Yahoo Fantasy Freak Show

Well, we’re just about to enter the second week of the NFL preseason, and already the fantasy hype meters for quite a few players have either skyrocketed or plummeted. You can imagine the overreactions that come from all that. So it is fantasy overreaction day on this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Football Podcast. [Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]But before they can get to preseason overreactions – Liz Loza & Matt Harmon analyze the great Antonio Brown helmet overreaction of 2019 (0:25).Back to some impressive preseason performances, Liz & Matt discuss the Friday night 84 yard, 1 TD performance from James Washington — who is battling for a top-3 WR spot with the Steelers — and is now slated to go the Hall of Fame after his performance against the Buccaneers. They also use the weekend's games to anoint Royce Freeman, Dexter Williams, Rashard Higgins, Jamison Crowder and Spencer Schnell to the HOF...or at least discuss their fantasy value for this season (10:35).Also o

Liz Loza and Matt Harmon are joined in this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Football Podcast by a familiar face (and very familiar voice), the Big Noise himself, Brad Evans!Before they can get to the regularly scheduled program, Liz, Matt and Brad have the great David Montgomery debate of 2019 (1:00). Friendships will be tested. Minds will be opened. Chicago running backs will be discussed.Next, they dissect one of the looming stories of fantasy draft season: The major holdouts of Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott (8:45). We already went through a tough year (or lack thereof) with Le’Veon Bell last season, and nobody wants to deal with that again.[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]So, our experts discuss how to manage holdouts in fantasy. As the holdouts cause the running backs to fall in drafts, when is it the right time to scoop them up?Speaking of running backs, Liz, Matt, and Brad discuss the runners of Round 1 (19:45). How many should go in the round? Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel

Liz Loza and Matt Harmon are joined in this week’s Yahoo Fantasy Football podcast by three very special guests. Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright — the Fantasy Footballers themselves — are here![Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]The Fantasy Footballers discuss their history, how they came to be and how they grew to become the fantasy powerhouse they are today (2:15). Yahoo Fantasy listeners already know Liz and Matt's strategies like the “Zero-RB” theory and the “Just-Don’t-Draft-Anyone-On-The-Giants-Or-Bengals” strategy. Andy, Jason, and Mike also reveal some of their key strategies for this year (10:35)Next, the crew reveals some of the 2018 fantasy takes they’d like to apologize for, in the spirit of Le’Veon Bell apologizing to fantasy gamers who drafted him last season (24:10).Finally, Liz and Matt begin their forthcoming NFL divisional breakdown for August with the NFC North and the Chicago Bears (36:05), Detroit Lions (43:10), Green Bay Packers (50:50) and Minn

Training Camp is in full swing, and players are already doing their best to show out. Unfortunately, not all is well. As players begin to up their intensity, so too does the risk of injury rise. We’re seeing some big names banged up already, with the biggest headline involving A.J. Green, who suffered yet another lower-body injury, this time to his ankle. He will reportedly not be on the field for a couple of regular season games. The Bengals have been hit hard by injuries to the O-line too — so what should fantasy gamers do about this team (3:50)?Liz and Matt help fantasy gamers sift through the early wave of injuries in this week’s fantasy football podcast.[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]Elsewhere in injury and transaction news, Matt and Liz cover the Lions cutting RB Theo Riddick and the health scares caused by Titans RB Derrick Henry and Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill (22:15)On to a more positive note, the fantasy drumbeat continues to grow for key players (26:15). Curtis Samuel

Let’s face it: Every single fantasy football draft season, we as fantasy gamers all fall in love with that one specific player that we become convinced is gonna go off. Whether it’s the hype or the analysis or the predictions, we’re certain that this player will take us to the fantasy promised land.And then it all goes to crap, and the player either does nothing or fails to meet any and all expectations. We get thirst-trapped.[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]For many, the 2018 version of that thirst-trapper was Royce Freeman (sorry Brad). But hey, it happens to us all. People got thirsty for Freeman. So, who are people getting thirsty for this season?In this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Football Podcast, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon identify the players who fantasy gamers are set to be thirst-trapped by (4:30). They include Geronimo Allison, Darrell Henderson, Austin Ekeler, Derrius Guice, and Kenny Golladay, to name a few.Next, our experts talk about the experience of being at

