including the fact that
Damien Pierce.
Here's my question, is it for 101? Is it Jonathan Taylor or,
or Damien Pierce as we can got in there as we get into our
roto world headlines.
I mean like have they fitted Damien Pierce for his Hall of
Fame jacket yet or do you think it wait until after the first
game here is he is he more like a young Barry Sanders or
a young Emmitt Smith? Yeah breakdown Damien beers for me
this is our
preseason rocket ship, right? Damien Pierce goes from fourth
round. Pick that nobody cares about, right? And now he is
the talk of town in Fantasyland. Now when I watched a me a set
of Florida and there's not much tape in the begin the season
because Dan Mullen would not
hand the guy, the football
Matthew. I mean, he was not getting 10 carries a game.
Moen gets fired, Pierce has two monster games goes into
the giraffe cycle. Dominates. At the Senior Bowl, everybody
loves The Limited tape that he has because he's a power
Runner. That's explosive off. The Touch reminded me of
a young. It David Montgomery at Iowa State with the power but
he's a little bit more explosive, but the reason
you believe in Him as a rookie on the field right away is he's
one of the best pass protecting Backs from the draft last year,
and that's what gets you on the field, especially with the
veteran staff there. So when you look at Pierce, he does one
thing Matthew, that translates, the NFL that is one of the more
Surefire things, he breaks, tackles
he breaks tackles. And when you break tackles in the SEC,
that is something we find in the draft community, that
consistently translates the NFL level. And that's how we got
here with this rise with the Texans. Yeah. And I think
people are going to be like. Okay, so now we're drafting
like again, I'm joking at the Emmitt Smith. Jonathan Taylor
stuff but like
Like he is the buzziest of Buzzy players in the preseason.
We always want to take a pause here in terms of like OK, you
know, because we've seen this before where guys have huge
pre-seasons than just you know yeah
completely disappoint. I you know I hate to do it to
the poor kid but I always feel like Darwin Thompson is the poster
boy for this a couple years ago with Kansas City, you know,
just had an amazing preseason. Then just did nothing fantasy
wise, but we both think and hearing what you're saying is
like,
we think is the real deal, right?
Also, by the way, you think about the tech? I think people
shy away from because of couple reasons, Unknown right. Not
a not a lot of draft Capital because the fourth round pick
and going to Texans used it,
like he's not going to be a guy that is going to be on
the field because they're not gonna be running because it can be
down because they're bad. But if he's good at past Pro
he's going to be in on passing down situations and he
concerned. Do you think this is a guy that has a chance to be
a 3 down back? Is he a decent pass catcher? What was the?
What was the comp on him coming out of college for that? Yeah
I do and that's why you go back to David Montgomery. Not a guy
that's going to be motioned out to
the slot and running routes in a Christian McCaffrey.
Other I think like that but an outlet out of the back field
where the he has soft enough hands to catch the ball, make
the first guy Miss and pick up the extra yards and let's be
honest. When other reason why we like Damien Pierce is
because
Davis Mills is a guy that's going to be looking to that
outlet pass. This is not going to be a vertical offense
outside of Brandin Cooks. The wide receiver room does not
impress you. By any stretch of the means Davis Mills has had
problems this summer, pushing the ball down the field
and that leads you to kind of buy into like you said, whether
it's garbage time, the Shore Outlet throws or running
the ball early in the Game in the fact, that let's be real. Who
else on this roster? In this backfield scares you for
the workload at all affecting
Pierce? Well, that's, that's a great point, right? So you
think about Marlon back, right? I mean,
Marlon Mac didn't play until the second half in this game.
Rex Burkhead, took third and long snaps. He was also
an early down to the second Drive in the first half. But again,
right? You're just like, that's fantasies about talent and
opportunity. We just talked about the talent of Damien
Pierce is somebody that you like a lot coming out of
college and opportunity is there. They're rebuilding in
Houston and they know all due respect to Marlon Mac and Rex
Burkhead. Those guys aren't the future. They've got to
get Reps for Davis Mills. They got to get rips for Damien peers.
Remember their offensive coordinators Pep Hamilton and
now peps bounced around the NFL and, and other leagues as well.
