Coming up, the big 2024 NFL preview week is upon us. We're doing fantasy football today. A little Adam Sandler as well. Let's go. We're also brought to you by the Ringer podcast network. If you missed the rewatchables on Wednesday night, we put up Rudy. You can watch that as well on our Ringer movies YouTube channel. Me and Kyle Brandt had a great time. Have another rewatchables coming on Monday night. I'm doing Purple Rain. Yeah. 40 years later. Came out in the summer of 84 and we overused the word iconic, but this is an absolutely iconic eighties movie. So get ready Monday night Purple Rain. That's happening on this podcast. What do we got? Well, we got some fantasy football. We're doing the third annual my guy fantasy football draft with Danny Heifett's, Danny Kelly and Craig Horlbeck from the Ringer fantasy football show, which is a great podcast, by the way. And then as a second act, a long interview with Josh Safdie and Adam Sandler because Sandler has a new comedy special coming on Tuesday. It's called Love U. And we talked about that. We talked about basketball, we talked about movies. We talked about a whole bunch of stuff.

So this is a big, fat, meaty podcast. That's all, Max. First, our friends from Pearl, Jenna.

All right.

It's the third annual my guy fantasy draft. Our ringer fantasy football show guys are here. Danny Kelly, Danny Heifetz, Craig Korlbek, who's also in my life as rewatchable's longtime producer. We spent a lot of time together. You guys have been doing pods. How would you rate this fantasy football previous season? Just in general? Like a b minus, b plus, a zip and foot. Where is it, Craig?

I don't know if the preseason's been that exciting, but I think the offseason in general and the hype is really high going into the season because the rookies are so great, the rookie quarterbacks are so good. There's like a whole new crop of guys going in the first round this year. So it's really fun.

So refresh, you agree with that if it's.

Yeah, I think it's definitely a refresh. You have Bruce hall, you've Bijon Robinson. You have a bunch of guys that are kind of like new faces at the top. But to Craig's point, the rookie classes, you have Marvin Harrison's probably going to be the highest drafted rookie of all time. You have all the like, you know, Jaden Daniels, you have a bunch of rookie quarterbacks. There's a lot of new blood. But then none of the olds have been sunsetted yet.

Yeah, the Ringer fantasy football guide, which we do every year, and we have the rankings, and you look at it, and if I had seen this in February, I would have thought, like, I was on bath salts or something. Um, Danny Kelly, I know you had a big hand in that. What, what was the most shocking thing in the top ten or twelve for you, as you just saw the list laid out? We know it's the right list, but it's like, for me, it was just bris hall. Cause I felt like, is breeze hall the number one? I feel like he is. And then when I actually saw him, we had him pegged with $65 in an auction league. But what was the biggest shocker for you?

I mean, that's a good one. The fact that we have both Bruce hall and Garrett Wilson in the top ten. A little bit scary for a jet save. Like, that's a leap of faith, I would say. Even though I love both of those guys, like, a lot. Um, yeah, we're making a pretty big leap of faith. I think that's like, you know, the old expression is you can. You can't win your draft in the first round, but you can lose it. Like, that's a little bit scary. But I think you also have to have, you know, a healthy amount of ability to take a risk on these guys because they could really, really pay off.

Well, I do feel like there's some sort of weird changing in the guard thing happening because the ringer, Breece, Tyreek McCaffrey, who God knows when he comes back. Bijon CD Lamb St. Brown Taylor Wilson, Gibbs Jefferson as the top ten. It just feels new and fresh and exciting, and it almost makes me wonder if the inefficiencies are elsewhere. Before we do the my guy draft, I have an announcement. I do three fantasy leagues, and now somehow I've been roped into a fourth. I am in a guillotine league.

Oh.

I got roped in as a partner with a friend of mine, and I don't really know what to expect. I'm excited. I'm nervous.

So you might be back in three leagues by, like, week two?

Well, that was the appeal. It's like, wait, I could get knocked out right away. This guillotine thing has really taken off over the past two years, and I think part of the appeal is you might just. It might only be two weeks of your life. I don't mind it. Where do you. I know you guys have talked about it on your, on your pod. But where do you hyphens, where do you stand on the guillotine leaks?

It's fun. I don't have any with my close friends. It's hard enough to explain to them, like, stuff like points per first down, never mind. Okay. Like, you're just going to get chopped. But I think it's fun. It's kind of like March madness bracket where you do some and then you're like, all right, well, maybe throw it out after a weekend, and if you're good, you stay in it.

It just can't be the only league you do otherwise. That sucks. If you're out week five, it has to be like the third or fourth thing you're, you're doing and you focus on your two main leagues. But that can't be the only way you play fantasy football.

Yeah.

I didn't mind adding it because in my knockout league, the West Coast League, my longtime buddy Kevin Hench won last year and has, gets to vote out somebody. And I look like I'm one of the three safe ones. But the actual hilarious move would be to, for him to vote me out. We've had an american league only keep her team together for 22 years. It would be an absolute steel chair over the head shocking swerve for me to get voted out. And now I'm starting to get worried, so I thought I'd add leak. All right, the my guy fantasy draft. So we have all these dumb categories. This is not an actual draft. Who, who has the first pick in each category? They'll go, but two people can have the same pick. Three people can have the same pick. So we'll just go clockwise and we'll start with Danny Kelly. And then we'll go around. So Danny Craig. Hi, Fitz. And then I'll go 4th. 1st category is my one true love. Every year in fantasy, there's one guy you love the most. The heart wants what the heart wants. You can't fight it. You go into your draft knowing, I need this guy.

I'm going to feel better. Not just about my team, about my day and my week and my fall. If this guy's on my team, if he's on another team, I'm going to be pissed. Your one true love for 2024, Danny Kelly. Who is it?

Oh, God, there's so much pressure. I'm going with, I just mentioned this team. I'm going with Garrett Wilson from the Jets. I just think the combination of talent, like he was my favorite receiver coming out of the draft. I think he's proven that he's one of the best receivers in the NFL, but he's just been stuck with the worst quarterback situation, like maybe in the league for the last couple of years. And so this could be his year. I think. Obviously, Aaron Rodgers is going to feed him and he's, he's been one of the. He's been a guy who's had one of the lowest catch rates among all the top receivers in the NFL the last couple of years. So, um, I feel like this is here. Plus, he breaks a lot of tackles, so he kind of has that extra boost in addition to getting a ton of volume. Really good player. I'm just going to bet on his talent this year.

Do they keep a stat? For most times a guy's life sagged out of his body and he dejected the turf after an uncutchable ball because, I mean, obviously Devontae Adams was number one last year, but Wilson was probably number two last year and then number one the year before. So he's been, he's got that, he.

He has that Devante Adams, like, give me the ball or I'm going to go crazy type of vibe to him, which I like. I think Rogers is going to absolutely going to feed him or else there's going to be problems. They've. We've already seen them arguing on the sideline a couple times.

I like that, though. That's good.

You want that 100%. Like, they're super, super, like, just pissed off for greatness. So I don't know, this could be risky. I could regret this, but I really like Garrett Wilson this year.

I don't think it's risky at all. Hi, Fitz, what do you think?

I mean, I think this one's risky. I. My one true love this year is Jaden Daniels, the quarterback for Washington. I think it's a little crazy, but, I mean, again, rushing points are worth three times as many as passing points in fantasy. Jaden Daniels is the only quarterback in FBS history to throw for 350 yards and run for 200 in the same game. And you could get him like 95th depending on where you draft. And I just feel like I'm getting a top five quarterback 50 spots after the last top five quarterback went. And so I just, I just feel like I'm cheating.

The age piece of it is the big thing with him. Like, drake May is 21. Yeah, he's. Drake May is young. He's like basically a little kid. They show him on the sidelines sometimes and he looks like somebody that would come over to watch UFC with my son on like a Saturday night. He just looks young. Jaden Daniels, he was in college for eleven years, so I don't know. I'm not as scared off by that. Plus the offense that is in. Where do you stand on Daniels, Craig?

I think I'm the least warm on Daniels compared to the other two guys here. I don't know. Rookie quarterback? I don't think the team's going to be that good. I think the injury risk is kind of high with him. He's kind of a chaotic runner, but the upsides there, it's just high risk, high reward. If you're going to draft him, I'd probably get another guy as like a security blanket.

Yeah. Danny Kelly though, the things that scare me are the health piece, Washington's offensive line, not pilot like a skinny guy who runs around. That scares me. And then I don't love their receivers either.

Right.

That'd be the case against them. Right.

They just traded away Jahad Dotson, two. Um. I don't know. It's tough because I think there's always going to be an injury risk when you have quarterbacks who run and that's kind of been the deal. They're going to open the sales up to hits, especially like in the red zone. But man, he has, he has really special big playability. He's one of the best deep ball throwers I've seen coming out like his, his deep ball to the sideline. I compared it to like Russell Wilson esque. He'll just drop it in a bucket. We saw a glimpse of that in the preseason. The other thing is, I'm not like a big Cliff Kingsbury guy, but they run a lot of plays. They like have a high tempo offense. They're going to give him a lot of opportunities to score fantasy points. He could be a terrible passer. He could still be one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL. But I also think he's a pretty good passer or he could be a pretty good passer. So I think this is a great pick. Like go for it. Go for the gusto. He could be, you know, one of the keys to your fantasy season this year.

But we don't think he's a top ten starter. Right. Like on his fringe. He's fringe. So he's in that range? Yeah. So you, he's like five, six, $7 and maybe he starts for you.

Basically it's supply and demand. So again, first of all, he doesn't have to be top ten, top 20, anything in real life for him to be incredible in fantasy. Justin Fields got booted out of Chicago, but he was still top five fantasy every week he played for Jayden Daniels. It's just the supply and demand of the highest upside. Quarterbacks are always going to be rushing quarterbacks. And once you lose, Jalen hurts and Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen and Anthony Richardson at the top. And then at that point it's like, who could run for double digit touchdowns? It's Kyler Murray. It's Jaden Daniels. Caleb Williams Fields. If he plays, that's really the argument is that Jaden Daniels, the last week, one starter who could run for a crazy, silly amount of rushing stuff from the quarterback quarterback position. So I think that it's he. He goes above the next tier of pocket passers because there's so many Jared Goffs and Trevor Lawrences and stuff, but there's only one Jen Daniels.

There's a red zone piece to him, too that would make it super fun when they're like, let's go to Washington, and he's just running for 58 yards you gave him. You guys do this where you do the tears. We did it on the guide and he got his own tier, which is always funny when that happens, where it's like, we don't know what this guy is like. He's just gonna be here. There's nobody else who could be next to him. But in our guide, he's the head of Purdy and Burrow and Caleb Williams and the corpse of Trevor Lawrence. Good luck to anybody who takes him. Kirk cousin in his one leg and Jared Goff, who just continues to be underrated in fantasy drafts. Craig, who's. Who's your true love this year?

Cooper cup.

You guys are back.

We're so back. The vibes in LA are great. Chargers and rams. Football's back in LA. I just. Everyone's backed off cup because of last year, which I get, I guess he was super banged up, though, and it seems like the mantle was passed to Puka Nicu. Everybody just decided that. But things are actually, I think, switched this year where last year cup was hurt the entire offseason. Now Puka Naku has been hurt the entire season and cup is healthy and although it didn't really feel like it, but last year when cup got relatively healthy over the second half of the season, cup and Nakua were both top ten guys in fantasy. And I think we're going to see that version of cup. Like, I think he's all the way back. We did this with Kenan Allen last year, where he got hurt the year before, everybody was like, oh, Keenan Allen's old. Now he's 31. It's over. He's washed. And then Kenan Allen came in last year and had the best year of his career. So I, I, I don't know if Cup's going to have the best year of his career because that's a pretty high mark.

But he's 31. He's not 36. He's a health nuthen. And you can now get him in the third or fourth round, which is insane.

I like the puka being banged up piece to that, too. Yeah, it just feels like they switch bodies. It's like a, like a two thousands horror movie. My guy. You guys don't know who my guy is. I've been, like, deliberately holding back on my fantasy opinions to make this pod more fun. My one true love is Marvin Harrison, junior. Oh, the, on ESPN, the highest drafted rookie wide receiver in 20 years. So there's been a lot of hype, but I went back and I looked at the fantasy points for, you know, like the best six modern rookie fantasy receivers ever, which was moss, like 232 points. Jamar Chase, 223. Danny's guy Beckham. Those were great times, right, Danny? The 202.0 Del Beckham junior fantasy giants, like 100 years ago. And Quan Bolden, what a riot that caused. He wasn't even drafted that year, and it was like one of those free agent auctions where I forget what he went for. Justin Jefferson, 182. And Nakua last year, 172. So the question for me is, can he have a better season than Nakua? I think he can. Can he be in that moss Chase area? I think he can.

Is he on the right team? I think he is. Is he on a team that they're going to be behind a few times and have to throw the ball a lot? I think he will be. And I'm just all in, like, as you know, I love reading the preseason articles and then overreacting famously last year with Kenny Pickett, which we, I think we talked about on last year's pod when somebody was comparing his coolness to Joe Montana.

He looked good, though, didn't he?

That didn't have, it looked good, though.

It turned out he did have some stuff with, in common with Joe Montana. They, they both had a head and two arms and two legs, and that's about where it ended. But the Marvin Harrison, the quotes from the teammates and the coaches are of bonkers. Like when the, when guys in the defense on the same team start raving about a wide receiver running back, you kind of know something's happening. But I just think he's going to absolutely go off. Where, where do you stand on that one, DK?

I mean, I think the only problem I have with him is he's priced really, really highly right now. But, I mean, otherwise, like, in a vacuum. I agree wholeheartedly. You know, this is one of my favorite receiver prospects in the last decade, and he went to a team with a good quarterback who is going to feed him the rock. So, like, there's a lot to like, I think it's just you have to pay up to get it. So are we getting him at his floor? Are we getting a ceiling?

Yeah, you're basically getting him, like, in drafts right now. He's going right around Garrett Wilson, which is just pretty steep. He basically has no room for error. But everything you mapped out, I think is 100% correct. You're just going to have to pay for it.

Fantasy guide that we had Adam at 32.

Yeah, we have him a little lower.

It had him below Drake, London Olive, and DJ Moore. And there's just no way he's going, going behind those guys because it's more fun to take Marvin Harrison Junior. Stan Hyphens.

Yeah, I'm. It's exactly what DK said about the price point where I think I agree with everything you said, bill. I think the question is, if you have to take Marvin Harrison junior 15th, that would be too rich for my blood. If it's in the thirties, then, like, yeah, I mean, hop on the ride, are you.

So you're talking booger eater drafts, not auctions.

Well, I'm thinking, I'm just trying to bring it to where the people are.

It's like, how much money would you.

Have to spend on Marvin Harrison junior high book readers? Uh, auction standpoint, I think he's low thirties. That's just where he's going to end up. And maybe even mid thirties if two guys start getting possessive about him. I'll say this. I think I might even said this on a previous pod, but I stand by the Drake may pick. I'm really glad we have him. But there's going to be some moments this year with Harrison where it's like, oh, my God, like, we didn't take that guy. And I'm super nervous about, uh, buyers remorse. Okay, next category. My crazy pills guy. So this could go one way or the other. You're just seeing somebody a certain way, and you either love this person and don't understand why everybody else doesn't love him or everybody else loves him. And you're like, what the fuck am I taking crazy pills? I don't understand this at all. Heifetz, who's your crazy pills guy?

My crazy pills guy? It's Rashee Rice for Kansas City. I know Craig came on here, I think a couple weeks ago, talked about Rasheed Rice, but rice is basically ranked. Like, he's getting suspended and Rasheed Rice is probably not going to get suspended. And so he's one of the best values in drafts this year. Like by far. He was at the final month of last season. He was like a top six receiver down the stretch. And you're going to be able to get him as like the 26th receiver. It's, it's a, it's one of the best value probably in years.

So we don't think he's going to get suspended?

No, I don't think he will know. I am, I am not a lawyer, but he probably won't get suspended.

You're not a lawyer?

Yeah.

Um, okay. Who do you have for your crazy pills guy, Craig?

I don't know why everybody isn't in on Josh Palmer with me, the receiver on the Chargers.

This is a good one.

You love him.

If something happens to Josh Palmer, people will be emailing you like, like it's your brother.

All of my eggs are in Josh Palmer's basket. I just don't get it. He's the number one wide receiver for Justin Herbert. I just talked about how great Keenan was last year on the Chargers. He's gone. Mike Williams is gone. There's nobody else. They have a rookie lad, McConkie, who was hurt all training camp. That's basically it. They have a bunch of busts or vets. Josh Palmer last year was on pace for a thousand yards with Keenan Allen. He's good. I don't know. We're all just refusing to acknowledge that Josh Palmer is a competent football player. And it's like, whatever. The Chargers are going to run a lot. That's fine. Josh Palmer I still think is going to put up a thousand yards on the Chargers. With Herbert, we're treating Chargers like they're navy, like they're not going to throw the ball. They're going to throw the ball ten times the game.

All right, my crazy pills guy, CJ Stroud and even like, I brought this up to Craig when we were just talking about stuff and Craig was like, well, he doesn't run. And just was like shitting on him. You guys have him 7th, like at the $11 range. I'm just going to point out some CJ Stroud stuff. 3500 yards passing his first twelve games. And I think tank Dell got hurt during those first twelve games. So it was basically just him and Nico Collins and a bunch of, you know, replacement dudes. He finished with 4100 yards and 23 TD's in 15 games. He's got a loaded wide receiver crew now. Cause Dell's back, Diggs is back. Second year in the league. The offensive coordinator stayed, which was huge for them. The lines a little bit better. I'm just in on the Texans in general, and the only reason not to like him as a top five fantasy guy is he doesn't run. But if he leads the league in passing, which is seven to one on Fanduel, so that's what, 47, let's say 4700 yards and 34 touchdowns, I think that's realistic. If he doesn't get hurt and if he does that, he's a top five.

He should be like a $16 to $25 QB. Where Danny, where Danny Kelly? Where does my case fall apart there?

I mean, it doesn't really fall apart, really. The only guy, the only non running quarterback we have above him is Patrick Mahomes.

That's the thing.

