Fantasy Football Podcast
Episode Guide To Help You Win Your Fantasy Football League!
9/4/20: 2020 Preseason Huggy & Baggy Awards
We're down to the end of the fantasy football preseason, and it's time to hand out the hardware. After all this talk and all this news and all these ranks, which players do we trust most in 2020, and which ones do we think will blow up our fantasy teams? It's time for the annual Preseason Huggy and Baggy Awards! Guest: Cousin Josh (@DetectiveFisch).
9/3/20: Listener Request Episode!
We're reaching the end of the fantasy football draft run-up, and it's time to apply all that learning you did in July and August to your favorite leagues! But before you head forth and draft, we've taken a whole mess of your questions about draft strategy, NFL players, pop culture and cuisine, and mashed 'em all together into a pure listener-request episode. (Oh, and we'll also discuss Leonard Fournette to the Buccaneers....) Guest: Scott Pianowski from Yahoo! Fantasy (@scott_pianowski).
9/2/20: Talent-Based Sleepers For 2020
Your fantasy football draft approaches, and you're looking for some mid- to later-round players who could pop in 2020. Today we'll take the perspective that *everyone* overrates situation, and in fact once the season begins, we could wind up being quite surprised by which teams are good and which teams aren't, and therefore it makes sense to invest in talented players. If their situations get better or their depth charts clear up, they could wind up being valuable fantasy commodities! Guest: Sam Gold of The Athletic (@SamuelRGold).
9/1/20: Players We're Worried We're Wrong About For 2020
We spend all summer developing hot takes about players we would and wouldn't take in a fantasy football draft. And we stick by them! But we know that if we're wrong, we'll look like dodos! Today's show is our chance to pick hills to die on, as we count down players we're worried we're wrong about for fantasy in 2020. Guest. Denny Carter of Rotoworld and Draft Day Consultants (@CDCarter13).
8/31/20: Preparing For Fantasy Drafts In 2020 Plus Leonard Fournette & Injury News
We're headed toward the year's biggest weekend in fantasy drafts, and there are still so many questions about how to proceed positionally in drafts, how leagues should account for increased risk of players going on IR, and whether you should tweak your scoring system to make your league more balanced and fun. We'll talk through all these topics today, and also review the implications of Leonard Fournette's release and many other injury-related stories. Guest: Scott Fish of the Commission Impossible Podcast (@ScottFish24).
8/28/20: Super Deep Sleepers For 2020 (Part 2) & Warp Zone Players
The fantasy football Super-Deep Sleepers list continues as we scour the depths of players likely to be undrafted, looking for guys who have potential either because we like the talent they might display if starters get injured, or because we like their potential situations, or both! Also, we'll discuss Warp Zone players who could take a huge leap forward in the market's estimation in just a month or so of the 2020 season. Guest: Cousin Josh (@DetectiveFisch).
8/27/20: Super-Deep Sleepers For 2020 (Part 1)
Is it possible to know who will be the hot fantasy football waiver wire adds before the season even starts? Not with any great certainty, but every year we devote time to trying to find young players we imagine could leap into the limelight if the right circumstances present themselves. It's our annual Super-Deep Sleepers list: players we don't think you need to draft in 2020, but if you keep an eye on them and they pop at some point in the season, you should be ready to pounce! Guest: Matt Harmon from Yahoo! Fantasy (@MattHarmon_BYB) with music from M.A.G.S.
8/26/20: Un-Buzzed-About Players For 2020
Winning a fantasy football league isn't always about taking the buzziest names who've been in the news all August. Sometimes it's about making the smart choice on players everyone knows are good, but who simply haven't been getting a lot of echo-chamber noise. Today we'll count down several such players: potentially unsexy picks who nevertheless will deliver in the early, middle and even late rounds. Guest: Heath Cummings of CBS Fantasy (@heathcummingssr).
8/25/20: Safe Players For 2020
In a fantasy football draft, sometimes you take chances on risky players, and that's good! They can often win your league! But it also sometimes makes sense to balance out the high-variance players on your fantasy squad with some safer dudes whose workloads and weekly performances you can count on. We'll delve into a list of such "safe" players to have in your hip pocket come fantasy draft day. Guest: Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Fantasy (@JameyEisenberg).
8/24/20: Fantasy Busts For 2020
We've talked a lot about players we like...time to talk about fantasy football options we are simply not crazy about for 2020. It's not that we're positive that they're all going to lose their jobs, but we are simply lower on them than the market. Average Draft Position can be your friend, and we'll tell you which players to stay away from because their ADPs are too high in today's episode! Guest: Patrick Daugherty from Rotoworld (@RotoPat) with music from Old 97s.
8/21/20: Flag Players For 2020 (5 thru 1) & Frag Players
Let's continue our list of the players we most want to draft for fantasy football in 2020, counting down the guys we're planting a flag on this season. Then we'll take a turn to the Dark Side as befits our guest (the Prince Of Darkness), and discuss five "frag" players, who will blow up your team -- and not in a good way -- if you draft them! Guest: Cousin Josh (@DetectiveFisch).
