Jakob Sanderson said drafters should keep scooping Jonathan Taylor at the 2/3 turn because the supposed goal-line threat from gimmicky tight end Tyler Warren is overblown. Sanderson noted that any offense is still far likelier to score by handing it to its All-Pro back than to a converted H-back, and while the Colts may toy with tush-push packages, Taylor’s elite breakaway speed lets him finish drives from anywhere on the field, reducing reliance on one-yard plunges in the first place. He reminded listeners Taylor erupted for 30-plus points in Week 17 last season—proof of the nuclear single-game upside needed to win Underdog’s playoff weeks. In half-PPR scoring, a modest 20-catch projection is less damaging, so Sanderson is not downgrading him for declining pass-game work. The only real concern is the ankle that has shortened three straight seasons, but Sanderson still views Taylor as “one of the best rushers in the league” and wants meaningful portfolio exposure rather than drafting scared.

Jakob Sanderson doubled down on his Daniel Jones stance, arguing the single most likely outcome is that Jones never relinquishes the Colts’ starting job if he stays healthy. He noted Shane Steichen has coaxed .500 football out of wildly different quarterbacks—Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco, and Anthony Richardson—so a competent offense with Jones is realistic. Steichen’s personal incentive is simple: make the playoffs, keep the new ownership happy, and retain his job. As long as Indianapolis hovers around .500, Sanderson doubts the coach will bench Jones for a quarterback he "clearly has trust issues with" in Richardson. He projects a 2023 Minshew-type season—low-end QB2 production with weekly rushing upside—but at a 17th-round price tag that’s ideal for three-QB builds or Pittman/Downs stacks. Sanderson is hammering Jones at cost, believing drafters are underestimating the probability of a full 17-game runway.

Jakob Sanderson explained that Daniel Jones is the "best of both worlds" for Jonathan Taylor. Jones is mobile enough to keep the RPO game and zone-read looks that fuel Taylor’s efficiency, yet he isn’t the sledgehammer goal-line threat Anthony Richardson was. That should translate to more red-zone carries for Taylor without sacrificing rushing lanes. Sanderson also thinks Jones’ underneath, ball-control style will lengthen drives and increase total play volume—something the Colts lacked with Joe Flacco’s statue pocket presence and Richardson’s boom-bust series. While Sanderson is roughly market-weight on Taylor, he views the RB as firmly in the same tier as Bucky Irving and expects a return to 20-touch workloads, double-digit touchdowns, and the home-run scores that only Taylor’s long-speed can provide.

Jakob Sanderson said Michael Pittman Jr. is one of the best values on the entire Best Ball Mania board. Pittman has routinely posted between 0.23 and 0.28 targets per route in far worse passing environments, and Sanderson believes a Daniel Jones–led offense will be “a lot more normal, maybe not good, but fine.” Jones’ higher completion rate and lower average depth of target should extend drives and create a steadier diet of high-percentage looks for Pittman. Sanderson thinks Pittman’s current eighth- to ninth-round ADP is two to three rounds too cheap for a proven target earner who could flirt with 140–150 targets in a league-average attack. He is loading up on Pittman shares and expects the market to correct once drafters realize Jones, not Anthony Richardson, is the likeliest full-season starter.

Jakob Sanderson argued that Daniel Jones should be treated as the heavy favorite to open the season under center for Indianapolis and is an auto-draft in the final rounds as a third quarterback. Citing GM Chris Ballard’s comment that “both guys will help us at some point,” Sanderson said the shoulder timeline on Anthony Richardson remains ambiguous — visiting the surgeon who performed last year’s procedure suggests surgery is still on the table. Even if Richardson returns, Shane Steichen has already shown a willingness to start veterans (Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco) while the rookie heals or struggles. Sanderson praised Steichen’s schematic versatility, noting he coaxed top-18 fantasy weeks out of Minshew, Flacco, and Richardson in vastly different offensive setups and kept the Colts at .500 despite QB chaos. Behind an elite offensive line and paired with Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman, Jones projects for rushing floor (career 32.8 rush yards per start) and adequate passing volume, which Sanderson says is all you need from a QB taken in the 17th–18th round to spike once or twice during Best Ball Mania’s playoff weeks.

