The Introduction

We’re just under two months away from the NFL Draft, and there’s prospect talk galore in this week’s marathon episode, as Thor Nystrom (@thorku), the lead college football and NFL Draft analyst for NBC Sports Edge (formerly Rotoworld) joins host Pat Fitzmaurice (Fitz_FF). Thor explains why criticism of Justin Fields’ field-reading ability is unfair, why Trevor Lawrence is the best prospect he’s ever evaluated, why Trey Lance is such a fascinating test case, why Zach Wilson is tricky to evaluate, and why Mac Jones reminds him of a less athletic Andy Dalton. Thor’s No. 1 running back isn’t Alabama’s Najee Harris or Clemson’s Travis Etienne, but rather North Carolina Tarheel Javonte Williams. Thor sings Javonte’s praises, takes a closer look at Harris and Etienne, and makes a case for Rhamondre Stevenson as an underrated prospect. Thor also offers a detailed analysis of University of Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman, and he and Pat discuss their mutual appreciation of Purdue’s Rondale Moore. Pat and Thor also discuss what Kyle Pitts’ NFL future might hold, and Thor speculates on what no Scouting Combine, shortened college seasons for some teams and opt-out seasons for some players might mean for this year’s draft. Host: Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) Guest: Thor Nystrom (@thorku) Podcast produced by Colm Kelly (@OvertimeIreland) In association with TheFootballGirl.com Music provided by International Jet Set Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 Mars 20211h 40min

This week, host Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) is joined by distinguished RotoViz and Fade the Noise alumnus Anthony Amico (@amicsta), who’s now lone-wolfing it with a blog/newsletter/toolbox called In the Aggregate that you can find at amicsta.substack.com. Anthony and Pat discuss last week’s Carson Wentz trade, whether Wentz can get his career back on course and whether the Eagles are now all in on Jalen Hurts. Then, the focus turns to Anthony’s outstanding new WR prospect similarity app and what it tells us about players such as Rashod Bateman, Sage Surratt, Tutu Atwell and Dyami Brown. After a little more rookie banter, Anthony talks about the challenges of being a high school teacher during COVID-19. And after finishing with the highest regular-season point total in last year’s Scott Fish Bowl despite not drafting a running back until the 12th round, Anthony talks about how he was able to employ the Zero-RB strategy so successfully. He also lists a few players he’s targeting in 2021 drafts along with a few fades. And as a Giants fan, Anthony also shares some thoughts on Daniel Jones, Evan Engram and Darius Slayton. Host: Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) Guest: Anthony Amico (@amicsta) Podcast produced by Colm Kelly (@OvertimeIreland) In association with TheFootballGirl.com Music provided by International Jet Set Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

23 Feb 202158min

Host Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) welcomes in Pat Kerrane (@PatKerrane), co-host of the Ship Chasing podcast and part of the Establish the Run team. The two Pats discuss the Zero-RB strategy, why it worked so well in 2020 and how it sets up for 2021, and Kerrane pinpoints some attractive middle- and late-round RB targets. With draft rooms open, there’s ample best-ball discussion in this episode. Is this a good time of year to draft, while rookies are still undervalued and ADPs haven’t solidified, or is it tougher to draft early because the waters tend to be so shark-infested? Are rookie RBs Najee Harris, Travis Etienne and Javonte Williams three of the best values at RB right now? Who are some of the more overvalued and undervalued players based on early ADP data? Kerrane talks about moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn and why he considers his new borough a starter suburb. He also explains why his home state of Delaware is really two states in one, and the two Pats express their appreciation for Delaware-based Capriotti’s subs and the legendary “Bobbie” sandwich. Kerrane talks about some of his favorite rookies and waxes poetic about the sublime résumé of LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Pat and Pat also discuss where they stand on DeVonta Smith, Kyle Pitts and others, and Kerrane explains why he’s so bullish on D.J. Moore and Laviska Shenault for 2021. Host: Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) Guest: Pat Kerrane (@PatKerrane) Podcast produced by Colm Kelly (@OvertimeIreland) In association with TheFootballGirl.com Music provided by International Jet Set Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

18 Feb 20211h 6min

Joining host Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) this week is Alex Dunlap of RosterWatch (@AlexDunlapNFL), who touted James Robinson as a potential sleeper on Pat’s show a year ago. After Pat gives Alex due credit for that astute call, Alex talks about everything he and RosterWatch partner Byron Lambert saw when they were in Mobile, Alabama, for last week’s Senior Bowl. Why is Alex so high on Alabama QB Mac Jones and Clemson WR Amari Rodgers, and who else impressed him in Mobile? Alex also weighs in on whether he thinks Ja’Marr Chase or DeVonta Smith is the top WR in the incoming rookie class. Not only was Alex a high school teammate of Drew Brees, but he was also in a band called Alpha Rev that had a song spend 11 weeks in the VH1 Top-20 Video Countdown back in 2010. Alex talks about where his musical tastes lie now. Then it’s more draft talk, as Alex shares his thoughts on some of RBs he saw in Mobile, including Michael Carter, Rhamondre Stevenson and Larry Rountree III. Also, who does Alex have as his RB1 – Najee Harris or Travis Etienne? Alex and Pat also talk about a couple of the more interesting offseason story lines for fantasy and a couple of the players they’re targeting in 2021 drafts. Host: Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) Guest: Alex Dunlap (@AlexDunlapNFL) Podcast produced by Colm Kelly (@OvertimeIreland) In association with TheFootballGirl.com Music provided by International Jet Set Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Feb 20211h 13min

