WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:03.640 Welcome to the Auction Brief. 2 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:09.080 There's a joy in these games. 3 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:12.839 Taking you on a journey through fantasy. 4 00:00:12.439 --> 00:00:18.600 Football, the law, and life. We saw your depends on 5 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:23.039 how much you want, and now you're legal analyst and 6 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:26.800 auction draft expert here to help you dominate your fantasy drafts. 7 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:32.240 Your host, Drew Davenport, there are full hearts. 8 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:40.200 Hey, everybody, Welcome into the Auction Brief. As the lady said, 9 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:42.719 I'm your host, Drew Davenport, and thank you so much 10 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:46.280 for joining me for another episode. As you know, we 11 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:49.399 have one goal here on the Auction Brief, and that 12 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:53.840 is to help all of you win more titles. And 13 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:55.560 one of the ways that we do that is by 14 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:58.399 bringing the best and brightest minds in the fantasy community 15 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:01.880 on here from my weekly disc Dicussions with Drew. These 16 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:05.079 conversations are there to help you with the most difficult 17 00:01:05.079 --> 00:01:07.879 fantasy situations you're going to face in your drafts this summer. 18 00:01:08.680 --> 00:01:11.400 Let's not delay. Let's get right to this week's guest 19 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:14.760 on another installment of Discussions with Drew. 20 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:20.560 Time for Discussions with Drew, in depth conversations with the 21 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:22.480 brightest minds in the fantasy industry. 22 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:27.439 Welcome into this week's discussions with Drew, we're running it 23 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:31.959 back another year with Fantasy Analyst Extraordinaire Matt Harmon. I 24 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.200 think that's his new title. We're going to give him 25 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:37.599 Fantasy Analyst Extraordinaire. But you can find Matt in a 26 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:41.359 lot of different places. He's got Reception Perception dot Com, 27 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:43.319 which we're going to talk a little bit about how 28 00:01:43.319 --> 00:01:46.640 they've expanded their contact quite a bit. And he's also 29 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:49.239 over there with a little mom and pop operation called 30 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:53.400 Yahoo Fantasy Sports. So you can find Matt doing a 31 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:54.959 lot of different things. I'm going to let him tell 32 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:56.760 you about that. But Matt, thank you so much for 33 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:57.480 coming on the show. 34 00:01:57.959 --> 00:02:00.159 Yeah, it's good to be able to, you know, support 35 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:01.719 a local small business like Yahoo. 36 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:03.719 It's good that you were able to get me out here. 37 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:03.840 Now. 38 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:06.640 I appreciate you as always having me Andrew. We have 39 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:09.439 like an annual little chat at this point. It didn't 40 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:11.000 around this time in the calendar. And then we get 41 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:13.759 to see each other sooner than ever here with the 42 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:16.360 expo coming up in less than two weeks, not like 43 00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:17.400 a week here pretty much. 44 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:20.039 Yeah, yeah, I can't believe it. We were just having 45 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:22.240 that conversation off the air that it just feels like 46 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:24.719 it squeezed this summer. But you know, we still have 47 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:28.280 time after the expo that we didn't have before. So yeah, 48 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:31.840 I'm excited to see you and hang out and and 49 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:34.840 you know, reconnect and this is a fun annual thing 50 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:38.639 for me. My listeners have spoken and they've said that 51 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:41.439 Matt Harmon does a great show. So hey, we're going 52 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:43.360 to keep running it back as long as you will. 53 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:47.680 Let us tell me a little bit about Reception Perception 54 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:51.560 dot com for those that don't know, and you know 55 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:53.360 where you can find your work in general. 56 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:59.520 Yeah, Reception Perception dot com. Right now working on kind 57 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:02.599 of some more so established veteran players. I think at 58 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:06.080 this point every year I kind of try to bucket 59 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:08.520 the groups of players that I drop at a particular time. 60 00:03:08.599 --> 00:03:13.360 So obviously after prospects after the draft, do like the 61 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:15.479 guys that were rookies last year, so incoming year two 62 00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:18.000 players and then year three and then year four, and 63 00:03:18.280 --> 00:03:20.000 right now I'm working on the guys that are kind 64 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.840 of going into that like years five to seven of 65 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:26.240 their careers. So that will be dropped actually the Monday 66 00:03:26.280 --> 00:03:27.960 after the expo July twenty seven. 