Mike Wright said Evan Engram is ‘primed’ for another productive season and just became an autopick if he slips past the eighth round. Wright expects Engram to inherit Denver’s No. 2 target role behind Courtland Sutton now that the rest of the depth chart (Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, Adam Troutman) lacks proven NFL production. Sean Payton has historically peppered his tight ends—Jimmy Graham averaged 7.8 targets per game under Payton—and Wright believes Engram’s 47 catches in only nine games last year show the 31-year-old can still command volume. After finishing TE6 and TE2 in 2022-23, Engram’s blend of reliable floor (zero career goose eggs in full games) and low acquisition cost (current ADP 8.07) makes him a value for season-long drafters who miss the elite tier.

Mike Wright compared each top-five quarterback’s ADP to the running back you must forfeit in the same draft range and concluded Jayden Daniels is the clear bargain. Taking Josh Allen means passing on Jonathan Taylor; Lamar Jackson costs you Kyren Williams; but Daniels only forces you to skip Breece Hall. Wright believes Daniels can match Allen and Jackson in fantasy points thanks to his projected 700 rushing yards and eight rushing scores in Kliff Kingsbury’s wide-open offense, while Hall faces a questionable Jets line and a likely timeshare with rookie Braelon Allen. Because Daniels sits in the same elite tier yet comes with the smallest opportunity cost, Wright recommended prioritizing him whenever you want to secure an early quarterback.

Mike Wright said Keon Coleman is the only Buffalo pass catcher he is willing to draft, framing the rookie as a low-risk, high-reward ticket you can grab in the 10th round. Wright likes that Coleman is younger, far more athletic than Khalil Shakir, and was clearly drafted to replace the lost star power of Stefon Diggs. With Buffalo still searching for a dominant red-zone target, Wright believes Coleman’s size and contested-catch chops give him a plausible path to become Josh Allen’s go-to option inside the 20. Because the Bills’ depth chart lacks an established alpha and because Coleman’s cost is so low that managers can cut bait after a couple of weeks if the role never materializes, Wright views him as an ideal upside swing in best-ball and the final flex spot of deep season-long leagues.

Mike Wright pivoted to the Brock Purdy–George Kittle stack after the Justin Fields injury scare. Kittle is one of the crew’s favorite overall picks, sitting in the 4th round and perhaps sneaking into the late 3rd, while Purdy can be scooped in the 10th. Wright reminded listeners that Purdy has flashed an elite touchdown-per-attempt rate in previous stretches, and pairing that with Kittle’s perennially high efficiency could return far more value than the modest draft capital required.

Mike Wright doubled-down even harder than his earlier discount RB1 take, saying he would actually draft Christian McCaffrey first overall if he lands the 1.01. Wright admitted McCaffrey is “the single hardest player to predict” after three injury-wrecked seasons and two title-winning ones in his last five, but his projections still spit out the top overall score. San Francisco owns the league’s third-highest implied point total and just lost Brandon Aiyuk (hold-out/trade rumors) and Deebo Samuel (dealt to Washington), vacating a large chunk of targets that historically funnel to the running back in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. With Vegas installing the Niners as favorites in 15 of 17 games and no other San Francisco skill player being drafted in the first round, Wright believes the path to 350 touches is wide open. He is willing to pass on safer names like Bijan Robinson or Saquon Barkley because McCaffrey’s win-rate ceiling is unmatched when he stays upright.

Mike Wright doubled-down on his preseason call that Christian McCaffrey should be the first running back off the board, arguing the market is overreacting to last year’s injury and forgetting the perfect storm in San Francisco. The 49ers own the league’s softest 2025 schedule and are favored in 15 of 17 games while fielding the third-highest implied point total. Wright highlighted 16% of the targets vacated by Deebo Samuel plus a rash of current receiver injuries, noting historical research shows those looks often flow to running backs when a team has turnover at wideout. With Shanehans backfield historically funneling red-zone work to its lead back and the defense losing multiple starters—potentially juicing play volume—Wright expects a repeat of McCaffrey’s 350-plus-touch seasons and sees an easy path to overall RB1 if the 29-year-old simply stays on the field. Because his ADP sits at RB7/2.06, Wright is auto-selecting McCaffrey in the second round and daring anyone drafting safer names like Josh Jacobs to match his weekly ceiling.