That's the, but the last time he was, the offensive
coordinator of a team that was in Indianapolis. Okay, 2013 to
2015, he was the Indianapolis Colts
offense, coordinator,
a 30 year-old Frank, Gore, 32 32 year-old. Frank Gore
was fourth in the NFL.
Wow, in total fantasy points. I'm sorry, he was running back
eight in total points,
he had the fourth, most rushing yards.
I mean, so I so Pep Hamilton is somebody who has had success
running the ball and creating schemes to get Guys open.
I think the volume and talent there is Pierce.
The question becomes. Okay. Now where do you draft them
because all the projections are off and if you're going into
your draft this weekend, what do you do for me? I'm going to
update my rankings on Monday honestly but
I think he's right there in that 20 to 25 range from me
among running backs here. Like I would
like I'd take him over Josh Jacobs, I'd take him, I'd take
him over Bruce Hall,
you know, I'd take them. I take them over Antonio, Gibbs. I'm
going to talk about him in a second like he's in that range
of that. You know, we call the running back Dead Zone there
towards that, you know towards the end of the top 20 but
I think
he is a borderline top, 20 running back and should be
drafted as such if you're heading into your draft this
weekend before sort of ranks and projections, get updated.
Yeah, I think he's cemented himself in that top 25 because
once again he's not competing for
touches. Treating him like a veteran starter. They haven't
been given putting a big workload on him. He never big
workload in college. So these are fresh legs and he's going
to need them because you're going to be hit a lot in
the backfield, unfortunately,
for the Texans. But one,
you know, variable in this that I'm watching, is
they drafted Kenyan Green in the first round. The big
hulking Guard from Texas A & M. He finally made his debut this
week for the Texans, with the reserves looked really good as
a run. Blocker. So
you look at the Texans and one of the critiques of Pierce's.
Well, what is he running behind? This is a unit. That's
getting better in the trenches. They are taking the front.
Office is came from New England, they're taking that
mold of being a run first team,
he's the run first back, you bring up Francoeur pep, doesn't
need these Shifty. Speedy outside Zone Runners to thrive.
You can have a bit of a Hulk in between the tackles so Pierce
is a good fit for what they want to do and a team that they
have a long ways to go but they
are trending the right direction on the offensive line
obviously Lovie Smith as a defensive coordinator.
I defensive-minded head coach comes in there. I think they're
going to be conservative. And also by the way
if you have a bad offensive line, Volume masks, a lot of
that. And we expect Damien Pari the way that they're using him
in the preseason
and the competition, he has in that running back room.
I don't think this is a three-headed committee.
I think this is Damien, Pierce is the starting running back,
I think he's got a chance to be a Bell cow, running back for
an NFL team and that has a lot of fantasy value. Let's move on
now
to a real veteran and that's Tom Brady. Who's
actually expected to play
in the preseason. Finally, we still don't know what he was
doing. Was he filming The Masked Singer? We don't know.
The polling question the summer. By the way, my
the social media person. We have this
with this great person
Kendall Valenzuela. He may know could chance to do a podcast
that Pusher Football Focus as well. Kendall Valenzuela who
comes over to Fantasy life.com and she runs her social force
and she's an analyst for us.
Does a great job. She's the one that floated that theory first
like she did a video and it just sort of blew up so Props
to Kendall because everyone was talking about the fact that
was Brady on The Masked Singer, you know, ran with it, it's
a great Theory red, one ran with it, internet ran with it, we
don't know. Where he was but here's what we do know. He's
going to play in the preseason finale
after missing some time and training camp
and more importantly, the concerns on the offensive
lines. Connor how how concerned if at all are you on Tom?
Brady,
I'll just say this, I'ma qb5.
I'm in Auntie B12. This year. No. Concern at all three rules
of every day. Matt and Brad, I'm not a big rules guy, right?
Clearly wake up. Make your bed, brush your teeth and don't bet
against Tom Brady. It's as simple as that. That's all you
have to know you do not ever wake up and go. Today's the day
I'm going to pick a Against Tom Brady, and that's a nanny rule.