67 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:30.120 That'll come out that full player drop. 68 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:34.599 Drake London, Nicocollins, Garrett Wilson, DeVante Smith. I know some 69 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:37.560 interesting players that you know are going to be in 70 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:38.919 there or that people want to check out. And we've 71 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:40.879 got some new tools on the site as well, including 72 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.240 my Dynasty rankings tool and a player comparison tool that 73 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:46.719 I think people have really been enjoying seeing how like 74 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:48.719 different this kind of helps you put into context, you know, 75 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:51.560 all right, this is what this guy's sort of profile 76 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:54.199 indicates based on some players that he compares to. 77 00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:57.919 Okay, yeah, and you've expanded some of the content over there. 78 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:00.080 I don't know if that's what you want to call it, 79 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:04.120 but you've got some quarterback and running back information over 80 00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:05.960 there as well, so it's not just a wide receiver 81 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:08.840 one stop shop. Who have you got behind the charting 82 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:10.840 over there with the quarterbacks and running backs? 83 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:13.719 Yeah, last year we rolled out the running back charting. 84 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:17.600 That's James co the that's what James is doing, the 85 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:21.240 running back charting. He's really dove into that the last 86 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:23.160 couple of years here, and we're starting to get a 87 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:27.360 pretty good database, so we kind of know where where 88 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:29.759 like the data is indicating. And I always say, you know, 89 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:33.439 this was the most difficult part about doing the receiver 90 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:36.240 analysis early on is that you know, I would have 91 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.639 all these data points, but you didn't. Like I said 92 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:40.279 some things in the first couple of years of charting 93 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:42.639 the position that I would definitely not say now, you know, 94 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:45.879 because receiver is so context dependent and everything like that. 95 00:04:45.959 --> 00:04:48.040 So I think that's been the cool thing about the 96 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:50.920 second year of running back data. Now quarterbacks we have 97 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:53.920 actually had on the site dating back to the twenty 98 00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:56.959 twenty two season. We've just had a different person doing 99 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.839 it every year based on like the first person that 100 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:02.639 we doing it was Derek Klassen, who now co hosts 101 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:05.560 the Athletic Football Show, so he's moved on and up, 102 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:09.079 and now we have Alfredo Brown writing the quarterback profiles 103 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:11.600 for us. So he's been doing great work with that. 104 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:13.959 I've really enjoyed reading his profiles, and I think it's 105 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.800 gonna bring It's brought something cool to the site this 106 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:17.959 year to have him doing that. 107 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:21.000 Yeah, and maybe that's why I thought it was new 108 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.560 because I saw Alfredo in there, and I know that 109 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:26.759 you could just you know, recently come on with you guys, so. 110 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:27.680 Well, I think that's the fun thing. 111 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.160 Funny thing is, like I think because we've had three 112 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:34.000 guys doing the quarterback profiles essentially the since it launched, 113 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:35.879 it was class and for a couple of years, who's 114 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:38.079 more like embedded in the NFL space that we had 115 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.639 Corey Kinnon doing it in one year he's more embedded 116 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:43.279 in the NFL draft space. Now we have Alfredo doing it, 117 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:45.240 who's more known in the fantasy space. So I think 118 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:48.279 that's been like why he's the fantasy folks are seeing 119 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:50.240 the quarterback charting out because Alfredo is doing a great 120 00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:52.199 job like throwing it out there and everything. 121 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:53.600 So yeah, it's been it's been great. 122 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:55.639 It's James and are trying to come up with different 123 00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:00.360 ways where we can match the quarterback data two wide receivers, like, oh, 124 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:02.639 this guy's a good fit with this player in this 125 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:05.639 particular area. So we're looking to hopefully kind of do 126 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:06.279 more and more of that. 127 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:09.800 Well, that's yeah, that's awesome. That sounds great. And the 128 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:13.600 conversations that I always have with you are always enlightening, 129 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:18.079 and I know your work is as well. So I 130 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:23.240 encourage everyone not only listen to to Matt's shows, and 131 00:06:23.800 --> 00:06:25.759 there's a lot of conversations that pop up on my 132 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:27.519 timeline that I love too, And I think I just 133 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:30.399 saw one today talking about Nico Collins. It was Nico 134 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.399 versus London Drink London. 