Mike Wright said Kyler Murray is a perfectly safe every-week starter at his current QB10 price in the 8th round. Murray’s 2024 rushing yardage was the second-highest of his career, and in an interview he admitted watching Lamar Jackson convinced him to run even more to stress defenses the way Baltimore did for Derrick Henry. Wright reminded listeners that Murray has finished top-10 in fantasy points per game in four of six seasons and that Arizona’s offense quietly went 8-9 despite the perceived struggles. With a healthier line, Marvin Harrison Jr. in year two, and Murray pledging additional designed runs, Wright expects another top-eight finish and sees little reason to burn earlier capital on quarterbacks going 2–3 rounds before him.

Mike Wright acknowledged Kyren Williams’ lack of explosiveness—just 182 receiving yards on 34 catches and few breakaway runs—but still labeled him an elite floor play. Williams has finished as the RB6 in back-to-back seasons thanks to absurd goal-line usage: league-leading 79 red-zone touches, a 74 % share of team carries inside the 20, and 14 touchdowns from inside the five in 2024. Wright currently ranks Williams as his RB10 and prefers drafting him as a high-end RB2 to pair with another upside back. He believes fantasy managers are over-penalizing the efficiency dip, noting Williams had plenty of splash plays two years ago and is only 25. With a friendly opening schedule (HOU, @TEN, @PHI, IND) and no credible threat to his red-zone role, Wright sees Williams as a rock-solid anchor in season-long leagues who rarely loses you weeks even if he seldom wins them outright.

Mike Wright said fantasy drafters should aggressively target rookie Omarion Hampton after Jim Harbaugh admitted he has no timetable for Najee Harris’s return to Chargers camp. Wright reminded listeners that Hampton was a first-round pick—historically a gold mine for fantasy production—and is already being selected several rounds ahead of Harris even before this news. Because Harris is new to the team, missing the entire install would erase any "veteran starter" advantage he might have had. If Harris can’t practice, Hampton will get all the first-team reps, learn the playbook, and likely open Week 1 as the lead back. Wright expects Hampton’s ADP to “take a rocket ship to the moon” and views him as a league-winning pick at his current cost.

Mike Wright admitted he has been skipping Javonte Williams in drafts but reversed course after realizing no Dallas backup or rookie runner is getting any camp buzz. Wright projected Williams to reprise last year’s workload—roughly 18 touches per game—as the unquestioned lead back. While Dallas’ offensive line finished 25th and still grades bottom-third, Wright stressed that raw volume at an RB29 price tag outweighs efficiency concerns. He envisions a steady RB2 floor with upside for spike weeks if Dak Prescott keeps the offense near the red zone, making Williams an ideal late-round contingency play in both season-long and best-ball formats.

Mike Wright warned drafters that Barkley’s massive 2024 workload is the textbook red-flag for a downturn. Wright dug up a sample of every back since 2020 who logged at least 330 touches (ten players total). All ten saw their volume fall by 45 or more touches the following year and only two managed to play a full 17-game slate. Barkley, now 28-and-a-half years old, smashed that threshold with 378 regular-season touches and another 104 in the playoffs. Although Philadelphia’s league-best offensive line and run-first identity make it easy to dream on a repeat, Wright thinks the historical attrition curve plus Barkley’s age makes him too risky at 1.01. He still ranks Saquon ahead of Jahmyr Gibbs but prefers Bijan Robinson as the safer top overall pick in both season-long drafts and best-ball tournaments where missing games is a killer.

Mike Wright expressed skepticism that Chris Olave’s new WR26 ADP adequately discounts the growing list of concerns surrounding him. Wright pointed out that Olave’s underlying metrics—yards per route run, target per route rate, and end-zone-target share—all trended downward in 2024, and the receiver is now dealing with lingering injury issues that have already cost him practice reps. With Tyler Shuck stepping into an offense Wright called "bottom third" in line play and overall talent, the path to a true bounce-back feels narrow. He even suggested it is "not impossible" for Rashid Shaheed to outscore Olave if health breaks poorly. Until the market drops Olave another round or two, Wright is inclined to let another manager assume the injury and quarterback risk.

Mike Wright flagged Juwan Johnson as a sneaky late-round tight-end dart now that Kellen Moore is calling plays. Johnson just signed a three-year, $30 million extension—evidence the Saints view him as more than a role player—and he led the team in both slot routes and slot receptions a year ago. Wright emphasized that Moore’s offenses have routinely funneled production to the slot: CeeDee Lamb led the NFL in slot receiving yards under Moore, Keenan Allen averaged the most slot catches per game, and DeVonta Smith scored five touchdowns from that alignment in Moore-designed concepts. With Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed expected to remain perimeter threats, Johnson could reprise that slot-mismatch role on a roster starved for big, middle-of-the-field targets. Wright called him an ideal TE2 stash who could crack weekly starter territory if the Saints’ outside receivers struggle or if Moore’s scheme repeats its historical slot usage.

