to

Go I’m not against Zeke though uh you know in this matchup against the Jets who aren’t all that vicious against the run so that’s my that’s my decision point there I might lean Zeke just because there’s not a a Roshan I know there there are other pieces there but

They’re not getting a lot of bandwidth I yeah I think I might go Herbert here um I think that’s my lean um the the Bears by the way are this year’s Lions play you know peing at the right time error of good feelings and a spoiler yes spoiler in Green Bay again

It’s easy again we’re looking for that little easy slot there but in our minds but uh there I am but I I do like I nobody they don’t want to face the Bears right now guarantee you that this is not a team you want to face totally playing

Great defense too yeah all right uh good stuff folks uh Bob awesome stuff again uh thank you so much for spending some of your time with me I know you’re a very very busy man um and hey congrats on making through another season here looking forward to the postseason yeah

Man looking forward to more more radio having a great time looking forward to my future and you know appreciate everyone chipping in and again if you you don’t have to donate anything if you just want to write email a not say hey man thanks uh for you know setting the

Foundation for a lot of what’s going on here he would love to hear from you on the email and that’s also in the chat there as well so and on my uh Twitter and X feed too so hit him up man he’d love to hear from youed and thanks for

Giving me opportunity to talk about it man of course anytime anytime we’ll talk soon thanks everybody thanks for listening to rootwire we got uh we got uh Mario and John with us tomorrow thanks for always listen to rootwire take care