135 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:36.279 Yep. Yeah, yeah, I haven't watched it yet, yep. Okay, 136 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:37.839 yeah cool, I won't spoil it for you. 137 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:40.319 Then yes, I want to watch it. And so Boone? 138 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:41.680 Is Boone going to be there in Campon? 139 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:42.959 You should be there? Yep? 140 00:06:43.240 --> 00:06:46.160 Ex excellent. That guy has never turned me down for 141 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:48.920 a drink, which I love. There are some people that 142 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:50.920 when I say, hey, you want to you need a drink, 143 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:53.399 and they always say yes, they instantly become some of 144 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:54.120 my favorite people. 145 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:58.480 Yeah, I would say, yeah, one hundred percent success rate 146 00:06:58.519 --> 00:06:59.040 with Boone and. 147 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:02.959 All drink you bet, you bet. We're peas in a pod. 148 00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:05.000 So I'm excited that he's going to be there too. 149 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:07.000 All right, Well, let's talk a little bit about and 150 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:09.720 I'm sorry to do this to you again. I'm pigeonholing 151 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:13.399 you a little bit here or a lot bit talking 152 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:15.759 about receivers. But hey, you're just really good at it. 153 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:17.759 And would you say. 154 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:18.519 That's what I'm here for? 155 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:21.399 Man? Yeah? Great, great, that's a good attitude. To have 156 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:24.000 because sometimes it feels like, you know, I get pigeonholed too. 157 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:26.759 Hey call this guy up and ask him about Josh Jacobs. 158 00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:32.800 But you know, your information is extremely valuable. I follow you. 159 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:35.199 Your opinions carry a lot of weight with me, and 160 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:37.439 I know they do with my audience. So let's talk 161 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:40.000 about some of these guys. Yeah, you bet, even you've 162 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:42.480 earned it. But let's talk about some of these guys 163 00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:45.800 that I just have some questions about some of these 164 00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:48.480 guys that maybe you can answer for me. And so 165 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:51.879 I've titled the section of the show Receivers to Believe 166 00:07:51.879 --> 00:07:55.600 in question mark, can we believe in these guys? And 167 00:07:55.800 --> 00:07:57.360 the first guy that I want to talk about is 168 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:59.959 in Pittsburgh because there is a little bit of steam 169 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:04.160 behind Michael Pittman, and I think that a lot of 170 00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:07.839 people are drawing the connection between the fact that Aaron 171 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:10.439 Rodgers isn't throwing the ball deep as much anymore, or 172 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:13.600 isn't doing it as well anymore either, and that Michael 173 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:16.279 Pittman might be a better fit with Aaron Rodgers. That 174 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:19.399 I saw was your opinion that came across my timeline recently. 175 00:08:19.959 --> 00:08:21.800 Now people are starting to wake up to it a 176 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:23.920 little bit, but he's still wide receiver forty one and 177 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:28.839 ADP right now, that's extremely cheap. What's a realistic expectation 178 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:31.959 for Pittman in his first year with Aaron Rodgers? And 179 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:35.039 and what do you think about that that wide receiver 180 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:38.559 forty one price tag? And we have a really realistic 181 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:41.559 expectation for what kind of target share he can get 182 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:44.480 there because it feels like this stuff gets like a 183 00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:47.039 runaway train kind of fuel and it's like, oh, you 184 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:49.279 get ninety five catches, like I don't you know, we're 185 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:51.360 not going to see that. But what's realistic about Pittman 186 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:51.799 this year? 187 00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:52.639 Yeah? 188 00:08:52.679 --> 00:08:55.000 I think, by the way, what a name to start 189 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:56.919 off with, you know, Michael Pittman. That's the way to 190 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:00.960 lead the show right there. But yeah, yeah, don't be mean, 191 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.759 but no, listen, I love Michael Pipman. I've been a 192 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:09.080 long time Michael Pittman fan and working on him back 193 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:11.240 in you know, when the trade happened, essentially, because that's 194 00:09:11.240 --> 00:09:13.519 how I do this site is when guys get traded 195 00:09:13.639 --> 00:09:15.240 or you know they're going to be eligible for a 196 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:17.080 free agency, they're the first ones that get dropped on 197 00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:17.480 the site. 198 00:09:17.480 --> 00:09:18.759 Back in March so. 199 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:20.519 When he gets traded, and you know, kind of had 200 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:22.000 a pretty good indication that he was going to end 201 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.480 up getting moved, so I'd already started working on a profile, 202 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:28.000 and my first thought was, man