Davis Mattek remained willing to draft Rome Odunze at his current mid-fifth-round price, calling him a Tee Higgins-style upside play whose fate rests on the Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson partnership. Mattek conceded Odunze was “probably a little overdrafted” and inefficient as a rookie, yet argued those flaws will be masked if Johnson can fix an offense that averaged a league-worst 10 yards on opening drives last year. He noted Williams was “fine” whenever he avoided sacks, suggesting better play sequencing alone could unlock a 130-target, double-digit-TD season. Mattek is actively building Odunze exposure toward 8 %, preferring him over other volatile second-year receivers because the Bears’ revamped scheme offers tournament-winning ceiling. In his view the risk is justified in Best Ball Mania drafts where securing high-variance, high-upside profiles is paramount.

Davis Mattek said he is "so against Travis Etienne" that he refuses to click him unless the veteran free-falls out of the drafted range entirely. Mattek believes Jacksonville’s backfield should be drafted in the reverse order of current ADP: fifth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten as the long-shot upside play, Tank Bigsby as the most likely Week-1 lead, and Etienne bringing up the rear. He argued Etienne’s early-down efficiency was already mediocre, and the fact the coaching staff is willing to give Bigsby first-team reps shows no organizational loyalty. Mattek wants Etienne priced as the third Jaguar back—well behind Bigsby’s new Round-11 cost—before considering small exposure, calling any earlier selection “lighting equity on fire.”

Davis Mattek doubled down on Tank Bigsby as one of the three best running-back picks on the entire board and said the sophomore "should be absolutely rocketing up" to the Round-11/12 turn (he personally moved him to pick 129). Mattek noted beat-writer reports that Bigsby is currently leading a three-way committee and praised his early-down running chops—"a very good runner who keeps the chains moving." The key, in Mattek’s view, is that Jacksonville’s coaching staff is not deferring to Travis Etienne’s veteran status; if they’re willing to feature Bigsby now, they would be just as open to benching Etienne altogether if the performance gap widens. Bigsby has already returned to practice after a brief absence, easing injury worries. Mattek is holding 20 percent exposure and predicts an August ADP surge once fantasy drafters realize Bigsby could open the year as the Jaguars’ lead rusher with goal-line equity.

Davis Mattek doubled down on Justin Jefferson as a buy-the-dip in Round 1. Mattek dismissed the "mild hamstring strain" as ordinary July noise and said he will reevaluate only if Jefferson remains sidelined after August 6. He argued Kevin O’Connell’s pass-heavy DNA makes a major PROE decline unlikely even with rookie J.J. McCarthy under center. Jefferson still averages 10 more receiving yards per game than any active player, a gap Mattek called "Hall of Fame level." For that reason he refuses to move JJ behind Lamb, Barkley or Gibbs and is actively "slurping the dip arena," scooping any slide to picks 4–6 in Best Ball Mania drafts.

Davis Mattek argued that Woody Marks is now a must-include late-round best-ball dart after the Joe Mixon injury scare. Mattek acknowledged Marks’ uninspiring college efficiency but stressed that opportunity often trumps talent at running back. Houston surrendered a 2025 third-rounder for the rookie, making him the only back on the roster under age 28 and signaling real investment from the franchise. Marks checks the pass-catching box, owns the draft capital, and would be the clear Week 1 starter if Mixon’s foot sidelines him. Mattek compared fading Marks on "he’s bad" grounds to past misses where volume-soakers out-produced more explosive players, concluding that the rookie offers asymmetric upside for an 18th-round cost.

Davis Mattek said Dontayvian Wicks should remain in best-ball player pools as an 18th-round dart despite the recent camp buzz cooling off. Mattek laid out several realistic paths to fantasy relevance: (1) a Romeo Doubs trade or injury, noting Doubs was even suspended last season for diva behavior; (2) a Christian Watson or Jayden Reed injury opening snaps in 11-personnel; (3) Wicks simply capitalizing on early-season opportunities—Mattek tossed out a hypothetical 4-catch, 64-yard, 1-TD Week 3 line that could force coaches to expand his role. He reminded listeners that Green Bay ranked 31st in Pass Rate Over Expected in 2023, yet Wicks still logged 76 targets to lead the team; if Matt LaFleur pushes the offense toward league-average (Mattek suggested 13th in PROE) the target pie grows. With Jordan Love stacks needing a cheap bring-back and both Doubs and Watson likely gone by 2026, Mattek views Wicks as a correlated upside pick now and a strong dynasty stash for the longer runway.