Whether it's betting, whether it's fantasy, whether it's
actual football games. Tom Brady is back and he's going to
play in the preseason and he's, you see, I mean, he's throwing
again to Chris Godwin,
Mike Evans. Now they have Julio Jones and Russell game. Look at
the moving through these cones, look at this point, this
footage like this is evaluating a bad quarterback could just
walk through cones in in shorts
and no pads with no pressure on them. I think not
yellow in. Yeah. Anyway, yes. But
I don't think making your
It is a rule more of a guideline. I'm not, I'm not,
you know, whatever 18. I'm
I'm not a bed maker. Yeah. It's just going to get messed up
again.
My wife is a bad because a wife does my girlfriend is okay. So
it's right. So there you go. Still counts. Fair enough,
some work, but I do agree, like I was going to say, like death
taxes. Don't bet against Tom Brady, we're both are like, by
the way, Brady is played
in every year that he's been healthy
Brady's participated in at least one preseason game since
he was dropped in 2000. So I think the people are just like,
why is he playing as he concerned that kind of know.
Like, you know, Todd Bowles said this, here's a quote.
We have some new guys on the o-line. We have some new guys
to receive or so other than having practice together, we
need to see him in a game in certain situations and just
the flow of it,
no matter how long it is, we just need to see it, which
makes total sense. And by the way, the way Tom Brady,
you know, runs a team.
He's gonna be like,
what do you talk to the right tackle? What are you doing? You
need to come off that. You need to take one step back, you
know, a step earlier whatever. Like, he'll yell at those guys.
It's particular.
Particular, he'll snap them into shape you and Tom Brady,
the same people hundred percent. Absolutely everyone
says it. Everyone says that we are. I
wouldn't you? And him and I walk into the same room people
like which ones, which I thought was a saying, we're
exactly the same in every aspect except none of them.
All right?
Except we're both over 40. That's literally what I have in
common with the only things I have in common with with, with
Tom Brady.
I was not even though he was going to say, I was going to
say, we're both over 40
and we're both men. That's pretty much it. That's all we
have in common and you okay now. Well, we both have kids,
we're both fathers.
And that's and I was going to say we both outkicked our
coverage because my wife is so much better looking than I am.
But I don't know if that's true because I mean it's just that
was beautiful, of course. But
so is Tom. Yeah. Like I don't know that Tom out kicked his
coverage. I think they're both sort of equals, you know, right
exactly. Are you on the TV 12 diet? So I'm on the chicken
fingers. Okay, I like that is what I am.
Yeah, I know, exactly, I'm on the,
yeah, I'm on the, I'm on the edge. I'm on the chicken finger
and Choco, Taco die. Rest in peace Dragon Taco. I've been
hoarding them.
Okay, so this this is a, I really wanted to save this for
you because
this is I think one of the most fascinating as Buzzy as
a Damien Pierce has been in the preseason.
Trailin Burke's is
anti Buzzy. I don't know that anyone stock has dropped more
in the fantasy community over the preseason
than trailing Burke's who everyone is. Like,
this is the AJ Brown,
you know, Robert Woods is 30 years old coming off the ACL
tear. They don't really have anyone else. He's He's
physically like AJ Brown, like this is the AJ Brown cop. He's
the replacement, he's going to be a beast and then
he's playing with a fourth string.
What do we make of this Trail and Burke situation? Connor
it's concerning. Let's just
call it what it is and this has been going on since OTAs,
right? This is a pattern. Now, being in and out of OTAs, being
in and out of training camp, whether it's
little injuries, whether it's, you know, not maybe being up to
football level shape. There's a lot of weird things. Go that
a practice on. I don't like weird things consist. Only, I'm with
you to your point left practice, early on Wednesday.
We don't know what the injury was held out of practice on
Thursday, spotted with a wrap on his left leg after
the second preseason game, the Titans played against
the Buccaneers
like a lot of bad juju around Trail on Burks. But is that
does that mean there's a buying opportunity.