It's like, I guess you could put him ahead of my homes if you're really that bullish. And I wouldn't really be. I wouldn't be like, outraged if you did that. There was a play in the preseason where Stroud dropped back. He was in the end zone, like in his own end zone. There's pressure coming in and just cool as can be, goes through his progressions, finds a guy in the middle of the field for like a 25, 30 yard gain, and I was like, oh, my God, he might actually just be the best quarterback in the league right now. Um, he is. He's so good. I'm so excited about him. The, the Stefan diggs thing, while it might be like something, it might be like a chemistry risk. Like, he could absolutely elevate that offense. There's still meat on the bone in terms of their pass rate. They could, they could pass more this year. They, they kind of ran a lot on early downs last season, so there's a lot of things that could go right for him and he could end up being, you know, top five quarterback, especially if some of these other guys that are running quarterbacks get hurt.

So I, you know, I really like Stroud. I just think it's a matter of, he's just really not going to run he's like, he's not going to score touchdowns on the ground high.

Fitz. I have. I have three guys ahead of him, or I have him ahead of three guys which are in the ringer fantasy guide. You have Richardson fifth. I don't see that one at all. Like, at all. Good luck to somebody else. I just. If you're telling me he's a safer bet than CJ Stroud, I think that's crazy. Lamar, who we have third worst offensive line. He's been injured, like basically every other season. He gets hurt. I just would be super nervous paying big money for him. And then I kind of just want to see it from Kyle Lemur. I know I just made the case for Harrison, but, um, I just wouldn't take Kyler Murray over CJ Stroud. So those have been my three. What were you going to say before?

Well, basically there is no hole in your case with CJ Stroud. The problem is everyone agrees with you. I would pro, I would passionately argue CJ Stroud is the most popular player in the NFL by just approval rating. I think we're at the point where more people dislike Patrick Mahomes than people who dislike CJ Stroud. I've never met anyone who thinks anything other than CJ Stroud is an awesome football player. And he's an awesome guy. And he's the guy that when he's in that auction draft, there's just $1015 at goodwill that just go up because people want CJ Stroud on their team. So the reason we have him a little lower is that there's not really any way to get CJ Stroud as a value.

Like, I don't think it's possible to.

Get him at a good price or at a good position. You have to pay this premium of you want the most popular guy in.

The league who is the highest approval rating. Guys. Craig, you believe that high Fitz case? Cuz that I'm trying to come up with a counter and is it, I mean, headed Josh Allen? Everybody loves Josh Allen.

Yeah, but the thing about Josh Allen is Josh Allen seems really cool, but he's not really like in front of the camera a lot. You don't really see a lot of him. Stroud has been on like a media tour since he came in the NFL. He had a podcast with Michael Parsons. Like, he's very comfortable being on camera doing a podcast. So I think he's putting himself in front of people way more than people like Josh Allen or Lamar or Jalen Hertz. Are you?

Yeah. I like CJ Stroud. I mean, I'm in with that one. All right, Danny Kelly, you're up.

James cook for the bills. He's been kind of a guy that no one's talked about at all this preseason, and I'm just like, I might be the only person who thinks he's good anymore at this point. Like, he rushed for 100, he rushed for 1100 yards last year. He had the 10th most touches among all running backs. And he got better as the year go on, especially as the year went on. Especially after Joe Brady took over as the offensive coordinator from a week eleven on after Joe Brady took over play calling for them. He was the RB eleven in that stretch and they got rid of Stefan Diggs. And he's going to be, I think, an even bigger focal point in this offense. And he, by the way, how many.

Rushing touchdowns did he have?

See, that's the problem. He didn't score a lot of touchdowns, but touchdowns are, they're a volatile stat. You know what I mean? Like, he doesn't get a lot of goal line looks. That's very true. He did drop a couple of touchdowns, uh, which, you know, hopefully he won't do that again. And I can understand why people might be annoyed by that. Um, but I don't know. He's an explosive guy. He's super efficient, 5.6 yards per touch. That's fifth best among running backs last year. Um, and he did all that with like a 50% snap rate. So he's not even like, you know, he has, there's meat on the bone for him to go up and snap rate and, and like, get more touches, get more opportunities in the goal in the red zone. He's not going to get very many goal line looks, and that's why he's priced where he is. But I still think he's like one of the better just running backs in the NFL. Like, just explosiveness and elusiveness.

Well, I'll tell you this, he was my backup crazy pills guy.

There we go.

I love James Cook. Last year, James Cook hit so many overs on pass receiving, past rushing or just rushing or like, he was probably, what, one of the four best running backs in the league the last two months of the season. And it just seems they've moved their team toward running the ball, ball control, two tight ends, move the ball down the field, use Josh's legs, and it seems like he'd be the beneficiary of that. It's almost like it seems so obvious that he should be awesome in fantasy that the fact that people aren't in on it makes me nervous. I'm like, what am I missing? Is there, are there more Buffalo bills running backs I don't know about?

I mean, they like this rookie Ray Davis, but, yeah, I mean, I think it's, it's purely what Craig said. He's getting sniped for goal line stuff by Josh Allen. Josh Allen. And that's fair? That's definitely fair. I'm not saying he should be the number one running back. I just think people don't talk about it hardly ever. It's just kind of bizarre.

Yeah, I'm in on James. I love James Cook as well. All right, one more before we go to break. Craig, you're. I absolutely hate myself for doing this guy. Who is it?

Kyle Pitts.

So the story of this category is the draft's going along. You've told yourself in your head, I don't want this fucking guy. He's never going to be in my team. I'm not ending up with him. And then the auction's going and it's like $7 and it's stopping there for 10 seconds. You're like, oh, no, I can't let so and so have him for. I'll bid eight. And then all of a sudden you're stuck with him and then you're furious.

Yeah. I'm like the old grizzled detective who's getting like, drawn back into one last job. Like, that is how I feel with Kyle Pitts. I just think maybe this is also crazy. It's a crazy pills guy for me. I get it. He's been a fucking disaster every year of his career, I guess, except the rookie season. But, like, last year, right? Kyle Pitts was coming into the season. He was less than a year, a move from tearing his knee. Desmond Ritter was going to be his quarterback and they had John who? Smith, another good tight end in the mix with him. All right, so that was all, that was the situation heading into last year.

And he'll end Arthur Smith as the coach.

Sure. And he was getting, and he was going in rounds, five or six of drafts this year. Now we're heading to this year. He's now two years removed from his torn knee. Kirk Cousins is now his quarterback. He has basically the Rams coaching staff as his coaches now. And he's got a solid backup quarterback. And Michael Pennix was a top ten pick this year. He's still going the exact same spot, rounds five or six. Like, I just, I actually don't understand that at all.

I think he should go lower.

People are embarrassed to take him. That's the thing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know who's embarrassed?

The people who spent $29 on him in an auction draft two years ago. Like me. I just see him and I turn the other way. I'm just terrified of him.

Craig's like Wakanah and true detective. You've got your storage unit with all the string and the board and the picture.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The argument, though, the part where I'm a little like, I kind of want to join Craig on this, on this new case with Kyle Pitts is bill, you know how the 49 ers drafted Ricky Parasol, the receiver out of Florida? Kyle Pitts came out of Florida. Ricky parasol is older than Kyle Pitts. Like, they're like a first round receiver in this year's draft, is from the same college, is older than Kyle Pitts, who had a thousand yards of the NFL three years ago. So the idea of giving up on someone who's younger than three first rounders in this year's draft, I think that is the one thing you can't give up on someone who's, you know, he's so young.

He's, you know what he's going to be? This is going to be his 2022 Andrew Wiggins year. All right. It just took some time.

Yeah.

He needed to find the right home.

I guess when I watch him play, I always feel like he's just a giant receiver that they're trying to pretend it's a tight end and they, it doesn't seem like they've ever figured out how to actually use him.

That's a good draft rule. It's like anyone who's a tweener in the NFL draft, it kind of like that's. That just means they haven't figured it out yet.

Yeah, it's true. My guy, my, I absolutely hate myself for doing this guy is Devontae Adams because I think he's going to have a big discount price on him. I don't think anyone wants to take him. He is the logical guy to just either stop playing or get hurt because his quarterback, you know, sent some ball over the middle of the day to jump forward and he got nailed by his safety. He's going to be in trade rumors the moment they start out. Oh, and three or one and four. And as you're watching it and as he becomes super cheap and you start talking to yourself, well, he might be on the jets by week 618 bucks. Why not? And then you're stuck with this 32 year old unhappy guy who has the worst quarterbacks in the league and might not actually get traded. So DK, unless you have anything else to add, you're up.

Yeah, I agree with all that. My guy this year, I kind of interpreted this as I hate that I'm actually going to be talking up this guy, but basically it's taste of hill again.

We're running it back.

We're running it back.

What year is this?

I know.

Guess what? He had four touchdowns last year, 400 yards rushing. Same number of rushing touchdowns as Bijon Robinson, who's going top three. One fewer rushing touchdown than Bruce hall, who's going, you know, top three. He also had 33 catches, which is more than like a lot of like the top. He had more catches. And Karen Williams, he's basically a running back playing tight end who is the, the primary goal line slash red zone player for the Saints. And he could have an even bigger role this season. Kendra Miller can't stay healthy. The coach can't stop telling everybody that will listen that Kendra Miller sucks and he can't say healthy. This is like the number two running back and the goal line specialist for the Saints and you can get him with your last pick. I just got him in an auction league draft for $1 and I think he's going to be useful this year. I'm not saying he's going to be like a top five tight end one. Yeah, it's just basically, look, they love him still and he's probably their second best running back and he's, by the way, probably going to throw like a touchdown or two.

He's going to line up at receiver. He just basically used all over the formation. This is a new offense in New Orleans. I can't believe I'm doing this again. I hate myself.

Are you saying like take him last in your draft, like last round?

Yeah, but I just hate that I'm even talking about him is me too.

He does have like the two weeks of season when he just puts up like 25 points.

Yeah.

And you're like, what? Why did I lose? Oh, because taste of hill threw for a touchdown, had two touchdown runs. Who's your guy? Hi, Fitz.

My, I absolutely hate myself for doing this guy. Is, is Tony Pollard the running back? We came on this show last year and we all were like, we love Tony Pollard and I want against my better instincts and Tony Pollard broke his leg in January last year and then by August we were like, he's fine. And so, yeah, he was not a good pick as a top 15 pick last year, Tony Pollard now is actually healthy and is going like 90th in drafts. He's probably like a $5 running back bill in the drafts you do with your friends and Tony Pollard, like, all right, he went from the Cowboys to the Titans. That shouldn't be like a $50 difference in a fantasy draft. But that's basically it. I'm getting back on the roller coaster. I feel like an idiot. But it reminds me of what we were saying about Pitts where just people feel silly for doing this again. But Tony Pollard, I can't remember as big of a swing on a player in one year where if you look at what went wrong, it doesn't make any sense. It's, it's like Tony Pollard. Last year he wasn't healthy.

Now he's healthy and he's going even later than he was entering the 2022 season.

I remember I heard a podcast last year where somebody said, I think Tony Pollard should be the first pick in the draft. Oh, it's craig on this podcast.

Whatever. Stand by it.

He was the, he looked like one of the best running backs I'd ever seen the year before.

What if you're trying to unravel what happened with that? It does. And I worry about that. This with Kyron Williams, too. These guys that the change of pace guys who they end up with like, you know, 175 carries and, you know, it's almost like, like basketball players that can come in and come off the bench and play for like 23 minutes and they're awesome.

Deon Waiters.

Yeah. If you need them to play 40 minutes, it's. It's all of a sudden a different equation. I do wonder if that was a piece of this. Okay, we are just getting started. We're going to take a break and come back with one of my favorite categories next. Football's back. No better place to get it on the NFL action than Fanduel, America's number one sports book. Right now, all customers can bet dollar five and get a three week free trial of NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube and YouTube tv. And then you'll be able to watch every regular season, Sunday afternoon out of market game. You even be able to bet on some of my bets. Yeah, bets are coming back. Sal and I are doing the big over under podcast. I have some hot takes coming. We do a three parter. We do AFC, NFC and NFL futures. So stay tuned for that. We do pretty well on those, too. So you can tell some of our bets with Fanduel. You don't even have to leave the app to access real time stats data. To help you make even more winning bets. Just visit fandor.com B's to download America's number one sports book.

You must be 21 plus 18 plus in DC president select states offer ends 922 24 after three week free trial. The full price of NFL Sunday ticket will be automatically charged seasonally canceled anytime. No refunds. Terms, restrictions and embargoes apply. YouTube tv base plan required to watch YouTube tv redemption requires a Google account and current form of payment gambling problem called 1800 gambler or visit rg dash help.com dot all right, this is one of my favorite categories. Also an indictment of some really bad teams. The my I am staying away from that entire team team where there's just entire teams become DS. I will give you for possibilities, the Carolina Panthers, my own beloved New England Patriots, the New York football giants, and any other team you want to throw in. Dan Kelly, who is your I'm staying away from this entire team team the.

Panthers I don't want anything to do with Deontay Johnson. Not only just because. Not only because he's on the Panthers, but he's just an annoying player to have on your fantasy team. He's like hurt three times a game, you know, taken off on a cart. He's always back. Oh, okay. It's just an emotional rollercoaster I don't want to take part in.

And he'll like, miss a block that they'll show on red zone of like his running back got her because Deontay Johnson didn't stand up in time on a play or something.

Exactly. I'm not interested in Bryce Young. Chuba Hubbard is going to be the starter for half the year, probably. But then who knows when, when Jonathan Brooks comes back, maybe that, like, there's just nothing really to, like too much about this offense going into this fantasy season, even though they're probably going to improve a little. I just don't want to have anything to do with it. I'm not betting on the Panthers high, Fitz.

I think the easy one is to say the Patriots, but I think everyone knows the pitch is going to be bad. Honestly, I will go off the board and I'm going to say the Cincinnati Bengals.

Okay?

And again, and I'm saying it because again, it's easy to say, like, one team will be so bad. Like, the Patriots. Look, they're projected for like the fewest points in the entire league this season, but they're projected that way. My concern with the Bengals is just, I'm concerned about Joe Burrows wrists. And I like, again, he has this unprecedented wrist injury for a quarterback and everyone's just like, yeah, this unprecedented wrist injury, the recovery is going to be totally normal. And I'm like, yeah, I'm going to let someone else figure that out. Like, the Bengals are a better team, the NFL is a better league. When Joe Burrow is healthy and the Bengals are awesome. I'm just really concerned and there's no injury discount. Like Jamar Chase is being drafted 5th, 6th. Like it's not even happening. A 50, you know, maybe a $60 receiver and people are acting like it's not happening. I would love to be in on t Higgins this year, in a contract year, but I just looked at since Joe Burrow is being taken like right after CJ Stroud is like the 7th quarterback and I just look and I'm like, where is it being factored in that he has this unprecedented wrist injury that he can't throw three days in a row at training camp?

And I just look and I just don't see that being factored in. And so at cost. Yeah, I'm out on Cincinnati this year. I just, I feel like, I feel like I'm taking care. Crazy pills in this one, too.

I like the way you put that. Has he practiced three days in a row yet?

Joe Bond, he's thrown a ball three days in a row. Training camp one time in 25 days of August.

So he did it. He did it.

Yeah, he did. There you go.

We did it.

I like the way you put that with the actual cost of the Bengals isn't remotely worth what in there. Craig shaking his head sadly, usually there's one team that I have here, but I really, there will be no Panthers or Patriots on my fantasy football team in any of them for any reason. I can't. Unless you're in like a dynasty league or like some sort of keeper league and you want to grab Drake may because two years from now he might be awesome. I just don't see it. And then Carolina, I can't, I just can't think of anything worse. Like we said that last year, that was the team we targeted for this, and we were correct. Finland had a couple, he had a couple weeks where it was like maybe he could potentially be your third receiver during a bye week, but they were, they're pretty awful. Craig, do you have any zags on this? Are you back in the crew?

I'm with you. It's the Patriots for me.

Why'd you say it so sadly?

Look, I don't even think the Patriots necessarily want to be good this year, so.

No, they don't.

Yeah, so that. No shame.

We, once Barmore got hurt, that was it for the Patriots season. Then all of a sudden, Judah is getting traded and. Yeah, that's it. Um, okay, Danny, I think I know who this is going to be, but my shameless homer pick, where we have a guy on our own team that you just shamelessly overrate or love or just want, I I don't even need to guess who this is for you, but go ahead.

Oh, you probably think it's going to be DK Metcalf, don't you? I was going to say Kenneth Walker of the Seahawks running back, who I think is like, top four or five pure running backs in the NFL. That's me being a shameless homer.

I thought 100% this is going to be Kenneth Walker. So just.

Oh, okay, cool.

And I know what hyphens is. Pick is going to be Craig. I'm not. I don't trust Craig. He might zag on me, but I. The two Danny's. I knew for sure.

I want to give you my quick Seahawks pitch for why they're going to outplay their ADP's. All the Seahawks players are going to outplay their adps in fantasy this year, and it is because they're going to run more plays, pure and simple. They were the dead last in the NFL last year in plays, their time of possession margin. So they had, um, a six minute difference between their offense and the opponent offense last year, and it was like twice as much as the 31st ranked team, which was the Patriots, by the way. Um, they basically.

Your coach was old, like, what are the reasons?

It was literally because they couldn't stop the run. Opposing, opposing teams would just run the ball and then get a bunch of first downs. They had, Seattle's opponents had the most first down running, first rushing first downs in the league last year. So they would.

Carroll just love playing.

They would. They would love.

He just wanted the defense out there. I love those guys.

They would just squeeze the life out of the Seahawks offense. CX offense was efficient. They were 12th in DVOA and they were 12th in, I think it was like yards per play and points per drive. So it was like, this was a top, like, third offense in the NFL efficiency wise, but they just could not run enough plays because the defense couldn't get off the field. And I think that's going to change big time this year. I think Mike McDonald will make their defense at least respectable.

And that will, does Byron Murphy have a nickname yet?

Oh, I don't think so. Not that I know.

He kind of needs one. I think he's going to be a badass.

Oh, he looks great in the limited snaps in preseason. He's, like, really, really disruptive.

Like the Wolverine. Byron Murphy. I don't know what it would be.

I like that.

Hyphets. Just go. We know who you're taking.