As much as summer is full of outdoorsy activities, it’s also a season to binge watch TV shows (the television and air conditioner are especially enticing when it’s 100 degrees outside). In this episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Football Podcast, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon investigate some fantasy takes through the lens of their latest obsession: season three of Stranger Things. They talk about some NFL takes that might be could be from the upside-down but might be more likely than you think, including:- how Royce Freeman could be Denver's top back this year (4:40)- why Tom Brady should be ignored in drafts (11:10)- why the Cardinals' run game will be more impressive than its new-look passing attack (17:25)- a claim that a certain ornery Giants WR could maintain fantasy relevance on an otherwise crappy team (26:00)[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]Moving away from strange scenarios, Liz and Matt look to 2019 NFL future bets and go through some divisional winner odds, picking out some

Fantasy Football players awoke to the news that stud running back Melvin Gordon was holding out against the Los Angeles Chargers in an attempt to receive a new contract. According to Gordon, he will not be reporting to camp until a new deal is made. If no deal is made, he will demand a trade!Matt Harmon and Liz Loza break this news down and much more in this week’s Fantasy Football Podcast episode (2:15).[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]If Gordon indeed lives up to his demands, does this affect your thoughts on his fantasy draft value? He’s been a perennial first-round talent the last couple of seasons, but as we’ve seen with Le’Veon Bell, a draft-day fall could be in the cards for the Chargers RB. On that same note, does Austin Ekeler become more than just a handcuff now?Liz and Matt then move onto quarterback strategies for fantasy drafts. They’ve preached waiting on a QB as opposed to investing a high pick on names like Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson too early. They t

Summer is here, and that’s not the only thing to get excited about. In this week’s fantasy football podcast, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon talk about the launch of Yahoo’s new game, Best Ball (1:50)! Yahoo Fantasy Best Ball launched on desktop with free public leagues and will be launching on mobile later this summer, along with private and paid leagues.If you’ve never played or never heard of Best Ball before, it’s a format that removes the week-to-week roster management and automatically starts your best players every week. Doesn’t get any more convenient than that. Best Ball highlights the best part of fantasy (the draft) and takes away the grind of the regular season.[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]You’ll draft 20 players overall and every week the highest scorers at each position will be automatically added to your lineup. That’s 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 FLEX & 1 DEF/ST (nope, no kicker).No adds, drops, or trades. Best Ball is about your drafting skills and your abil

So, how high are you drafting Brett Favre in your 2020 fantasy football drafts? By now you’ve no doubt come into contact with the random, now-deleted Instagram post from the man himself claiming to be coming out of retirement for the 2020 season. So, because why not, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon start this week’s fantasy football podcast trying to answer the question: Where should Favre be in the 2020 fantasy QB rankings?In more believable news, Kyle Rudolph — who was recently speculated to be a trade candidate — signed an extension with the Minnesota Vikings. So, with this new information, who is the more draftable Viking tight end: Rudolph, rookie Irv Smith, or neither?[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]On the subject of tight ends — which were such a headache in 2018 — Liz and Matt offer some general strategies for drafting them (4:35). Are they reaching for the top tier trio of Zach Ertz, Travis Kelce, and George Kittle, or are they waiting to fill the position? And if they wa

In this week’s fantasy football podcast, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon discuss what a “Fantasy Ma’am” is. A “Fantasy Ma’am.” Yes, Liz delves into ... whatever that is.Later, our experts deliver some quarterback news. Russell Wilson has come out and said he wants to play until he’s 45 (but will the Seahawks protect him enough to achieve that goal?). Andy Dalton apparently loves his new head coach, Zac Taylor, while Baker Mayfield is being drafted ahead of the likes of Matt Ryan and Drew Brees — are gamers getting too hyped on the Browns signal caller, or is the hype warranted?[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]Liz and Matt got an interesting voicemail this week. A fantasy football gamer has been debating whether he should forego the 10th overall pick in his 10-player, full-PPR keeper league draft in favor of keeping stud running back, Christian McCaffrey.Run-CMC went nuts in fantasy last season, delivering first round value. And lest we forget, McCaffrey went viral earlier this year