Mike Wright called Chuba Hubbard a "stinky treasure" who keeps paying the bills at his current fourth-/fifth-round price. Hubbard logged a seven-week RB7 stretch (Weeks 3-16) last season, earned a multi-year extension this spring, and now faces zero early-season competition with rookie Jonathan Brooks shelved for the year. Wright acknowledged Hubbard’s pedestrian receiving grade, but doubts Rico Dowdell is enough of an upgrade to siphon meaningful passing-down snaps. With Carolina unlikely to fix a defense that ranked dead last in EPA, Wright projects 240–260 touches and steady RB2 output—even if the Panthers win only six games—making Hubbard a boring but bankable floor play in managed leagues and an undervalued volume chip in best-ball rooms.

Mike Wright said Bryce Young is a prime late-round upside pick after quietly flipping the switch once he returned from his mid-season benching. From Week 12 on, Carolina averaged 25 points per game (12th in the league) and Young ranked 7th in fantasy points per drop-back while finishing second among quarterbacks in scrambles. Wright likes the perfect fantasy storm: Dave Canales’ up-tempo system, a bottom-tier defense that will force shootouts, and the arrival of first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan to pair with last year’s pick Xavier Legette. Wright does not expect a top-five season, but believes Young can jump into every-week QB1 consideration by mid-season and is a free square in the double-digit rounds of redraft and best-ball drafts.

Mike Wright advised listeners to stop chasing the Kyle Pitts dream unless he falls several rounds past ADP. Wright highlighted that Pitts’ yards per route run have declined four straight seasons, and 38 % of his 2024 snaps came in-line—three times his 2023 rate—turning him into a glorified blocker. Despite being only 24, Pitts now carries the "oldest 24-year-old" tag in Wright’s model because chronic lower-body injuries have sapped the explosiveness that once made him the fourth overall pick. With Drake London commanding the alpha share and Darnell Mooney added as a field-stretcher, Wright thinks Pitts’ ceiling is a volatile TE2. He is comfortable letting someone else spend a single-digit round pick and pivoting to cheaper, healthier options like Jake Ferguson or Juwan Johnson.

Mike Wright cautioned managers about chasing rookie helium on Bucky Irving, who is already the RB8 off the board in early drafts. Wright has Irving ranked RB9 himself, with Andy Holloway also at RB9 and Jason Moore at RB11, placing the Footballers consensus slightly behind market. Wright notes that Irving shares a UDK tier with proven three-down veterans Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor, Chase Brown, and Kyren Williams; Irving is simply the most expensive chip in that group. Tampa Bay’s offense is loaded with receiving talent, so Wright questions whether the rookie will see the 65-plus catch workload baked into his price. He recommends letting someone else pay the early-third premium and pivoting to whichever of the other tier backs falls a round later.

Mike Wright labeled Rachaad White a perfectly acceptable "gross but useful" pick in the double-digit rounds. White racked up more than 200 combined carries and targets last season and quietly finished as the RB24 despite averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. Tampa added rookie Bucky Irving, but Wright expects White to maintain a significant passing-down role in Dave Canales’ offense and remain the preferred short-yardage option while the rookie learns protections. Because White is being drafted outside the top 40 backs, managers are paying nothing for a player who already demonstrated weekly flex utility and projects for 180-plus touches if he simply holds last year’s usage share. Wright advised scooping him up whenever a room lets him slip into the 10th round or later.

Mike Wright cautioned drafters not to fall for the Twitter buzz surrounding Chicago’s new seventh-round Rutgers running back. Wright noted that late-round backs almost never carve out meaningful roles—Isiah Pacheco is the one modern outlier—and compared the current hype cycle to past summer darlings Sean Tucker and Ke'Shawn Vaughn who flamed out quickly despite louder draft-season clicks. He pointed out that Roschon Johnson already has a year in the system and far better draft capital, while Ben Johnson’s scheme will still revolve around DeAndre Swift as the initial lead option. Wright’s bottom line: in redraft or best-ball you can throw a final-round dart if you want exposure to the Bears backfield roulette, but do not let the seventh-rounder’s name push Roschon down your board or tempt you to spend anything earlier than your very last pick.