Davis Mattek argued Courtland Sutton is quietly the only reliable piece of the Denver passing game after Sean Payton raved about new signing Trent Sherfield. Mattek believes Sherfield will reprise the "Lil’ Jordan Humphrey" role—playing 25–30 percent of snaps strictly to block—while Sherfield’s presence forces a frustrating rotation among Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, Brenden Rice and Val Vele. That chaos should leave Sutton on the field for roughly 95 percent of routes as the lone every-down wideout. Mattek is boosting Sutton into the late-sixth/early-seventh round of Best Ball drafts and trimming exposure to the Broncos’ dart-throw youngsters, viewing Sutton’s locked-in volume as a cheap WR2 floor with occasional spike-week upside.

Davis Mattek said he is treating Rome Odunze like a Tee Higgins-style boom-or-bust bet rather than a future superstar. Mattek flat-out rejected the Justin Jefferson / CeeDee Lamb comps, noting Rich Hribar’s chart that Odunze ran "hundreds of routes without ever seeing a target" last season—a red flag that the rookie struggles to earn throws when Caleb Williams can’t hold up in the pocket. With so much uncertainty around Ben Johnson’s new scheme and Williams’ sack issues (Mattek cited a 40-percent pressure-to-sack rate), Odunze’s path to paying off a Round-5/6 ADP hinges almost entirely on double-digit touchdowns. Mattek will only click him if the market drifts a full round, preferring more bankable wideouts in the same tier for Best Ball tournaments.

Davis Mattek revealed he has 0 % exposure to DJ Moore and refuses to draft the veteran at any price. After re-watching QB School cut-ups from last season, Mattek said Moore’s tape showed "disgusting" effort and a player who checked out once the Bears’ offense cratered. While acknowledging Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams could lift Chicago’s overall efficiency, Mattek argued that banking on a 28-year-old receiver who was part of last year’s league-worst 10 yards per opening drive is a losing proposition in Best Ball. He is allocating those mid-40s picks to higher-ceiling options like Mike Evans or Jerry Jeudy and insists Moore would have to slip past pick 70 before he even enters his draft queue.

Davis Mattek doubled down on his early-summer stance that Tank Bigsby is one of the three best running-back picks on the board. Mattek moved Bigsby from an ADP of 160 all the way to 129 in his latest update after hearing multiple camp reports that Bigsby is leading the Jaguars’ three-way split and looks like the best pure runner on the roster. He noted the second-year back’s tackle-breaking profile and short-yardage success rate were both better than Travis Etienne’s in 2023, and Jacksonville’s staff is showing little deference to Etienne’s veteran status—an encouraging sign for Bigsby’s touch ceiling. With beat writer Mike Dempsey telling Mattek he “takes a drink every time someone drafts Etienne,” Mattek expects Bigsby’s price to keep climbing and is targeting 20%–25% exposure in Best Ball drafts before the market corrects.

Davis Mattek said he is now happily clicking Mike Evans ahead of Terry McLaurin when both are on the board in the late third or early fourth round. Mattek thinks the market is sleeping on Evans because drafters are anchoring to Chris Godwin’s name value and ignoring Tampa Bay’s clearer target hierarchy: Godwin’s hamstring issue has him sliding while Evans—fresh off another 1,200-yard, 13-TD season—enters camp fully healthy. Mattek highlighted Evans’s 35 deep-target share (tied for second in the league) and Baker Mayfield’s top-five rate of throwing 20-plus-yard passes, calling the combo "an under-priced weekly nuke" for Best Ball formats. With Tampa projected to trail often and little reliable competition behind the top two receivers, Mattek believes Evans owns both target-volume and touchdown-spike paths to a WR1 finish and is a priority selection whenever he lasts past pick 38.

Davis Mattek threw cold water on Luther Burden after consecutive camp fiascos. Beat writers say Burden participated only in individual drills Tuesday and was literally sent home by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Wednesday for blowing an assignment. Some Bears insiders are now whispering about a full red-shirt year, a la Jameson Williams, while Rome Odunze soaks up first-team reps. With DJ Moore locked in as WR1, Mattek called Burden’s current Round-12 ADP "setting money on fire" and advised either punting him into the late-teens of deep Best Ball tournaments or pivoting to Odunze shares altogether.

Davis Mattek is "still Dipperino slurping" Justin Jefferson at 1.02, calling the hamstring tweak a minor issue that only warrants concern if the star is still sidelined after August 6. Mattek trusts Kevin O’Connell’s pass-first DNA to keep Minnesota in positive PROE territory even with rookie J.J. McCarthy under center. He highlighted Jefferson’s career-best 98.3 receiving yards per game—roughly 10 yards clear of any other player in NFL history—to underscore a ceiling CeeDee Lamb and Puka Nacua cannot match. Any ADP dip, Mattek says, is free closing-line value, and he is eagerly scooping Jefferson whenever the market lets him slide past 1.02.

Davis Mattek argued that Woody Marks is the only Houston running back who checks the archetype boxes fantasy gamers chase: he’s 22, cost the Texans a future third-rounder, and can catch passes. Mattek acknowledged Marks looked like a below-average interior runner in college but reminded listeners that production for running backs is usually “given, not earned.” If Joe Mixon’s foot keeps him out in Week 1, Marks is the clear beneficiary because Nick Chubb is 29 with coach D’Amico Ryans openly questioning his longevity, and Damian Pierce is likely stashed on special teams. Mattek recommended sprinkling Marks into late rounds as an upside swing rather than chasing aging vets with worse athletic profiles.

Davis Mattek said Wicks is still worth an 18th-round dart despite last year’s drops. He outlined several ways the second-year Packer can pay off in Best Ball or dynasty: 1) a Romeo Doubs trade, suspension or injury immediately frees outside snaps; 2) Wicks could simply flash early (Mattek floated a four-catch, 64-yard, 1-TD Week-3 line) and earn more routes; 3) Green Bay was 31st in pass rate over expected last year—if Matt LaFleur bumps that to mid-pack (Mattek guessed 13th) Jordan Love’s volume rises and the target pie grows; 4) both Doubs and Christian Watson may be gone by 2026, giving Wicks long-term starter equity on his rookie deal. Mattek called the talk of Wicks being “Jover” premature and recommended him as a correlated late pick with Love or a cheap dynasty stash.

Mattek called the 49ers his favorite paid-up stack because they draw what he believes is the easiest schedule in the league. Brock Purdy is still affordable in the QB15-17 range and every ancillary piece—rookie Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Isaac Guerendo, and Jordan James—comes well after pick 120. That price structure lets drafters grab two or three of them without sacrificing premium spots, while the soft slate boosts touchdown expectation for each player. Mattek is hammering Purdy plus one or two of those mid-tier options any time the board cooperates.

Davis Mattek said the Saints are his most-drafted stack on DraftKings simply because every piece is virtually free. Late-round quarterback Tyler Shuck is undrafted in many rooms, Rashid Shaheed hovers in the 160s, and Juwan Johnson often slips past pick 200. Mattek loves that he can grab the entire passing attack for pennies, spend his early picks on premium talent elsewhere, and still finish with a fully correlated QB/WR/TE trio. The low opportunity cost also lets him hit the position in volume—he is overweight New Orleans in his portfolio—and chase the occasional spike week Shuck’s mobility might provide.

Davis Mattek said Jerry Jeudy is one of the few wideouts in the WR20-40 bucket he is outright fading in DraftKings best ball. To profit you would have to hit a brutal parlay: first selecting whichever Browns quarterback (Joe Flacco, rookie Shedeur Sanders, Gabriel, or a still-hurt Kenny Pickett) actually starts in December and then hoping Cleveland throws enough to matter. Mattek pointed out that if the rookies get the job the Browns will almost certainly lean on the run, crushing Jeudy’s target volume. Even last year, when Jameis Winston led the NFL in drop-backs, Jeudy failed to separate from Cedric Tillman—a player Mattek already grades above the declining Amari Cooper. Because Jeudy eliminates a late-round QB stack and carries capped volume in a questionable offense, Mattek is clicking him only if he slips several rounds past ADP.

Davis Mattek called Xavier Worthy the clear fantasy buy in Kansas City. He bumped the second-year wideout up to No. 31 overall in his personal rankings—well ahead of ADP—citing multiple edges. First, Worthy already flashed the horizontal-stretch role the Chiefs lacked whenever Rashee Rice wasn’t on the field, so Mattek expects him to hoover up early-season targets while Rice serves his suspension. Second, if Travis Kelce really is ‘dusty,’ Patrick Mahomes will lean even harder on quick-hitting throws that play directly to Worthy’s skill set. And if the offense bounces back to its 2020-2021 efficiency, nobody benefits more than the speedster who can turn schemed touches into 60-yard house calls. Mattek emphasized that the backfield depth (Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell, etc.) offers little target competition; those swing routes and screens could instead become Worthy’s bread and butter. Given the lack of ADP movement despite the Rice news, Mattek is piling on shares in the mid-fourth and expects another surge once the suspension is formally announced.

Davis Mattek downgraded Rashee Rice after the looming suspension, saying the sophomore wideout belongs at the 4/5 turn alongside Courtland Sutton and Jameson Williams rather than in the late-second where he was still going immediately after the legal news broke. Mattek maintained Rice can still matter in Best Ball because any missed games will occur before bye-weeks start, but the opportunity cost of an early-round pick is now too steep. He’s baking in a four-to-six-game absence and the added risk that Xavier Worthy could muscle his way into a larger target share while Rice is out. Until the NFL announces the exact length of the suspension, Mattek is letting the market come to him and will only click Rice if he slides past ADP into that Round 5 sweet spot.

Davis Mattek flagged Elijah Mitchell as one of his favorite near-undrafted dart throws on DraftKings. He noted that Mitchell is showing well enough in camp that beat writers expect him to make Kansas City’s 53-man roster, yet the running back is being selected in almost none of the early Best Ball drafts. By contrast, veteran Kareem Hunt is ‘basically 100 percent drafted’ even though the Chiefs have given no indication he’s a roster lock. Mattek’s logic is simple: Mitchell offers asymmetric upside at the very end of drafts—if he sticks as the RB2 behind Isiah Pacheco he immediately gains weekly startability—while Hunt costs a pick that could be used on higher-ceiling positions and may not survive final cuts. Because roster-rate leverage is a proven edge in Best Ball tournaments and Mitchell’s path to relevance hinges mainly on staying healthy through August, Mattek is smashing the rookie in Round 18 and hasn’t clicked Hunt’s name once.

While elite tight ends fly off the board, Davis Mattek keeps scooping David Njoku in Round 10, calling him an easy pick when every marquee skill player is gone. He anticipates an 80-catch season after Njoku’s 23 % target share over the final eight games of 2023, and points out that Cleveland projects for pass-heavy game scripts with Deshaun Watson’s shoulder still a question mark. In a format awarding full-point PPR and 100-yard bonuses, Njoku’s reception floor rivals some Round-7 wideouts, yet he costs three rounds later. Mattek frequently pairs Njoku with another mid-tier option like Tucker Kraft or Dallas Goedert, believing the duo offers high weekly floors without burning early draft capital.

Davis Mattek is largely avoiding George Kittle at his 3/4-turn ADP, arguing the 49ers’ tight end is penalized by DraftKings’ scoring. Even in a "nutted" season Kittle probably tops out around 80 receptions, so his fantasy profile leans on touchdowns rather than volume—exactly the opposite of what a full-point PPR, 100-yard-bonus site rewards. With Deebo Samuel back healthy and Christian McCaffrey commanding red-zone usage, Mattek doubts Kittle can pay off his price tag relative to similarly priced wideouts or to mid-tier tight ends like Dallas Goedert and David Njoku who project for more catches. He still sprinkles in shares for correlation but says Kittle is "not a core part of my strategy."

Davis Mattek called Brock Bowers "overall the best pick on DraftKings" for 2024 best-ball contests. Because DK is full-point PPR with 100-yard bonuses, Mattek expects the rookie to post wide-receiver-like volume and top-three raw points among all non-quarterbacks. He thinks 95-plus receptions are firmly in play given Las Vegas’ shallow target tree behind Davante Adams, and the Raiders’ projected negative game scripts should keep Aidan O’Connell peppering Bowers underneath. Mattek is willing to spend a mid-second-round pick, then pair him with two late dart-throw tight ends, saying that build gives him a ceiling no other roster construction can match.

Doubling down on a point he made earlier, Mattek called Brock Bowers a "spicy" pick who belongs ahead of Brian Thomas Jr. and similar wide receivers. He believes the rookie tight end can post an Amon-Ra St. Brown type stat line—high-volume, chain-moving catches—but while occupying the far scarcer tight-end slot. In DraftKings' full-PPR, 100-yard-bonus format that positional edge is massive, so Mattek is comfortable clicking Bowers in the late first or very early second round whenever the room lets him.

Mattek admitted DeMario Douglas—and teammate Wan'Dale Robinson—are "not good picks" in a vacuum, but he is still taking them because their cheap, high-catch slot roles provide an immediate points buffer while suspended players like Rashee Rice or Jordan Addison sit out. Drafting Douglas around pick 190 allows him to front-load reception volume in Weeks 1-4, freeing him to gamble on upside names that will not score early. The strategy balances risk across the roster and helps advance rates for constructions heavy on delayed-production players.

Mattek highlighted Jordan Love as the pocket passer who slips the most relative to the ADPs of his receivers. On DraftKings, Jayden Reed and Christian Watson both go ahead of Love, yet rooms routinely let the quarterback drift into the QB12-14 range. That creates a back-door stack where drafters can pair Love with Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, or tight end Tucker Kraft two full rounds later. Mattek likes scooping the signal-caller when he falls, arguing the inexpensive three-man stack offers weekly ceiling at minimal opportunity cost.

Davis Mattek kicked himself for passing on Anthony Richardson, repeating his mantra that "there’s no 2-v-2 that’s worth it" when an upside quarterback is on the board. He compared the decision he actually made—grabbing Cade Otton and Miles Sanders—to the alternate universe where he simply locked in Richardson and still had plenty of serviceable options on the way back. In Mattek’s words, skipping Richardson forced him into a shaky trio of Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, and Tyler Shuck, torpedoing the ceiling of his Best Ball Mania roster. The lesson he said he ‘should have learned’ is to prioritize Richardson’s weekly 30-point potential over middling skill-position fillers that rarely decide tournaments.

Davis Mattek argued that Aaron Rodgers is the superior unstacked quarterback dart compared with Tua Tagovailoa. Without Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, or De’Von Achane on your roster, an unstacked Tua ceiling is "deader than dead" because every big Dolphins score you miss simultaneously buries your lineup. Rodgers, meanwhile, can land in the Week-17 optimal with a handful of efficient touchdowns distributed to secondary Jets options like Allen Lazard or even a random tight-end score, meaning you capture most of the fantasy output without needing a pricey stack. Mattek concluded that Rodgers offers a realistic 20-point path while avoiding the negative-correlation land mines inherent in an unstacked Dolphins build, making him the smarter late-round click when you whiff on your primary stacks.

Davis Mattek insisted that C.J. Stroud should be snapped up a round ahead of ADP because the new best-ball meta punishes anyone who tries to "push" quarterbacks. He pointed out that there is "no 2-v-2" where grabbing an extra skill player makes you happier than locking down your signal caller—especially once the fourth tier (Stroud, Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith) comes off the board. Mattek noted the entire room has learned that lesson: those names are flying up drafts, and if you miss them you are left choosing between Cam Ward, Sam Darnold, or an unstacked Anthony Richardson, all of whom crater overall projection. His takeaway: secure Stroud when you can and do not worry about the perceived reach; the weekly 30-point upside and playoff leverage outweigh any marginal opportunity cost.

Davis Mattek explained that Isaac Guerendo is the exact type of asymmetric bet you want in the back half of Best Ball Mania drafts. With Christian McCaffrey already an "extinction-event" workhorse, Guerendo either never cracks your starting lineup or instantly projects for 16-plus fantasy points the very week McCaffrey misses time. Mattek said he does not need another 11-point floor back—he already has Tyjae Spears, Jalen Warren, and Brian Robinson Jr.—so he passed on safer options like Dylan Samson for Guerendo’s nuclear upside in Kyle Shanahan’s plug-and-play rushing scheme. In his view, Guerendo is the cheapest way to buy into the NFL’s most efficient running game while still swinging for a tournament-winning spike week.

Davis Mattek said Cam Ward is an automatic click at his current ADP because drafters are irrationally terrified of being the ‘clapping seal’ who backs the No. 1 overall pick. Mattek noted that best-ball rooms are overflowing with rookie fever for players like Harvey Henderson and Caleb Johnson in the early sixth, yet Ward—despite superior draft capital and a clearer path to immediate snaps—regularly lasts multiple rounds later. In his view the market is over-discounting Ward’s learning curve while ignoring the rushing upside and the fact Tennessee has already tethered its franchise to him. Mattek framed Ward as the perfect third-quarterback dart in Best Ball Mania builds where you want weekly spike-week potential without sacrificing earlier premium picks.