if Rogers is the 203 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:30.600 quarterback of this team. Yeah, he's a perfect fit, like 204 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:35.039 you said, and that's I maintained that opinion. Now very 205 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:39.480 interesting that they draft Jeremy Bernard too in Round two 206 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:41.360 of the NFL Draft, because I think they kind of 207 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:44.039 have like a little bit of a similar ish skill 208 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:47.039 set and would be aligned in a similar way. I 209 00:09:47.080 --> 00:09:50.440 think they will rotate between the slot and Z receiver 210 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:54.879 position those two guys, while DK Metcalf almost exclusively handles 211 00:09:54.919 --> 00:09:58.480 the X receiver duties, So that will be fascining to 212 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:01.519 see who ends up taking more as I would bet 213 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:05.720 it is Pittman because he is just super reliable. He's 214 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:07.399 always in the right place at the right time. He's 215 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:10.519 been a high quality zone beater pretty much throughout the 216 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:14.159 course of his career in reception perception when he's been healthy, 217 00:10:14.200 --> 00:10:16.320 which he was for the most part last year, was 218 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:18.759 not really healthy the year prior, So I just think 219 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:20.840 the way he gets open quickly, the way he settles 220 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:23.600 into zones, especially on these like quick hitch routes and 221 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:27.120 quick outs like flats and things of that nature. Those 222 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:29.159 are really the throws that Rodgers is taking now at 223 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:33.000 this point, he will every now and again uncork vertical 224 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:34.960 pass and you're like, man, he's still got it in there. 225 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.320 He just just just doesn't take those throws very often 226 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:39.519 because he's you know, forty two or whatever years old 227 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:41.360 and doesn't want to get hit. So I do think 228 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:43.759 there's a real chance. And again I pretty much believe 229 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:46.159 this since they draft, since they got Michael Pittman and 230 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:48.200 it was confirmed. We all kind of knew it for 231 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:50.559 a while, was confirmed Rogers will be back. Just had 232 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:52.559 to do the whole song and dance with that. I 233 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:56.200 think the odds are even that. You know, Pittman leads 234 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:59.559 the team in receptions over DK Metcalf this year, So yeah, 235 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:01.840 I mean from a fantasy perspective, I think the only 236 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:05.240 my hesitation with him, and just I would be curious 237 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:08.000 about your opinion on this. He just goes in a 238 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:10.360 range where there's just so many young receivers that I like, 239 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:12.600 you know that I think they've just got a higher 240 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:17.039 theoretical ceiling. But my colleague at a Yahoo, Scott Pinowsi 241 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:20.240 always says, like we all know, yes, upside wins championships. 242 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:22.440 That's the that's them. That's the talking point for sure. 243 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:24.080 And it is right, like you want to land on 244 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.440 those big swings, but you still need a couple of 245 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:30.720 like solid ADP beaters to be to build your team around. 246 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:32.720 And I do think at wide receiver forty one, there's 247 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:34.320 a chance you could get a little bit of profit 248 00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:35.559 on Pittman in that range. 249 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:39.159 You need your Jacobe Meyers, Michael Pittman, guys that you 250 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:41.480 know can get you ten points in that half PPR 251 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:45.679 format or whatever. And when you say that he should 252 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:49.279 he could lead the team in receptions over DK Metcalf. 253 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:52.120 I was looking at Metcalf's totals last year. I think 254 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.919 he had sixty six catches. So I don't think it's 255 00:11:54.960 --> 00:11:57.159 unreasonable to say we could see seventy or seventy five 256 00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:58.759 on a Pittman, is it No? 257 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:01.600 And especially because this year Kenny Gainwell is no longer 258 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.039 on the team, are we automatically it's pretty insane that 259 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:08.320 he let he He was like up there with top 260 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:10.320 receivers in the league in terms of targets per route 261 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:13.639 run last year. I mean, Rogers loved that guy to 262 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:15.120 the point that I am kind of surprised that he 263 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:18.720 didn't come back to Pittsburgh. But the Bucks schoolly targeted him. 264 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:20.759 So I mean, are we just transferring all of that 265 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:24.559 work to Jalen Warren? Potentially is the top receiving back there. 