June is here, and we’re edging closer and closer to fantasy football draft season. Gamers and industry experts alike are already mocking, including our very own Liz Loza and Matt Harmon. Everyone has their own specific processes for getting themselves ready to draft. Reading material and tools aplenty exist, and Matt himself happens to be a pioneer of a popular one.In this week’s podcast episode Matt and Liz discuss exactly what Reception Perception is, how it works, and how it can help fantasy players with their wide receivers (7:40).Key things have stood out to Matt this year, like the massive gap between the Panthers WRs (13:50), the elite success of Calvin Ridley (24:50), and the truth of Amari Cooper as a Dallas Cowboy (24:50). Oh, and Michael Thomas had perhaps the best season Matt’s ever tracked over the last 5 years (30:10).[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]Liz and Matt also delve deeper into the pool of lesser-known rookie running backs, talking about the likes of Be

We’re in the waning days of May, but it’s never too early to talk fantasy football, and one of the most enjoyable aspects of the offseason is being able to mock draft. Matt Harmon and Liz Loza have been taking part in some industry mocks lately, and they start off this week’s fantasy football podcast episode by talking about the drafts they’ve completed thus far (5:00).As you know, our fantasy football experts have been putting out their team previews for the 2019 season, and most recently they took on the Indianapolis Colts. Liz filmed a video in which she questioned whether Colts running back Marlon Mack can finish the season in the RB1 tier.Can he join the likes of Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, and Alvin Kamara? On that same note, which other running backs are worthy of the fantasy RB1 tier? Liz and Matt take on the backs who fall in that grey area between RB1 and RB2 including Mack, Damien Williams, James Conner, David Johnson, Melvin Gordon, Le'Veon Bell, Nick Chubb and Dalvin Cook (17:00).[Join or cr

There are 32 teams in the NFL, yet how many of them boast a true WR1? Sure, the Texans have DeAndre Hopkins, the Falcons Julio Jones, but not every team is so lucky. Matt Harmon and Liz Loza address this and more in this week’s fantasy football podcast episode.Before we can get to that, we have to get to Liz' exciting weekend at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere party, schmoozing with all the biggest 2019 rookies (0:45). She gets into her Reddit-infamous photo with Denver Broncos QB Drew Lock and dishes the dirt on which rookie QB will now be known as 'the breadstick boy.'[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]Back to those aforementioned wide receivers. The conversation began thanks to a voicemail message Matt and Liz received. The caller asked who is the most relevant wide receiver on the San Francisco 49ers: Dante Pettis, Deebo Samuel, or Jalen Hurd (15:00). Sure, the caller didn’t mention Marquise Goodwin (or Jordan Matthews), but it sheds light on a larger question regarding wide rec

You know, for a moment there, it seemed like the New York Jets were actually moving in the right direction. Their young quarterback, Sam Darnold, showed signs of potential greatness last season. They hired an offensive-minded head coach in Adam Gase. They signed Le’Veon Bell. The defense looks promising.And then they fired their general manager and vice president of player personnel. Suffice it to say, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon have some thoughts about the state of the Jets’ franchise in this week’s fantasy football podcast episode (0:20).[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]Elsewhere in the NFL, there are whispers of Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph being on the trade block. What with the Vikings’ cap space and their selection of rookie Irv Smith in the 2019 NFL Draft, Rudolph’s future with the team remains up in the air. Where would you like to see him land, were he to be traded?Liz and Matt currently have Rudolph in the late-teens on their TE draft rankings (12:15). Th

With the 2019 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, we’ve been taking a long look at each team’s offseason acquisitions to gauge who got better, who got worse, and who stayed the same. In this week’s fantasy football podcast, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon continue to review the state of some key squads.And how could they talk team changes without mentioning the big trade the Miami Dolphins pulled off that sent quarterback Josh Rosen to the Sunshine State? Is there a chance Chosen Rosen can revive his career as a ‘Fin, or is he just a placeholder in Tankville (2:00)?Liz and Matt also discuss rookie runner Josh Jacobs who, after the unfortunate season-ending Achilles tear suffered by Isaiah Crowell, looks like the man in Oakland (12:40). Where will you draft him in fantasy this season?[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]In transactional news, there are rumors of Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper “teaming up” to try and get PAID by the Cowboys (17:40). In a new segment, Liz and Matt deliver a