Mike Wright advised passing on Jordan Love at his current QB12 ADP in season-long and best-ball drafts. Wright noted that Love offers virtually no rushing juice, so a top-five fantasy finish would require something like 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns—a perfect season he doubts materializes. He pointed out that healthier quarterbacks with similar or better upside such as Drake Maye, Jared Goff, Bo Nix, and Brock Purdy are all available later. Wright also questioned whether the Packers will lean as heavily on the pass with Josh Jacobs now in town and a coaching staff that repeatedly turned to the run after Love’s groin flare-up last year. Bottom line: if you need a late QB, wait for someone else and let the room overpay for Love.

Mike Wright warned that Josh Jacobs’ back-of-Round-2 price bakes in last season’s extreme run-heavy script—a script he doubts repeats. Wright noted that in 2023 a healthy Jordan Love piloted an offense where 76 percent of Green Bay’s touchdowns came through the air. Last year that figure flipped only after Love’s groin injury slashed his attempts by ten per game and forced LaFleur to lean on the ground game, pushing the Packers to 30th in pass rate. With Love now healthy, Wright expects the pendulum to swing toward the coach’s historical preference for balance, limiting Jacobs’ carry count and making a 14-TD repeat unlikely. He sits a couple spots below ADP in Wright’s ranks and prefers pivoting to Lamar Jackson at the same draft slot or waiting for third-round backs like Kyren Williams or Chase Brown. Unless Jacobs slips, Wright views him as a risky RB1 whose ceiling depends on another outlier rushing-TD share.

Mike Wright pushed back on T.J. Hockenson’s current fifth-round price tag, arguing the veteran tight end is more floor than ceiling. Hockenson has finished TE4, TE2, and TE4 the last three seasons, but Wright contends that even a TE4 finish is not truly difference-making when you forego a starting running back or wide receiver in that draft slot. He prefers paying up for Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, or George Kittle—or waiting an extra round or two for David Njoku or Sam LaPorta—because Hockenson does not separate from the pack in weekly scoring. Andy Holloway countered that he projects 115 targets (down from 127 and 129 the past two years) and will be a security blanket for rookie J.J. McCarthy, yet even he admitted he only grabbed Hockenson in Round 7 of their mock when the value fell. Wright’s bottom line: unless Hockenson slips at least a round, pass and chase higher upside elsewhere.

Mike Wright talked up Jordan Mason as one of his favorite free-round darts in redraft and best-ball builds. Wright reminded listeners that the Vikings traded for Mason the moment free agency opened and immediately re-worked his contract, signaling a real role. Minnesota tried to platoon Ty Chandler early last year (11-16 touches Weeks 1-3) and even brought in Cam Akers, so the staff clearly wants a two-back system. Coaches have already singled Mason out for short-yardage and goal-line duties, the same role in which he excelled when Christian McCaffrey missed time: RB3 in Week 1 on 28 carries at 5.2 YPC, RB7 in Week 2, and another 100-yard outing in Week 4, averaging 4.9 per tote and pacing to nearly 1,900 rushing yards over that month. With Aaron Jones handling most of the receptions, Wright sees Mason as the ‘hammer’ who can fall into 8-10 touchdowns and become a league-winner if the 30-year-old Jones goes down. At RB46 and usually available in Round 13, Wright urged managers to scoop him before camp buzz moves the price.

Mike Wright wants no part of David Montgomery at his fifth-round ADP. Wright called Montgomery "fragile and risky," noting that 70 percent of his 2024 carries came while Detroit was leading or tied—luxury game scripts unlikely to repeat with the NFL’s third-hardest schedule and Ben Johnson out of town. The Lions’ offensive-line grade has already fallen from fourth to 13th per PFF, and Montgomery offers little pass-game insurance in comeback mode. While Montgomery would be a smash if Gibbs were sidelined, Wright emphasized that you are passing on locked-in starters such as Isiah Pacheco and Aaron Jones to draft a committee back whose scoring-position touches could shrink. He advised fading Montgomery in season-long leagues unless his price slips two full rounds.

Mike Wright warned that the Detroit offense is priced as though last year’s league-leading 33.2 points per game repeats, but multiple signals point to regression. He highlighted Ben Johnson’s departure—removing the trick-play creativity that added "sprinkles" like the fall-down screen TD—as the first red flag. Pro Football Focus has already dropped the Lions’ offensive-line grade from fourth to 13th, and Detroit faces the NFL’s third-hardest schedule with road trips to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and Kansas City. History backs him up: each of the seven teams since 2015 that averaged 3.8+ offensive TDs per game saw at least a 10-touchdown decline the following year. Wright projects Detroit to finish closer to 10th in scoring; drafters should shave 10–15 percent off volume projections for high-ADP weapons like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameer Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta before paying current prices.