Jakob Sanderson reiterated that Breece Hall remains a smash second-round pick in Best Ball Mania even after new HC Aaron Glenn keeps praising rookie Braylon Allen. Sanderson said the only anti-Hall arguments he hears are rooted in coach-speak, which he is happy to fade. He pointed to Hall’s unquestioned talent edge — Allen ranked second-to-last in rush yards over expected per attempt in 2023, while Hall was top-10 despite a torn ACL the year before. Sanderson added that OC Tanner Engstrand comes directly from Detroit, where Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for roughly 30 expected fantasy points per game. With Garrett Wilson the only Jets pass-catcher drafted inside the first 16 rounds and Justin Fields showing an increased check-down rate last season, Sanderson projects Hall to soak up targets and goal-line carries. He expects a workload similar to 2023 Detroit but condensed around one alpha, calling Hall “the clear bet to finish top-5 in RB spike weeks at his price.”

Jakob Sanderson said he is smashing the draft button on Caleb Johnson any time the rookie is on the board next to Quinshon Judkins. Sanderson expects Arthur Smith to make good on his promise of roughly 1,100 offensive snaps with "half of them runs," projecting a minimum 550 rushing attempts for Pittsburgh. He anticipates Johnson walking into a 50-percent snap share right out of the gate—despite the presence of Jalen Warren—because the third-rounder fits the early-down hammer role Pittsburgh covets. By contrast, Sanderson worries Cleveland will abandon the run early in games and could devolve into a three-man committee with Jerome Ford handling most pass-downs and fourth-round rookie Samson eating a series or two. Given Johnson graded higher than Judkins in his pre-draft talent evaluations, Sanderson says the Steeler offers both a safer weekly floor and more realistic 20-touch upside, making him the auto-pick in that sixth-round ADP pocket.

Jakob Sanderson endorsed Caleb Johnson as a priority RB pick after the eighth round, predicting the rookie settles into a two-thirds share of Seattle’s early-down snaps by Week 4 while Jaylen Warren handles most long-down-and-distance and two-minute work. Sanderson argued that the Aaron Rodgers signing is a quiet boon for Johnson because Rodgers has consistently peppered running backs on early downs—Green Bay ranked top-6 in early-down RB target rate in Rodgers’ final three seasons there. With DK Metcalf as the only established pass-catcher, Sanderson expects Johnson to siphon an extra catch or two per game, pushing him toward 17–19 touches weekly. Given Johnson’s cost relative to volume projections and Seattle’s upgraded offensive line (they invested two Day-2 picks in interior linemen), Sanderson believes he offers league-winning spike-week equity perfect for Best Ball tournaments.

Jakob Sanderson said George Pickens is one of the few wideouts he actively tries to be overweight on, calling Dallas a "much, much better environment than Pittsburgh." Pickens has cleared 0.20 targets per route and 2.0 yards per route run in each of his first two seasons despite bottom-five pass volume and scatter-shot quarterback play. Sanderson expects Dallas – a team he projects to finish top-8 in pass attempts because of a paper-thin running-back room and a shaky secondary – to push Pickens’ route total into the 620-plus range. Scaling those per-route numbers up puts Pickens on a T. Higgins–level trajectory, but you can draft him three rounds later at the 4/5 turn. Sanderson added that Pickens’ field-stretching skill set meshes perfectly with Dak Prescott’s historical deep-ball success (27 TDs of 20-plus yards since 2020) and that working off CeeDee Lamb should guarantee single-coverage looks. He is targeting a 20-plus percent portfolio share and called the landing spot "a really great steal" for Best Ball Mania.

Jakob Sanderson labeled rookie TreVeyon Henderson "really underpriced" at his current mid-6th-round ADP. Henderson was selected higher in the NFL draft than RJ Harvey and lands in a depth chart featuring only “an older but competent” veteran ahead of him, creating a clear path to a lead role. Sanderson believes the market is underrating Henderson’s pedigree and three-down skill set, insisting he should be drafted ahead of backs like David Montgomery or Quinshon Judkins. He views Henderson as a back who can both earn early-season touches and explode for league-winning upside if the veteran falters—exactly the profile he wants to chase in Best Ball Mania.

Jakob Sanderson encouraged drafters to scoop JK Dobbins around the 11th round as a high-ceiling, low-risk bet. He argued that Denver’s backfield "is a pretty nice pie"—top-five in XFP two years ago and still above average in 2024—so there is room for two backs to beat ADP. If Dobbins is viewed as a legitimate threat to Harvey’s workload, logic dictates that Dobbins himself has meaningful standalone and contingent value. The contract is cheap, which bakes in the injury risk, and Sanderson envisions a Walker/Charbonnet-style 1-2 punch where the total RB fantasy output rises, giving Dobbins spike-week potential that is perfect for Best Ball Mania formats.