266 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:27.360 At the same time, I think it might get spread 267 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:30.799 out a little bit more, especially because with Mike McCarthy 268 00:12:30.919 --> 00:12:34.080 that's more of just a traditional eleven personnel offense, and 269 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:36.039 I think that will flow to the wideouts a little 270 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:37.360 bit more than what we saw last year. 271 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:40.519 All Right, Yeah, and hey, look, I know that we 272 00:12:40.679 --> 00:12:43.840 led with the dynamite Michael Pittman. We're going to talk 273 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:47.240 about Chicago and Jacksonville and Ricky Pierce all you'll get 274 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:52.679 yours everybody. All Right, let's talk about another guy that's 275 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:57.559 really a hot topic JK. But Chris Godwin is somebody 276 00:12:57.559 --> 00:13:00.759 that's He's really interesting to me because as people seemed 277 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:03.200 to be sort of done with him, they just kind 278 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:06.039 of don't care anymore. He came off the major leg 279 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:08.759 injury last year, and I was one of them who said, hey, 280 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:10.799 I'll take him super cheap and sit him on my 281 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:13.919 bench until Week eight, but it just didn't matter because 282 00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:16.519 the leg injury was so devastating. He never really got 283 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:18.919 back to his form. We saw little flashes of it 284 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:21.399 at the end of last year. Is it reasonable to 285 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:24.639 think that we're going to get a better version of 286 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.840 Chris Godwin this year? He's going into his age thirty season. 287 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:32.559 He's fighting a young a Mecca Buka for targets. I 288 00:13:32.600 --> 00:13:34.840 know they like Jayalen McMillan quite a bit too, So 289 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:38.080 what's reasonable with Chris Godwin this year? And what do 290 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:41.200 you see? I don't know if you've charted him yet 291 00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:43.440 or not, but just in general, what do you see 292 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:46.120 it from Godwin last year that tells us? Can we 293 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:49.480 expect anything? Or is the Chris Godwin we loved sort 294 00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:50.600 of gone. 295 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:54.000 It's such a tough one and I always say with 296 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:57.559 receiver decline, it's one of the more fascinating and yet 297 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:01.519 difficult conversations to have because there really are no rules 298 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:02.480 with these guys. 299 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:06.919 Drew like some some players are able to age really gracefully. Right. 300 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:09.399 We've seen like Stefan Diggs and Keenan Allen, these guys 301 00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:12.840 have really solid years as they've as they've declined, Like 302 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:15.600 there's just there's no question that guys like Digs and 303 00:14:15.639 --> 00:14:18.960 Allen the last I would say three years, even dating 304 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:21.679 back to twenty twenty three with Stefan Diggs and dating 305 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:23.320 back to that season with Keenan Allen too, Like they're 306 00:14:23.320 --> 00:14:25.200 putting up big numbers, but they're not the same version 307 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:27.679 of themselves. But they've been able to you know, if 308 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:30.720 a receiver loses like ten percent, which is I'm just 309 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.080 saying like a hypothetical number here too completely made up 310 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:36.840 like ten percent of their themselves, that's probably still fine 311 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:40.840 to hang on. The problem is that some guys the 312 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.360 first sign of decline is right before the cliff. You know, 313 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:47.679 so players like Alan Robinson, Dez Bryant, you know, these 314 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:49.360 are some of the players I would throw out there 315 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:51.559 that have had that like ooh, there's a little drop 316 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:55.120 off and then right off the cliff. AJ Brown's a 317 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:56.799 guy that's really interesting with that this year, cause I 318 00:14:56.840 --> 00:14:58.840 think we saw the first signs of decline last year. 319 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:01.440 Is is it an is it a graceful age coming 320 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:04.799 or is it the cliff? I don't know, And the 321 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:06.759 problem is that we don't know what the answer is. 322 00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:08.639 You just have to acknowledge like the risk, and I 323 00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:12.200 do think with Godwin, we saw some warning signs for 324 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:14.399 sure when he came back last year. Obviously he's coming 325 00:15:14.440 --> 00:15:16.559 off an injury, but that's something that usually happens with 326 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:18.879 these guys. I mean, Alan Robinson declined at twenty nine 327 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:21.440 years old because he had a ton of damage to 328 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:25.080 his lower body at that point. And that's the thing 329 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.600 with Chris Godwin now that we have to acknowledge like 330 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:31.240 this was his second truly like devastating injury of his 331 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:34.399 career that he's trying to come back from. So I 332 00:15:34.440 --> 00:15:38.000 think he can still be a useful player based on 333 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:40.639 I mean, it was really bad last year. That's the 334 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.360 hard part