Mike Wright highlighted fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson as an under-the-radar beneficiary of the Judkins mess. With only Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong ahead of him, Sampson could conceivably steal the passing-down role thanks to his receiving chops, something Wright stressed Ford does not excel at. If Ford becomes the two-down grinder on a low-scoring offense, Sampson’s check-down volume could turn him into a sneaky PPR flex while Judkins is away. Wright recommended grabbing Sampson in the final rounds of season-long and best-ball drafts before camp reports catch up.

Mike Wright acknowledged Jakobi Meyers will never be a flashy selection but argued he is wildly mis-priced at WR40. Meyers accounted for 30 % of the Raiders’ first-read targets in 2024—higher than Tee Higgins or Brian Thomas Jr.—and still turned in a WR24 finish despite scatter-shot quarterback play. Wright noted the upgrade to Geno Smith, an accurate passer who supported strong slot numbers in Seattle, and emphasized that Smith plus Brock Bowers can buoy a two-receiver offense even if Vegas leans run-heavy with Ashton Gentie. With Meyers entering a contract year, the possibility of an in-season trade adds hidden upside. Wright projects a comfortable top-36 finish and sees a path to the low-30s, making Meyers a perfect depth option in redraft and a steady bye-week or injury plug-in for double-flex formats.

Mike Wright said J.K. Dobbins makes sense as a double-digit-round flyer even though the veteran’s juice looked gone late last year. Wright acknowledged Dobbins’ yards after contact cratered post-Achilles (down to 2.1) and expects Sean Payton to run a true committee—he invoked the old Kamara/Ingram splits to warn against expecting a workhorse. Still, Denver’s improved offensive line returns all five starters, the early schedule is soft against the run, and Payton showed last season he will ride the hot hand (Tyler Badie Weeks). If the summer rumor that Dobbins will open camp as the starter proves accurate, Wright thinks drafters get a potential goal-line lead back essentially for free, with the understanding his leash will be short if RJ Harvey proves superior.

Mike Wright said he is passing on Patrick Mahomes at his current QB6 cost, preferring to watch the former MVP land on somebody else’s roster. Mahomes finished QB11 last season and was an "F" in weekly consistency, topping 20 fantasy points in just 23% of his games. Wright gave only a 30% probability that Kansas City’s offense reverts to the high-flying version we saw earlier in Mahomes’ career, noting the Chiefs just reached another Super Bowl while leaning on their defense and a balanced attack. With the market still pricing in a ceiling season, Wright thinks drafters are better off waiting for cheaper quarterbacks with similar weekly ranges of outcomes.

Mike Wright said he wants no part of Breece Hall at his early-third-round cost and has the Jets back ranked RB17, exactly where he finished last season. Wright’s concern is that Hall’s fantasy value has been almost entirely propped up by receptions – 73 % of his PPR points have come through the air – and that safety-valve volume could disappear with Justin Fields replacing check-down king Aaron Rodgers. Fields averaged 7.5 scrambles per game in Chicago and again in Pittsburgh, a tendency that traditionally robs running backs of dumpoffs. New head coach Aaron Glenn is also talking up a “three-starter” committee featuring rookie Braylon Allen, further clouding Hall’s touch floor. Wright noted the Jets want to win with defense, meaning overall pass attempts could tumble. With so many red flags, he is fading Hall at his RB3 ADP and treating him as a back-end RB2 who repeats 2024’s 13.3 points per game.

Mike Wright labeled rookie Mason Taylor a "perfect last-round tight end swing" because Tyler Conklin’s departure leaves 111 targets up for grabs and the rest of the Jets depth chart is a wasteland. New OC Nathaniel Hackett’s system historically throws to the tight end – Conklin saw a 16 % target share last year – and Taylor walks in as a 6'5", 255-pound seam-stretch option who reeled in 11 red-zone touchdowns over his final two LSU seasons. Wright expects New York to operate a ball-control attack built around the run and quick reads for Justin Fields, putting Taylor on the field for every high-percentage look. He is stashing Taylor everywhere best-ball and redraft managers need a cheap path to 60+ receptions and mid-TE2 upside.

