Midseason Review + Trade Targets, Hungry for More

Summary:

Midseason Review + Trade Targets 00:00

• In this episode, the hosts discuss the top 10 quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends at the halfway point of the season.
• They provide insight on players who may fall out of the top rankings and recommend trade targets for a second-half breakout.
• The hosts also cover a lot of news related to fantasy football.

“We are looking at the top 10 quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends, telling you who’s gonna fall out, who to target for the second half breakout and going through a ton of news.”

Raiders’ Coaching Changes 01:33

• The hosts discuss the recent coaching changes in the Raiders organization.
• Offensive coordinator Greg Olson, offensive line coach Tom Cable, and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley have been fired.
• Interim head coach Devonte Adams has been named GM and play-caller.

“Josh McDaniels, Sianora, their offensive coordinator, Lombardi, gone. You need a general manager. There’s one available. The Raiders have fired theirs. And Devonte Adams has been named interim head coach. GM play caller.”

Hope for the Raiders? 02:16

• The hosts express their relief that the previous coaching staff is being replaced.
• They acknowledge the uncertainty surrounding the owner’s decision-making abilities.
• Despite the team’s poor performance so far, the hosts view these changes as a possibility for improvement in fantasy football.

“Yeah. It’s like, you’re in a situation where you were 31st in yards per game and 31st in points per game. It might not get better, but it can’t really get worse. It definitely can. No, no, no, it can’t.”

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Impact on Fantasy 03:13

• The hosts discuss the potential impact of the coaching changes on fantasy football.
• They highlight Aiden O’Connell as the new Raiders quarterback, who is expected to make mistakes but may benefit from the guidance of Devonte Adams.
• They also mention the increased opportunities for other players like Josh Jacobs and wide receivers.

“This is such good. Look, I have Josh Jacobs and Adams everywhere. I’m thrilled. That tells you where I’m at. Okay. I am so excited.”

Hungry for More Candidates 04:27

• The hosts introduce their “Hungry for More” candidates for the week.
• Andy selects Gus Edwards, running back for the Baltimore Ravens, who has been performing well and receiving red zone opportunities.
• Mike chooses Terry McClaren, wide receiver for the Washington Commanders, who has shown improvement in recent weeks.

“Well, we have our Hungry for More candidates this week. I’m going with Gus Edwards running back for the Baltimore Ravens. It’s been a difficult world for the running back room in Baltimore for multiple years dealing with the left bells and Devonta Freemans.” “My hungry for more player is scary Terry Terry McClaren. He has been heating up two weeks in a row. He’s a top 20 wide receiver.”

Will Levis and the Titans 07:40

• The hosts discuss Will Levis and his potential impact as the Tennessee Titans‘ quarterback.
• They mention that Levis provides a different dynamic than previous quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
• They express optimism that the offense may improve with Levis under center.

“I’m hungry for more bananas. Give me will levis… Because of Derek Henry? That is the point that is the hope…”

Thursday Night Matchup 09:24

• The hosts anticipate an interesting matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.
• They discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both teams’ defenses and how they may impact the game.

“This matchup is so interesting to me because it’s two great head coaches with two bad teams that still win games.”

Review of Will Levis and Malik Willis 09:52

• The hosts discuss their disappointment with Will Levis and their expectations for Malik Willis.
• The hosts mention a combination of ineptitude and not getting what they expected from Levis.

“Because you thought you were getting Will Levis and then Malik Willis and some combination of ineptitude and that was not what we got from Will Levis.”

Dobbs’ Offensive Journey 17:51

• Dobbs has learned three different offenses in less than a year.
• He quickly made an impression and started playing for Tennessee.
• Dobbs also started immediately when he went to Arizona.

“He makes such a good impression on these franchises.”

Dobbs’ Impact on Vikings’ Offense 18:01

• Dobbs’ late trade worries the speakers about Jefferson and Addison.
• Dobbs is competent but didn’t consistently benefit Hollywood Brown.
• Dobbs had the third most targets to the tight end position.
• Having Dobbs could provide some relief for T.J. Hawkinson.

“Josh Dobbs is very competent, but it didn’t translate into like consistent value for Hollywood Brown.”

Positive Impact on Vikings’ Offense 18:37

• Dobbs can scramble for first downs and move the ball down the field.
• Having Dobbs is better for Addison and Jefferson compared to Jaren Hall, the rookie.
• The Vikings have more quality players and a better defense.
• The Vikings are still focused on winning and making moves.