Well, I'm a huge Giants fan, so obviously I'm really pumped about Wandale Robinson entering the season. No. Malik Nabors. He's the second coming of Adele Beckham. As Craig said. It was so long ago. Ten years ago was Odell Beckham Malik. Neighbors. He checks every box is the same size as Jamar Chase. The LSU lineage. He continues the crazy run of LSU series in the NFL. Look, everyone knows, but he's got this deep speed. He's got the. He would, you know, he'd be in that short list of guys who could win a game of tag if all the players played tag. Like, he could do anything. Get open deep and short. And also, he has my favorite quality in NFL receivers, which is he doesn't have a case on his iPhone, which, to me, like, I think that's necessary to be an alpha receiver in the NFL these days.

Confidence.

And he. Yeah, I don't trust any receivers with otter boxes on their iPhone. Yeah, I'm all in the neighbors, and I think that's. I couldn't. I don't think I've been more excited for an, like, a Giants player since Odell, including Saquon Barkley doesn't have a.

Case, so that means he's unafraid.

Arrogant hands.

Yeah. Receiver's dropping his phone all the time. I don't like that.

Okay, we have him in our ringer guide. We have him 56th for. For overall and for the actual receiver spot. He has tank Dell over him. Diggs.

I am obviously higher on him.

Devante Smith. I would take him over those.

I think I'm bringing him down because.

I'm not that, you know who his quarterback is.

Well, it doesn't matter.

I don't want to die on the Giants.

Doesn't.

I mean, I don't need to.

There's a feast or famine thing with him, though. Cause he's going to have some weeks where it's like one catch for 13 yards, and then he's going to have, like, the 80 yard touchdown or the reverse or whatever. So, sadly, I'm up with my shameless homer pick on a team where I don't want any of their fantasy guys. I do really like everything I've read, watched, seen from Jalin Polk, and I think he has a chance, especially in the second half of the season where if they end up trading Kendrick board in like week six to a team that needs a receiver, I really do think he could have some. Like seven for 98 for hundred. I wouldn't spend more than a dollar on him. I wouldn't take them. You know, it'd be the tail end of the draft. But he's the real deal. I think he's the best receiver they've probably drafted since Edelman, who wasn't even a receiver right away, but he's just, he's checked every box so far and really seems talented. Craig, what do you got?

I have to go with George Pickens. I love George Pickens.

Again. You guys are back.

Yeah, he's just. He's the most exciting Steelers receiver since Antonio Brown. And he's the perfect Steelers receiver. Cause he's super talented and he's always pissed.

Yeah. You know, he has a long lineage.

He has the most highlights that actually end up not being real. Catches like, that dude has the most catches ever that are just out of bounds, but would be incredible if he had like one more blade of grass in play. I don't know. I mean, look, he had Kenny Pickett in Matt Canada for the first two years of his career. Regardless of what you think about Russell Wilson or Justin Fields or Arthur Smith, like, this is an undeniable, huge upgrade. So I have to be into him.

I wish Fields preseason had been a little better. I wish the entire Steelers preseason saw one thing I liked from anything that happened this month.

Bill, we figured out the preseason. It took us however many years doing our show. The preseason is the driving range. And the problem with Kenny Pickett last year was he had an incredible range session and then was terrible when you're. But when you're bad on the range, then you have a good round.

Interesting.

Yeah.

He didn't love.

I don't know if there's no positives coming from the Steelers that Wilson Fields battle is one of the all time atrocities.

It's bad.

It really is. Just like Wilson died two years ago as a starting quarterback and fields were trying to make happen. He's gonna be 35. We're like, here it comes, the year. New category I didn't tell you guys about because there's only one answer for it. The veal chop guy. My veal chop guy for this year. It's the special a chain you guys have talked about on your pod. Just every year, there's the hit or miss guy that you feel like if you miss out on, you're just going to have deep regret. But if you take it, you know, there's a 50% chance it's probably not going to work out and it's ruined your draft. And that's how I feel when I order the veal chop. You just never know. And sometimes it's amazing and then other times it's like my whole dinner is ruined. And also, that was $85. Uh, DK make the a chan case for us.

Yeah. I almost put him as my one true love. Uh, people that listen to our show know I'm obsessed with Devon a chan. Um, so last year he finished as the RB, four in points per game, 16 points per game. On the 42% snaps, he had eleven touches per 11.8 touches per game, 42nd among running backs. If you get him 15 touches a game, he's the RB, one in points per game. I'm just saying that. And I think that they're going to make a concerted effort to get him more involved in the passing game. We've seen flashes of that in the preseason. Um, but I mean, obviously he, he's a. His floor is good because he, even if he doesn't have a lot of volume, he's so efficient. Like, he was, um, he, he was best in the NFL in yards before contact and yards after contact last year, like, if that gives you an idea. And he was like, he was like.

If an NBA player shot 40% from half court for the entire.

So I don't know.

I just think he's really, really good and he's in the perfect offense to utilize his strengths and his speed and the way that they manipulate space and that offense is amazing. We've seen him line up wide a couple of times. They're, they're hitting him on vertical shots in the preseason. I still think there's just a ton of meat on the bone for him to get more touches. And obviously, the, the issue and the worry here is he might get hurt. Um, but I don't know, man.

You had him at $39 and you had him in his own tier. He was another guy. There's nobody else who compares to this dude. Hyphens, would you rather have him or not have him?

I think you'd rather have him.

I.

You'd rather have $40? Would you want him as for like, a 41, $42 guy, potentially, if he's.

Good that it doesn't like, if he gets the touches, the price doesn't matter. You're going to want them on your team. And it like, it's not the stock market. It's not something you're not trying to take small gains. It's like Ricky Bobby, your first or last. And every year there's like three players, four players that just having taken that player, your odds of making the championship are like forex. And you're talking about eight. Had eight yards of carry last year. As a running back, that's like a quarterback at 15 yards per attempt. And so, yeah, he might not go well, but the problem is, if a CHN does have another incredible season and he's even better this year, I don't know how you're going to be able to beat the team that hasn't.

I don't need to ask Craig if he likes a chan because you're like Jenny Gump. You're just standing on your hotel room balcony pretending you can fly. When you do fantasy, you're like.

I.

Want to go for a ride.

I want. I want him and Raheem Oster. Just give me both of them.

Yeah, the combo.

Yeah.

Okay, next category, we'll start with you. Heifetzenhe. The my. I wouldn't take him even if he was free guy, which is a nice way of saying this is the DND list. The do not draft this. Who's your number one? D and deer.

I mean, it's Deshaun Watson for the Browns. Not only do you have all this off field stuff with him, but a on the, on the field, he's been the worst quarterback in the NFL, and he's always hurt, and he's hurt again now. So I don't know why. I don't know why I want to say.

I didn't even know he was eligible for this list because who's excited to draft Deshaun Watson? Is there anyone in your life who's like, don't tell anyone it's Deshaun Watson.

This is the year.

This is it.

They change the offense for him. He's going to let it up. Well, mine is tied to Deshaun Watson. Jerry Judy, it's an amalgam of things that I just reject fundamentally with fantasy football. He's never really done it. He's better in name than actual action. He's heard every year. We have no real evidence that he's a really good receiver. And yet there's talent. So people are like, jerry Judy, watch out. He's on a team with a, with a shit quarterback, and I I, I wouldn't pay a dollar for him. Like, I, I wouldn't if he was a dollar. I'm like, I'm out. I don't want to. I'll spend my dollar on taste some hill and try to get te five for two weeks. Craig, who's your guy?

Devin Singletary, the running back on the Giants. Like, I just, I can't deal with Daniel Jones. I can't deal with the, he stresses me out. I'm cutting toxic people out of my life, and that's the Giants. I'm just not doing it. How many touches he's going to get?

Craig mine's a little bit similar because it's just cutting out players that have disappointed me in the past. And this year for me, it's AJ Dylan of the packers, who's looking like he's going to be the backup slash rotational one b guy for the packers offense. He, to me, is just the living embodiment of the old expression, if you need 1 yd, I'll get you three yards. If you need five yards, I'll get you three yards. Like, if you need seven fantasy points, he'll get you eight. If you need ten, he'll get you eight. Like, he's just a roster clogger. He's not going to give you any upside. Um, if you want those eight points, that's fine, but, like, you can get that from 100 other guys. I just don't really, you know, I just don't want that on my team. It's just taking up a spot.

I like it. All right, I'm going to lead this next category. It is the my, that 2023 booty call ain't happening again guy. It's a guy that you had a little fling with in November and December. Didn't expect it turned out great. Picked him up, maybe off the waiver wire or some dumb trade. You really enjoyed it and you're probably not going to date him in 2024. For me, it's Williams and the Rams. I really loved how he finished down the stretch. He's being treated as a top ten receiver. I think he's really good. I just have real questions. Like the Rams offensive line now their left tackle is going to miss the first two games. There was injury stuff with them. Anyway. He's got a rookie running back right behind him who I think we all like, who might steal some carries, and I think he's being treated as last year was the launching pad for him. To be a top five or top six running back. And I don't know if he's going to get the carries and I don't know if he's going to stay healthy. He's already had a lot of injuries, so that would be my guy.

Who do you have?

DK Jordan Edison, the Vikings receiver. He basically, he went off last year. He scored ten touchdowns, but there were a lot of other variables that play here. Justin Jefferson was hurt. TJ Hawkinson was hurt. He had a 17% target rate. Like, that's really not going to get it done in fantasyland. And now Justin Jefferson's back. Kirk Cousins is gone. You know, Sam Darnold in this offense could be a little bit better than people expected, but I don't think it's going to be what we saw with Kirk Cousins. So I just don't think he basically got by on scoring a lot of touchdowns and I just don't think that's going to happen again.

Hi, Fitz.

Joe Flacco. You know, Joe Flacco was the number two fantasy quarterback in December last year. The only person who had more fantasy points than Flacco in December was Lamar Jackson.

How is, how is he your guy? He's not even starting.

Well, it's the, it's the. He's not happening.

It's a booty call. No, it's good.

Did you not have any leads where someone picked him up and you're like, God, what an idiot. I can't believe they're playing Joe Flacco and then Joe Flacco like 30 points and I, and they wrote him and there's people like that won championships.

Yeah, yeah. He was like, you're, you're right out of college and somebody starts hooking up with like a 42 year old divorce woman. It's only lasts a couple of weeks, has no chance of ever being long term. Here's the thing about Joe Flacco. Is it crazy to think he could throw for 2500 yards this year with Anthony Richardson? He's the backup. Anthony Richardson. Where 90 things could go wrong with Anthony Richardson, including the fact that he got hurt twice last year. Craig, who do you have?

Zach Moss rocked my world for like five weeks last year.

He was great.

It'll never happen again. But man, that was a special time. When Jonathan Taylor was holding out, Zach Moss was just going fucking crazy. Everybody was scrambling to Adam, spending a ton of money and free agency to get him on your team. Now he's on the Bengals. I guess he's the starter. I don't I don't think I, I wanted anything to do with Zach Moss. I think that was a flash in the pan, but it was a great time. I'll look back on it fondly.

It's a good one. All right, next one. Craig, you're my, hey, look, somebody's got to get points on that team. Guy. Is, is it Josh Palmer? You can double dip if you want.

Well, it actually is Josh Palmer, but because I didn't want to pick the same guy, I have to go with Terry McLaurin on the commanders. I mean, they just traded away Jahan Dotson, their tight ends. There's Zach Ertz, who's like 43 years old and a rookie, Ben Senate and their other receivers are guys most people have never heard of. And I'm like, maybe this is the year that Terry McLaurin actually puts up a decent year because the poor guys had the worst quarterbacks in the league for his entire career. And it's, it's kind of just him now more than it's ever been. So if somebody's going to catch passes on this team, it's going to be Terry McLaurin.

That's a good one because he is sometimes a jump out of the tv guy.

Yeah.

And you've always like, you know, he had Samhou must have for 4000 yards last year. I still, I thought that was the stat of the year. I like that one. What do you have? DK?

I got the Broncos backfilled essentially. So right now it's Gervonta Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin. And I particularly am kind of interested in Jaleel McLaughlin at the end of the draft. Like a $1 guy. Sean Payton in his history has always had a running backs that produce. Last year, I mean, we saw it like that. I think this, the Broncos had the highest pass rate to running backs of the entire NFL is like 20 something percent. And now we have a quarterback who loves passing and checking down and taking like the easy option, like taking care of the football, distributing it and bo nicks. I think that the running backs in this offense are going to catch a ton of passes. So especially in half PBR and PBR leagues. Um, Jalen McLaughlin is a really interesting sleeper for me, by the way. This is a guy, some buzz for.

Him too, by the way.

Yeah. And he's, you know, he started playing with the starters in the preseason, low key. I hadn't realized this until recently, but he was college football's all time leading rusher, 8166 yards. But he played for FCS Youngstown State. So obviously caveat there, but supremely, supremely productive player in college. He's just good. I mean, he passes the eye test for me, really, you know, just a droit pass catcher. He just, he, he's a.

As a top ten breakout guy, which I thought Shraker's list. Sometimes he'll nail like four or five of those.

Here's a stat. He was third in half PPR points per snap last year behind Devon a. Chan and Keaton Mitchell.

So he got something behind a Chan and all this.

Yeah.

Hypha sue, do you have somebody that's.

Got to get points at that team? I mean, I think it's Deontay Johnson for the Panthers. I know we're kind of out on the Panthers, and I'm not even saying I'm endorsing it, but they got Deontay Johnson at trade because they're going to throw it at Deontay Johnson on like every pass. I mean, I think he's going to get a third of all their completions. This year will probably just be to Deontay Johnson. There's like very little competition there. It's disgusting. I don't recommend anyone watching the Carolina Panthers, but if you need a Carolina panther, I guess you could go with the other Johnson.

Mine, we mentioned him earlier is malik neighbors, where if the Giants score 20 touchdowns this year, I feel like he's going to have like ten of them, but, uh, I just wouldn't want anyone else in that team. Okay, our next category. This is a fun one. I think we're going to have four different responses for this. The my. Sorry, that's a little too rich for my blood guy. So basically, as the auction's going, Tony Pollard was the perfect example of this last year. It's like, I like Tony Pollard. I don't know if I want to spend $53. Craig's like, I'll go 60. Craig, who do you have for this?

We've hit on this, so it's not as fun, but it's Jamar chase going in like the middle of the first round. I just. I don't think I can spend as much money on Jamar Chase as I am. Guys like Tyree kill and CD Lamb, because of the Burrow thing. I just can't do it.

I agree. DK.

I got Kyron Williams. You mentioned him already at cost. It's just a little bit much. He has a history of foot and ankle injuries. He already had a another foot or ankle injury. I can't remember what it was but that kept him out of the preseason part of the way. And so he's just, he's undersized. He runs really hard and they gave him a ton of carries last year and I think he's going to lose some of his, his market share in terms of total carries and opportunities this year because they, but they got Blake for him and I think they want to protect him. So at cost, I think you're paying for like the volume you got last year. And I'm just, I'm just usually looking past him at that, that part of the draft.

Hi, Fitz.

Call me old fashioned Marvin Harrison, junior. I don't want to rookie as my number one receiver in my fantasy team. Maybe I'm, maybe I'm out of touch with the youth, but I just, I'd rather get league neighbors 20 spots later. If I have to take a rookie that hurts, fine.

Mine's easy. Jonathan Taylor, this is a good one. I'm sure he's going to be awesome again. And what are the examples of running backs who were awesome for a little while and then had a super off year, just like immediately turning the switch back on. I kind of want to see it also, like, is it going to be harder to run if your quarterback can't complete a pass?

It's also like the, it's the Eagles thing where Jalen hurts, steals all the goal line touches. Like Richardson might be that guy and he doesn't, he doesn't check down as, as much as some other quarterbacks because he's scrambling instead. You know, he's part of the running game. He's, he's stealing some of the rushing yards from the offense. It is, it is an interesting one. It's like you're, it feels like you're buying Taylor at his absolute peak.

Yeah. In our list he's rb four and he's $50. I can promise you I'm not spending $50 on Jonathan Taylor. I'm just telling you right now, hyphens, who's your $1 QB guy this year.

If you want a dollar QB guy? I feel like Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Tua. I think any of those. I would start with golf. I'm curious where you think the dollar quarterbacks.

I'd say I don't think those guys are. I think those guys are dollar QB's on paper, but I don't think they would actually go for a dollar. Right?

Yeah. Someone bids them up and then you.

Gotta go, Adam paid three, at least.

In that case, then honestly, I think that there's so many good quarterbacks and you're going to laugh at me for this in advance.

And so none, no further, no $1 guys.

The answer is if there's someone, it's just in fields, which is a little insane because I don't think he's going to play to start the season. But the moment anything happens to Russell Wilson again, Justin Fields, even when he's bad in real life, Justin Fields. I mean, even 2022, Justin Fields was a top six fantasy quarterback. Like in 2023 by points per game. Justin Fields, once he had a bad September, but then he got really going with the best months of his career in October. From October on, Justin Fields was like a top ten fantasy quarterback points per game. And so with the rushing upside, like he's one of the few guys that can actually get a 30 35 point performance if he's playing. So Fields is a guy that I don't mind carrying on a bench or just I am on waivers, but a dollar in the league. See what happens to Russ early in the season.

Is it I'm up next. Is it realistic to say Matt Stafford is a $1 quarterback or.

No, he's in that area golf tier.

Where he's in that three to four range. So I really wanted to say Sam Darnold here and I can't get there because he's Sam Darnold. I had other reasons, but really that was the number one reason. Don't do it just on paper like those receivers. And it's like, ah, Sam Donald. But I'm not going to do it. Um, I don't mind the Drake may $1 late flyer. Hope he's starting by week five because he really can move and they're going to be behind a lot. And I could see like when we get to like their schedule gets a little easier as we get into the middle part of the season where he might actually be able to put some points. But I don't know. I, I just think there's upside with it for a buck late, late or last pick in the draft just to see what would happen.

How many quarterbacks do you hold on your, in your leagues, Bill?

Well, you know, I like to take five to seven. I like to load up.

You have more quarterbacks than actual NFL teams carry.

Yeah, I like to load up. You never know. Quarterbacks get hurt. You know, I talked to the Atlanta GM about this a lot after he spent 50 million a year on cousins. It's like, you know what? I got to take number eight on PedEx. Never know. Need help there, Craig? Who's your $1 guy?

Does Gino Smith count? Does he qualify?

He might. So that, so maybe it's a, maybe we should change this category to my $3 QB.

Yeah, maybe I would do Aaron Rodgers or Geno Smith.

Just like late round slash cheap QB. Yeah.