Mike Wright argued that Justin Fields is "one of the most mispriced players in fantasy" because he is coming off the board as QB18 even though his rushing floor alone made him a back-end QB1 last season. In his six Pittsburgh starts Fields averaged 18.9 fantasy points and that followed an 17.7-PPG season with Chicago – production Wright noted would still sneak into the weekly top-12 range. The Jets project to hide a shaky roster with a run-heavy, defense-first approach, which meshes perfectly with Fields’ skill set and should lock in 8-10 designed carries per game. Wright is not worried about Tyrod Taylor lurking because when you’re drafting QB18 you are already planning to stream. He views Fields as a cheap way to grab weekly 20-point upside and believes the odds he starts the full season are higher than drafters assume.

Mike Wright advised passing on Darren Waller, arguing the 33-year-old will struggle to match even Jonnu Smith’s 2024 role (111 targets) despite signing with Miami. The Dolphins were the NFL’s least explosive offense last year, producing only 45 plays of 20-plus yards (31st) and ranking 31st in EPA per rush thanks to a battered offensive line. With Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane already commanding touches, Wright doubts there is enough volume left for an aging tight end who publicly complained about being asked to block and briefly considered retirement. Waller’s most recent season yielded just 8.8 yards per target and one touchdown, so Wright expects nothing more than fringe TE2 numbers even if he becomes the third option. He is steering clear in both best-ball and redraft until Waller proves the legs are back in camp.

Mike Wright framed DeMario Douglas as the Khalil Shakir of the Patriots’ offense—never a league-winner but always usable. Wright noted Douglas is "always going to be on the field" and should handle the slot role in three-receiver sets even after the Stefon Diggs trade and Kyle Williams pick. Because Douglas works underneath, Wright expects a steady diet of short throws that pile up receptions (he joked the hope is "10 yards a catch"). That profile gives Douglas a reliable PPR floor for bye-week or injury fill-ins, especially if New England’s offensive line struggles force Drake May to get the ball out quickly. Wright is happy to grab Douglas in the last couple of rounds as a low-ceiling, high-usage safety valve.

Mike Wright told listeners he is taking Tony Pollard every time he sees him in the seventh round, even over Travis Etienne, because he doesn’t buy the Titans’ renewed talk of a strict timeshare with Tyjae Spears. Wright reminded the audience that the staff made the same committee promises last preseason, only for Pollard to dominate early-season touches while Spears was fantasy-irrelevant until December. Pollard’s passing-game chops (107 receptions over the last three years) give him a safer weekly floor than Etienne, whose target share cratered to 7.5% in 2024. With an ADP that now bakes in the fear of a backfield split, Wright sees Pollard as a classic buy-low bell-cow candidate who still owns goal-line equity and every-down potential if Week-1 usage mirrors last year’s reality rather than the offseason coach-speak.

Mike Wright argued that Tank Bigsby is a smart late-round hedge for managers who refuse to trust Travis Etienne. Wright noted that Etienne’s efficiency cratered in 2024 (3.6 YPC, RB46 in rush yards over expectation) and that the new staff has talked up a "multiple back" approach. Bigsby—already taking first-team reps—can leapfrog Etienne in short-yardage work and projects for the goal-line touches Liam Cohen funneled to Kyren Williams when the Rams were inside the five. With Bigsby available in the 11th round, two full rounds after Etienne, Wright believes you’re getting similar weekly touch upside at a fraction of the cost and none of the downside that comes with Etienne’s plummeting reception share (career-low 7.5% target rate).

Mike Wright called Nico Collins an "elite guy" whose ceiling is the overall WR1 if things break right. He pointed to Collins’ obvious chemistry with C.J. Stroud, his 2023 stretch of WR1-level weeks before injuries, and the fact Houston’s depth chart lost Stefon Diggs and Robert Woods while adding only inexpensive pieces. Although Sharp Football ranks the Texans’ offensive line dead last, Wright noted Collins thrived behind a bottom-five unit in 2024 and should again command alpha volume. With the market fading Stroud and the Texans after a .500 back half, Wright is scooping Collins a round ahead of ADP to capture that sky-high upside.

Mike Wright identified David Njoku as his favorite tight-end target in the Round-8/9 range, saying he would select Njoku ahead of both Evan Engram and Mark Andrews at similar ADPs. Cleveland ranked first in pass percentage yet dead last in scoring last year, a combination Wright believes will keep volume flowing to short-area options while depressing cost. Even with the Browns’ quarterback carousel, Njoku posted a career-best three-game run to close 2024 and now faces minimal competition for middle-of-the-field targets after Elijah Moore’s departure. Wright argued that Njoku’s athletic profile (4.64 forty at 246 lbs) and red-zone usage give him weekly top-five upside in a thin tight-end landscape. Draft him as a cheap starter and ignore the Browns’ broader offensive chaos.