about this. This is really bad when he 335 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:44.720 first got back. I do think he progressed a little 336 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:46.720 bit better towards the end of the year, and if 337 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:48.840 he's kind of at that level, he probably could be 338 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:53.039 a useful player. But I do think he can still 339 00:15:53.080 --> 00:15:54.679 Like where he's going in fantasy right now, I think 340 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:57.440 is fine. The problem is that, like again, there's just 341 00:15:57.559 --> 00:16:01.039 no real upside swing there. He probably will be like 342 00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:04.240 a meat ADP guy, which is why again he goes 343 00:16:04.279 --> 00:16:06.320 in that range of really interesting young players that I'm 344 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:09.919 typically going elsewhere, but and I really like a Mecca Buka, 345 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:12.080 and I think his role in this offense is going 346 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:14.360 to be a huge difference this year from what it 347 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:15.799 was last year, which I think is going to be 348 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:17.799 a biggest swing up for him. 349 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:20.120 Yeah, you've been talking about that a little bit, so 350 00:16:20.519 --> 00:16:24.200 let's just briefly hit that conversation about the new offensive 351 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:26.799 coordinator there and what he's going to expect from like 352 00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:30.519 Buka as opposed to last year. What are your thoughts 353 00:16:30.519 --> 00:16:30.799 on that. 354 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:33.799 Yeah, this is something that I think is critical. And 355 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:39.919 because last year Buka started off really hot. We know that, 356 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:42.519 we know what the statistical difference is. We don't need 357 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:45.039 to sit here and unpack that. But one of the 358 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:46.639 things I think that was a there was a lot 359 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:48.919 of things that went into his production decline in the 360 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:50.559 back half of the year, including his own injury like 361 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:53.279 a hamstring injury, Baker Mayfield's injury, the whole deal. I 362 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:55.600 think the other problem for him and Mega Buca is 363 00:16:55.639 --> 00:16:58.399 that he ended up having to take a large share 364 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:00.960 of the snaps as the extra receiver in that offense 365 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:03.879 last year for Tampa Bay because Mike Evans was hurt. 366 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:05.880 As we just mentioned Chris. 367 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:08.039 Godwin, who's always been a better power slot receiver than 368 00:17:08.039 --> 00:17:11.240 an outside receiver. He's coming back from major injury. He's 369 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:13.920 a diminished version of himself in even at his best. Again, 370 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:16.880 he's been a better power slot receiver than an outside guy. 371 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:19.880 The other receivers on that roster are you know, Jalen 372 00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:22.640 McMillan wasn't even there. So the other guys are like 373 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:25.880 Sterling Shepherd and Tes Johnson. Sterling Shepherd's in like tenth 374 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.119 year of his career. He's always been a slot based player. 375 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:31.200 Tes Johnson is like freaking one hundred and fifty five pounds. 376 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:33.200 You know, I can put up like twenty reps of 377 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:35.960 Tes Johnson's weight on the bench press. Okay, So like 378 00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:40.440 that's not very much the problem there is just like, yeah, 379 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:42.559 who's gonna have to take the ex receiver reps? It's 380 00:17:42.599 --> 00:17:44.319 gonna have to be a Mecca Buca. But he was 381 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:47.839 a he was a big slot receiver coming out of Ohio. 382 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:52.480 State this year. I thought it would be pretty bad 383 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:53.039 news if he. 384 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.519 Was gonna have to run out as that X again 385 00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:57.799 and again that with Mike Evans moving on, I thought, 386 00:17:57.880 --> 00:17:59.160 was he was going to have to be that guy. 387 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:01.920 Coordinator Zach Robinson comes out and says he's going to 388 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.960 play the Z receiver role in this offense, which is 389 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:06.759 essentially the guy who's going to be mostly outside but 390 00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:11.039 off ball, which is huge for him. And with Zach Robinson, 391 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:14.519 you can pick knits in Zach Robinson the offensive coordinator 392 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:16.039 and the play caller and all that, but I think 393 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:18.920 it's objectively true that he's good for wide receiver usage. 394 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:21.000 You go back to the twenty twenty four season with 395 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:24.480 the Atlanta Falcons, all four of their top pass catchers 396 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:27.279 had a slot rate on passing plays of at least 397 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:30.759 thirty nine percent. Drake London was the lowest at just 398 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:34.160 under forty percent. And it's because there's so much movement 399 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:38.599 in that offense that everybody like, at the snap, this guy's, 400 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:41.440 you know, kind of barely the outside receiver. He ends 401 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:44.279