Jakob Sanderson said RJ Harvey remains a smash best-ball selection even after Denver brought in JK Dobbins. Sanderson reminded listeners that the Broncos were top-5 in running-back expected fantasy points (XFP) in 2023 and still above average last year despite, in his words, “terrible running backs.” Sean Payton funneled the fifth-most RB targets to Javonte Williams, so adding a round-two rookie with real juice could actually enlarge the overall pie rather than shrink Harvey’s slice. Sanderson compared the situation to Kenneth Walker/Zach Charbonnet in Seattle—both backs became viable because the offense created enough volume. He expects Harvey’s ADP to slide from the mid-5th into the low-70s overall (behind TreVeyon Henderson) and plans to buy that dip aggressively, calling the new cost “really exciting” for drafters willing to bet on talent.

Jakob Sanderson called Bhayshul Tuten his favorite value pick in 2025 rookie drafts, saying managers can reliably grab the rookie running back anywhere from 2.02 to 2.06. Sanderson likes betting on inexpensive backs with three-down skill sets and thinks Tuten’s combination of burst and receiving chops gives him a realistic path to RB1 weeks as soon as injuries strike ahead of him. Because the dynasty market still focuses on first-round receivers, Sanderson believes Tuten is a classic 12-month arbitrage play: cheap to acquire now, expensive to buy later if he flashes. He is aggressively trading mid-second picks or depth veterans to secure Tuten shares before training-camp buzz hits.

Jakob Sanderson defended ranking Tyler Shough inside his top-200 dynasty assets, hanging his hat on Shough’s 40th-overall draft capital. Sanderson expects the Saints to treat 2025 as a "soft tank" season: Derek Carr’s restructured deal eats the cap, so the front office will start Shough to see if their 0.7 % franchise-QB lottery ticket cashes while simultaneously positioning themselves for the 2026 class (D.J. Uiagalelei, Arch Manning, Walker Howard). Even if Shough flames out, a full season of starts—Mac Jones 2021 style—has real value in Superflex, where a warm-bodied QB routinely demands a mid-second rookie pick in-season. Saints OC Klint Kubiak runs play-action-heavy concepts that simplify reads, which Sanderson believes gives Shough a realistic path to 220-yard, 1-TD passing lines plus 20–25 bonus rushing yards most weeks. At his current ADP (round 17 of startups), Sanderson views Shough as a no-risk swing whose floor is a one-year flip for future second-round equity.

Jakob Sanderson pushed Milroe all the way down to 121 overall, arguing the market is glossing over a brutal risk profile. He stressed that quarterbacks taken after pick 90 historically become career backups and compared Milroe to Malik Willis rather than Jalen Hurts. Sanderson doubts Seattle will redesign its offense around a late-third-round project, meaning Milroe could sit the entire season even if the Seahawks fall out of contention. In his view the more realistic comp is Sam Howell or Desmond Ridder—cheap dart throws that briefly start but quickly lose value. With no first-round capital, a raw passing resume, and a coaching staff committed to Darnold until further notice, Sanderson thinks Milroe carries a far greater chance of never posting a single startable fantasy week than of morphing into the next Justin Fields. He would rather flip any second-round rookie pick for safer assets than burn it on what he calls a "career-backup lottery ticket."

Jakob Sanderson pushed back on the idea that Jaxson Dart is a safe asset, calling him a boom-bust bet that could crater in value by 2026. Sanderson pointed out that since 2011 only Lamar Jackson and (eventually) Jordan Love have delivered long-term fantasy utility among quarterbacks drafted 16–32 overall, while E.J. Manuel, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, Paxton Lynch, Dwayne Haskins, Kenny Pickett, and Brandon Weeden all flamed out quickly. With Russell Wilson expected to start early in 2025, Sanderson fears Dart will get just 6-10 late-season appearances in Brian Daboll’s system—appearances that may come in a lame-duck season for Daboll and Joe Schoen. If a new coaching staff arrives in 2026, there is no guarantee they build around Dart’s low-floor profile. Because first-round draft capital after pick 15 historically provides only 34% odds of a second contract as a starter, Sanderson has dropped Dart into a tier with Xavier Worthy, Luther Burden, and other positional prospects rather than paying a "safe QB premium."

Jakob Sanderson argued that Jameson Williams has effectively reached his ceiling and should be ranked well behind more complete second-year wideouts. Williams saw fewer than 90 targets last year—less than Quentin Johnston—while still sitting behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and even Sam LaPorta in the pecking order. Sanderson does not see where additional volume could come from in an offense already loaded with established priority play-makers. Even if Williams stays efficient, Sanderson views him as a low-volume deep threat whose fantasy production will remain volatile and matchup-dependent. He recommends dynasty managers pivot to receivers with clearer paths to 25-plus percent target shares rather than banking on an unlikely re-allocation of Lions targets.