Fitz on Fantasy is back after a monthlong hiatus, and host Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) is joined by Jordan McNamara (McNamaraDynasty), a member of the Football Guys staff and the author of “The Analytics of Dynasty,” a treasure trove for dynasty enthusiasts. Jordan and Pat start by discussing the big Rams-Lions trade and its implications for individual player values. Then Jordan offers a sneak peek the 2021 edition of his book – what’s new, and what can help people become consistently successful dynasty managers. Jordan and Pat discuss the art of trading in dynasty leagues and list a few of their biggest trading pet peeves. (But as Jordan notes, even insulting offers can provide valuable information.) There’s also some rookie talk, as Jordan names a few of his favorites from the Class of 2021, which looks like a bumper crop. Jordan also lists a few players who might be worth either buying or selling in dynasty leagues right now and weighs in on a few hard-to-value dynasty assets, including Tua Tagovailoa, Joe Mixon, Deebo Samuel and O.J. Howard. And of course, since it’s Super Bowl week, Jordan and Pat offer some thoughts on the game and make their predictions. Host: Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) Guest: Jordan McNamara (McNamaraDynasty) Podcast produced by Colm Kelly (@OvertimeIreland) In association with TheFootballGirl.com Music provided by International Jet Set Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 Feb 20211h 3min

It’s fantasy football championship week, and there are myriad injuries to be navigated in the most important week of the fantasy season. To find out who’ll be playing and who won’t be, host Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) brings in Dr. Jene Bramel of Football Guys (@JeneBramel), who’s been doing first-rate injury analysis for years. Jene talks about some of the challenges COVID-19 has posed for both the NFL and for health-care professions this year. Then he dives into all the pressing injury news, with details on the status of James Robinson, Kenyan Drake, Raheem Mostert, Antonio Gibson, Christian McCaffrey, Julio Jones, Ronald Jones, Ezekiel Elliot, DeVante Parker, George Kittle and more. He also talks about whether Joe Burrow will be ready for the start of the 2021 season, whether we should be worried about the cumulative effect of Odell Beckham Jr.’s injuries, and whether we can confidently take Saquon Barkley in the first round of 2021 drafts. Jene and Pat discuss whether injury-proneness really exists in the NFL and which teams are the least forthcoming with injury information. Jene explains how he got into fantasy football, and how a Ben Roethlisberger motorcycle accident turned him into a Football Guys injury analyst. He also talks about his own championship prospects for this week and makes a compelling sales pitch for IDP leagues. Host: Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) Guest: Jene Bramel (@JeneBramel) Podcast produced by Colm Kelly (@OvertimeIreland) In association with TheFootballGirl.com Music provided by International Jet Set Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Dec 202055min

As the 2020 fantasy season nears the finish line, rankings and DFS ace Rob Waziak of thefantasyfootballers.com (@WazNFL) joins host Pat Fitzmaurice to review some of their 2020 hits and misses and where they both went wrong on Lamar Jackson and Tyler Higbee. Waz and Pat also talk about some of the noteworthy developments from Week 14. Can Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders continue to rejuvenate the Eagles’ offense? Is Cam Akers for real? Should we simply pretend that T.Y. Hilton was abducted by aliens for the first 10 weeks of the season? Waz and Pat also cast an eye toward 2021 drafts, discussing TE strategy and a few of the players they plan to be heavily invested in next year. An ace ranker who’s finished in the top 15 of the FantasyPros accuracy contest in each of the last three years, Waz weighs in on the ranking process and offers some thoughts on conservatism vs. aggression in doing rankings. Waz also talks about spending 10 years in the U.S. Air Force and reflects on working with the Fantasy Footballers, who just hit a podcasting milestone with their 1,000th episode. Host: Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) Guest: Jake Trowbridge (@JakeTrowbridge) Podcast produced by Colm Kelly (@OvertimeIreland) In association with TheFootballGirl.com Music provided by International Jet Set Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Dec 20201h 11min

It’s not only the holiday season but also playoff season in fantasy football, and Jake Trowbridge of the Drinking & Talking Fantasy Football podcast (@JakeTrowbridge) joins host Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) to take a closer look at the playoff viability of several QBs based on their upcoming matchups, including Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Derek Carr, Philip Rivers and Jalen Hurts. Jake and Pat also rank the top rookie RBs and WRs from the Class of 2020 based on their potential appeal in 2021 drafts, taking closer looks at Clyde Edwards-Helaire, J.K. Dobbins, Chase Claypool, Denzel Mims and more. Jake explains how he wound up starting a podcast with his next-door neighbor, and he and Pat discuss why Madison, Wisconsin, might be the best mid-sized city in America. Then the conversation circles back to fantasy football, with some chatter about Corey Davis, Wayne Gallman, David Montgomery, T.Y. Hilton, Collin Johnson and Keke Coutee to close the show. Host: Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) Guest: Jake Trowbridge (@JakeTrowbridge) Podcast produced by Colm Kelly (@OvertimeIreland) In association with TheFootballGirl.com Music provided by International Jet Set Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Dec 20201h 6min