“The ball is going to move down the field. That is going to be better for Addison and Jefferson just in that respect of, you know, Jaren Hall, the rookie is not going to be as good as Josh Dobbs.”

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Vikings’ Wide Receiving Room 21:39

• The addition of Donovan People’s Jones does not change the speakers’ opinion of the wide receiving room.
• The move indicates that the team doesn’t trust James and Williams as every down wide receivers.

“I think that this is a replacement for Marvin Jones. Really 100% when I saw this move, it says to me that they just do not trust James and Williams to be able to step up to being an every down wide receiver.”

Analysis of Kenny Pickett‘s Performance and Injury Concerns 25:26

• Kenny Pickett has faced criticism and insults due to his unconventional habits and struggles on the field.
• His completion rate when under pressure is significantly low at 36%.
• Despite this, there is potential for broken plays and success downfield.

“I think that’s why his 36% completion rate when pressured.”

Trade Targets: Diontae Johnson and George Pickens 26:46

• Deontay Johnson is the primary receiver for the Steelers, receiving 91% of the snaps and accumulating 14 targets.
• With Kenny Pickett‘s limitations, Johnson remains a viable option.
• George Pickens offers big play potential, although he had a disappointing performance in the previous week.
• Both receivers have opportunities against a vulnerable Titans pass defense.

“So, yeah, I’m fine playing Deontay Johnson, even with a somewhat broken Kenny Pickett.” “And George Pickens, I mean, I feel like you’ve got to keep playing him because he’s just got the big play options and opportunities.”

Evaluation of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren 29:17

• Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, the Steelers’ running backs, have struggled this season.
• Harris had a poor performance last week with only 13 rushing yards.
• The matchup against the Titans does not bode well for their rushing game.
• Harris is currently projected for a mediocre season with limited touchdowns and yardage.

“Yeah, I would be very much looking to bench both of these players.” “This is not a good matchup.”

Overview of Quarterbacks’ Performance and Potential Changes 31:27

• Josh Allen currently holds the top spot among quarterbacks.
• Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, and Lamar Jackson follow closely.
• Patrick Mahomes has experienced a decline compared to last season.
• Kirk Cousins‘ position in the top 10 is unexpected and may change as other quarterbacks improve.

“So, you know, it’s interesting that Mahomes is still in the mix there.” “The most likely to fall out of the top 10 is definitely Kirk Cousins.”

“There’s also only three quarterbacks averaging more than 20 per game.”

Quotes are not available for this section.

Top Quarterbacks in the Second Half of the Season 33:10

• The most interesting quarterbacks to have a conversation about are Allen, Hertz, Herbert, Jackson, Mahomes, and Tua.
• These six quarterbacks are considered “plug and play.”

“I think the top six, Allen, Hertz, Herbert, Jackson, Mahomes, and Tua, are locks to be in your lineup.”

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Assessment of Jared Goff 33:30

• Jared Goff‘s performance against Vegas was good, completing 70% of his passes for 270 yards, but he struggled to score touchdowns.
• There are concerns about his consistency and confidence level.

“Who is Jared Goff? He’s either outside of the top 14 or inside the top six. That’s kind of been his MO.”

Dak Prescott and Kyler Murray in the Rest of the Season 34:23

• Dak Prescott is highly regarded and preferred as a quarterback option outside the top six.
• Kyler Murray is expected to enter the conversation soon and become an important fantasy quarterback.

“For the rest of the season, there’s not a quarterback I would want more than Dak if it’s not those top six. And I would say Kyler is going to enter the conversation soon.”

Potential Drop-offs in the Running Backs 36:27

• Zach Moss is likely to experience a decline in his workload.
• There are concerns about Jonathan Taylor‘s ankle injury and his reduced involvement in the second half of a recent game.
• Travis Etienne‘s exceptional performance is unsustainable, and he is expected to regress.

“Zach Moss obviously is going to take a massive hit. Zach Moss has proven himself, but I think it’s going to be really close between him and Singletary.”

Reviewing the running backs 40:57

• The speaker mentions that every time the player touched the ball, he looked impressive.
• There is a discussion about Jeff Wilson‘s return and where Salvin Aukman would fit in the list.
• The speaker admits to being less optimistic about Achan as an end-of-season league winner.
• The tough schedule for the team is highlighted, including games against Philadelphia, Kansas City, the Jets, Tennessee, Dallas, Baltimore, and Buffalo.