Jakob Sanderson called Xavier Worthy a trap at his current top-40 startup price, labeling him a manufactured-touch specialist rather than a future alpha. Sanderson pointed to Worthy’s 1.51 yards per route run—identical to Adonai Mitchell and worse than Keon Coleman and even Jalen Coker—and a 17-percent targets-per-route rate that screams complementary role. His statistical comp list (Henry Ruggs, John Ross, Kadarius Toney) is littered with deep-threat boom-bust players who never earned volume. Sanderson argued that even with Patrick Mahomes, Worthy’s ceiling is a 15-17-percent slice of the passing pie, which translates to volatile WR3 weeks and minimal trade value. He prefers more bankable assets like Breece Hall, Brock Purdy or even Zay Flowers in the same draft window and has Worthy buried at 59th overall—outside his fourth-round tier—because first-round receivers who fail to crest a 20-percent rookie target share lose an average of 35 startup spots by year two. In Sanderson’s view, drafters are chasing Tyreek-Hill dreams with a player who has shown none of Hill’s early-career dominance and should instead pivot to safer profiles or future picks.

Jakob Sanderson said managers need to hit the eject button on Anthony Richardson while he still carries name-brand value. Sanderson attended last year’s Broncos game and watched Richardson miss 12 of 15 eight-yard slot-outs in pre-game warm-ups—sailing some by 20 feet and one-hopping others—which convinced him the accuracy issues are terminal, not fixable. Any rushing floor that once insulated the profile is now threatened by job insecurity: the Colts brought in Daniel Jones and have declared an open competition, something Sanderson called “ultra-bearish” after Michael Pittman Jr. revealed he worked with Jones all off-season but never heard from Richardson. Add in reports that coaches dislike Richardson’s off-field habits, and Sanderson thinks the fourth-overall pick is staring at a Sam Howell/Malik Willis trajectory. He warned that another lost season could erase Richardson’s top-60 startup price entirely and advised flipping him for mid-first rookie capital or younger receivers like Luther Burden before camp opens.

Jakob Sanderson advised passing on Matthew Golden anywhere inside the top-24 rookie picks, calling him a likely real-life role player rather than a fantasy difference-maker. Sanderson highlighted Golden’s 1.85 career yards per route run and 17 % targets-per-route rate—both well below the 25 % threshold hit by past small-framed perimeter alphas like Tyler Lockett or Jordan Addison. His statistical comp list (Henry Ruggs, John Ross, Kadarius Toney, Nelson Agholor, Rashod Bateman) is littered with boom-bust vertical specialists who never earned elite target shares. Sanderson projects Golden for a capped 15–17 % slice of Green Bay’s passing pie, pointing out that even in an offense that finished 10th in pass attempts, such volume produces only WR3/FLEX weeks. Because first-round receivers who fail to crest a 20 % rookie target share lose an average of 35 startup spots by Year 2, Sanderson would rather pivot to Luther Burden or future 2026 picks than gamble on Golden’s outlier path to sustained fantasy value.

Jakob Sanderson argued that dynasty managers are overpaying for J.J. McCarthy. Sanderson noted the rookie attempted fewer passes in his entire college career than Caleb Williams completed, labeling him a low-volume, low-rushing profile similar to Mac Jones. Even if Kevin O’Connell keeps Minnesota among the league leaders in neutral-situation pass rate, Sanderson believes McCarthy’s fantasy ceiling tops out at Sam Darnold–level QB1 weeks, which would still leave him only in the late-20s of Superflex startup value. He warned that the Vikings fan base just watched Darnold thrive in the same scheme, so patience will evaporate quickly if McCarthy struggles. Because a poor rookie season could send his value crashing, Sanderson recommends treating McCarthy as a back-end QB2 rather than paying current top-15 prices.

Jakob Sanderson advised cashing out on Marvin Harrison while his market value is still buoyed by pre-draft hype. Sanderson said Harrison’s 2024 line (1.63 yards per route run, two 100-yard games, five TDs if you remove the Rams outburst) was merely fine, not generational. Because managers are still pricing him as if the superstar leap is inevitable, Jakob has repeatedly flipped Harrison for Tet McMillan or Travis Hunter plus another asset. He argued that an equally young WR without an iffy rookie season offers a similar ceiling with a higher probability of retaining value, whereas Harrison could tumble if he posts another “just OK” year. In super-flex and dynasty startups, Sanderson prefers to re-roll the bet rather than pay for what Harrison “was supposed to be.”