He's currently going as 121 on Yahoo,
I haven't wide receiver, 53i them slightly higher
than where he's going on. Yahoo them at wide receiver. 62. I'm
at 53 but I am outside my 50
might feeling their 53 and I may have to lower him even
more, but my feeling was as like it's he's a first round
pick. They don't like all due respect to Nick Westbrook
Aquino, like they don't have a lot after Robert Woods, they
need trailin Brooks to
work, they do and it's a little concerning, right? When you
hear more Buzz about a day 3 slot guy and Kyle Phillips that
they dragged and that's where I'm like. Whoa. Okay like that
rear more weights are in there.
So I think what Burke's the problem is and this goes back
to college and I liked him especially Physically what he
could do with the ball in his hands but that's the trick. You
need to get creative. Get the ball in his hands, he won
basically three ways in college vertically,
which is great obviously on screens because he can catch
and run after the catch and then really pitch passes. They
would give him sweeps. They've used him as a ball carrier
because he has build up speed around
the edge. Tennessee, did not really look interested in doing
that early in the preseason so far. Is he now? Do you need
involvement to get him going? Get him on the right track and
when you're not practicing, especially the guy, like Mike
Vrabel, yes, coach of the But a bit of a hard o and it works,
it works but he's for the Belichick school, right? Yeah,
variable is a move. The drill guy, right? If you get hurt, he
moves
the drill Beyond you. If you're not practicing, he moves Beyond
you. Yeah, I'm concerned. I would be completely lying
especially in a rookie wide receiver class where other
Talent is popping here, and it's not just the round
one town. It's the day to Talent,
Burke says not. Now he has time,
but if you're expecting big things this year just because
there's open workload their volume there, it feels like
a bit of a wish right now. I love Robert Woods, Robert Woods made
my love hate list this year. Absolutely. Not just because of
the end of people like hats, 30 ACL.
But this is a guy who's been a top 20 wide receiver
ever since he came to La, he used it was used inconsistently
in Buffalo but for the majority of career, Robert Woods has
always been a top 20 fantasy wide receiver and he's going to
get a lot of volume. Whether it's Tannehill are ultimately
Malik. Well, as I think Tana hosts, the start of
this year and that's he gets
unless he gets hurt. Willis is more of a project
Tannehill is going to look for the veteran guy. The great
thing about Robert Woods is that Robert Woods is a hey
I need To run ten yards and two feet and take a right. He runs
10 yards, two feet and takes right? Like he's a very precise
route Runner which I think will help Ryan Tannehill who
really appreciate that.
I think he's the value.
I think he is the value
in the Tennessee
wide receiver core.
Burke's feels like,
you know, a late-round flyer. If you're dealing with them at
all in a redraft league. That's exactly right. Let's keep
the concern. Train moving. Fortunately and talk about
Antonio Gibson who is just in a really strange place right now.
Now you hear special teams, get you hear that, he likes
the return aspect of the game but you're seeing a lot of Brian
Robinson. Early Gibson does have the fumbling issues. Where
is your concern level right now with Antonio Gibson and how
much does this special teams role play into that?
It's significant okay
for me the
here's the biggest concern and you know me I'm a Washington
commanders Homer, right? They'll do the Commander's hail
Victory. Like that's that's my team. I'm a lifelong fan and
I love Antonio Gibson.
I have them on literally almost every day.
DT my app. So this is
a bit of a concern
that said,
yes, I don't make I don't put as much into the returning
kicks thing. As other people do people like always being
banished to special teams.
I think that's a need for Washington like watching. It's
had bad special, he's good at it and he's good at it. This is
he returned kicks during his time at Memphis. So this is,
I believe this is Ron Rivera saying, like, hey, we've got
a guy that can do this well and we have
a need here. So we're going to do that. We're just trying to,
but having said that,
When you're playing on special teams, that's less snaps that
you're playing there, they do, like Brian Robinson, you
mentioned the fumbles. No, running back. Had more actual
fumbles for lost fumbles last year than Antonio Gibson,
right? As you see it here on your screen,
write six lost fumbles
in 2021. The most among running back Playa, but I will, I will
tell you talking to people around the team. There are
people watching that feel like Antonio Gibson, single-handedly
lost them a couple of games last year
with crucial late for court.
Fumbles in enemy territory.
That's one of the reasons why they dropped it. Brian
Robinson. This is a concerning. This is what I put in my love.
Hate calm, by the way, he also made the hate me for me to put
a wash in Commander
player on the hate list.