8/20/20: Flag Players For 2020 (10 thru 6) & RB Handcuffing
Let's plant some flags! Fantasy football is about making bold calls; it's way too easy to talk about the myriad people you "love," and then claim you made a great call. So the Flag Players List exists to take a stand on 10 players we suggest you draft in 2020. We'll begin our countdown today with the first five, and we'll also discuss the state of running back handcuffing in 2020. Guest: Jake Ciely of The Athletic (@allinkid).
8/19/20: ADP Surprises In 2020
Fantasy football drafts are finally approaching, so it's time to really start talking about 2020 fantasy player value. That process begins today, as we finally begin digging into Average Draft Position data and locate players whose current ADPs surprise us. We've got quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends we're probably either going to target in drafts or avoid at all costs, and we'll describe 'em for you today! Guest: Liz Loza of Yahoo! Fantasy (@LizLoza_FF).
8/18/20: Fantasy Football Draft Strategy In 2020
We're getting closer to our 2020 fantasy football drafts, we've talked an awful lot about players we like and don't like, and that will of course continue. Today, though, we're taking a step back and talking about the kinds of decisions we expect to be faced with in the early rounds of our fantasy drafts, as we assemble our teams. When should we think about deviating from our draft boards? What's the best position to pick from? When is positional scarcity most important? Guest: Jim McCormick of ESPN (@_JimmyMcCormick).
8/17/20: Analyzing The Rookies For 2020
Fantasy football is weirder than ever with a limited training camp, no minicamps and no exhibition season: it's less time than ever for rookies to engender trust before our fantasy drafts. So it's incumbent upon us to figure out what these young players are capable of! That's what we'll work on today, with a special focus on the running backs who'll be drafted in all fantasy leagues, and could deliver league-winning performances. Or not! Guest: Matt Waldman of Football Guys and the Rookie Scouting Portfolio (@MattWaldman).
8/14/20: Players We Love
When it comes to fantasy football, sometimes it's just more satisfying to draft players you love. That's our subject today: we're not necessarily talking about the players who have the best draft-day value or those who have the most appealing depth charts. We're simply talking about players we think are a blast. And what could be more of a blast than the return of Cousin Josh to the Little Podcast That Could? Guest: Cousin Josh! (@DetectiveFisch)
8/13/20: Most Important Training Camp Stories & Drafting With An Early Pick
Preseason NFL football will not happen this year, but that doesn't mean fantasy-football-relevant stories will stop flowing. Now that teams are finally about to begin practicing, we'll talk about some of the most important news we hope or expect to hear coming out of NFL camps over the next few weeks. And we'll also discuss what fantasy draft strategies you might employ when you're picking early in the first round of your snake draft. Guest: Sigmund Bloom of FootballGuys.com (@SigmundBloom).
8/12/20: Swing Players For 2020
In fantasy football, we often hear about "league-winners": players with the upside to deliver on a modest average draft position. But let's be honest. Players who come with major upside almost always also come with crazy downside. These are the guys who can SWING the fate of your entire fantasy team and maybe even your entire fantasy league depending on whether they boom or bust. Today we'll list our candidates for the swingiest of players for 2020! Guest: Andy Behrens of Yahoo! Fantasy (@andybehrens).
8/11/20: Film Room Heroes For 2020
The best evaluation tool we have for fantasy football is: Are. The. Players. Good. Situations come and go, systems come and go, but good players usually wind up playing well. So today we'll talk about our Film Room Heroes: favorite players who are simply good at football. Maybe they'll be great draft picks this year. Maybe they'll wind up being a year away. But we believe they can eventually help your team! Guest: Brett Kollmann of the Film Room (@BrettKollmann).
8/10/20: Film Room Zeroes & Auction Strategies In 2020
Fantasy football drafts are just a couple weeks away, and we're getting ready! Today we'll discuss some players who didn't wind up impressing us enough to draft them in 2020, but we'll talk about why not every "film room zero" is created equally. We've got thoughts about Derrius Guice's release and what's left in the Washington backfield. And then we'll talk auctions! Our favorite format: why you should play in an auction league, and what auction strategies you should employ. Big fun! Guest: Dave Richard from CBS Fantasy (@daverichard).
8/7/20: Post-Hype Sleepers For 2020
With fantasy football drafts beginning in a couple weeks, we're trying to find sleepers who can surprise us and help our teams. Sometimes such performances comes from players who were expected to provide them *last* year. We'll nominate some potential draft picks who could deliver nice value a season after the hype! Guest: Jeff Erickson of Rotowire (@Jeff_Erickson).
8/6/20: Five Acid-Reflux All-Stars
In fantasy football, you always have to make compromises. Very few players outside the first round of your fantasy draft are completely comfortable to own! But some are less comfortable than others. Today on the podcast, we'll nominate our lists of the five scariest players to own whom we're still considering drafting. We'll take 'em! But we know we'll also have to invest in a big bottle of antacid. Also: what we mean by Value-Based Drafting. Guest: Denny Carter of Rotoworld (@CDCarter13).