Yeah, that's a better, I should have done that before. Who, so your $3 QB would be gough? If it's. Yeah, I think mine. Stafford. Who's yours, Danny?

I went with Justin Fields. It's the Forrest Gump Alabama thing. Like, he might be the worst passing son of a bitch alive, but he sure is fast. He can, he can run, man. He's, he's like one of the fastest players in the league, I think. And like we said, like, if it said, it's the rushing upside is just monumental if he gets in this offense and honestly, he might play like Russell Wilson. I was a little bit excited about him coming into this preseason, man. He has looked really bad so far and it doesn't sound like there's that many good fights going on. So could see Justin Fields play.

Who would have guessed that that situation might not have worked out? Craig, who is your, my, I'd be afraid to look on Tuesday and see the red flag guy, meaning you take the guy deep down, you know he might get hurt. Then things go well for five weeks. You're like, I'm so glad I took him that this is great. And then you go on Tuesday, week six and it's the red flag and the yellow square that there's news and you're like, oh, no. Oh, God, what happened? Who is it for you this year?

It's got to be Anthony Richardson, right? Like, especially if you're in a, if you're in a league that has two quarterbacks, you got to spend a lot in your auction drafts. Like, you got to spend 40, 50, $60 on quarterbacks. You drop $50 on Anthony Richardson, which I might do next weekend in my draft. Like, man, you know, do I think the upside is there where he could have a Cam newton s season where he runs for 15 touchdowns and throws for 25? Yes, he showed a little bit his rookie year. He had four touchdowns in four games. Looked awesome. But he just needs to stop lowering his head into like three linebackers. He's like those, remember, it's like those outfielders who just like sprint into the back fence as fast as they can. There was an oakland a growing up. Eric Burns used to do that. He would like dislocate his shoulder every three months into the wall, and I do feel like Anthony Richardson needs to learn how to. How to slide a little bit.

But, yeah, I mean, that was the Larry bird problem way back. He would be like, flying into the scores table trying to save some loose ball.

Too much hustle. Yeah.

Who do you have? DK.

I have JK Dobbins. I want to believe. And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if he had like 115 yards and three touchdowns in week one. And we're like, oh, God, this guy's going to be, you know, the greatest value in fantasy football. But then by week three, he's like, banged up and hurt and you're like, oh, wow, that was fun. I don't know. I'm excited to see if he can be the starter for the Chargers, but I'm very worried about, obviously, the, you know, the long laundry list of injuries that he's had in his career.

He also has about as much confidence as anybody's ever had who had a major injury and hasn't really done that.

Much, but talks like he's Jamal Adams and JK Dobbins.

That's the rational confidence all stars right there.

Don't go after these guys on Twitter. Don't go after them anywhere. They'll find you.

Right. They might find this clip right now. Be like, what? What did you say? Hi, Fitz. Who do you have?

I think I. Craig's on is something with Anthony Richardson. And the other one I think you gotta throw is Christian McCaffrey just because he's got the calf injury missing the preseason. If you're taking Christian McCaffrey first or second or third or whatever, obviously it's because you think, yeah, whatever, he'll be fine. And then if you. If the injury thing bumps up week three and you're like, oh, calf, huh?

Okay, I've made a huge mistake.

Yeah, exactly.

We should have talked about him sooner than an hour into this podcast, but I am so scared to take that dude. Especially, like, the calf hamstring. Like, we've just seen it with the running backs. It's like, up, there's been. Red flag goes up, there's been a setback. He stopped full contact practicing because there's some soreness. He's going to take a day off. There's nothing worse.

And disagree. Good.

No, DK and I disagree because I. I'm basically like, I don't want my first round pick to have a calf injury in August. And DK's like, you're a worrywart, and I want my.

I want my first round pick to have scored 100 more points than the second place running back last year.

We're like the only ranking that don't have McCaffrey number one overall.

I do, for the record. So if he gets hurt, sorry.

But, Craig, it's weird that you're not jenning gumping that one. Just climbing right on the balcony again. McCaffrey.

No, I don't mess with preseason injuries. They freak me out. And McCaffrey's such a maniac, he's going to push himself to play. They should sit him for a week.

And Shanahan.

Yeah.

So I had McCaffrey. I think Debo is just grandfathered into this category every year because every year the red flag pops up. You just know when you draft him, it's going to happen. But my guy this year is Nick Chubb because as we get closer to the season, I, I've always loved Nick Chubb. I mean, he's been one of my all time my guys forever. And, and I could see myself talking myself into him and being like, I'll spend $8 on Jerome Ford as the stopgap starter until Nick's ready. And then Nick will be ready week four, and then he's first name basis now we call it, you know, we're first name each other that Nick. Nick carries me in November and I win the title. And I just, that injury was so bad. It's just like, why, why talk yourself into somebody recovering from a complete, total reconstructive knee surgery?

And it's the second one on the same meat. You heard it a while ago.

All right, one more break and then we have some fun categories to know. All right. Danny Kelly, you are my. I know there's a 99% chance he's getting hurt again, but goddamn, I can't resist this guy. Guy. Who is it?

James Conner, running back for the Cardinals every year. He'll miss a few games, granted. It's just kind of, you have to. It's baked into his, his price, but I think he's still got it. I think he's a really good running back. Like, he passes the I test for me. People, you know, maybe complain that he's not the fastest guy, but he breaks a ton of tackles. He has a ton of yards after the catch. In fact, he was only Christian McCaffrey. Derek Henry and Isaiah Pacheco had more yards after contact last year than him. He was third and missed tackles for. So he's going to be the bell cow guy in this offense next year. They showed a ton of trust in him. I think this offense is going to be a lot better than it was last year and I don't know, I'm just taking the value on James Connor every year. I feel like I'm the only one still just scooping up Conor every season and he always just produces at least what he's on the field.

Yeah, I don't think I've ever had him and I'm always jealous because it just seems like he just has these four week runs where he's just ripping off points. Do you have high fits?

I dk just mentioned him. JK Dobbins, the running back for the Chargers. JK Dobbins. He's going to get hurt. Like he had the clay Thompson, the ACL, the Achilles. He's 25. Jake Dobbins is 25 years old. He's like two years older than Jaden Daniels. He just was the second pick of the draft and everyone's given up on Jake Dobbins on Yahoo. JK Dobbins is like the 150th ranked player. I think he will straight up be the starting running back for the Chargers. And you could get him literally right before you take it with Harbaugh and.

A good offensive line and an identity. Yeah, he's.

They're going to try to lead the league in carries again. Literally. He's Raheem Mostert this year. It's like Raheem Mostert outside of McCaffrey. That was the best pick you could have made. Was Raheem Mostert like the 13th round to me, Jake Dobbins. If there is one this year, it's Jake Dobbins.

Well, you're going to laugh at at mine and you probably would have been a bit of predicted. Jlo and Ben Affleck have obviously had a rocky. They've been married twice. There's been some comebacks and it never ends great as it just ended badly. That's me and Christian Watson two years ago. I wrote him down the stretch. I think he had like eight touchdowns in four games. He was like the most exciting young receiver in the league. I went in on him last year. He just broke my heart, hurt my feelings, did a bunch of things that really like brought my self confidence down. And finally I traded him or waived him. I can't even remember. And whoever got him next, he immediately went on a run. And I'm vulnerable and I'm hurt and I kind of want to work it out with him and have him again. And I know he's going to get hurt if I take him. So that's my guy. He's super excited to have, he's super fun to watch, and I don't know if I ever put it together, but I don't want it to be with somebody else.

I love it.

Who's, who's, who's left you? Craig. Yeah. Craig, your last.

Mine's Raheem Mostert.

Yeah. He's kind of getting pushed to the side.

He's getting way pushed to the side. I mean, the guy led the league in touchdowns last year. He's in the exact same situation, and he's going 75th overall. Like, what are we doing at the, at the, we did a Seattle live show last week for the fantasy football show, and I compared Devon a chan to Zoe Kravitz and raheem Mostert to Lisa Bonet. I'm like, look, sure, they're a little older, but, like, if you squint, they pretty much look the same. Like, raheem Moster is way closer to Devon a chan than we're giving him credit for right now on this team.

I'm going to have the a chan a chain thing settled by November. That's my plan. That's my pronunciation.

He needs.

I know an e spelled a chain, and I just, I know, and I just can't. It's the same issue with me over and over again. All right. Wow, we're really getting to the good stuff now. Danny Hifitz, you're my 2022 cooper cup. It's a year after the year, guy. You don't want to have anybody a year too late after they've had the big year. Who is it for you this year?

Not quite the spirit of the word. I mean, I know we already talked about CJ Stroud. I do think there's going to be a little bit of a comedown on Stroud, but I think that if it's, that's more young than what we're talking about. I think it has to be Stefan Diggs for the Texans, just because I think that for Diggs, decline down the stretch in Buffalo, where again, he had fewer receiving yards than Khalil Shakir for the final three months for Buffalo, not to mention that they should, frankly, he dropped the pass. They should have won the game in the playoffs. For Diggs, it's basically either he kind of fell off or he was hurt. I understand that there were scheme changes with Ken Dorsey and stuff at offensive coordinator, but I don't think it's, it is possible for me to reconcile what happened in Buffalo at the end, unless you think there was a decline or an injury. And I think Diggs is the guy that stands out as, like, Cooper cup. Just all right. You just have to have an opinion on whether the cliff is here or not.

Speaker two.

I'm really embracing the spirit of the world with mine. I'm taking Puka year after the year. It's just like the legacy of Cooper Cup. Cooper cup has been a mentor to him and now he's mentoring him and had to be a huge fantasy disappointment in 2024 because I just think he's going to be banged up all year. Craig, who do you have?

Is it bad that I love Devon a chan, but this, the answer is Devon a chan. Like, that's the answer to this category.

Like, again, it could be one of those where you were like, hey, remember that time when he had that one awesome year and now he's in the. The ZF, the XFL. What. What FL are we in? Ex ufl. There's a million terrible league that is.

Nobody knew this guy was. He came onto the scene like crazy. And again, he was shooting 40% from half court. Like, maybe he's just not going to do that again. And there's a lot of running backs on this team. So although he's awesome, I mean, this guy's going for dollar 50 in your league and he, like, barely gets ten run rushes a game. That's just kind of insane.

DK, who do you have?

Keenan Allen. He finished us the wide receiver three last year, 17 points per game. He basically had zero target competition on a team with Justin Herbert that passed 37 times a game, which was third most in the NFL. Now he's on Chicago with a rookie quarterback. I love, I love Caleb Williams, but it's a rookie quarterback. He has DJ Bohr, Roma Dunes, A, Deandre Swift, Gerald Everett Cole, Comet. You know, down the line, there's just much more target competition. I think they're going to spread it out a whole bunch more. I'm not really buying the whole 230 pounds thing is a big deal. I don't. I'm not like, on that, but I just think he's probably not going to get nearly the target volume that he got last year.

All right. One of my favorite categories. I tried to do this last year with Philadelphia with mixed results. My, I just want everyone on that offense. I don't fucking care, guy. Or in this case, team, I'm going to go. I think it's the Green Bay packers.

That's mine, too.

I just want to. I just want all the people on the team, including the tight end. Give me everybody. Both super happy. I think they're going to score points. I don't even know which wide receiver is going to be the wide receiver one, but I like all of them. The Josh Jacobs rejuvenation year. I'm in. Jordan Love, second half of season in. I'm just in on that team. So, Craig, you have them too?

Yeah. I just think, you know, everyone's looking at the Texans and the packers is like the two most exciting ascending offenses. It's like Texans Packers Super bowl. We love Stroud, we love Jordan Love. That's all great. Everyone's drafting all the players on the Texans. People are drafting three Texans wide receivers in the top 65, which is Dell digs and Nico Collins. People are drafting zero packers wide receivers in the top 80, which I don't really understand. If you think that this team is going to be a top five offense, it'd be awesome. None of these receivers are being drafted. I would take any of them. I would take Christian Watson, Jaden Reed, dont, avian Wicks. Romeo Dobbs is probably a sleeper. People are bored with him because he was like a 6th round pick and.

He'S got the most buzz out of the four dudes in the preseason. They brought going nuts about him.

Everybody just loves to believe that he loves Dobbs. Yeah.

Yeah. I don't even know who the number one is. What do you have for this one? DK?

Call me crazy about. I want all the Chiefs, you know, you know, the team with a good zag.

Yeah.

Pacheco, Kelsey Mahomes, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, the rookie Hollywood brown. Like, you could get several of those guys if you like, go through the draft. And I mean, this is a team, obviously, Patrick Mahomes, best quarterback in the NFL. This is a team that has been, over the years, one of the highest pass rate teams. Overexpected. Um, they want to go up tempo. Last year was like, we don't have anybody, so we're going to completely sort of change our identity. I think there's a chance to get back to their like, high, high Octane pass first. Like, let's score 50 points a game and just, you know, grind our opponents into dust, kind of deal through the passing game. And so, uh, yeah, I kind of want back on that in the, you know, Patrick Mahomes renaissance or whatever. In fans.

I actually also had the Chiefs and then my number two is the packers.

There you go.

It's great. The Chiefs are back, baby. It's three p time. They have their fantasy mojo. Back Mahomes. His wife is yelling at people on social media. We're back, baby.

Travis, Kelsey's filming a movie.

Yeah, we're back. Shit's happening. Okay, Craig, what a great category for you to kick us off with. My. I know it's a year too early, but fuck it, guy. One of my favorite categories in this whole draft. Who is it?

I really like the rookie Brian Thomas, junior.

Oh, that's fine. Damn it. Yeah, that's all right. We'll share him.

Yeah. Rookie out of LSU. He's on the Jags now. You know, Calvin Ridley's gone. They need a new deep threat. Great vibes out of camp. I was. I was listening to Mina Kimes talking about how the Jags wide receivers were terrible. Going deep. They basically got zero separation. Going deeper. That's exactly what Brian Thomas does. I think everyone's sleeping a little bit on the Jags. And yeah, the reviews out of camp are so good with him. Probably better than any rookie wide receiver other than Malik neighbors. He's. He's actually playing in the preseason. He's making plays. And I. Look, I don't really like anybody else on this team. It's like, okay, you have Gabe Davis, you have Christian Kirk. There's not a lot going on. I'm sure this will be a year too early because it's tough as a rookie, but I love Brian Thomas.

Yeah. And a scale of one to Kenny Pickett has Joe Montana vibes.

Yeah.

The Brian Thomas buzz has been like, at nine.

Yeah.

Which is a red flag.

People just raving about him. Like, I can't believe we were able to get him where we got him. This guy's amazing. He catches everything. He's always open. Like, it's pretty noticeable. And this is, you know, this is backed up by the people that loved rooting for him in college. They were like, this guy's fucking awesome. Like, you. Like, not sure if he should go ahead, Harris and neighbors, but this guy is fucking awesome, just so you know. Who do you have?

DK Roman doomsday from bears. So everybody is projecting him to be sort of the distant wide receiver three on his team. And he might be especially early on, but I don't know, you. I think the risk that he will just be the wide receiver three is already baked into his price. Like, I want to take him and just see how it all shakes out. Maybe Keenan Allen gets hurt. Maybe Rome just leapfrogs him in terms of the hierarchy of that passing game. Maybe he just turns out to be the, like, the better player ultimately this year, like, Keenan Allen could kind of fall off. Um, or you could have injuries in, in the, in the wide receiver group here. Uh, Doon's a. Is already showing, like, pretty incredible chemistry with Caleb Williams. Um, they took a flight together. Craig was on that flight. They're best friends.

Um, yeah, headed to the draft.

Um, and I just think, like, the doomsday skill set is perfect for, uh, what the way that key, uh, Caleb Williams plays in terms of, like, he's running around. He's running around like, this is the scramble drill. O'donse is huge. He wins at the catch point. You know, he knows how to get open at the last minute. So, like, if, if Caleb Williams going to throw it up for him, he'll, he'll go get it. Um, I don't know. I just think this is the number eight overall pick, right? Like, he is one of the better wide receiver prospects we've seen in years, and nobody wants him in fantasy.

Well, and also, the more you read about and watch the Bears stuff, they were like, obsessed with getting him at number nine. Like, one of the many mistakes that the Falcons made was, you know, I think these teams, I always thought they had intel on what other teams wanted. Like, they could have just flipped pit, pretended they were going to take a doonze and, and the Bears would have freaked out and probably given them something. They could move back a spot and take a pennix anyway. But seems like he's, it just might be a legendary wide receiver class. That might be, that might be where we landed. We might have just gotten four awesome guys. Who's your site, Fitz?

Jonathan Brooks, the running back for the Panthers. Because, I mean, I'm not a big fan of running backs coming off ACL injuries for one of the worst offenses in the league. But I also think next year, Jonathan Brooks has a three down skillset. He could easily be a top 20 pick in drafts if he down the stretch of this year, if he plays well, and then I'm like, all right, depending where he goes, I don't love him. If you have to use a top 100 pick on him, but if he falls outside that and you have an injury reserve spot on your league and yahoo. And you can stick him in there for a month, fuck it. Just take Jonathan Brooks this year, man, because I think he's immensely talented. I'm dubious that he'll be useful in the first half of the season, but I do like him for the stretch run if he goes late enough, I.

Don'T want any panthers, but I see the case. Danny Kelly, you're. You're my missionary position. We've all had him. This is fucking boring guy. Who is it?

I mean, every year it's Amari Cooper, isn't it?

Yeah. And he's somehow getting better every year.

Yeah.

I mean, he was incredible last year. I still don't want to draft him for a multitude of reasons.

Yeah.

I just. I think there's bad vibes, obviously, with Sean Watson this season. I mean, if Flacco was a quarterback, I'd be pretty stoked about it, but.

He'S not hyphets Keaton Allen.

This should be named the Keaton Allen award. The best year of his career last year went to Chicago. No one cares.

I think Debo now is old enough to qualify for this, and that's what I'm taking. Yeah. Like, we've all either had him or traded for him or had some sort of pass with him in fantasy at this point. And he's probably a little undervalued because people now factor in the. Whatever Debo injury is going to happen. I. I don't know how many more years he has left an elite level. And I just feel like you get him for $5 less than maybe what he probably should go for at this point. Who do you have, Craig?

Joe Mixon. Everyone's done the Joe Mixon thing. We did a ringer draft a couple of weeks ago, and Joe Mixon fell, like three rounds. And it's like every year he's actually pretty.