“We can’t forget every single play when he touched the ball was like, wow, he just looks so good”

Assessing Achane’s role and ranking 41:16

• The speaker explains their reasoning for not including Achan on the list, mentioning the tough upcoming games and Achan’s limited playing time.
• They suggest ranking Achan around 10 to 15 in terms of running backs.
• Concerns are raised about Achan’s previous knee injury and whether it could hinder his performance.

“It’s three…He had three…I think he’s a 10 to 15 is where I would have him at running back.”

Discussion on Achane’s potential and limitations 42:50

• The speaker mentions that although Achan may rip off long runs, his overall workload and snap count might be limited.
• They express doubt about Achan being a reliable player due to his size and injury history.
• A comparison is made between Achan and Mostert, with speculation on who would be the better option.

“He’s a smaller back who won’t have enough work to be reliable…I think his floors will be really low.”

Examining Breece Hall and other running backs 46:11

• Breece Hall is discussed as a player with high potential for the rest of the season due to his talent and increased snap count in recent weeks.
• There is a mention of Dalvin Cook‘s situation and the favorable schedule ahead for Hall.
• The speakers reflect on a trade that involved Justin Jefferson and express their differing opinions on the outcome.

“I do think Breece Hall…he’s up to 65% of the snaps the last couple weeks…the schedule is pretty nice…expect him to have a better second half of the year than the first half of the year.”

Predicting top performing running backs 47:55

• The speakers discuss five running backs (Pollard, Jacobs, Bijon, Mixon, and Brian Robinson) and consider which one is most likely to break into the top 15 in points per game.
• Josh Jacobs is identified as a strong contender due to his high snap count and workload compared to the others.

“If you look at that list of players there’s only one who is…90% of snaps…Saquon, Christian McCaffrey, ETN and Jacobs.”

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Comparing Jacobs and Bijan 48:54

• Bijon provides more explosiveness compared to Jacobs.
• Jacobs may not get a premier job in the future.

“The explosiveness you don’t get it like you would with Bijon right now with Jacobs.”

Midseason assessment of wide receivers 49:36

• Tyreek Hill is the number one wide receiver by a significant margin.
• A.J. Brown, Jefferson, and Diggs are also among the top performers.
• Jamar Chase stands out as a highly desirable option.
• Diggs has been consistently good but perhaps underappreciated.

“When you look at the trajectory of these players I think the one that jumps out to you is Jamar Chase.” “For me Diggs has been so consistent, so good.” “he deserves that respect.”

Fading second-half wide receivers 51:32

• Puka, Feleipe Franks, DJ Moore, and Jordan Addison are potential players who may decline in performance.
• CD Lamb is highly valued due to the recent focus on getting him the ball.
• Keenan Allen‘s production may decrease without Mike Williams.

“When you look at second half fading players, you know Puka for sure.” “if the passing volume and you’re taking 100 yards of distribution away from them and adding Jefferson.” “if you said, do you want Keenan or Almanra, even though Keenan scored more than Almanra, I would take Almanra.”

Tight end rankings and potential breakout 54:11

• Kelsey and Andrews are the top-ranked tight ends.
• Laporta is a rookie tight end performing exceptionally well.
• Kittle’s inconsistency is a concern.
• Tray McBride and Jake Ferguson have potential as second-half sleepers.

“Kelsey’s at number one… Sam Laporta is at four.” “Dalton Cate is by far the… Dalton Cate is on his way.” “We haven’t seen as much from him in a longer period of time.” “like, had that been your like pitch for the Dynasty podcast a few weeks ago, be like jam-packed with Will.”

Rest of season outlook for Trey McBride 55:51

• Tray McBride is highly regarded and is being considered above Logan Thomas.
• There is uncertainty surrounding Tray McBride’s situation.
• There has been discussion about Tray McBride’s potential on the Dynasty podcast.

“I’m having Tray McBride is above Logan Thomas.” “Like we, today’s Dynasty podcast, we featured a lot of Will Leviss and Tray McBride talk.”

Trey McBride‘s Performance and Outlook 56:42

• Tray McBride had two monster games when he was the featured tight end without competition from Zachards.
• The speaker is emotionally invested in Tray McBride’s success as he is on the roster in both of their Dynasty leagues.
• The speaker finds it hard to restrict themselves from discussing Tray McBride’s performance, especially after seeing him receive 39% of the targets last week.

“Essentially when Tray McBride has been the featured tight end with no Zachards to compete with, we’ve seen two monster games that many tight ends will never get close to in their entire career.”