You know, there's concern Connor
get this last year. Antonio Gibson was 38th among running
backs in fantasy points for touch minimum 100 touches.
In other words like
if he's not getting great volume which is what he got
last year, even with JD mckissack around, like that's
problem, like that's problematic.
We have no guarantee that he's going to get the goal line
roll. Brian Robinson is a big bruising bass. I mean you can
talk about the Alabama, the factory Alabama Factory exactly
like find yourself someone who looks at you. The way that
washing commanders.
Look at guys, coming out of Nick Saban's program. They love
the Crimson Tide in Washington and so Robinson. Who is
a finisher in college and is looked good in the preseason.
Even if Gibson gets half, the work, as opposed to
the majority of the goal line work on this team that we think is
going to be scoring position more often. And with Carson
Wentz, they probably throw more.
Help, you know getting Logan Thomas, help back helps as well
as other Big Red Zone, Target. I'm super concerned with
Antonio Gibson. Especially
at its current ATP. He's going his running back, 22,
and 57th overall. I have it running back. 27 number 72, overall,
I'm low on him
in the running back ranks and in the consensus. And honestly
I think I'm going to drop them even further. I mean
if there's one shining spot
for Antonio Gibson is if you watch those games
they're actually using them on third down.
It's he actually maybe taking the JD mckissick
Roll weirdly because
people forget and Tony Gibson was a wide receiver at Memphis.
Yes. Like he was that, he's a converted running back and so
maybe they just like, you know what, we're going to use you
and on kicks, where do you see you suck, you know, try to
create some mismatches in the backfield, but we're also going
to use you on third down, in the passing game rule, which
gives them value in fantasy. But not where he's being
drafted. At sounds like quarter El Prat, Patterson. When you
say it like that. But obviously different situation last
player. But yeah, but yeah, absolutely. But
you know, the Brian Robinson draft pick interest me so much
because he's almost the exact. Opposite in so many different
ways. Ball security is great, he's obviously a big hulking
back. He doesn't bring that for three. Explosive play threat at
in any sense,
but where I wonder in fantasy or at least where I'm
significantly concerned is I do think. Brian Robinson is
the goal line back from day one and I think Gibson gets completely
phased out in that situation where if you're not in a PPR
League
what it I mean we're talking top 25 running back, right?
That's a really high value for a guy that really won't be
significant in the red zone. So he's a tough about
Valuation right now II agree with you. They like him as more
of a weapon. I think than a true running back.
I just want to ask you one quick question before we,
before we go to break,
you're in a draft clock's. Ticking down the clock's.
Ticking down Antonio, Gibson or Damien Pierce.
I'm taking Pierce.
Yeah, I'm taking Pierce. I'm with you. I used to do this
on my old show. We used to call it the name game, and then it
went away. So I think, I think I'm allowed to do it and, you
know, whatever, if I got to see some desist, I got a cease and
desist,
but
so real quickly.
Antonio Gibson or Josh Jacobs.
I still go with Antonio Gibson. Jeffrey, there is no good sign
with what's going on with Josh Davis right now that started
when they didn't pick up the fifth year option and it's
carried over throughout the entire summer and Tony Gibson.
Ray J, Dylan JJ, Dillon Agreed. 100%,
Antonio Gibson are David Montgomery.
Still going with Antonio Gibson. I don't like anything
about the bears run game right now, I might go with
Montgomery. If the Curt illegal Herbert injury is a little bit
more serious than we think, just because he just insane
volume on Montgomery of. That's a tough
one. Him coming up later in the show
and Tony Gibson are Damien. Harris.
I go the Antonio Gibson. I agree. But Antonio Gibson are
Rome and Ray Stevenson probably in her Mantra. I'm with you.
Yeah, same thing they can do it as a type. Reminder. I was like
Erich blunt.
Yeah. And then they dropped them again. Teams do this in
the draft, Matthew they look, they go. Oh, we used to have
that. We loved it. Let's do it again. That's why we're Madre.
You look at open Lane to be the guy there in New England, for
a team that loves to run
the ball. We just become best friends, friends. It's, we did,
don't touch my drum set,
don't touch my drum.