He's on a really good offense as the lead back, and it's probably touchdown. That's a good one. Okay. Hi, Fitzhe. Oh, who's up? Who's up for the. To lead the next category? Yeah, it's high fits. Oh, this will be fun. My, I fell for the preseason hype guy. This could be rookies. This could be a three year, guys.

The Kenny Pickett award.

This is it. Who'd you, who'd you fall for? Who sucked in?

You guys beat me to it, man. It's Brian Thomas, the Jaguars receiver. He's so good. I know we just did it, but I just can't get over that.

We.

We were all obsessed with Xavier Worthy running a 4240 yard dash. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas ran a 4340 yard dash. He's 46 pounds heavier. Everything you guys said about the Jaguars and more, I think that they signed Gabe Davis out of panic when losing Calvin Ridley, but I think Brian Thomas could be. I wouldn't be shocked if a month into the season. We're saying Brian Thomas looks like the best receiver in this rookie class. I'm not saying he'll be better than these guys long term, but I wouldn't be shocked if he had along with Marvin Harrison and neighbors like the immediate impact. Right, right on that level.

By the way. Hyphens just saying I wouldn't be shocked. Dot, dot, dot with a proclamation just now made him eligible to be on an ESPN show. I don't know. You just passed the final, final test. I think that's Dan or Lavsky's entire bit. I wouldn't be shocked if Patrick Mahomes through for 70 touchdowns this year. I'm going to go last because I have two guys that I really like and either Craig or Danny Kelly might take one of them. So Craig, you go.

I don't know if this counts, but can I say Caleb Williams? I know he's the number one overall.

Absolutely. Can. You can.

Okay. I know he's the number one pick and everything, but man, there is the thin margin of error for Caleb Williams this year. Even if he's mediocre, I think everyone's going to be pretty upset. And the media tour, the hard knocks. Him and adunze are best friends. It feels like a doonze is already the most famous wide receiver on the team, which is crazy. Um, he just looks awesome and so fun. And he's already doing the crazy USC scramble in a million circles for 10 seconds before he makes an awesome throw thing. Um, I'm falling for all of it, but like, man, he's right. He's flying hot right now.

It's a great one. I can't believe it took it.

Yeah.

It took so long to even bring him up. I was looking at bets for him for like 4500 yard passing seasons and up on Fanduel where he was like, I don't know, six to one, seven to one, something like that. And it's like, could he throw for 4500 yards?

Danny Kelly, who's yours minus the Tennessee Titans offense? Basically the, and I was just watching Will Levis just looking exciting and awesome and throwing the ball down the field and like play action and all this stuff.

And just now was he, was he tearing it up?

Yeah. Preseason game. That's, you know, whatever he, I don't know. To me this is like the siren song I want to believe in. Will Levis because he's big, strong, throws the ball real hard and he runs around and he sacrifices his body. He's like trucking, dude. It's just like I want that to be successful in the NFL. They brought in Brian Callahan. They brought in Brian Callahan's dad. You know, they got Cal Ridley, Tony Pollard. You know, offensive lines looking pretty solid. There's a world in which this works really well, but there's also a world in which it fails spectacularly. And Will Levis is just bad, and he takes a million sacks, and their offense can't operate. So I don't know. I've allowed myself to have hope that will levis in this Titan's offense. It's going to be fun.

Caleb Williams on fanduel. Eleven to one to throw for 4500 yards. Craig, are you aroused?

I mean, a little aroused, yeah.

I mean, that'd be the record, right, for rookie.

What did. What did.

17 games.

What did Herbert do?

17 games. That's 260 a game. But cold weather seems like a lot. I don't know if I would do it.

Herbert was 4300.

I have two. It's my podcast, so I'm going to give myself two. I fell for the preseason hype, guys. What the fuck? I mean, the easy one is Trey McBride, who I think we all love down the stretch, who was really good and is now. Everybody's just like, Trey McBride. Watch out. Like, he's kind of become the pits for this year. Dan is. Kelly's one of them, and I'm also one of them. Cause I think he's really good. The counter is they now have Harrison. They. They built out. They have more receivers. Like, it's just there might have been reasons he was doing so well down the stretch that have nothing to do with this year's team. So have him flagged. And the big one for me, this. I can't believe it's taken 85 minutes for this to come up is the Jameson Williams rehabilitation watch out tour, where it's like, yeah, we know. He was a fucking disaster. He came off the ACL, and then he was an absolute fucking disaster. But he's learning how to run routes now, and there's just. They're really talking him up in a way that I'm both suspicious and excited because if it was like, oh, Jameson Williams for $6 on a t on a loaded team, great.

But on the other hand, like, it just feels like they're trying hard. If you got. You guys are reading all these websites and you've seen it, right?

Oh, yeah.

Feels like intentional. Jameson Williams.

Jameson. Dan Campbell has been talking him up a ton this offseason, which is.

I don't trust it, really.

I don't trust it either. I don't want it at all. They're, like, gearing up to trade him or something.

Yeah.

It just feels like, yeah, you know who's great?

But he's the type of player where in terms of excitement per touch, he's like, top, top one, you know? I mean, like, every time he touches the football, it's like, oh, my God, this is the fastest person on earth.

I mean, it does seem like they have one play that they can run wherever where he just runs a straight line and he's five yards ahead of every defensive back. And then Goff just has to kind of reach it down. All right, we only have three categories left. This is a great one. My, I'd never root for an injury, but he is one injury away guy. I. Well, I'll. Craig, you go. I'll go last because I have two.

I think. I think it's tank Dell on the Texans, because I think Stefan Diggs coming to the Texans really neutered the tank Dell hype train. It sucked because he's like CJ Stroud's best friend. CJ Stroud can't stop talking about him this offseason and is like, if I could have three wide receivers, like, of all time, he was like, hi, this. Who are the three? Do you remember?

He was like, oh, if I got to run one play to Jerry Rice, he's like, jerry Rice, Calvin Johnson, tank.

Down and tank down. I'm like, ah, fuck that. Stefan Diggs is here, just mucking up the whole situation.

So, yeah, that's a good one. Who do you have?

Danny Kelly, Blake Coram, the running back for the Rams. If Kyron Williams gets hurt, like, Blake Coram could legitimately be, like, a top three running back in fantasy.

He was my one b for this category, and it really seems like the Rams genuinely like him.

Yeah.

Yeah. So who do you have? If it's.

I don't want anything to happen to Russell Wilson, but I would rather Justin Fields be the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Yeah.

I have a great one. And it's going to cause an actual audible reaction shake from one of the three people hosting this podcast with me. JSN.

You want him to get hurt or you.

No, he wants Metcalf to get hurt.

Yeah, the metcalf or locket, full sacrifice, hamstring. He's out for five games and JSN just goes fucking bonkers. And that's a great 190 percent of the reason to spend $17 on him. Right? Cause they have too many. Too many receivers and that I just don't, I don't see it. But one of those guy, all of a sudden he might be like a top ten receiver with a one injury. All right, two new categories to end it. So excited about this. Danny Kelly, my rookie nitrous oxide guy, the guy that, you know, you probably shouldn't take, just like, you should never try nitrous oxide. But it's like, man, it, it also might be fun. I might just fucking do it and all of a sudden you're doing it. Who is it?

I mean, I had Malik neighbors circle for this one. Like, he, the preseason stuff, he's just looked incredible. He's made like three or four. Just like George Pickens esque catches on the sideliness. One of the most explosive players in college football last year, if not the most explosive. Just a fun, fun player. But again, he's catching passes from Daniel Jones. Like, we don't know. This might be one of the worst teams in the league. Sarhivitz. I've, like, been on the giants for the last few years because they just suck at scoring touchdowns. Like, they can't score touchdowns. It's a big part of football teams as teams need to score touchdowns and the Giants are bad at it. So I'm like, why am I taking Malik neighbors in the fourth round? They can't score touchdowns. But also he might just, you can't resist. He might score all of the touchdowns for the team. Who knows he's that good? I think he is really. Like, he'll be in the, in the discussion for the best rookie receiver. And Marvin Harrison junior is, like, going to have a huge year. So, um, yeah, I love Malik neighbors.

Hi, Fitz.

I mean, Xavier Worthy, man. I think he's nitrous because he runs like he's on nitrous and he's also nitrous because you know what? Xavier worthy fast, like, look, some of these fast guys never work out. John Ross, some of these guys never work out. But you're like, no.

What?

John Ross never Patrick Mahomes that look. Xavier worthy. I don't know if I want to base my, like, success on my season on whether or not he pans out, but, yeah, I want a little huff. You know, just give, you know, just give me one hit of Xavier worthy. I can't live my, my life having not gotten a hit of Xavier worthy.

So here's the reason I created the category. He's also my pick. That, that clip where they used him four different ways in the same preseason game and each one was just him running right by somebody. I was like, oh, my God, what is this? Is this like a. Like, so he'll end up. What's the price range for him in a fantasy draft? Let's be honest. It's going to be $5 higher than any of us would ever think.

Yeah, I think that 15 you're going to have to pay.

Yeah, I was going to say he's in the ten to 15 range with no evidence that he should even be more than $3 just because of the combine.

And the other problem is his name is sicken. Like, Xavier worthy. Like, Brian Thomas is going to be lower because Brian Thomas on the Jaguars. If Brian Thomas and Xavier Worthy switched names on teams, I mean, that'd be totally different.

Yeah. I just try to ignore the fact that Xavier worthy weighs 20 pounds less than me. As long as I don't think about that, I'm fine drafting him.

We have that. The pats this year, there's been incredible tie thornton buzz. Like, he's. Oh, yeah, he's going to be starting receiver. Like, he's been awesome the whole year. And I just.

He.

They were like, he's put on weight, too, and it's like, cool. So now he's 130 pounds. Like, last category. There's probably only one answer for it, but we had to create it for this year. The my, I know this is good value right now, but I simply don't want to root for him guy. I created this category for Aaron Rodgers. Um, I don't want to root for anything good to happen for the jets or Aaron Rodgers. I just think he's annoying and that's enough for me not to want to take him. But then if he's just sitting there $2, I probably really think about it, considering he's got two elite offensive weapons and a really good offensive line, and that jets might be really good. So I would pick Rogers for this. Who do you have? Craig.

I didn't know this was, like, guys that we had personal vendettas again.

Yeah, well, you can audible on the fly or professional podcast.

Who do you hate, Craig?

Well, I hate a lot of what I mean, to be honest. I fucking hate Chris Godwin. I'm not going to lie. That guy pissed me off so much. That guy ruined my life last year. He was so bad. Mike Evans was scoring three touchdowns a game, and Chris Godwin was on the sidelines on his phone, and I know he's back this year. This is like the year after his ACL, whatever. The new OC in Tampa Bay I'm just like so sick of Chris Godwin. Sometimes when a guy double crosses you like that, you can't go back.

That's how I feel about Kyle Pitts as well. I wish him all the best. I can never have him on another team. He really hurt my feelings. Who do you have? Danny Kelly.

I had some cognitive dissonance here because I really love Garrett Wilson, but it's Aaron Rodgers. Yeah.

Yeah.

It's like you have to. I've traded for him in a few dynasty leagues because he's so cheap. Everyone's like, he's going to be gone after this year. But he might be a top ten quarterback who all, for all we know, like, you know, go back to the mvp years, he was scoring Orlando, throwing like 45 touchdowns to two picks. I mean, he still has that in his bag potentially. So you have to kind of take that chance.

I mean, one of the fun things about Rogers this year, just as a football storyline is wherever it goes, is going to be enjoyable.

Yeah.

Cause if he's good, that means Garrett Wilson will be good. That means the jets will be a really interesting team and it'll just be like a fun football storyline. If he's bad combined with the packers and Jordan love being really good and then the jets fans just being absolutely furious that Rogers isn't good. Like that's going to be hilarious to watch. So there's no way to lose. I the only way this doesn't really work is if they're like an eight nine team with some injuries and I don't see a scenario where they're not entertaining. Hifitz, finish this off. Who do you have?

It's Rogers. For everything you just said. And the one thing I'll say the last time he did Ayahuasca, he then won the next two MVP awards. That's all I'm saying.

He needs to get back. Or again he went.

Yeah, he went to Egypt.

This look, it's a way more fun season if the, if the jets are like twelve and five.

Let's be honest, it feels like a lot of stuff is lining up for them, too. Sal and I are going to do it on Tuesday. We're doing the AFC and I'm really trying to be just so many red flags with the jets as a franchise and the coach and there's a million.

Oldest offensive line in the league.

Yeah, you're hard on Salah. I think Salah is a good coach.

He's a good defensive coach. But I don't. We haven't seen evidence he's a good head coach yet. Have we. Am I missing something?

I feel like it wasn't Salah's decision to keep the quarterbacks on the roster that were on the roster last year. And then he was told to cook with the ingredients he had. And I think they actually had an incredibly coach season. I think the roster management's been crazy.

Yeah. He's basically been like a chef on chopped and it's like, all right, make spaghetti out of quail eggs, Hershey's chocolate and Ritz crackers.

I make it ice cream.

Yeah, that sounds delicious. Yeah. Cause I had. I was gonna talk myself into the bills for that division, and then when Milano got hurt, I was just. And now I know Milano gets hurt every year, but when that happened, even before the year, I was like, that's just a lot of signs pointing at some. All right, guys, what's the podcast schedule the rest of the way?

What do we got the rest of this week? We are doing sleepers, and then we're going to do an episode about ESPN leagues, yahoo. Leagues, like, what our favorite rules are, how to set up your leagues, all that stuff. And then we'll do our annual take purge where we give our hottest takes that we're not responsible for.

Take.

And also during this, we got four episodes a week. During the season. We do fantasy. We also just do the league and a lot of nonsense, too. But, yeah, we do waiver pickup Sunday night awards. We do Wednesday power hours. We do Friday previews. So.

And then, Craig, I'll see you tomorrow night for Purple Rain. Oh, you're in a movie you've never seen. Can't. Can't. I'm on the edge of your seat. Edge of my seat waiting for your reaction to that movie. Guys, great to see you, as always, the third annual my guy fantasy drafts in the book. Thank you. Adam Sandler is here. Josh Safdie is here. They have new comedy special on Netflix. The home of Adam Sandler. You're basically like Jason Tatum with the Celtics. With Netflix now you're just like, lifelong. They retire your number in the Netflix hall of Fame.

If he's Tatum, who's Brown? Because I think he's the NFP of the finals.

I know who is. Yeah. Don't. Don't try to divide the team.

I see what you do.

Billy saw what you were doing. You were trying to get them the one up each other. They love each other.

I'm just saying who's. There's. Then there's MVP.

When I'm playing basketball, like I did yesterday alone, sadly.

But I told you I would have played with.

Yeah. I didn't want you there. Not yet. Not your giant elbows. But when I'm playing pickup basketball and I win because my teammate is incredible, every time I'm excited, I drive home just as excited.

That's right. That's right.

Tatum felt the same. He loved his buddy scoring. The reason his buddy was scoring a lot. Everyone was scared. To Tatum, it's a. I love Tatum.

He's one of the.

One of the top five, one of.

The coolest, greatest dudes and hardest work.

Yeah. Oh, my God. Work. And his relationship with his son makes me cry every single time.

Yes.

And he was, you know, when we showed gems to the Celtics in Boston, KG organized the screening. He was one of the few players who showed up. He was like, youngster. Yeah, youngster.

I remember meeting Tatum also. Shaq had a restaurant he was opening up around the Staples center back then. And so we went to Shaq's opening and Tatum was there, and he was a rookie, and he was very nice. And I remember just going, now this is just a stunt. What a cool basket.

Is that restaurant still open?

I'm not sure. I know.

Shacks.

No, it wasn't called shacks.

Fake shack.

No, no. It was good, though. It had good. It had good food. I ate a lot that night. It was late, like midnight when I.

Went, I mean, Shaq's restaurant is definitely gonna have good food.

What? You notice what Josh did at the start of this? He immediately tried to bring Celtics dissension into the podcast. I know what you're doing. You're all excited about the next season coming, and I know what you're doing.

Listen, the Celtics are dependable and, you know, some. Maybe not that exciting. I mean, they're great basketball players. Yes. But it's not like, not like the knicks. It's not like, you know, like the mecca of basketball or, you know, a dysfunctional franchise that's now all of a sudden incredibly solid and with, you know, a great core of players and potentially the greatest point guard in the east in the eastern conference.

Wow. Yeah.

Wow. Yeah.

Bill, you just a better point guard.

In the Eastern Conference. You can still see Donovan Mitchell.

Don't expect Donovan.

I love Donovan Mitchell. I'm just saying, I'm a Jalen.

He's not really a pointer.

Jalen Brunson is amazing. We gotta.

He controls the ball, though. But, yeah, tell me, who's. Who's a greater point guard in the east?

The Knicks fans are hilarious to me. Because they haven't won a title in 51 years.

Wait, they haven't made division in 2012.

So haven't made the finals in 25 years. You made round two once, and the chests are out and puffed, talking shit, like, shitting on the Celtics title. It's just like, it just. I don't.

The title. I was rooting for the Celtics.

You kind of shit on the title. You said we. The Celtics were boring.

No, no, I didn't say we were born. I didn't say they're boring. I love the team. Drew Holiday has been my. One of my favorite players in the NBA since he came in. I love his style of play. I love white style play. I love Tatum style play. I like everyone's individual style of play, but they're so good. They're so good. They're such a, like, well, like, toned machine and like, fine tuned and perfect. Who wants perfect? But listen, Bill Simmons wants perfect, that's for sure.

No, listen, you have to grapple with some nick stuff that's coming, which is you have too many guys now and not enough minutes. And Randall wasn't in the playoffs last year. There's going to be some ego stuff like, Adam figured this out with, like, grown ups and grown ups, too. Like, you need the hierarchy. You need role players. You can't have somebody who's like the 7th guy in the movie who thinks he should be in more scenes. You figured it out.

Thank you, Billy, for noticing. And in those moments, what you do is you just bring those fellow superstars who don't have as much to do in for a week rather than a whole movie. Because if they're there the whole season, there's going to be some snapping going on. Get me in there.

So that's your strategy? So you're like, hey, Chris Rock, just come for like ten days.

I say, well, Chris Rock can stay as long as he wants, but anybody who's a hit and run spade, I give him seven days maximum. I say, you gotta go, bro. You're starting to lose it on me, by the way. Spade can lose it by the end of a shoot. Cause his body, he doesn't love shooting too long. He starts going like, what time are we finishing today?