The 2019 NFL Draft is in the books and the teams that that befuddled and confused over the offseason like the New York Giants and the Oakland Raiders continued that tradition through draft night.Liz Loza and Matt Harmon report in from Buffalo's Nashville with a special two-part draft recap combining their fantasy expertise with Yahoo Sports' Terez Paylor and Charles Robinson, hosts of the Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast.In Part I, they tackle what went down in the NFC over draft weekend, starting with their first reactions from Nashville. Next they discuss:- Kyler Murray and an agressive draft by the Arizona Cardinals (3:15)- The Giants shocking everyone and no one by selecting Daniel Jones (7:55)- A surprisingly competent draft by the Washington Redskins (12:45)- First-year running backs who might have a Nick Chubb-like breakout season in 2019 (17:00)- Rookies who might not live up to their fantasy potential (20:30)- Defensive rookies who might surprise in 2019 like Darius Leonard (22:00)- Wide receivers most likel

The 2019 NFL Draft is next week. Football fans are hoping their team picks the player(s) who will take them to the next level. Fantasy football fans want to find out who, if any of these rookies, will be fantasy viable this coming season.Liz Loza and Matt Harmon are here to help you get through it all in this week’s podcast episode.In previous podcast episodes, our experts have broken down the top tight ends, running backs, and quarterbacks. This week, they profile the top wide receivers ready to join the NFL.They talk Hollywood Brown (5:30), N'Keal Harry (17:10), A.J. Brown (20:20), Deebo Samuel (22:45), Kelvin Harmon (27:05), Hakeem Butler (33:35), Miles Boykin (39:25) and the next step in human evolution himself, D.K. Metcalf (11:15).Later they tackle some of the late-round guys who could be of fantasy interest in the future or whose names we might never utter again on the podcast (44:00). Who knows? It all depends on how the draft shakes out next week.They wrap up the show with a voicemail from a listener

The 2019 NFL Draft is right around the corner. Last week, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon broke down the biggest names at quarterback and tight end, and this week it’s time to look into fantasy football’s glamour position: Running Backs.In this week’s fantasy football podcast however, Matt is joined by Eric Edholm, who returns to Yahoo as our NFL Draft Analyst!Before they get to the draft talk though, the New England Patriots and New York Giants made some noteworthy moves. In the wake of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, the Pats signed tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (3:10), and of course he will deliver the same fantasy value as Gronk has always done (insert sarcasm here).The Giants, on the other hand, turned inward, signing wide receiver Sterling Shepard to an extension (7:10). Can he eat sans Odell Beckham, Jr., or will he be hindered by Eli Manning?The incoming running back class is led by Alabama’s Josh Jacobs, but Matt and Eric also discuss what promise (if any) the likes of Miles Sanders, Justice Hill, and Bryc

We’re in April, and you know what that means. It’s time to talk the 2019 NFL Draft, and Liz Loza and Matt Harmon are more than ready in this week’s fantasy football podcast.Before they get into the nitty-gritty of it all, they circle back to last week, to discuss the Jordan Howard trade from the Bears to the Eagles (which Liz and Matt pretty much predicted, btw) (3:20).They also discussed the prospects of the Rams backfield potentially changing last week, and lo and behold, C.J. Anderson signed with the Lions (7:20). Will he be a factor in Detroit — and potentially a thorn in Kerryon Johnson’s fantasy owners’ sides?[It’s still not too late to join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league]Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s focus on the draft. Liz and Matt breakdown the top tight ends and quarterbacks set to join the NFL. The TE class is led by T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant (33:55), while the first QBs expected to be drafted are Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins (in no particular order) (11:00)

Now, we all know about the cringeworthy showing by the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. Quarterback Jared Goff could pretty much do nothing against the New England Patriots.Now, it seems like the Rams don’t really know when they’ll extend Goff.On this week’s fantasy football podcast, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon examine the question of whether the Rams even want to extend their young QB (0:45)[Busted bracket? No problem. Make more tourney picks for free to win cash]Staying with the Rams, Liz and Matt dive into the fickle world of mock drafts, where some actually have the Rams selecting Alabama’s Josh Jacobs at the end of the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft (8:00).Uh, Todd Gurley, anyone? We’re all familiar with the soap opera that occurred late in the season in regards to his injury. Could the Rams try to solidify the position with a draft pick?With all this talk about Goff and Gurley, are the Rams set to undergo a makeover sooner than we expect?[It’s still not too late to join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy