Greg Brainos recommended Zach Ertz as a stabilizing piece for drafter’s third-tight-end slot in light builds. Despite his age, Ertz hauled in 11 catches during Washington’s playoff loss and posted a "pretty strong" regular season, showing he can still soak up targets if healthy. Brainos prefers Ertz’s weekly reception floor over flashier late darts because it smooths scoring variance when elite assets are spent elsewhere on the roster.

Greg Brainos backed Jameson Williams as a target at current ADP, citing what he heard while drafting with Brad Evans earlier in the week. New offensive coordinator John Morton has reportedly placed a "special emphasis" on designing touches for both Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs, and Dan Campbell has "completely signed off" on the plan. Brainos argued that a coordinator change is often a red flag, but Morton worked under Sean Payton and comes from a vertical passing tree that fits Williams’ 4.3 speed. The Lions added no perimeter receivers of consequence and plan to leave Amon-Ra inside, clearing a path for Williams to dominate outside reps. With Morton publicly preaching tempo, Brainos expects Detroit to finish top-10 in neutral-situation pace, giving Williams more total routes and more shots to hit his signature splash plays—exactly the type of high-variance production that wins best-ball tournaments.

Greg Brainos told drafters to grab Keenan Allen in the final rounds before the veteran signs somewhere. Brainos expects a contract to be announced "sooner than later," and he argued that literally any landing spot – from pass-heavy San Francisco or Washington to lower-volume destinations like Pittsburgh or the Jets – would push Allen’s price up 25-40 picks. Underdog drafters are currently getting Allen around pick 200, but Brainos thinks he would jump into the 160-170 range instantly, and closer to 110 on DraftKings because that room overreacts to name value. The takeaway: stash Allen now for easy closing-line value and a potential mid-season floor play once he settles into a WR2/WR3 role on his new team.

Greg Brainos called Isaac Guerendo a must-draft dart in the 17th–18th round range. Brainos labeled Christian McCaffrey "very high on the likely-to-get-injured list" after logging an NFL-high 339 touches last season and noted that San Francisco has the league’s most running-back-friendly scheme (4.9 yards before contact as a team). Guerendo’s 4.33 forty and 97th-percentile speed score give him true home-run juice if he inherits even half of CMC’s workload. Brainos is shocked the rookie routinely slips past pick 200 when the only backs ahead of him are a soon-to-be 28-year-old McCaffrey and journeyman Elijah Mitchell, who has missed 52% of possible games the past two years. He’s pairing Guerendo with non-CMC builds to capture asymmetric upside.

Greg Brainos recommended scooping Rashid Shaheed in the late rounds, stressing that the speedster avoided the preseason PUP list and is "fully healthy." Brainos reminded listeners that Shaheed ranked 6th among qualified wideouts in yards per route run (2.59) from Weeks 7-17 last season and produced six top-24 weekly finishes on Underdog’s half-point format despite running only 64% of the routes. With Derek Carr’s 8.4-yard average depth of target meshing perfectly with Shaheed’s vertical skill set, Brainos expects more full-time usage in 2024. He called Shaheed a classic boom-bust best-ball piece whose spike-week profile is being mispriced around pick 140.

Greg Brainos recommended scooping up Alec Pierce at the back of drafts, citing an avalanche of unprompted praise from Colts decision-makers. He compiled multiple quotes where GM Chris Ballard and HC Shane Steichen singled out Pierce’s off-season work ethic and claimed the receiver "just keeps going like this," while physically motioning upward. Ballard even pivoted from questions about rookie A.D. Mitchell to rave about Pierce, suggesting Mitchell will have to fight for playing time. Brainos views Pierce as the lone Colts wideout who benefits from more Anthony Richardson starts—Richardson ranked top-five in average depth of target before his injury—making Pierce an archetypal spike-week play. Because Daniel Jones would favor Josh Downs underneath if he wins the job, Brainos likes drafting Pierce alone rather than doubling up on Indy receivers, betting on deep-ball chemistry with the big-armed Richardson.

Greg Brainos endorsed Will Shipley as a must-grab late-round running back, arguing the rookie is “very, very, very clearly” the Eagles’ RB2 after the team traded Kenneth Gainwell and left only aging A.J. Dillon behind Saquon Barkley. Brainos emphasized that Barkley handled a massive workload last year—freeing 260 touches in an offense that finished sixth in red-zone rush rate—so any injury or managed-snap scenario creates immediate fantasy relevance for Shipley. He believes the staff’s decision to move on from Gainwell signals real trust in Shipley’s three-down skill set and pointed out that Philadelphia invested a Day-2 pick in an interior lineman to keep the run game humming. The size of the gap between Shipley and the next back on the depth chart makes him one of the highest-leverage handcuffs in Best Ball Mania drafts.

Greg Brainos pegged Tyler Warren as a screaming value in three-tight-end builds. He has collected months of coach quotes where the staff publicly “thirsted for a Y tight end who can separate vs. linebackers yet hold up as an in-line blocker.” That search culminated in Warren being selected 15th overall, and minicamp reports already describe him as the featured middle-of-the-field weapon. Brainos stressed that when a front office telegraphs a need for a specific skill set and then spends premium draft capital to address it, usage usually follows. With only depth-chart journeymen ahead of him and a quarterback room that funneled 24% of attempts to tight ends last year, Warren projects for an every-down role and red-zone priority from Week 1.

Greg Brainos said Tony Pollard should be an auto-click in the sixth-round range of Best Ball Mania because the surrounding talent jump in Tennessee sets him up for a ceiling season. Brainos noted Pollard “looked really good last year” despite a bottom-five pass offense and now gets 1) a rebuilt offensive line after the Titans spent free-agent money and draft capital at both tackle spots, and 2) a “huge upgrade at quarterback” in rookie Cam Ward. Pollard’s efficiency spikes in games Tennessee wins – he averaged 19.1 half-PPR points in victories versus 9.7 in losses – so any lift from Ward’s passing improves Pollard’s weekly ceiling. With no proven competition behind him and the staff publicly promising to stay run-heavy inside the 10, Brainos believes Pollard pays off even if the offense is merely league-average and smashes if the Titans outperform expectations.

Greg Brainos advised buying the dip on Breece Hall, stressing that coach-speak about a three-man committee with Braylon Allen and Isaiah Davis is overblown. Brainos reminded listeners Hall played through a mysterious camp injury and a mid-season knee issue on last year’s "terribly run offense," depressing his 2024 production and souring drafters. In 2025 the context is markedly better: the Jets invested in the offensive line with seventh-overall pick Armand Membou, the staff has repeatedly said they want to run the ball, and the addition of Justin Fields should widen running lanes. Brainos believes Hall’s talent is "full bodies" above the other backs and that the staff will inevitably ride the hot hand, giving Hall the bulk of touches—even if Allen vultures an occasional goal-line snap. At a fourth-round ADP he called Hall an easy bet to rebound for both volume and efficiency.

Brainos called Calvin Austin the "technical No. 2" wideout in Pittsburgh and didn’t recall any coach-speak contradicting that status. With only Robert Woods behind Austin and a tight-end room overflowing with pass catchers (Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington), Brainos thinks the speedster will see near-every-down snaps in 11 personnel. Pittsburgh’s shaky WR depth and Austin’s 4.32 wheels create weekly splash-play potential, making him a free late-round dart who could easily out-kick his ADP if the Steelers lean heavier on three-receiver sets than expected.

Greg Brainos projected roughly eight touchdowns for DeAndre Hopkins after Baltimore’s staff publicly labeled him a full-time starter. OC Todd Monken contrasted Hopkins with last year’s No. 3 Nelson Agholor, while John Harbaugh called the veteran a "big-bodied contested-catch receiver" who will be featured near the goal line. Brainos expects Hopkins to run alongside Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman in the Ravens’ primary three-receiver sets, giving Lamar Jackson a physical target the current depth chart lacks. That combination of starting-snap share plus proven red-zone skills makes Hopkins a late-round spike-week option Brainos wants in Best Ball tournaments.

Greg Brainos reminded drafters that Austin Ekeler played just 52.5% of snaps last year yet remained heavily used at the goal line and in the passing game—both gold mines in half-PPR Best Ball scoring. Even if Ekeler is merely a 1B to Brian Robinson early, Brainos believes his red-zone role and receiving ceiling give him week-to-week standalone value with blow-up potential should the timeshare tilt his way. The veteran is a cheap path to RB2 production without having to chase early-round volume backs.

Greg Brainos framed Jakobi Meyers as the archetypal "boring but bankable" WR3 who becomes sneaky valuable in Best Ball because the situation around him just leveled-up. Brainos reminded listeners that Meyers logged multiple double-digit–target games in 2023 and now walks into three upgrades at once: quarterback, play-caller and head coach. He expects Chip Kelly’s hurry-up system to spike Vegas’ pace and overall play volume, creating more chances for Meyers’ underneath routes to pile up receptions. With uncertainty behind Brock Bowers in the pass-catching pecking order, Brainos believes the target tree could condense to Bowers and Meyers, locking in a dependable weekly floor with the occasional spike when TD variance cooperates.

Greg Brainos said De'Von Achane “looks even better” after the recent Jonnu-Smith trade, arguing the move further condenses Miami’s offense around Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Achane. Brainos noted that Smith had been used on many of the same manufactured touches the Dolphins now figure to funnel to Achane. With Terron Armstead’s departure leaving the offensive line shaky, Brainos expects Mike McDaniel to lean on quick-hitting plays and short passing—areas where Achane’s 4.32 speed and pass-game chops shine. A narrow target/touch distribution plus a scheme designed to get the ball out fast sets Achane up for weekly spike weeks in Best Ball formats.

Greg Brainos said Michael Wilson is an auto-click in the late-170s because the third-year Cardinal is locked into every-down snaps and Arizona has done nothing to replace the vacated targets from Zay Jones and Rondale Moore. Brainos reminded listeners that Wilson was already playing X late in 2023, yet the staff still parked No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. at X on 90-plus percent of routes last year—proof the team trusts Wilson in multiple spots. That versatility plus a soft Week-17 matchup makes Wilson an ideal WR7 spike-week candidate. With no veteran additions on the horizon and a quarterback who loves outside go-routes, Brainos believes the market is sleeping on a realistic 100-target season available in round 15.

Greg Brainos highlighted Austin Ekeler as the perfect RB5 for balanced Best Ball builds, pointing out that despite an ‘ugly’ 2023, Ekeler still logged a 52-percent snap share in the games he played—a full timeshare, not a cameo role. At a current ADP in the 150s Brainos sees almost no downside relative to historical production that includes four straight seasons with at least 50 catches and double-digit green-zone touches. He grouped Ekeler with high-floor veterans like Rachaad White and Justice Hill but emphasized Ekeler’s superior weekly reception upside in half-PPR scoring. The veteran back also correlates with Brainos’ Jaden Blue exposure for a sneaky Washington–Dallas Week-17 game stack. In Brainos’ view, drafters who open with three early backs can lock in Ekeler as a low-cost safety blanket that still owns contingent RB2 upside if Brian Robinson falters or the Commanders—now calling more pass-catcher-friendly concepts under Kliff Kingsbury—lean on Ekeler in hurry-up situations.

Greg Brainos remains bullish on rookie Bucky Irving even after news that All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs could miss the start of the season. Brainos acknowledged splits for elite tackles like Terron Armstead and Trent Williams show drastic drops in rushing efficiency, but he views Tampa Bay’s line as a "solid group" that can withstand a short-term absence. He is moving Irving down only three or four spots—behind veteran bellcows such as Jonathan Taylor and Josh Jacobs for now—while happily scooping the resulting discount. Brainos noted the Buccaneers ignored their backfield in free agency and the draft after selecting Irving, signaling a clear path to 18-plus touches once Wirfs returns. He called the temporary ADP dip an opportunity to create unique Week-17 game stacks with Jamar Chase and urged drafters not to over-react to what he sees as a short-lived setback.

Greg Brainos warned drafters to skip Tee Higgins when they start a Best Ball Mania team with Ja'Marr Chase. He argued the two-three–turn price tag ties up nearly 20% of your capital in teammates whose ceilings cannibalize each other unless Cincinnati produces a historically high pass rate. Brainos stressed that the build is "dead in the water" if Joe Burrow doesn’t fall to Round 7; reaching for Burrow in Round 5 erodes closing-line value, while missing him altogether leaves an expensive, unstacked combo. He prefers back-stacking Chase with cheaper Bengals such as Chase Brown or using Week-17 bring-backs like Trey McBride rather than burning two premium picks on wideouts whose spike weeks rarely overlap. In short, fading the early Chase-Higgins mini-stack frees up ADP value and protects roster upside.

Greg Brainos said he has a "real mental block" clicking Darren Waller even at pick 185. The 32-year-old has multiple durability issues, openly complained last season that blocking "isn’t what he signed up for," and at one point admitted his passion for football had waned. Brainos argued any one of those concerns would be a yellow flag—stacked together they’re a screaming red light. He’s passing on Waller altogether and reallocating late-round tight-end exposure to younger options with cleaner profiles and similar median projections.

Greg Brainos was happy to make Tyler Warren his first tight end, saying the rookie offers true ceiling in Best Ball because Shane Steichen is already experimenting with him "in a variety of ways." Brainos reminded viewers of earlier reports that Indianapolis used Warren in tush-push packages and even lined him up in the backfield during OTAs, hinting at valuable goal-line snaps on top of regular routes. He thinks a hybrid H-back deployment keeps Warren on the field for all game scripts, giving him multiple paths to production that most late-round tight ends simply do not have. Brainos is comfortable treating Warren as a TE1 on rosters that punt the position, betting the Colts will manufacture touches for the rookie right away.

Greg Brainos cautioned against spending first-five-round capital on the Tyreek Hill + Jaylen Waddle double stack. He noted Miami failed to meaningfully upgrade a shaky offensive line and could actually regress if veteran LT Terron Armstead retires. Inside the building, Brainos hears ‘bad locker-room vibes’ and whispers that some veterans have lost respect for Mike McDaniel’s bro-first coaching style. If the line craters or Tua’s health wobbles again, Hill can still win weeks on his own, but Waddle’s ceiling becomes fragile. Brainos prefers using that fourth-round slot on non-Dolphin pieces and treating Waddle strictly as a bring-back in tournaments rather than forcing the pricey double.

Greg Brainos targeted Mike Gesicki as a third tight end, citing cheap exposure to Joe Burrow’s offense and proven contingency upside. He noted that in games T. Higgins missed over the past two seasons, Cincinnati tight ends averaged six more routes and 3.2 additional targets, with Gesicki posting a 19% target share in those spots for Miami before arriving in Cincy. At a 17th-round ADP, Brainos calls Gesicki ‘leverage on the expensive Chase/Higgins combo’ and a potential playoff hammer if injuries strike. The pick also correlates with his earlier Chase Brown shares, giving him multiple low-cost paths to Bengals touchdowns in Best Ball tournaments.

Greg Brainos grabbed Mark Andrews eight picks after ADP and called him a stone value even with Todd Monken publicly recommitting to 12-personnel. Brainos pointed out that Baltimore ran two-TE sets on 31% of snaps last year—tops in the league—and Andrews still finished top-five among tight ends in targets per route (24%). He expects similar usage because Monken’s scheme creates middle-of-field vacancies when both tight ends release, and Isaiah Likely’s presence actually keeps defenses from bracketing Andrews. Add the fact that Andrews owns a 28% red-zone target share over the past two seasons, and Brainos views any ADP dip as free money for Best Ball drafters.

Greg Brainos is suddenly scooping up D’Andre Swift shares, convinced Chicago has already declared him the unquestioned lead back. He pointed out that every backfield mention from beat writers and coaches has featured Swift and rookie Kyle Monongai while Roschon Johnson’s name has been "crickets," indicating a depth-chart gap. Training camp buzz suggests Ryan Poles views Swift as the explosive element missing from last year’s attack, and Brainos noted that Chicago’s revamped offensive line quietly ranked eighth in ESPN run-block win rate over the final six weeks. At an ADP outside the top 80, Brainos sees discounted three-down upside and touchdown equity on an offense expected to take a leap with Caleb Williams under center.

Greg Brainos explained why he continues to draft Jonathan Taylor at the Round-2 turn. He concedes that Anthony Richardson’s goal-line rushing and the Colts’ plans to feature rookie tight end Tyler Warren in backfield and tush-push packages will siphon some TD equity, but argues those risks are fully priced into Taylor’s ADP. Brainos views Warren as an overall plus for the offense, expecting more sustained drives and total play volume. He also noted that if Richardson misses time and Daniel Jones (the speculative veteran backup Brainos mentioned) takes over, extra check-downs could pad Taylor’s half-PPR scoring. Bottom line: Taylor’s path to 20 touches a week remains intact, so Greg refuses to fade him and wants portfolio exposure whenever he slips past pick 20.

Greg Brainos said DJ Giddens is a sneaky best-ball pick because he expects the rookie to play right away in Indianapolis. Brainos argued that the Colts have "been publicly thirsting for an RB2" and are not going to saddle Jonathan Taylor with 90-95% of the touches the way they did in 2021. He also pointed out that Taylor has missed games in three straight seasons, creating an obvious contingent-value ceiling if another ankle or hamstring issue pops up. Even without an injury, Brainos projected a rotational role for Giddens from Week 1, making him a viable late-round target who can score usable weeks while holding high-end insurance upside.

Brainos said that if Luther Burden is "ready to go for training camp," his ADP is likely to climb. The implication is that drafters should act now while uncertainty around Burden’s health keeps the price in check.

Greg Brainos said Najee Harris remains a "pretty good pick" at his current ADP after a deleted Reddit post suggested the back was injured in a fireworks accident. Brainos noted there is no credible reporting on the eye-injury rumor, calling it simply a rumor that moderators removed. He also pointed out that Chargers coaches keep referencing a "one-two punch" in the backfield, a setup that could cap absolute ceiling but should still leave Harris with plenty of touches relative to where he is being drafted in Best Ball Mania drafts.

Greg Brainos said he is happily scooping up Jalen Coker in the late rounds of Best Ball Mania drafts because the rookie has a clearer path to immediate snaps than most drafters realize. Coker "popped big time in the metrics last year"—posting a top-10 yards per route run in the 2024 class—and Brainos argued you could even make the case he is a better all-around prospect than first-round teammate Xavier Legette. Adam Thielen turns 36 this season and finished 2023 with just 1.06 YPRR over the final eight weeks, so Brainos thinks the Panthers will be forced to funnel more targets to younger legs. He highlighted Coker’s versatility—he can operate as an outside X or as a big slot where he thrived in college—as another reason the staff will keep him on the field. With a wide-open Carolina depth chart and a quarterback who is willing to push the ball vertically, Brainos believes Coker offers undervalued spike-week upside and said his own 23% exposure still “isn’t enough.”

Greg Brainos believes Chig Okonkwo is finally set for liftoff under new head coach Brian Callahan. Okonkwo ranked sixth among tight ends in yards per route run (2.05) over the final five games once Callahan started calling passing concepts late last year. Brainos expects Tennessee’s pass rate to jump from a league-low 50% to the 58–60% range Callahan ran in Cincinnati, especially if No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward wins the job. Beyond 30-year-old Calvin Ridley and aging Tyler Lockett, the Titans depth chart is full of rookies, leaving a massive middle-of-the-field target void. With TD-vulture Nick Westbrook-Ikhine now in Miami, Brainos projects a 17% target share and six-plus red-zone looks for Okonkwo, making him a screaming value in Round 13 as a third tight end with legit top-eight upside.

Greg Brainos urged drafters to smash Quentin Johnston at his current 17th-round ADP. Beat writers continue to say new OC Greg Roman is scheming vertical shot plays for the second-year wideout, and Johnston reportedly added eight pounds of muscle after a full offseason with Keenan Allen gone. Brainos reminded listeners that Johnston posted a 37% target rate on his 66 routes from the slot as a rookie, evidence the Chargers want the ball in his hands. In a half-PPR best-ball tournament he values the spike-week profile—Johnston’s 4.4 speed produced a 92nd percentile yards-after-catch figure at TCU—and thinks the ambiguous LAC target tree creates a realistic path to 90 targets. At the cost of a throwaway pick, Brainos sees a classic high-variance receiver who can single-handedly win a playoff week.

Greg Brainos called Pat Freiermuth the perfect "steady-Eddie" for three-tight-end best-ball builds. Freiermuth is sliding into the TE20-range despite Pittsburgh finally boasting competent quarterback play after adding Justin Fields to push Russell Wilson. Brainos expects Arthur Smith’s heavy play-action scheme—one that ranked top-10 in tight-end target rate during his Atlanta tenure—to funnel 5-6 looks a week to Freiermuth. He reminded listeners that in the four games Freiermuth played at least 70% of snaps last year he averaged 19.0% of team targets and 1.91 yards per route, both top-eight numbers at the position. With Smith confirming he will keep two-tight-end sets and a red-zone package built around his 6'5" security blanket, Brainos thinks Freiermuth offers a bankable weekly floor with the occasional multi-TD spike that wins advance rates.

Greg Brainos argued that rookie Cam Skattebo is being drafted a full round too late relative to Tyrone Tracy despite having a clearer money-touch role. Brainos pointed out that Brian Daboll ‘grinned ear-to-ear’ when asked about Skattebo on draft night, and Giants analytics staff graded him with an 85% success rate on carries inside the five—the best mark in the 2024 class. With Russell Wilson stabilizing drives and Tracy expected to handle most of the passing-down work, Brainos sees Skattebo operating as a pure hammer who could realistically score 8-10 touchdowns even in a 45/55 committee. He called the pick the kind of low-ADP, high-ceiling bench piece that can swing best-ball advance rates when those December snow games at MetLife turn into trench warfare.

Greg Brainos said Kyler Murray is an easy click at his current Best Ball Mania ADP because a return to 2021-level rushing would vault him back into the top-eight quarterbacks. Brainos noted several breadcrumbs: 1) Kyler publicly told the media he wants to run more; 2) new OC Drew Petsing and HC Jonathan Gannon have been drilling off-schedule rollout packages all spring, something Brainos circulated on Twitter; and 3) Brian Schottenheimer let slip that former Arizona aide Clayton Adams told him Murray ‘doesn’t like to run,’ which Brainos interprets as the Cardinals intentionally tilting the offense to prove that premise wrong. More rollouts force linebackers to step up, creating single-coverage shots for Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Trey McBride while still giving Murray the tuck-and-go option. Even in last year’s ‘down’ season Murray averaged 5.9 fantasy points per game on the ground. If Petsing keeps that floor and layers on three or four designed attempts per week, Brainos expects 600+ rushing yards, 6-8 scores and bankable spike weeks that are perfect for best-ball tournament upside.

Greg Brainos called Chris Olave a screaming value in the sixth round and expects a bounce-back WR1 season. The only 2023 absence was concussion-related—he has missed just one game for lower-body issues in his career—so Brainos is not worried about durability. He praised Olave’s "contortionist" ball skills, elite body control, and production with a revolving door of quarterbacks (Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, Derek Carr). Brainos actually likes the aggressive mindset of 26-year-old rookie Tyler Shuck, believing Shuck’s willingness to attack deep meshes perfectly with Olave’s 15-plus-yard average depth of target. With a career 26% target rate per route and soft Saints depth behind him, Brainos thinks double-digit touchdowns are firmly in play.

Greg Brainos projected a monster year for Kenneth Walker III under new coordinator Clint Kubiak. Kubiak’s history shows 12- and 21-personnel on over 50% of snaps and an outside-zone scheme tailor-made for Walker’s cut-and-go running style. Brainos added that head coach Mike Macdonald dismissed Ryan Grubb because Grubb wanted to pass more, proof Seattle plans to "pound the rock like crazy." With a top-10 zone-blocking line and minimal proven depth behind DK Metcalf/Tyler Lockett, Brainos sees 260+ carries and double-digit scores in Walker’s range and called him a priority third-round best-ball pick—just remember to grab Charbonnet as insurance later.

Greg Brainos called AJ Brown a floor-safe pick with overall WR1 upside. Brown already “destroys man coverage like no other receiver,” and Brainos expects new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to nudge Philadelphia’s run-heavy attack toward a slightly higher pass rate. Even a modest bump in attempts would amplify Brown’s elite per-route efficiency, giving him a realistic path to a career year in half-point PPR formats.

Greg Brainos said Elic Ayomanor is one of his favorite round-18 darts because the rookie’s path to serious snaps is wider than the market thinks. Brainos pointed to Ayomanor’s 13-catch, 294-yard explosion against Colorado and Travis Hunter in 2023 as proof he can win against NFL-caliber corners. Last year’s erratic Stanford passing game hid a prospect with 4.42 speed, a 39-inch vert and 74th-percentile yards per route against Power-5 press coverage. Tennessee only spent a fourth-round pick, yet the depth chart behind Calvin Ridley is "paper thin"—32-year-old Tyler Lockett, journeyman Van Jefferson and struggling former first-rounder Treylon Burks. Brainos expects Ayomanor to start slow but overtake that trio by Halloween, especially with new OC Nick Holz installing more vertical concepts. He sees multiple 20-point spike weeks in play and calls the current basement-level ADP a gift in Best Ball Mania.

Greg Brainos urged drafters to hammer Luther Burden wherever he is still lingering in the 90-110 range. Brainos contrasted Burden’s sticker with DJ Moore’s pick-40 cost even though new play-caller Ben Johnson has been crystal clear that (a) the slot receiver will be the focal point of his scheme and (b) Chicago will lean on short-to-intermediate, YAC-friendly concepts to goose Caleb Williams’ EPA. The Bears backed that philosophy by spending the 39th pick on Burden and the 10th on yak-monster TE Colston Loveland. Brainos downplayed Burden’s OTA absence and maturity whispers, noting those same ‘diva’ flags follow Moore yet aren’t suppressing his price. With the risk already baked in several rounds over, Brainos sees Burden as a discounted path to a 22-25 % target share in an offense that should throw more than Detroit did under Johnson. He is loading up on the hometown rookie as a cheap Week-17 bring-back opposite Brock Purdy stacks.

Greg Brainos pumped the brakes on Breece Hall at his mid-third-round cost, warning that new OC Aaron Glenn keeps hyping rookie backs Braylon Allen and Isaiah Davis and has publicly said the Jets "want to use all three" runners. Brainos noted Glenn’s recent quote lumping Allen in with Hall as "so fast," suggesting real rotational plans that could siphon early-down and goal-line work. While Hall’s explosiveness is intact, Brainos fears a three-man committee caps him at 60-65% of the touches, making it harder for Hall to pay off a price tag built on 2023’s 20-touch, six-catch pace. Until depth-chart clarity emerges in camp, Brainos prefers receivers or anchor tight ends in that draft pocket.

Greg Brainos said Jauan Jennings is one of the best round-18 darts because Brandon Ayuk most likely had an off-season MCL repair, a procedure Jeff Muller noted usually delays true explosiveness until at least Week 8-10. Brainos recalled Jennings erupting for 50 fantasy points against the Rams when forced into a full-time role last year and emphasized that Kyle Shanahan already trusts him on "third-and-Jauan" thanks to elite hands and top-tier run-blocking. Those dirty-work traits keep Jennings on the field, giving him multiple outs to volume if Ayuk’s recovery drags or Deebo Samuel inevitably misses time. With the 49ers’ defense expected to regress after a spending spree on the offensive side, Brainos views Jennings as a free runway to early-season spike weeks in a top-five scoring environment.

Greg Brainos said drafters are still sleeping on Nico Collins even though the runway for a top-five finish is staring us in the face. With Tank Dell rehabbing another leg injury and 30-year-old Stefon Diggs looking like a short-term rental, Brainos expects Houston to revert to 2023 usage when Collins owned a 25% target share and ranked fifth in yards per route run. C.J. Stroud led all qualified QBs in yards per attempt last season and Bobby Slowik kept a +9% pass-rate-over-expectation, so the volume and efficiency boxes are both checked. If the rookies sputter, Collins could "go full scorched earth," yet you can still pair him with Christian McCaffrey or Brian Thomas Jr. at the 1/2 turn—a price tag Brainos views as a gift for a player with legitimate WR1 overall upside.

Greg Brainos explained that drafters who lock in an early elite tight end—he used Mark Andrews as the example—can comfortably wait until the last two Underdog rounds to complete a three-TE room. Because Andrews regularly commands a 25% target share and top-five red-zone usage, you only need weekly survivable scores behind him. Cheap options like Chig Okonkwo and Juwan Johnson are available in Rounds 17-18, allowing you to allocate the middle of your draft to running backs and wide receivers while still finishing with adequate tight-end volume.

Greg Brainos argued that drafting an early-round quarterback such as Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen should immediately push a roster toward a two-QB build. Hurts’ dual-threat profile gives you weekly 30-point upside and a stable floor, so the extra 18th-round spot is better used on a high-variance RB/WR lottery ticket. Brainos almost never takes a third QB unless the room empties the position and he is caught with only one late fallback like Tyler Shough. In that rare case he will grab a discounted ceiling play (yesterday he added Anthony Richardson at pick 216), but in most rooms he prefers to hedge a potential Week-17 Hurts dud with a sportsbook under rather than clogging his best-ball roster.

Greg Brainos recommended grabbing Juwan Johnson as a late TE3 whenever you have already taken Tyler Shough, calling the Saints stack a “two-birds-one-stone” solution. Johnson lets drafters patch the same problematic Week-10 bye that comes with a Mahomes/Prescott build and simultaneously unlocks correlated spike-week potential with Shough. Brainos prefers Johnson to other flier tight ends because the veteran averaged a 71 % route rate over his final six healthy games last year and remains a red-zone favorite (11 end-zone targets, T-7th among TEs). At his current double-digit ADP, Johnson offers portfolio flexibility: he safeguards advance-rate floor in the early weeks and still owns the multi-TD ceiling that can push teams through Best Ball Mania playoff pods.

Greg Brainos said Tyler Shough is the perfect safety-net QB3 when you open a Best Ball Mania draft with two elite passers who share the same Week-10 bye (his specific example was a Patrick Mahomes / Dak Prescott start). Brainos expects Shough to win and hold the Saints’ job all season, citing the rookie’s underrated mobility—“legs for days”—and a friendly scheme under new OC Kellen Moore that should manufacture an easy 200 passing yards most Sundays. Even on what projects as a bottom-half offense, that combination of full-season starts, rushing juice, and baseline yardage provides the 15–18 points you need to avoid a crater week. Brainos admitted it feels “kind of disgusting,” but he already anticipates Shough finishing as one of his five most-drafted quarterbacks because the profile lets drafters stay unique (double-elite QB with one bye) without sacrificing advance-rate equity.

Greg Brainos said Roschon Johnson is a sneaky late-round target because Chicago may ask him to handle valuable short-yardage and goal-line work that new starter DeAndre Swift has struggled with his entire career. Brainos cited Swift’s league-worst 41% conversion rate on carries inside the five over the last two seasons and believes analytically-minded OC Ben Johnson will look for a sturdier option. Johnson, at 225 pounds with a 94th-percentile broken-tackle rate at Texas, fits that bill. Free agency is barren and seventh-round rookie Kyle Menungai profiles closer to a special-teamer, so Brainos sees a clear runway for Roschon to siphon touchdown equity. If that role materializes, the second-year back becomes a perfect Week-17 bring-back opposite 49ers stacks while providing mid-season spike weeks.

Greg Brainos urged drafters not to chase Marvin Mims when he settles in the 120-range of Best Ball Mania ADP. Brainos conceded the rookie’s gaudy 22% targets-per-route and 2.42 yards-per-route numbers but said those rates came on a tiny route sample because Sean Payton never trusted Mims to play full snaps. Brainos added that many of Mims’ touches were back-field jet-sweeps that served as an ersatz run game when Denver couldn’t get Javonte Williams going. With the Broncos now rostering JK Dobbins and rookie grinder RJ Harvey, Brainos doubts Payton needs those gadget looks. He also flagged Payton’s recent praise of fourth-rounder Troy Franklin as another threat to Mims’ route share. In Brainos’ words, “there are just way better bets—backup QBs, late-tight ends—going next to ADP 120.” He’ll only click Mims once the market lets him fall 20-plus picks, like the 147 slot they just grabbed.

Greg Brainos highlighted Jordan Love’s bizarre but consistent "ToyotaThon" splits as a reason to prioritize him in playoff-centric tournaments. According to Brainos, from November 15 to January 6 in each of the last two seasons (the exact window Toyota promotes its year-end sale), Love owns a 9-3 record with a 22-to-3 TD/INT ratio compared to a mediocre 7-9 and 29-to-20 line outside that window. That surge overlaps perfectly with Weeks 12–17, the money weeks in Best Ball Mania. Brainos joked about the meme but said the numbers are "too sticky to ignore" and make Love a perfect late QB2 when stacking Packers or as a back-door bring-back opposing offenses target during fantasy playoffs.

Greg Brainos said George Kittle should never last to the early-fifth in Best Ball Mania drafts and argued he belongs in the late-third. Brainos pointed out that Kittle actually outscored Trey McBride last year despite living almost entirely off touchdowns (career-high 11). He expects a friendlier target share in 2024, noting San Francisco will open the season without Jauan Jennings and with Brandon Aiyuk in a contract squabble—both scenarios that funnel more looks to Kittle. Even if the touchdown total regresses, an extra 2–3 targets per game would more than offset it. Brainos compared Kittle’s ceiling to 2022 Travis Kelce yet you can grab him 20–25 picks after McBride, David Njoku and Dalton Kincaid. He has adopted a “blanket rule” of clicking Kittle every time he is on the board in round five.