8/5/20: Offensive Lines To Make Or Break Your Fantasy Season & Draft Strategy Talk
As always, in 2020 fantasy Football will be decided by the skill players. But of course those skill players' offensive lines will inevitably become big stories as well! Today we'll talk about a few lines we like for this season, including one you very much might not expect, and then a couple well-regarded o-lines we're concerned about. We'll also talk fantasy draft strategy by looking at positional and player options when you draft late in your first round. Guest: Ross Tucker of the Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerNFL).
8/4/20: Five Players Who Might Lose Their Jobs Plus Antonio Brown Again?
There's nothing worse in a fantasy football draft than picking a guy only to discover that he doesn't have the role you hoped. On today's show, we'll preview 2020 Fantasy Football by tackling this topic: we'll count down our nominees for players we're worried could lose their primary roles in their offenses and thus disappoint. We'll also talk about the latest names on the COVID list and the possible return (after suspension) of Antonio Brown. Guest: Brandon Funston of The Athletic (@BrandonFunston) with music from Bonny Light Horseman.
8/3/20: How Fantasy Leagues Should Deal With COVID & Top Almanac Talents
Dealing with COVID is a problem that far outstrips the goofball world of fantasy football, but it does have implications for how our leagues will run this year. We'll talk about it today, while at the same time bouncing around some fun ideas about how to spruce up your fantasy league's format in other ways. We'll also talk about some of the NFL's top talents based on their 2020 Harris Football Player Profile Almanac grades! Guest: Scott Pianowski of Yahoo! Fantasy (@scott_pianowski).
7/31/20: Eagles, Cowboys, Washington, Giants Training Camp Preview
Our division-by-division NFL training camp previews wrap up with a look at the teams of the NFC East. Will the Eagles' newfound speed at WR change their equation, and will Miles Sanders benefit? How will CeeDee Lamb work in with the Cowboys? Is Darius Slayton great? Does Derrius Guice have a chance of staying healthy, and what about the rookie in D.C.? We'll answer all these questions and more! Guest: Brett Kollmann of the Film Room (@BrettKollmann).
7/28/20: Patriots, Bills, Jets, Dolphins Training Camp Preview
What can we learn about the likes of Cam Newton, Devin Singletary, Le'Veon Bell and Tua Tagovailoa between now and Week 1? Will that information influence our perceptions of them going into our fantasy football drafts? And should it really change our ranks? Today we'll talk through training camps for the teams of the AFC East! Guest: Matt Harmon of Yahoo! Fantasy (@MattHarmon_BYB).
7/24/20: Packers, Vikings, Bears, Lions Training Camp Preview
NFL training camps are getting closer, and it's about to be time for fantasy football owners to wade through the muck and mire of relentless player positivity. Not here, though! We'll preview the teams of the NFC North and talk about what might change our opinions on guys like Aaron Jones, Dalvin Cook, David Montgomery, Allen Robinson, D'Andre Swift and many more. Guest: Jake Ciely of The Athletic (@allinkid).
7/21/20: Ravens, Steelers, Browns, Bengals Training Camp Preview
August is a time for NFL training camp drama and it can affect our fantasy football teams! Today we'll discuss the teams of the AFC North: will J.K. Dobbins pose a threat to Mark Ingram? How bad could things get for Steelers players if Ben Roethlisberger's not right? Is this the year Baker Mayfield takes off? What should we do with Joe Mixon with the looming threat of a holdout? Guest: Andy Behrens of Yahoo! Fantasy (@andybehrens).
7/17/20: Saints, Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers Training Camp Preview
Anything interesting happen this winter in the NFC South? Oh, only Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski coming to the Buccaneers, Todd Gurley joining the Falcons, the Saints loading up for one big run, and a new administration and quarterback coming to rebuild the Panthers? We'll talk about 'em all on today's show, and discuss what we'll be looking for once August arrives. Big fun! Guest: Liz Loza of Yahoo! Fantasy (@LizLoza_FF).
7/14/20: Texans, Titans, Colts, Jaguars Training Camp Preview
There are some super-interesting fantasy football options in the AFC South. You've got Derrick Henry who led the league in rushing. Leonard Fournette who may or may not be pretty much the same player as Henry but isn't as beloved right now. Deshaun Watson with his new cast of characters. And Philip Rivers throwing to a promising young corps with stud rookie RB Jonathan Taylor. We'll try and make sense of them all and preview training camps! Guest: Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Fantasy (@JameyEisenberg).
7/10/20: 49ers, Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals Training Camp Preview
Fantasy football is a fun distraction in difficult times, so let's keep distracted for an hour: today, we'll preview what we might learn in August once NFL training camps begin and focus on the teams of the NFC West: 49ers, Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals. Can our ranks get re-shuffled depending what happens and what the teams say once camps begin? We'll discuss! Guest: Patrick Daugherty of Rotoworld (@RotoPat).
7/7/20: Welcome Back To Football - AFC West Camp Preview
We're back! It's a mad world, kids, and nobody is sure whether there will be an NFL season, but we're back. Our annual preview of training camps begins for 2020 with a look at the AFC West: we'll talk about big names and big rookies you might consider in your fantasy drafts this year on some potentially exciting offenses, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that we'll actually get games to enjoy once September arrives. Please wear a mask! Guest: Jim McCormick of ESPN (@_JimmyMcCormick).