And stuff like that.

He gets a little.

He's played spade, came to one of the performances for love u, and he was. Everyone had their phone locked in those special cases. Somehow Spade snuck his phone in there.

Oh, my God, Bill. I looked out in the crowd. My comedy special. All the years of being best buddies with David and he's on his phone in the middle of a joke. So I just go, you know, I stopped and yelled at him. And then he goes, I was just writing down something I like. So when he, when he sees my shit, when we're on the road together, he writes down stuff. He's a note taker or he writes like a button he came up with for me. But it looks like he's texting his mother. So I start yelling at.

So did he two phones it? Because the only way to really get the second the phone in there is to have the second phone.

I think he had, I think he had. He snuck in.

I don't think he. Security just allows David, they don't. No one wants. He's so awkwardly weird that they just go, this let him through, man. He's making such a moment out of us asking for his phone, you know.

Wait, I want to talk about filming movies and the movie sets and being on there for a long time because I don't know if I've ever talked about that with anyone on the pod. Yeah, so, like, you're like, you're doing uncut gems. How many days on. How many days filming on the set is that.

That was considered a short shoot. It was like 160 page script. And we did it in 31 days.

Wow.

Yeah.

Oh, so that's, so that's better because you're like, in and out.

Now I have to like, eat crow because I did it so quickly. Now everyone's like, you expect me to do everything so quickly?

And it's, that's like the Clint Eastwood style where you're just like, like one shot Clint.

Just bang for the this is how I win scene with KG. There's a, basically we had to do like twelve pages in one day, which was very unusual.

That's right.

Remember we had like, oh, it's lunch now. We have an hour to get that whole scene. And it was like, what? We had an hour to get the most important scene in the movie done?

Yeah, well, so KG's on the set, huge personality, super famous, and is on the set for multiple days. So like, what is he doing?

When we had a basketball court set up out on the stage, he didn't take one shot. No, he went during lunch and, you know, he. Kg sweats thinking like, he's like, yeah, he's a big sweater. And we somehow, I heard, everyone heard that KG's shooting on the hoop and.

We were all, oh, shit.

And everyone like, in like an exodus from the set, like, went like moths to a flame. To the set, the hoop that we had set up. And we get in there and he's with some of the guys who were extras in that scene. Not really extras. They were kind of jewelers. Well, no, they were. They were actually Lenny Cook's, like, best friends growing up.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And they were all. And they all played, so they were all. But they haven't played ball now. They're like, at the time, they're in their, like, late thirties, so it was totally. They were, like, retired from recreational ball. And, yeah, we showed up and he was fully drenched in sweat in his costume. So, like, we had to, like, do a change and do that. But no, when Kg was, like, off, he was just telling some of the most amazing NBA story, like, hearing it from his mouth. Some of the stuff that, like, you know, I wouldn't repeat, but, like, just like, amazing, like, inner circle NBA stories that you, as a celtic fan were probably really excited to hear. But I'm not going to share them.

So as basketball fans, are you just trying to start shit with them and be like, yo, honestly, who was better? You were Duncan. And just, like, try to throw him monkey wrenches? That's all I would do if I was on the set with KG.

Never said anything that make him feel more than happy. I loved KGD, and, yeah, I didn't bring Duncan up one time.

I brought up a whole.

Yeah. Cause I think he's getting mad as his career, as, as the years have passed. Yeah, I think. I think he's mentioned a couple of times like, that Duncan was in a better situation. It's like he's kind of right. KG was, like, buried on those Minnesota teams for years, doing, you know, with no chance to win.

I brought up mellow. I brought up mellow. I did. I brought up the mellow confrontation and I brought up that and I kind of brought up the heat. He'll talk about anything. You know what I mean? And what's great about KG is he has respect for players who. So he doesn't talk. He doesn't talk shit. He's just a straight shooter. But the melo Amari thing was really funny because he just looks at me. He's like, this guy, like, you think this guy's like a demented Knicks fan? He thinks they can do no wrong. He looked at me like I had, like, you know, I, you know, was. Was like a seven year old, like, asking for an autograph. Like, it was. Even though, like, at that point, I had, like, become friendly and now, like, I'll text him after. He's a huge Knicks fan now you see what he says on his show.

KG.

KG. What do you mean he's a big Knicks fan?

Why is he a Knicks fan? He was never on the Knicks.

Because he's smart.

It's a good career move.

It is a big market. New York is a big market.

I think the player podcast era of these ex players, which has now turned into pro wrestling, is fascinating. I was trying to think of, like, if this happened with acting. Cause the players are coming in now and they're just saying crazy shit. Like, the 2004 Pistons were the best team of all time, making these fights. Then you see these clips, you're like, wait, what's going on? But I always thought it would be funny if, like, this happened with comedians, for actors, where you just had, like, comedians just. Just claiming some b level comedian was the greatest stand up who ever lived. And then the videos, we get shot out. I don't know.

It's.

On the one hand, I really like hearing the perspective of the ex players, but on the other hand, you have to color it through this crazy lens of whatever agendas they have.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, do you have basketball courts? Wherever you are, Adam, when you're shooting these movies?

Yes, yes, yes. I. Or something nearby. Like, I'll. The location scout will go around. Like, I'll hear location scout for that. He literally, like, we have scouts, men or women, running around getting the movie sets all set up, and then I'll get a text. Six minutes from a good court. Eleven minutes from a good court. Hey, Schneider. All right, we're on it. We're going to Bill.

Bill.

Yeah, she dressed like Elvis.

That's Bill Schneider.

What's up, Schneider?

How are you, brother?

How are you?

Nice to see you. Wait, so how many years do you have left? Because, you know, you're hitting your late fifties, you're in torn MCL meniscus stage of basketball.

Bill. That's a good question. I think I'm going to keep going, but you know what happened? I'm making a movie in England, and I walk out on the court. London. Cool, cool place. We found. I forgot the name of the park. And right when I went on the court, I said, I don't think most of the. There was some good players, but there were a couple guys. I was like, they don't. They don't play basketball. This is gonna go bad. And immediately, boom. Guy bangs into my thumb. I felt something, and it's been like four, four and a half months. I tore the ligaments in my thumb, and it won't come back. I can't, like, bend it a certain way.

It's like Stanley in the hustle.

Yes, yes, yes, exactly. And so I've started going, man, maybe I gotta stop playing hoop because it hurts so bad when I shoot. But I played yesterday a lot.

This is your way of saying, this is why I can beat you one on one.

My hand hurts if I lose.

I have the hair thing.

It's a good excuse. Yeah, the thumbs never heal.

If you pre hand, I would destroy you.

You know, when you get older with pickup, two things happen. One, you mentioned earlier you're totally fine not being the best part. Not having a lot of big plays on the team. That stays in the court. That's. That's like late thirties.

Yes.

Where you're like, you know what? Yeah, I'm going to be on this guy's team, and I'll. I'll just run up and down. I could guard people. Maybe I'll hit one shot, then the other one. You developed the 6th sense for. You go out and you kind of can tell who the guy is to watch out for on the other team. That guy can hurt me. That guy looks like he'll jump over my back, or I might get hit by an elbow by him. But you don't have that when you're in your early twenties. It, like, develops later, right?

100%. And you know what? That's why when I play, I'm so handsy now and so elbowy, because I'm always trying to keep distance from these guys. They're so big and strong and they're fast that I'm just like, okay, I know you not only going to beat me, you're going to hurt me badly. So I'm always pushing them away, people. Everybody I guard looks at me like, will you stop touching me, man? They hate.

Did we ever do the celebrity basketball pantheon or people you've played with? Cause you played with everybody.

Played with so many great NBA guys.

And no, NBA guys don't count. It has to be great.

Woody's really good, right? Harrelson?

He's great. Yeah, there's a lot of greats. I can't say. You know who was the most exciting, fun moment? Playing with the professor. Professor was fun.

Oh, really?

What a nice. Where did you do that during hustle? We had a few minutes. We hung out and played, and then he's. You just watch.

Professor. Who's the professor?

Professor. And one, he played with the an one guys. And he does all these cool passes and dominates everybody in one on one on the Internet. You should watch his stuff. It's the best. And he gives you some tricks that you.

KG was speaking, man one. KG was one of the few pro athletes sponsored by an one.

Wow. I didn't know that.

Yeah, he was Mark Jackson, too. That's because his brother was.

Exactly. And I know Mark.

So is there like other bro, was there like a Clooney kind of, you guys kind of measuring each other up? Because he's like the big, oh, I play pickup basket. He's kind of on your corner.

Yes, yes. I just did a movie with Clooney. We didn't play. We didn't get.

Go back and play. Yes.

He's got great shot. And he's like, you know what he is?

He's a real jump shot.

He's a, he's got a good looking elbow in. Perfect shot. And then he's, he's an athlete. He does not stop moving.

He's.

He's in great shape.

Clooney.

Good Lord. He's in good shape. So, no, but we never played against each other.

Which comedians are good at ball?

Lot of good ones. By the way, I would, when I was in England, I would show up to this game and they were like, we're all comedians. And I would jump in and everybody knew how to hoop pretty good.

Adam Sandler's over here right now. Yeah, he's just playing basketball.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

He didn't tell me, and I said, because I don't want him.

He's a beatle.

This is a beetle called him.

It's Ringo Starr.

Yeah, we'll head over here. Yeah. Ringo was following me around in England going, hey, now he's.

Ringo's the only beatle, not independently as a solo artist in the hall of Fame. Rock and Roll hall of Fame.

Yeah. Yeah, he will be.

Yeah. And at some point.

So, Josh, after you worked with KG, were other NBA players trying to get into movies with you?

I'm doing something now that there's a Globetrotters.

Oh, wow.

A 1952 Globetrotter. And, you know, they globetrotters in 52. That's all the greatest NBA, all the greatest basketball players existed. There were no NBA players. Black NBA players, really. You know, back then. And then Bill Russell went, you know, and Wilt Chamberlain, they all toured. Will Chamberlain, most famously. But so I've talked, I mean, we'll.

Did it for a year.

Yeah, we'll do it for a year.

Did you see them growing up, the globetrotters in.

I did well in Boston. We're somewhat close to the same age. When they were in the wide world of sports, it was like, the single most exciting thing that could happen.

Metal arc was just. He was as cool. Metal arc was the first. Rodney Dangerfield to me was.

Was. Was goose still on the. No, he wasn't.

Curly.

Curly.

Metal arc, 1970.

Marcus Haynes.

Marcus Haynes was still there. No, he said Marcus Haynes was the greatest ball handler. Ball handler of all time. Jason Williams said that. Oh, yeah.

That's cool.

Yeah. He said that, like, him and Kyrie are, like, the greatest, you know, ball handlers of all time.

That makes sense.

Amazing to think that that guy was doing it in the forties, and you watch footage of him, and you're like, wow, he's pretty contemporary and sick.

Yeah. They would sell out, though. They would sell at the Boston Garden.

Oh, yeah, man. I could see you getting confetti, throwing on you and being tricked.

No question. I would have loved it. I would have loved it. I remember when they were on Gilgan's island, that was like.

And then they have the animation. They were on Scooby Doo, I think.

They definitely were on Scooby Doo.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, the wide road of sports. It was evil Knievel, Muhammad Ali.

Yeah.

The Globetrotters, the big three. And that was it.

That was big. Yeah.

This before your time, Josh?

Yeah, this is before my time. I'm sorry.

Yeah.

The Globetrotters still sell out. They have, like, they have a really diverse group of people on the team now, too, who can do a lot of different things. It's more of a show. Like, back then, the Globetrotters would tour America, and the best local players would go up against them, and they would sweep the floor with whoever they were playing. They would put up people in the NBA, the best players from the all stars from the NBA would go up against them, and they would have no shot.

Yeah. I didn't know, really, when I was working on my book, I really didn't know what to do with the first ten years of the league. Cause it was just basically all the white dudes.

Yeah.

There were barely any black players in the league. I think, like, there were one black player per team was the rule.

I think, like, the thing that everyone says now, like, all, like, the people on the Internet are on Twitter and stuff are, like, plumbers and accountants. Like, that's all it was.

Well, when you go pre shot clock. Cause the shot clock came in for the 54 55 season. So Miken was dominating Mike and was like the first center. Yeah. When the shot clock came in, Mike. And was done because they started like, running up and down and that was it for like the big, clumsy centers.

Yeah. They. He would play against. He was like the one person that Globetrotters were kind of scared of. Globetrotters weren't even from New York, from Chicago.

Oh, wow.

And there was a Harlem team. I forgot the name of the team that was also. They had a squad and they were better. Wow. They were kind of like, who the fuck are these guys fighting? Harlem Globetrotters, pre shot.

I saw a game one time when I grew up in the forties.

Yeah.

It was the best game I've ever saw. And the Knicks won four to nut.

What happened with the collector's movie? Because I know you're working on it forever. And Josh kept texting me, like, ideas.

And stuff, like, derailed us and, like, was complicated because the MLB was a huge part of it and getting everything, getting the tectonic plates in order after the strike finished up were kind of impossible. We're gonna. We're gonna come back to a lot of the. A lot of the research from that movie popped up into the special, into love you, because I spent so much time at all these autograph collecting conventions, particularly. I went to the national that year. I texted you and. Yeah, you know, I just got really. I mean, Sandler's. Sandler's character was a great. Was a great character. So we're nothing. We're gonna go back to that. You know, we just have to, you know, figure out the timing.

Bill, there's four more days on heritage sports collectors website to buy my Ty Cobb cleat.

Are you really selling it? Yeah. That's amazing.

His Ty Cobb cleat?

Yeah. One single cleat.

One. Just one cleat. Not even two?

Just one shoe? Yeah.

Warrant Warren or not Warren.

I've had it. I've had it since I was a kid.

Why are you selling it? That's kind of sad. I don't know.

Because my wife's good. What am I gonna do with this? I didn't even know I had it, so. It's not. It's not. It's a. It's on heritage site now that it's the only. There's no shoe that's been sold for let's Ty Cobbs. And I've had it since I was a kid. My dad and I bought it, you know, where I was a kid. That's some sports thing. Bought it. Now you can have it, Bill. Buy it. Go on heritage.

I'll look it up.

Four more days.

Bill.

I hit this point with collecting. When you get older and you're like, why do I have all this stuff?

Yeah.

And then some of the best stuff I had to put in, like, boxes, you know, like boxes at a bank, so I can't even go and, like, look at it. So it's like, what was the point?

What's your best stuff, Bill?

What's your best stuff?

Like, what's the best thing you ever collected?

I had a lot of basketball cards, especially, like when, when I was working on my book in the late two thousands. Then I realized you could basically get all the hall of famer rookie cards, and they weren't that expensive.

Yeah, well, I mean, when I was a kid, that was, already got into collecting when it was peak, so they.

Printed so many worst possible, worst time.

Yeah. I mean, when you got in the market, the very beginning of, you know, all those early seventies cards, you know.

Yeah, but we didn't take care of them, though. We just kind of like, shoved them in a shoebox.

Yeah, same thing. I remember I had a Freddie Lynn when he first came out, 75 Freddie Lynn car. I had so many great cards, but I didn't even think of taking care of. But you know what? I did pretty good with taking care of the Sunoco little football helmets. Remember those?

Oh, yeah.

I have about, still haven't had every team. Whenever we would stop at Sunoco, and I say to my dad, please, please get there.

Oh, you put the quarter in and turn it around and one helmet comes out. Yeah.

So by the end of that run, I had every team. But now when I go home and my mother says, go to your room. And my mother screaming at me, she says, go to your room. And I go in there in my closet, and I cry for about half hour, saying, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But then I look at my old helmets. I have about maybe 80% of the helmets, and they're a little beaten, but pretty cool.

I have, you know what I saw that I thought was cool? One of the conventions is they had basically like the first version of kind of like an NFT. They had these little tiny disks that had grooves, vinyl grooves in it, and it had the photograph of the player and it said the name of the play. So it'd be like Larry Bird, like fadeaway jumper. And you could listen to the commentator. Wow. You put it on record and you can play it.

That's cool.

I remember those.

Yeah.

There was Johnny most talking is it because of.

Because, boss, I didn't buy that one. I bought an OJ one. I bought an OJ.

I like. Yeah, I like stuff that I can use, like these dream team cups.

That's cool.

And they're not even expensive. Expensive.

I had. I collected those.

It's Larry bird right there. But.

Yeah.

Is that sign or.

That's the fake sign one?

No, it's the. It's the McDonald's ones. But you can buy them and they're like $40. The funniest is, like the 96 dream team, which nobody liked. Those are, like, way cheaper. Yeah, you can get those.

Usually those end up becoming more valuable because they didn't make that many.

Right?

Everyone threw them away.

How about Carl Malone's wife went into the locker room after the first dream team picked up all the jerseys off the floor. Now, those jerseys are worth $20 million, and he's selling them.

No, true story. Wow.

Walking away, leaning back.

Is that true?

Yeah. Well, there's that. That's like that crazy story.

The.

I say that to Schneider literally after everything says to me. Is that true?

No, I never heard that one. That he just dropped two things. I'd never heard.

Your work.

We're going to talk about this stuff. Look it up now. Go on. You have somebody helping you. Have him look it up now.

He does it on his own. He's in his house right now talking to us.

Bill hires somebody. This is a very popular.

There was an era in the eighties and nineties when people like, the equipment manager was just grabbing jerseys and sneakers and people like, yeah, yeah, take it. And those people just put them in the garage.

What was that story, the Brady story? Didn't someone steal a jersey from?

Right.

Yeah.

Well, you know, what's happened now that there's a whole. There's been this boom with movies and pop culture stuff.

Oh, yeah. You know that you can get a happy Gilmore sealed vhs tape and, like, graded, you know, near mint or mint at like 100 if it's sealed. Some of those go for like $900,000, not 900,000. I could have 900 or 8000.

$900,000 is better.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I wanted the Halloween VHS tape, like the original one. It was on some auction. I'm like, oh, I'm getting this. I thought it would be like $400 and it went for like 18,000.

Wow. See, I'm the happy Gilmore. Probably is a lot more. The ten. A ten point. Like a graded of, you know, PSA. Ten is probably for a Gilmore.

I don't know.

Gilmore was like. Gilmore was the video store video.

Oh, yeah. That was big on video. I remember that.