Davis Mattek scooped Calvin Ridley in the mid-fifth and reminded listeners that Ridley finished near the league leaders in air yards and air-yards per target last year despite Tennessee’s dysfunctional offense with Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. Mattek expects Ridley’s average depth of target to come down but views his ability to command deep targets at age 29 as proof he still has juice. With drafters chasing rookies, Mattek thinks Ridley is being overlooked; paired with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, Ridley has a clear path to outperform ADP and deliver league-winning spike weeks.

Davis Mattek could not believe how far Miles Sanders continues to fall, calling him "still free" in the 15th-to-18th-round range. In their room Sanders was on the board at pick 190, proof that negative hive-mind sentiment has driven the price well below any realistic risk. Mattek argued that if the community truly thought the veteran was washed, he would be going undrafted, yet the cost collapse has outpaced the downside. Grabbing Sanders that late secures a potential starting workload for pennies and is the kind of low-opportunity-cost swing he wants in large-field best-ball tournaments.

Davis Mattek advised steering clear of Rashid Shaheed despite his highlight-reel 2023 efficiency. Mattek reminded listeners that Shaheed is coming off a knee injury and joked that he now has "Shuck Demon" at quarterback—underscoring the uncertainty around the Saints’ passing offense if Derek Carr falters. With Shaheed’s game built on speed and deep targets, Mattek worries any loss of explosiveness or downgrade in vertical accuracy would torpedo his best-ball spike-week appeal, making him an unnecessary risk at his current WR50–55 price tag.

Davis Mattek said that pairing Ja'Marr Chase with Tee Higgins—or tacking on any of the usual Cardinals run-backs—is a leak in Best Ball Mania drafts. He cited DraftKings data showing roughly 25 percent of Chase teams also roster Higgins and about 20–22 percent include at least one Arizona Cardinal. In a 900K-entry tournament that level of duplication crushes expected value, because advancing with a chalky correlation gives very little leverage in Weeks 15-17 when prizes spike. Mattek argued you simply cannot be "so insanely confident" any particular construction is right that you willingly accept quarter-of-the-field overlap, especially when there are countless alternative ways to build around an overall-WR1 profile like Chase’s. His advice: take the generational receiver, but zig elsewhere for secondary stacks to maximize uniqueness and final-round ceiling.

Davis Mattek touted Juwan Johnson as a late-round tight-end smash, noting that New Orleans is treating him like its de-facto third wide receiver. Johnson has consistently hovered in the 15-17% target-share range, runs his routes indoors, and now benefits from Kellen Moore’s pass-friendly scheme. Mattek reminded listeners that Johnson finished as the highest-scoring tight end in Best Ball Mania during the 2023 regular season and sees no real competition for intermediate targets—Brandon Cooks and Bub Means are the current depth chart threats. With Moore scheming aggressive down-field looks and Derek Carr’s preference for attacking the seam, Mattek believes Johnson offers weekly spike-week potential at a bargain ADP, making him an ideal TE2 behind an elite anchor or in three-TE builds.

Davis Mattek explained that if you spend early draft capital on an older tight end such as Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews or even Zach Ertz, you should automatically turn it into a three-tight-end build by grabbing two of the many rookie flyers available in the final rounds. Mattek pointed to Mason Taylor, Jatavian Sanders, and Elijah Arroyo (with even deeper shots like Arande Gadsden or Harold Fannin) as low-cost hedges. His reasoning: veteran TEs carry heightened injury and efficiency risk with age, while rookies usually start slow but can erupt in the back half of the season when Underdog playoff weeks kick in. Because there are so many cheap rookie darts, the opportunity cost is minimal—especially compared to burning an 18th-round pick on a third quarterback unless an outlier like Anthony Richardson falls. The veteran-plus-rookie combo protects your early investment and still offers the late-season spike weeks that decide best-ball tournaments.

Mattek called Tyler Allgeier the "easiest hack" in 2024 drafts because he is the direct contingency play for first-rounder Bijan Robinson. He argued that drafters who pass on Robinson should actively root for early-round running backs to bust, and the cleanest way to monetize that chaos is by rostering their immediate backups—Allgeier, Will Shipley behind Saquon, Jalen Wright behind De’Von Achane, etc. If Robinson misses time, Allgeier inherits top-15 weekly volume in Arthur Smith’s run-centric scheme at a double-digit-round cost, an asymmetric payoff Mattek prefers to any RB in the same ADP neighborhood.