Mike Wright called Chase Brown "one of my favorite picks in all of fantasy football" at his current RB12 ADP in the early third round. Wright highlighted Brown’s eight-game stretch as the starter after Zack Moss was injured: RB5 in total fantasy points, an 86 percent catch rate on a 93-target season-long pace, and only Saquon Barkley logged more combined carries plus targets during that span. Cincinnati added no meaningful backfield competition—Moss returns as a pure depth piece and veteran Samaje Perine plus late-round rookie Corey Brooks are merely insurance. Wright emphasized that receiving work is the cheat code for elite fantasy backs and noted Burrow peppered Brown with check-downs while the team rattled off wins down the stretch. With the Bengals’ offense projected to remain top-10 in pace and points, Wright believes Brown carries legitimate RB1 overall upside and should be drafted ahead of several early-down grinders in season-long formats.

Mike Wright warned drafters not to chase DK Metcalf at a top-60 overall cost. Metcalf has failed to beat ADP in four straight seasons, and Wright doubts a move to Pittsburgh solves the problem. Aaron Rodgers demands precise route timing and prefers technicians, while Metcalf wins on raw physical dominance and improvisation—an uneasy stylistic fit. Add in Arthur Smith’s well-documented desire to rank near the bottom of the league in pass rate and Wright sees capped volume: he projects roughly 110–115 targets, far below what fantasy managers need at his draft slot. With two-tight-end sets featuring Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith further pinching wide-receiver snaps, Wright is content to let someone else pull the trigger unless Metcalf falls multiple rounds.

Mike Wright said Caleb Johnson is the only Steeler he actively wants in drafts right now. Johnson’s current late-eighth-round Sleeper ADP is a temporary bargain—Wright expects it to jump several rounds once casual drafters arrive in August because rookies always spike. He projects Jaylen Warren to open the season as the nominal starter thanks to superior pass protection and Aaron Rodgers’ preference for veteran backs, but believes Johnson’s break-away speed and big-play profile will force a changing of the guard by October. Pittsburgh spent its first pick on Johnson to replace Najee Harris and wants more explosive runs after ranking 28th in pass rate under Arthur Smith. Rodgers’ presence means defenses can’t load the box, setting up chunk gains once Johnson’s touch share climbs. Wright urged fantasy managers in season-long leagues to draft Johnson ahead of Warren, remain patient through the first few weeks, and reap an upside RB2 the rest of the way.

Mike Wright called Derrick Henry one of the most undervalued backs in early drafts, noting drafters "kick him down" despite Baltimore re-upping his contract. Henry handled 81% of his carries while the Ravens were tied or leading, a game-script advantage Wright expects to repeat for a Super Bowl-caliber roster. Even without 40-plus receptions, Wright projects "a million touchdowns" behind Baltimore’s unchanged top-10 run-blocking line. He’s comfortable selecting Henry ahead of less certain pass-catching backs and views him as a discounted RB1 who can still crack the overall RB1 finish on sheer volume and goal-line dominance.

Mike Wright said he is flat-out passing on Mark Andrews at his current seventh-round ADP. Wright pointed to an unsustainable 2024 red-zone conversion rate—Andrews turned 15 red-zone targets into 11 touchdowns, a spike he called "bonkers off-the-charts efficiency" and nearly double the tight end’s previous career high. Andrews is now 30, coming off a year in which his overall opportunity shrank (69 targets) while Isaiah Likely siphoned 58 looks. With Baltimore happy to rotate two tight ends and Lamar Jackson unlikely to repeat a 40-TD season, Wright believes touchdown variance is poised to swing the other way. He would only draft Andrews if the veteran fell to rounds 10–12, preferring to look elsewhere for a more bankable TE1.

Mike Wright called Tyler Warren his favorite rookie tight end and a slam-dunk in the ninth round at TE11—the third-highest rookie tight-end ADP in fantasy history. Wright argued Warren could finish second on the Colts in targets because Indianapolis still lacks a clear hierarchy between Michael Pittman and Josh Downs. He labeled Warren a “super freak” athlete who immediately leapfrogs the middling upside of veterans like Dallas Goedert and Jake Ferguson being drafted around him. Wright’s approach is to stream tight end once you’re outside the elite tier, so he loves taking the Week 1 swing on Warren’s 10-target upside knowing the opportunity cost is minimal. With Anthony Richardson targeting the middle of the field and Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter historically featuring athletic tight ends, Wright believes Warren offers a realistic path to mid-season top-six production while the rest of the position flounders.