Yes. You couldn't go into a blockbuster and not have it playing.

Yeah. That made happy, for sure.

Hey, Bill, do you know the Marc Jackson rookie card? Not the rookie card, the Mark Jackson. Oh, yeah.

With the Menendez.

With brothers in it.

Yeah. That's funny.

They, that, which they bought those front, were those front court, those side seats with their, their parents. They recently murdered. Parents credit card.

What else?

You guys should have been your parents credit card.

Go to a nick.

That should have been a movie. You worked on the Menendez brothers.

I think the best version, the closest they got was Stiller. Was it in cable guy? The Menendez brothers show up?

I think so, yeah.

I think there's like.

They did do a movie.

Well, no, they plays both Menendez brothers and it's constantly on.

Yeah, that's right.

Love Stiller. Absolutely.

That blockbuster time you mentioned, that really was a fascinating time to release movies because there were only so many cable channels. And if you hit that, if you hit that sweet spot of, like, the blockbuster combined with, like, all of a sudden it'd be on HBO and it was. You just have these, like five year runs now. I don't, I don't know if it's the same way now.

No.

Like. But I think it'd be harder to hit that vortex because we have too much content now. We didn't have enough content in the mid nineties.

You know, your stuff gets hot for a couple weeks maximum. Now if you got a smash and then they go, okay, all right, we got 30 more things coming out this weekend.

So what was cool about blockbuster or any video store, blockbuster in particular, is they would have the deals with the other big corporations. So you would go in there and there would be like, the Newman's. Not. Maybe not Newman's, but they're the butter. Popcorn by the door. You get the raisinets. And it really felt like you were going to the movies.

It was fun, you know what I mean?

And you walk through the aisles and, you know, a big movie would come out to be like 75 tapes. Remember, you get there and Gilmore. You know what I mean?

Yeah.

You used to go and used to count how many of your movies was on the shelf and compare it to other people's, how many movies they had. But I will say blockbuster could have been the Netflix. They just didn't see the end coming and they didn't make the transition, but they had it all and lost it.

No, there's been a couple of those, right? Cause like, Rolling Stone could have been MTV and they missed it. You know, Sports Illustrated could have gotten involved and been basically ESPN and they missed it. And there's blockbuster, easily could have been Netflix. But Netflix didn't seem like it was going to be Netflix for the entire late two thousands.

I mean, the whole beginning of Netflix, I spent just renting the dvd, ripping the dvd, and then returning it immediately. I would go through like 5000 Netflix. I would get the three rentals. They'd come, I'd rip them, I'd immediately return them, and I'd get new ones. So I would just amass a huge library.

And it seemed like the worst business possible because you just couldn't understand how.

It'S, well, Netflix knew something early because I remember, like, when the studio say, hey, something's going on. We're not going to give them discounts anymore for $8 for, you know, $2 for a title. And they said, we're going to have to pay, you know, $12. And they said, we're still going to pay for it. I said, well, they must know something, right?

Yeah.

The old school video stores, if you rented something and, like, you lost the tape or whatever, they would be like, it's $180.

Oh, I lost, I lost a very rare tape from Kim's. And I, I, you know, I got, I got robbed. And I told them, I was like, I was robbed. What was I supposed to do? They, someone ripped, wow. I'm like, that's a $900 tape. I was like, $900. This is a rare, it was a super rare movie and, you know, by a filmmaker who didn't put out many films, so I didn't know what to say to them, so I kind of just kept passing the buck. And then they went out of business because of you. Because of me. But I like $900 for a tape.

I was just like, to wait out the bankruptcy.

I didn't know the bankruptcy was half coming. Then they sold the entire collection to, I think, in Italy. But anyway, that's another story.

I had a similar thing when I didn't return a library book growing up. And I went to the library and they said, it's overdue. And I said, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna bring it back. I like it too much. And they had maybe six or ten librarians come out and beat me with their books, with the Britannica. With a Britannica. Finger smashes. Put your hands up.

And then I think we talked about this before, but isn't it like I noticed when, when Carl Weathers died and it was like he was a member of Adam's family because people had such an attachment, that movie. Like, you know, it's just, it's weird when you just make a movie, you spend how many days on it, you put it out in the world, and then it takes on this whole different form of identity and becomes part of people's lives. And characters from the movie died and people act like it was their uncle.

It's true. I did get so many calls about Carl and man, but there's certain people you make a movie with and that you literally, you lock in and become you family. The movie goes so well, you hang out the whole time while making it. Not because if it's a hit or not, just, just that. The experience. Experience of making the movie. And Carl, Carl was like that. Henry Winkler was like that. You just, it was just kind of like Bob Barker was like that. We became family, too. We hung out and.

But Rob never got there.

Schneider's not in there yet. He's working hard.

I'm one movie away, Bill.

It's one more. Just one more. You're almost there. What was the connection with you and Josh from, for, among cut gems that made you want to keep working?

Oh, we've, we've had the best time. We, all of us kind of got, we shooting them pre production. We became really tight.

Oh, yes.

Just putting it together on our first meeting. Yes. Yes. We had a nice lunch where it was at that hamburger joint.

Oh, yeah.

We sat outside there at the bar.

First time ever was when I came from. We came, we were just shooting the Jay Z video, Marcy, me and I shot all, we shot all night. Yeah, let's meet. Yeah. And I was scared on the helicopter shooting, and then I ended up. Then you said, we'll shoot, we'll play ball at like 830, the first.

Oh, yeah, we played ball.

Yeah, yeah.

At 830. And I was like, oh, man, we wrapped at like 430 in the morning. Oh. And then I ended up coming straight to the gym. And you and Benny were both. Yeah.

Exhausted.

Yeah. Up and down. And Benny's way of playing basketball is like, he'll beat you with his hustle. Oh, yeah, he's a big.

Oh, he's one of those guys.

Yeah, I'll beat you with his hustle. You know the type of player.

Kevin Wilds. Yeah. Just trying super hard the whole time. Exactly.

Which is. You need a guy like that all the time.

Yes.

Yeah. No, those guys always end up on the right teams.

A thorn in the side of the other, other team all the time. You're like, oh, this guy's in again. I have to deal with this shit, you know?

But Adam was one of your guys, though, growing up, though. And then all of a sudden, you're. You're making a movie with him.

Yes. Still to this day, you know, I had to do the tech check for the special this morning, and, you know, I cry. I mean, the ending. The ending of it is very emotional for many reasons. But I actually met. I met Sam, I met Sandler. I got. My relationship with Sandler began on the wall of this music store called the Wall, actually, where they have all the.

New releases in New York.

In New York, yeah. And I. And, you know, it was a thing. If you broke, you got a sticker, and if it broke, they give you a new one, no questions asked. And my dad would say, like, I'll get you whatever, you know, once a month, I'll get you whatever cd you want. And obviously was for that, for the house. And, you know, we got a Queen album, you know, I remember. And then I think it was a Prince album, the one with his first album. What was the name of the first album that has. Crazy, crazy. You guys get crazy. No, no, no. Shit. My mind is blank. Anyway, comedy was so important to me. I had a kind of a. Benny had kind of a rough childhood, so comedy was so important. And my dad would always be, we go to the movies and he'd be like, I want to see this film. And we're like, well, we want to go see the comedy movie. And he would make a compromise. We'd maybe go see both. Or he'd come and he always laughed, and he was like, oh, we were embarrassed about how loud his laughter was.

But we would go and I would see. I saw that there was a comedy album, and I had never heard of anything like that before. I was. They're all gonna laugh. He was 93. I was nine years old. And the coolest part about it is it had, you know, I was 93. New York, whatever. You were into hip hop. That was if you were a kid. Everyone listened to Onyx or whoever, or, you know, biggie. That's what it was. Hip hop was. So they all had the parental advisory, black and white little thing, right? And I'm looking at this comedy album, and it's got that big, fat parental advisory on it. And I was like, oh, man, this is definitely what I want. You know, maybe I'll just grab it and, you know, there'll be no questions asked. And I just remember just Benny and I just listening at night, the lights would go off when we just listen to those. And, you know, there's a medium pace when you're nine years old, kind of having, you know, I don't fully understand what medium pace was even though like. Yeah, I didn't know about any pace.

You know what I mean? Medium pace was even more nuanced than that. But, you know, there was like, there was a, you know, teenage love. I mean, there's a lot of. Oh, yeah, the, the jokes themselves, the acting inside of it.

Yeah.

Was, um, was so amazing because you were listening their sketches, they were so surreal.

They were made for your headphones.

Oh, yeah, we had this little boombox and it was just, that was my introduction to Sandler. And then when what, what the hell happened to me? Came out. And you have like an eight minute track like the hypnotist.

Oh, yeah, that's kneeling.

Yeah, but that's eight minutes. You know what I mean? So like he's just ripping ones the whole time. But you are laughing. Was it, what was he doing? Was he doing a fart machine? Like, how was making you laugh?

So I don't know if you know that one, Bill, but it's a hypnotist. I think he's, I don't even know.

He's trying to get hypnotized to quit smoking. That's right.

But he keeps farting throughout the whole thing and just relax.

He's blaming you at the beginning.

He's telling me he thinks he's got, that he's got me in a trance, that he could say it was me, but there was no farts and there was no sound effect that we in yet. So Nealon would be doing, we'd be going back and forth and Nealon would just put his finger down like he did.

Like, I'm going to put one in there.

So I used to laugh. Kevin's giant hand just going, Neil was good.

I mean, Neil's amazing anyway. But like, you listen to that. And I think that came out, it was 95.

So I was like, shit, I don't remember.

I was eleven or something. And then that, you know, or the goat, the second goat was on that. And then the first one had songs too. And the second one had a lot of songs.

Yeah, yeah.

We split it up with a bunch of like maybe six, seven songs. And then the rest are comedy songs. We packed it in second. Both of them have.

Yeah, first one you have, you have, uh, Steve.

Polly Kronopolis.

No, that's the second.

That's the second one.

I don't know, two cars on the first one, isn't it?

No, that's the second one.

They kind of, those two kind of blend together. Anyway, that was my introduction to, to Sandler and that, so when Billy Madison came out, it was, you know, and that was my, also my introduction to nor and Farley, too. You know, those, that was my introduction because I was a living color guy. I watched a living color. And then SNL. Yeah, I was, I don't know why. I was just, yeah, I watched that more than I watched SNL.

It was good.

Yeah, it was great. I loved it. And I loved the Waynes brothers. So I love that there's a shout out in the.

Yeah, we, we give him a shout out on the, in the special, but I love that.

And then you get to know all the, all the SNL crew and you start watching those and you're like Schneider and Sandler and, you know, Farley, obviously, and Tim Meadows and rock and that whole. Dave. Yeah, David. Of course, David. Dana Carvey. And, I mean, that was just an all star. You look at that cast photo and you're just like, jesus Christ.

That was a really fun era for comedy because those two shows were on at the same time. I like both of them.

Oh, yeah.

But then you had, we had enough comedy movies at that point to rewatch, like the whole Caddyshack era, stripes, all of those, those had nice legs at that point. And then there was like all the comedy stuff from the late seventies, early eighties with Steve Martin, Eddie and people like that.

Back to school. I remember seeing back to school and I saw, very shortly after I saw Billy and I saw like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, you know, the premise of a guy going back and just like, I just saw, I was like, you know, I don't know if we could have made gems with anybody else. I probably would have been like Rodney Peake. Rodney, wow.

He would have been incredible.

Yes. Rodney was just a special. And I remember reading Rodney's, one of his books.

He's got Billy's blue eyes. Rodney.

Well, he also had, he had that comedy special and he was just breaking all these young people nobody had ever seen before on HBO.

He had Seinfeld. He did Seinfeld.

He had, well, that was where I saw Sam Kinison. Jim Carrey was on there. It was basically all that nice. Of course, that generation. Yeah, yeah, it was pretty cool.

Yeah, we all loved Rodney.

Every comedian, I mean, he was just such a hard working. I actually just recently, I told you, I went into his archive, and I was able to look at this artist. Richard princess bought his entire archive that goes to all his jokes that he. From the beginning. So you can see how no respect.

The character evolved when he was Jack Roy.

Oh, when he was Jack Roy. Exactly. And then. And then he. And then you can see he had, like, one joke that he worked on forever, which was a guy on a date at a fancy restaurant, and it was, like, all about the lobster. And the lobster gets better. More attention than him. And you could see little no respect Joe inside of this big, epic joke. That's so great. Which kind of reminds me, I don't know of your stuff. I love Rodney and Sandler are very much like.

I definitely was influenced huge by Rodney, and there's so many people I was influenced from growing up. But, yeah, Rodney was.

Well, you did that. I mean, I don't want to spoil the special, but that's a big part of the last part of the special we're seeing.

Yeah, yeah.

Influences. Yeah, I did.

That's awesome.

Yeah, well, I also know. I know how hard those are to do and, you know, probably trying to sketch that out, but then make the video.

That's so.

I don't want to spoil. But I thought it was really cool.

We did it. Thank you, man. We. That was only the second time I ever played that song. What happened was, I think I went to. Before we did the special, I had to go to Europe, and I did something for a while. Forget why. Anyways, I came back and I was like, we're doing a special, man. I got a. I gotta get my shit cooking because I did it tour. We all were on tour, and I had the shit going. And, like, when you do stand up, you take a three day break, it can fuck you up. You know, you just.

Right.

Got the rhythm anymore. So I had it cooking on tour, then I had to shut down for a month or two to do something. I don't even remember what the fuck it was. But anyways.

And then you just lose the rhythm completely.

You just don't know your transitions. You don't know. You forget key lines in the thing. Your head spins. So I did a practice show at this place called the Hayworth Theater in LA. And you were there because he was putting the special together. And then we played that song that we played at the end of the special for the first time and with no visuals, and it was nothing going on behind, but it was just the mentioning of other comedians and stuff, and then all of a sudden, fucking, the crowd was, like, building and building and locking into who they liked and stuff. And if I mentioned the name was, like, big laughs and big. Yeah, big fucking cheers. It was the coolest that night.

Yeah. I mean, the thing is, I remember we were texting early about that, about doing a song at the end of the show that was emotional and real and, yeah, this guy over here is very deep well of emotions and complex person. Very funny for a reason. The best comedians are very complex people and the best artists from my point of view. And, yeah, I think the greatest part of that track is, of course, obviously, you relate to all of the comedians that you see on screen, but it's different. It's bigger than that. It's more about you're seeing the stuff that made Sandler happy, the stuff that made Sandler, like, forget about any trouble he was having in life at the time. And just, it's amazing. Comedy is an incredible, incredible thing that we have in life. And what's so powerful about that final song is it really reminds you of it and it really makes you emotional. It makes you really appreciate it in a way that I've never really appreciated comedy. You appreciate it because you're like, oh, escape. Right now. I want to laugh and, you know, I want to check out this crazy brain and get into tune with it, but it's, that's what I'm saying.

It's, like, amazing. It's awesome to see the stuff that made you laugh because it's like a little documentary about you, right? You go to someone's house, you look at their record collection.

Oh, wow.

He likes this record. Oh, that's really cool. But, like, oh, man, you like the, you know, I'm trying to think of.

A, there's so many in there that.

I love that you put the jump kick from Marvin, like, very, he was very specific about the things that you saw of the comedians.

Yeah, yeah. We worked hard on this. It was, for me, just watching it.

Because I hadn't seen it, and I saw with the visuals, it is overpowering to me. It was Sandler's way of just saying, I love you and thank you. And I just, I've never seen a comedian do that as completely as this.

And it was just, it really is.

Like, a generous thing. It was, it was really, you know, I think it's really overpowering.

Like, for people who love the Farley.

Song, this one, to me, is, is a sledgehammer, you know, to your heart, for me, for all the people love comedy.

We all give it up. All us comedians give it up to our past and talk about it and get to say it. And this was a nice way to put it. Cement cemented.

Chris Rock opened was it was ring Payne was he opened it with, I remember you open comedy albums, comedy tambourine. Yeah, that's right.

Was it.

Something like that he opened with. Anyway, it's very different, but. But I don't know.

I think I remember Chris Rock's first album, born a suspect. I think killer remember him doing it and killer it was and how funny it was.

And, man, he has so much energy. It's the energy that you can feel all the time. I mean, he's one of the great.

He changed modern stand up comedy completely.

On the back of all the greats. Even if we just watch him do stand up, he doesn't stop moving. So it's always just exciting to just see him moving. And I mean, his, the rhythms are out of control too.

Well, it's such an interesting spot. Comedy albums in the era of what Adam and I see with our kids, like these 92nd TikTok clips or Instagram reels, and you can literally get 150 funny things in, I don't know, 20 minutes.

It's crazy how good it is too, man. When I go to sleep, I wake up every night for some reason at three in the morning, and I just offered like 2 hours. And I start flipping through, going through the reels. The reels. I guess my kids make fun of me. They say, dad, such a. I guess I do some. I don't do TikTok because I don't have it.

Instagram.

I don't do Instagram. Yeah, I don't fucking have that either. But there's something else I have. So I'm always going like this and laughing and my kids like, that's so. You're so old, dad.

You just look like an old guy.

And they're like, you're going through with, like, young boys. Look at the same thing. I'm like, I don't know what I'm looking at, but. But the jokes are so fucking funny. And the reality of what goes on and what, like, everybody, buddy. And you're in Minnesota making the funniest thing now for 20 seconds. It's pretty cool.

Were you, were you prepared for how uncool you had become with your kids? Because it's been shocking for me.

Yeah, it's an all time high right now.

They just ridicule. I just spent a week a week with them, and you just get ridiculed the whole time, out of touch. Your old everything. You everything, buddy.

I walked on my kids last night. The two of them. We're at a hotel, two of them. I came in, I said, hey, guys, how's it going? You guys having fun? And one of them goes, we were.

Dead serious.

I had, what, 15 years until she's two.

You got 13, maybe? Eleven years left.

Yeah.

You got, like. You got like, nine years until all.

Of a sudden she's like, dad.

Well, that's when the dad. I mean, Adam made a movie with his kids, and it was actually good, and you pulled it off. I thought the degree of difficulty that.

Was, like, that was probably at the end of them liking me.

Well, I remember you told me you were doing that, and I was like, oh, my God, there's just so many ways this can go sideways. I can't believe. I can't believe you decided to do this.

What a move that was.

They're both great in it, though.

Yeah, it worked out, and it was super popular.