Mattek labeled Tre Harris ‘laughably undervalued’ at his current default ADP. With Mike Williams retiring, the rookie has already signed his contract and is practicing at camp, giving him a full runway to seize snaps. Mattek sees only Vlad Mekonky as legitimate target competition and doubts Tyler Conklin, Quentin Johnston, or Will Dissly will command significant volume. He argued Harris could push for immediate starting-slot routes and double-digit target shares on a Chargers offense that still projects for top-half passing volume. Because the market has not adjusted, Harris provides late-round spike-week upside without the roster clog risk of aging depth receivers available in the same range.

Mattek told listeners not to panic about reports that Chris Godwin will miss July team activities, projecting a 60-40 chance the veteran is ready for Week 1. Because the headlines are pushing Godwin’s Underdog ADP into the late-seventh round, Mattek views him as an immediate buy-low candidate. He believes the dip overcorrects for a non-surgical soft-tissue issue and noted that Godwin quietly posted a 22% target share last season while playing every game. For drafters who already have four wide receivers through seven rounds—the Hayden Winks ‘Golden Rule’—Godwin supplies bankable volume and a WR2 ceiling at a WR4 price.

Davis Mattek endorsed Isiah Pacheco as the cleanest Round-6/7 swing at RB, stressing that his situation is essentially unchanged from 2023 when he cost a third-round pick. Kansas City has only added Elijah Mitchell (just $1.1M guaranteed) and Kareem Hunt ($1.5M) plus a seventh-round flyer on Bershard Smith, none of whom project to siphon early-down work. Mattek expects Pacheco to reprise his 60-65% rushing share and goal-line role behind one of the league’s best offensive lines while benefiting from Patrick Mahomes-led scoring equity. He compared the Chief back directly to Joe Mixon—similar touch projections but with a far better quarterback and blocking environment—concluding Pacheco is the superior value for Best-Ball drafters hunting a second back in Hero RB builds.

Davis Mattek positioned Jonathan Taylor as one of only a handful of backs (alongside Bucky Irving and Josh Jacobs) who open the season projecting for 14.5–15.5 fantasy points per game without needing any depth-chart luck. That immediate, bankable workload makes Taylor the perfect ‘hero’ in a Hero RB build, giving the roster high-end running back outcomes while freeing the drafter to chase wide receiver upside and late-round RB bargains. Mattek highlighted that Taylor’s early-down dominance, red-zone role, and proven 20-plus point ceiling make him a safer cornerstone than backs who depend on committee shake-outs.

Davis Mattek called Jalen Hurts the best value on the board once drafts hit the fifth round. He noted a clear tier break at wide receiver after George Pickens, meaning the opportunity cost of quarterback is lowest at that turn. Pairing Hurts’ elite rushing production with his top-five projection in every scoring setting outweighs any stacking concerns, especially for drafters who have already secured premium receivers. By taking Hurts at pick 51, Mattek explained, drafters avoid being boxed into Jared Goff or J.J. McCarthy later and keep the structural integrity of their Hero RB roster intact.

Davis Mattek warned drafters that James Cook’s 2023 touchdown total is the part of his profile most likely to slide backward. Mattek said he is not worried about Cook’s snap share or overall role in the Bills’ offense, but believes fantasy gamers should expect fewer TDs given how often Buffalo lets Josh Allen call his own number near the goal line. With Cook now carrying a late-third/early-fourth ADP, Mattek views him as overpriced relative to backs with similar workloads who are available later and whose scoring profiles are less fragile.

Davis Mattek urged drafters to take advantage of Jordan Addison sliding down Underdog boards in the wake of his plea agreement. Mattek stressed that a suspension has been baked into Addison’s price all offseason, yet the wideout keeps falling even though resolving the court case actually makes a sub-three-game ban more likely. He compared the situation to prior "double-pricing" dips—where new drafters overreact to old news—and argued the current discount is irrational because Addison’s projected target share behind Justin Jefferson has not changed. Mattek expects the ADP slide to reverse once the league announces discipline, calling Addison a textbook buy-low for teams that need upside weeks after the first month of the season.