Mike Wright called Jared Goff the "worst pick" in single-QB formats at his current 8.02 ADP. Although Goff is one of only three quarterbacks (with Hurts and Allen) to post top-10 fantasy finishes each of the last three seasons, Wright argued that those totals mask week-to-week inconsistency. He compared Goff to vintage Philip Rivers—good season-long numbers that rarely win a fantasy week. Wright pointed to Detroit's top-five rushing attack, Ben Johnson’s departure, and the loss of All-Pro center Frank Ragnow as factors that could further cap touchdown volume while exposing Goff’s long-standing struggles under pressure. He rattled off a list of late-round alternatives—Bo Nix, Kyler Murray, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, and Dak Prescott—available multiple rounds later with higher weekly ceilings. Wright’s bottom line: in Round 8 you either want a true every-week starter or you should still be hammering skill positions; Goff is neither.

Mike Wright believes the market has R.J. Harvey priced correctly as RB24 in the sixth round, arguing the rookie owns the inside track to Denver’s starting job. He cited league history—“the first running back drafted almost always opens Week 1 as the starter”—and called Harvey the “more explosive player” compared to veteran J.K. Dobbins at this stage of their careers. Wright noted Harvey’s 96th-percentile Burst Score, his 24-touchdown senior year at UCF, and Sean Payton’s long track record of feeding versatile backs (Alvin Kamara, Pierre Thomas). While conceding Dobbins is a worthy late flyer, Wright expects Harvey to command the bulk of high-value touches—goal-line carries and screens—making him a solid anchor RB2 for managers who start WR-heavy. His advice: embrace Harvey’s sixth-round cost before a strong preseason pushes him into the fifth.

Mike Wright chose Sam LaPorta ahead of Evan Engram, explaining that LaPorta offers the better combination of target volume and touchdown equity in Detroit’s high-octane offense. Wright noted LaPorta already delivered a TE4 finish as a rookie and believes the Lions’ decision to keep Ben Johnson as play-caller locks in another season of heavy red-zone usage and catch-and-run opportunities off play-action. While he respects Engram’s reception floor, Wright expects LaPorta’s 20-percent red-zone target share and Jared Goff’s trust on third downs to push the second-year tight end past the 90-catch, double-digit-touchdown threshold. He is comfortable doubling up on Detroit pass-catchers because the Lions ranked top-5 in pass attempts inside the 10 and top-8 in overall scoring last year. Wright told listeners to draft LaPorta confidently in the late seventh or early eighth round whenever Travis Kelce, Brock Bowers and George Kittle are already gone.

Mike Wright urged caution on Isaiah Pacheco, predicting a nasty three-headed committee in Kansas City. Wright expects Elijah Mitchell to siphon early-down snaps while veteran Kareem Hunt reprises last year’s usage as the primary pass-catcher and goal-line option. Those "high-value touches"—targets and carries inside the five—are precisely where fantasy points are minted, and Wright believes Pacheco will lose most of them. Even if camp reports about Pacheco being back to full health prove accurate, Wright doubts the Chiefs deviate from the timeshare they leaned on during 2024’s stretch run. He is avoiding Pacheco at current ADP, labeling him an RB3 trap for managers chasing last season’s box scores.

Mike Wright called Joe Mixon at 4.06 "one of the steals of the draft" in full-PPR leagues. Mixon went after James Cook, Kenneth Walker, Hampton, Chuba Hubbard and James Conner even though, in Wright’s words, his three-down profile gives him a higher weekly floor. Wright, who admitted he has "talked crap" about Mixon in the past, still values him over Hubbard because of the receptions—Mixon has averaged more than three catches per game the last two seasons and will keep that role in Houston’s offense. Wright projected a 60-plus target season with all short-yardage work, making Mixon a player he would take before the backs drafted ahead of him in any PPR format.

Mike Wright kept piling on pass-catching backs by adding Alvin Kamara as his RB3, insisting age has not closed Kamara’s reception window. Wright noted that even in a down 2023 Kamara finished second among running backs with 86 catches and ranked top-five in yards per route run versus zone coverage. With Klint Kubiak arriving as offensive coordinator—his previous offenses targeted running backs on 21% of routes—Wright expects another 70-plus-catch season. He also highlighted that Kamara handled 41% of the Saints’ inside-five carries last year, so touchdown upside remains intact. Wright is comfortable spending an early-third-round pick because pairing Kamara with Christian McCaffrey "monopolizes the running-back reception market" and locks in weekly floor.