It's like your daughter doing your show. You got to deal with. Now you're being terrified.

Your daughter led a Netflix movie that's a whole different level.

You got the same going on. Your daughter's excellent, and so is her buddy.

Were you surprised I forgot to ask you about this? When. When OJ died and Norm had this crazy resurgence, I don't know if you followed this. It became like a. Like a two week norm.

Oh, yeah.

Kind of greatest hits of OJ Joe. And all of a sudden, Norm was, like, back in the mainstream.

Oh, man.

Huge way. I'm delighted that he has the legs that he has comedians.

He's still modern, he's still contemporary with a lot of his jokes.

His jokes.

Timeless. They were timeless.

If you look at me doing stand up, just hear the audio of it on Spotify norms. Me doing stand up, that is a perhaps the most brilliant hour of stand up you'll ever hear. It is perfection, word for word. And it's even better just hear it than watch it.

He had so much time, by the way, when we go on the road together, he. I am I lying? When he. I think he said, I have. I got seven good hours.

Oh, my God.

Yeah, I think he said, I got seven good. He fucking used to write it out. He'd phrase it perfectly. He'd go joke to joke perfectly. I love when you'd see Norm kind of go, yeah, like, be searching for his next joke.

The other day there.

Whatever he did Mandy, he was so badass, man.

He's a classic.

And it was. And he never made any. Never told any jokes outside of, obviously, OJ. When he was doing weekend update, he was doing timely jokes, but all of his jokes and his stand up are just completely timeless.

Yeah, yeah.

You know what I mean? They're absurdist.

The weekend update is so funny because there was a stretch when he wasn't getting the laughs that were as funny as the actual jokes. So I remember being home thinking it was like the absolute funniest thing.

Yeah.

And he would tell a joke, and there would just be, like, almost silence.

Yes, yes. And he just sat. What are you people.

How do you not laughing at this?

He didn't give a fuck. He was a tough bastard. He just. Just sat in the great joke, and that was it.

Uh oh.

He's killing a bug right now. What is that?

Oh, what's he doing?

Oh, God damn it. You're going nuts on.

What is it?

You don't need Billy. He's beating up.

Josh is killing a bug.

He's killing a bug. But I don't know if I would do that.

Oh, my God.

All right.

It's giant invasive species. They're called the lantern bugs. What are they?

Where are they from?

Well, he's. I don't know where they're from.

Wait, I have three things we have to hit before we go. One, talented, behind the scenes people always want to do. Direct the comedy special.

Yeah.

Which seem like they're pretty simple, but I know they're not.

No.

What is it about comedy special?

Like a movie about a guy doing a comedy space.

Right.

There's a lot.

And I really, and I really, really, really, when Sandler asked me, like, you want to, why wouldn't saw the show a bunch? And when he was on tour, and it is like two and a half hours of material, and I was like, oh, wow, this is like a powerhouse. Kind of like Rodney. Boom, boom, boom, boom. It was like a. And I don't know when he was, like, saying, do you want to do this special? Turturro came to one of the shows, and he had something that he said that really, sometimes you don't know what you're making until someone tells you how it felt. And he said it was like hanging out in his friend's basement, drinking, I think he said, drinking a two liter soda and just laughing at your funniest friend. And it really did to me like the carpeting, the design of the stage we wanted to create. I really wanted to create this space of, like, this nowhere space that, like, we all kind of remember, but it didn't really exist. And, and, you know, you have, you create this vibe, kind of like the final song that, like, life is pretty fucked up.

And then you have this, like, hour of just, like, you forget about it all and then it releases you and you're like, oh, that's what we do. We get this comedy. We get this comedian who gives us, gives us this, and then he's gone. Then he's just gone. And the credits are rolling. And, and I just, and, like, the feeling of doing this in particular, it was, like, the closest thing I ever did to feel like I was on kind of an SNL type show because we would do two shows a night, and then we would have the inter, in between, like, all right, let's cut this song. And we have these certain things that I would throw at sandler that he didn't know was coming. So, like, I would have to go and talk to Ronnie and be like, ronnie, I'm like, I want to change this little part. I have to rewrite this thing. And, you know, I'm like a character in it a little bit where I'm not a character in it. I'm like, yeah.

But it's nice because it throws, it's a, it's a good curveball for, like, first, for people who are seeing stand ups, comedy specials, because you keep some, you don't really know 100% what's happening. Are they putting you on? But maybe they're not.

I know.

So it's anything that could get the audience a little bit out of their seat of normalcy. You have the potential to come in with different stuff. So I really loved it. It was fun. I mean, I was, every show was different, so it was a blast.

I just really liked this idea.

You were great.

Yeah, you were great, man. I mean, I really wanted, I don't want to ruin it because it's a great surprise, but I just really wanted to, like, give the feeling. I love feeling, and I just really felt like we wanted to feel like we were there and we had, you know, shooting it and figuring out a way to shoot it and, like, putting the camera in the right places and every, all the cameras handheld so you really feel like you're there. And, you know, again, like, that turturro's comment afterwards, it really resonated with me because, like, the color of the carpet is, like, kind of the color of the carpet. When I first listened to your cd, it also matches the carpet from what the hell happened to me. And I don't know, I just like it to me was a great challenge, and I had so much. I had a great time doing it. You know what?

You know, Bill, when I talked to Josh about doing it, I didn't know it was. I just. I thought, I'm gonna shoot a comedy special. I got a good act right now. I was psyched with my act. Let me just get this all fucking down. So I got it forever. And, yeah, I said, josh, you want to direct it? He goes, you know, we got into Josh doing it, and then it became, like, a thing to Josh where he couldn't. Couldn't stop creatively thinking about it with. With him, Ronnie, his partner, and. And just. He would call me up with ideas, and I'd be like, oh, fuck. I thought I was just gonna do.

Just gonna do my act, man.

I didn't know all that shit was.

Coming, but it does have the.

Getting you out of your comfort zone was pretty.

Yeah, I would call him up, like, a couple days after. I'd be like, wait a minute. Why? Why don't we got to do all this shit, man? Let me just do my fucking act and do my songs, and we'll cut. It's working on the road. And he was like, well, yeah, no, no, but just you in a small room. It's a little more. People get to see you and see your mind thinking. I was like, well, yeah, they get that when I'm doing my fucking act that I've been writing for the last three years too, you know? But we did it Josh's way. It was cool.

No, it was a great. I mean, we collaborate and, like, yeah, at one point, I think Ronnie and I wrote, like, I think we sent you, like, 25 pages of scripted material. You were like, this is amazing. This is amazing. But, like, what are we doing? Because I saw a dice. I saw a dice Andrew dice Clay special that he did when he performed at the garden. And it was like a 25 minutes short film that kind of showed the origins of that character. Yeah, him as a kid, he's like, no. And then he's got the wife character. He's like, you. He does his voice. You know what I mean? Like, aw. Anyway, I just like. And then we would be realistic about it, and I really just wanted to just give the feeling, like, live on Sunset Strip. The Richard Pryor album is, like, one of my favorite album. The show is one of my favorite specials. And, like, what's great is, like, you do have that moment where you seeing Richard Pryor, Ivan, and they have that weird text that tells you someone was performing. I remember someone performed beforehand, like, amazing musician performed before him, but they didn't show it to you because it was not enough time.

But you see that, you're like, oh, wow, this was like a whole night.

Yeah, yeah.

And then you see him and then like, the greatest part of Richard Pryor is like, yeah, his jokes and he is. The way he sees life is amazing, but his acting is amazing. That was what was so great about the Kamiyams. And you as an actor, general, your acting is incredible. So, like, when you're watching, you do some of these jokes, these super surreal jokes, you're selling it with your performance. And like, to me, that was like, it was. That's why I say it's like a movie. You're watching this guy arrive in this really shitty mood, and then he slowly gets into it. And even though, as much as the venue doesn't want to let him get into it, he ends up kind of winning.

Right, right?

Yeah, yeah, that's true. Bill, when you do stand up, you do walk in with a mood and you got to shake that fucking mood. Or sometimes you're stuck with the mood and you suck that night. It just happens. Or it takes you 20 minutes to get cooking or whatever it is. And this, this was a version of a comedian coming up. Too much shits going on before the show to fucking really concentrate.

Yeah.

And then you get on stage and you go, oh, shit, I got a show to do. It's not gonna go with exactly the way I thought it was, Bill.

I got there and I didn't really know exactly what was happening, and I go, why aren't we doing this in a, an arena? And then after you realized the intimacy of this was super cool, where it reminded me of, like, this is Adam's, you know, like, what Elvis did in that small place.

In the round.

In the round, man. It totally had that beautiful feel to it.

Is it better to be a small place or a giant arena? Because it's funny, like the, if you talk to, like, the great bands, I think there's this, like, it's really fun to do the giant arena or football stadium, but I think they really, they like when it's like, a little more intimate, connect with the audience.

Well, yeah, I get maybe it's an ego thing because you're playing these big ass joints and you go, oh, fuck, let me make sure I capture that so I can show my kids.

No, I'm saying you were afraid just about doing the intimate one because you were so used to doing.

I'll tell you, I like when I prepare for these tours, I play the little rooms. I play Largo. Largo. Little tiny spot at improv comedy store, whatever. The Hayward theater. I go on in front of 5100 people and I fucking. I'm so calm in that number with, I don't feel like I'm letting that many people down when I suck, if I'm in a huge place and I suck, I'm like, I feel like calling them all up and going. I, look, let's do this again. I apologize for how bad I was, but so, but when we did this special and it was, what was it, 150 people, 50?

Yeah, something like that.

It felt fucking fun. It was nice. You look at people, you lock eyes, you're actually talking to them. You're not going, holy shit, let's keep cooking, or we're going to lose the energy, you know, feel like you can sit and stuff a little longer. So it's nice.

It's like when I saw Adam at Holy Cross when he came. Yeah, the field house. Like 300 people.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, man, that was. Boy, that was fun. Was Schneider there long time?

There's no way you. There's no way you remember stand up. Come on.

No, I swear to God, I remember those days. And it was when I was early SNL and I was doing all the colleges and Rob was doing that shit, too, and Spade and Dana and Neil and all that shit. I remember that all of a sudden these field houses were getting bigger and bigger and, like, more people were knowing your shit. That was exciting.

Wait, I have a SNL thing quick, because it's the 50th year. So is. I don't know what's going to happen this year, but I know there's like, you know, they're going to celebrate the season. They're going to do all the documentaries. Like, are you even going to, like, what's your involvement in all that, Adam?

I don't know yet. I don't know. And Rob either. Like, I talked to Lorne recently, and, you know, they, they told us when it is, it's in February, and we. And we'll see what happens.

Be ready, basically be ready to do.

Anything you want for the. For the team, man. We just want. It's. What an. It's going to be an amazing night. We're all going to be together. Always fun to be together with every comedian you love. And it's going to be a big, big, big weekend.

Not many things make me feel old, but SNL having a 50th season makes me now feel like I need to reevaluate. Shit.

Shit, man.

I literally remember every point in my life SNL was involved and how it's like 50. Jesus. Can't wait. We got to talk. Anthony Edwards. Before you go.

Anthony Edwards. Anthony Edwards. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, buddy. That. I'm glad we can talk about it. I'm glad.

No, this is, this was your guy. You adopted him and hustle.

Yes.

You were touting his virtues. Yeah. And he was like, he was, you know, really feels like he could have been an actor another life. But then last spring goes to a whole other level, ends up ripping through the playoffs, almost making the finals and I don't know, you must have been like a proud dad texted you all.

The time about it.

Yeah, we all love him. I mean, everybody worked on the movie, got to know and what. It's just a great energy. Him in the Olympics was fun to watch. He's just a superstar.

Superstar seems like a good, funny guy, too.

Funny as hell. Says funny shit all day long. Calm, sweet, let just.

And he looks like Mike Jordan.

He has something.

Yes.

He's a handsome.

He played the Olympics perfectly. He was like, I idolized a rant. This is my favorite person. Yeah, I'm just going to follow him around. I love Steph Curry. He was like, I'm happy to be. Everybody's little better. I respect everyone. I don't care if I play that much. Like, I thought he did a great job.

It was similar to me and Schneider and Spade when Dana and Phil and.

Hartman are those guys.

Yeah, Kevin and Jan hooks would kill you. Just like I'm part of this shit. This is cool, man. Let me watch them kill.

Oh, my God.

He's in all the videos of the celebration. Edwards is in like two thirds of them. I think people saw. You just see him like everywhere. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He has, he has a real. He has just like a burning quality. Like, he's just shines really bright. He's just not afraid of the moment and his game. He has. He had a couple of plays in the playoffs where he looked just like Jordan and you guys.

Oh, like, yeah, he's crazy.

And then I said to Sandler, I.

Made a joke, and I'm not going to say this as hyperbole, but I said, can you imagine if Jordan, Anthony Edwards is not Michael Jordan? So that's not what I'm saying. But can you imagine if Jordan did do a movie and like, he did, like. I forgot what the comp was. I said he did like a.

What, the nickname?

Like. No. Or like a. Like a James Khan movie or, like. And he was the guy. Yeah. Oh, shit. And then they become like, they win multiple championships and they become one of the greatest players of all time.

And you.

You go back and you watch. You're like, oh, shit.

Right. Like, if he was. If he was, like Lamar and Revenge of the nerds, he was like, just like one of the guys.

I guess you could use Kareem as a good comp, because Kareem. But that was already. He was already a soft star. Yeah, this is the.

He was a youngster, Anthony.

I mean, but I read the script and was involved in that.

Yeah, yeah, I.

When he.

When he helped write the script, when I saw.

When I saw him, like, when I saw, like, the first cut.

Yeah.

Holy shit. This guy can act. And he was. Yeah. Made that character so much bigger.

That was so cool. That was won show Bill that.

The reason I haven't given up on Wancho.

Watcho's doing great. He kicked some ass in the Olympics, and he's happy as hell, and he's playing in Greece and he's doing good. But I remember when we were casting that part and watch, you said, my teammate, he'd be really. He'd be really good as the hell's the camera. So then him and Jeremiah, the director, met, and that's how that all happened. That was all.

Well, it seems like he's got the. He's got that same kind of thing that KG has, or just like, this natural, overpowering charisma at all times.

So happy, so funny. Every. Everybody loved him. I remember the days when a lot of the superstars were together and they were playing hoop fucking. He was just such a fun bastard that they all loved. They were all laughing at shit. And then Trey Young and Anthony were having a half court, like, shoot off and shooting it like it's a fucking eight foot jump shot. They were both kind of, like, lightly throwing the shit in, hitting, you know, two, two out of three from half court, and they were just laughing and having such a nice time together. Yeah, cool, man.

He's the coolest. And you felt like the whole league. Cause, like, the league is in a transition right now of, like, who is the new face? All these. These titans are? You know, how much longer are they gonna be playing? Who's gonna take the baton? And, you know, for a while, it was maybe John Moran, and then it was, you know, Walmart was maybe gonna be Trey. And then, you know, now we're. We don't know. And it's. Everyone's like, okay, it's. Anthony Edwards has the baton right now. And he kind of.

Yeah.

You know what I mean? He kind of felt.

You're talking. You're talking the american baton.

Yeah, the american baton. Well, I'm talking about. No, no, I'm not talking about skill. Skillset.

Yeah.

Like stardom. You know what I mean? Like, there's a lot of amazing players in the league who are a lot of stars. Oh, my God. A lot of stars. But, like, you just felt like everyone being, like, pushing it really hard, at least being like, oh. And, like, all of the advertisement and stuff. And he. And he had. He released that amazing commercial. I don't know if you saw that, because his sneakers are like, kids love those sneakers. Those are kind of like my friend's son who's, like, nine years old. All he cares about are the Anthony Edwards sneakers. And he did that commercial where they. Where it was, like, all about receipts and how he's saving everyone's receipts, and it's just printing up all the haters comments, and he's saving all the receipts. And he's basically. He's addressing the fact that everyone's putting all this weight on him right now anyway. He's cool. He's got a great attitude about it.

My favorite thing is that he's convinced he's the best athlete in every sport. Cause there was this moment in the Olympics where the. He was the ping pong. The women's team kind of challenged him, and it seemed like he was ready to go. And I was like, are we gonna have, like, a video of him trying to play? Play the pig Poc. Play.

He showed up at six matches.

Yeah.

Yeah, he was. He was definitely into the Olympics, man.

When the Vikings quarterback got hurt. McCarthy, the rookie.

Yeah.

And now it's, like, basically down to Sam Darnold. And I was like, I bet in the back of Edwards, he's like, I'm here if you need me to run the offense.

I think I watched an interview with the ones where he said he was the best at fishing or something like that.

Yeah.

How do you be the best at fishing?

Yeah, he could figure it out.

Yeah.

All right, we got a wrap.

Yeah.

Good to see you guys. Special is. What is August 27?

Yeah.

Today. Are we doing this live now where.

They wanted it to run. All right. Wanted it to run.

Okay.

Closer to the special.

Okay. All right.

But, yeah.

Love you. How many Netflix things for you now.

Oh, shit, I don't know. A lot. Like, I don't fucking know, 15.

You might have the record, so I'm.

Sure my name's on the YouTube.

A first ballot hall of famer. Netflix Hall, I think. All right, good to see you guys. Congrats on the special.

Hey, Bill, thanks.

Thank you, Bill.

Good seeing you.

Thanks, guys.

All right, bye.

Later.

All right, that's it for the podcast. Thanks to Kyle Creighton and Steve Ceruti for producing, as always. Thanks to Josh Safdie and Adam Sandler. Thanks to Craig, Danny and Danny from the Ringer fantasy football show. Don't forget, new rewatchables coming Monday night, Purple Rain. You'll be able to watch it on the Ringer movies YouTube channel. And you can watch everything that we did on this podcast on the Bill Simmons YouTube channel as well. You better subscribe because when cousin Sal and I come back for I think it's our 18th NFL season, we're doing the podcast live on YouTube. You'll be able to hear it as well, but if you really want it, like late at night east coast time or middle of the night, 830 range west coast time, we'll be doing it live on YouTube. So subscribe now to the Bill Simmons channel. I will see you on Tuesday with AFC over unders with the cuz. That's right, baby. We're back. Must be 21 plus and president. Select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and president DC gambling problem. Call 100 Gambler or visit rg dash help.com, call 1887-8977 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit md gamblinghelp.org. in Maryland, hope is here.

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