Everyone loves an Ask Me Anything (AMA), especially the fantasy football community. You can put me at the top of the list of those who love fantasy football AMA. Answering questions for a specific individual fantasy player is so much fun. Not only am I helping that fantasy player improve their team, but it also challenges me to think outside the general box of who is higher in my rankings or who to start this year.
FantasyPros does an excellent job with their Discord AMAs, giving members a chance to have their questions answered by professionals. Please join the Discord channel and reach out to me anytime with any fantasy football questions.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into some of the questions and answers from my Discord AMA on August 5th.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Auction Rankings
Fantasy Football Discord AMA
Redraft League Questions
- Is Jonnu Smith a startable tight end this year?
Smith is outside the top 18 tight ends in my rankings. I was calling him a bust before he got traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There are several tight ends in the later rounds I would draft over Smith, including guys who deserve more sleeper hype like Mason Taylor and Elijah Arroyo.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Garrett Wilson in full PPR scoring?
I have Wilson slightly higher in my rankings, but both are high-end WR2s. Neither wide receiver has an above-average quarterback, but Wilson has less target competition than Smith-Njigba. He also has more touchdown upside.
- Would you rather draft Chase Brown or Bucky Irving in PPR leagues?
Both are in my top 13 running back rankings, but I have Chase higher. He has no competition for touches out of the backfield, while Irving will lose some passing game work to Rachaad White. Furthermore, Brown plays on the better offense.
- Which three or four players in the middle rounds do you find yourself drafting the most often?
Calvin Ridley, Kaleb Johnson, Rome Odunze, and Jordan Mason. Ridley should have a bounce-back year with Cam Ward under center and little target competition. Johnson is the ideal running back for Arthur Smith’s offense. His floor is what Najee Harris did last season (12 PPR fantasy points per game). Odunze could be the Chicago Bears’ No. 1 wide receiver. Mason has been one of my favorite running back picks all offseason. He could push Aaron Jones out of the starting role.
- Thoughts on Dont’e Thornton?
I like him more in best ball than in redraft leagues because he will have spike weeks, but I lack confidence in starting him weekly. Thornton will have games with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown on four targets, but also have performances with one reception for nine yards. It’s hard to see him getting consistent volume with Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and Jakobi Meyers being the focal points of the offense.
- Rank these tight ends: Jonnu Smith, Evan Engram, and David Njoku.
I have Njoku (TE6) slightly ahead of Engram (TE7) in my rankings, but both are in the mid-range TE1 mix. I wouldn’t feel the need to select a second tight end if I drafted them. However, I have no interest in Smith and would rather get burned by Kyle Pitts again than draft him.
- Does Ladd McConkey‘s situation get better or worse with the Keenan Allen signing?
McConkey’s fantasy value takes a slight hit, going from a low-end WR1 to a high-end WR2 in my PPR rankings. Even if he has to play more on the outside this season because of Allen, McConkey ranked fourth among qualifying wide receivers in yards per route (3.16) and fantasy points per route run (0.65) when lined up out wide as a rookie (per Fantasy Points Data). Unfortunately, Allen’s arrival kills any sleeper appeal for Tre Harris.
- Which rookie tight end would you rather draft: Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland?
I have Warren as the TE11 in my PPR rankings and Loveland as the TE13. While Warren has the far worse quarterback play, he has less target competition. It is purely a gut feeling, but I believe there is a chance (an extremely small one) that Warren can be Brock Bowers 2.0 as a rookie. Unfortunately, I can’t see Loveland finishing as a top-five tight end without multiple injuries to the Chicago Bears’ wide receiver corps.
Keeper League Questions
- My three keepers in a PPR, 1QB, non-tight end premium league are Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, and Nico Collins. Who should I target with my first pick between Trey McBride, Mike Evans, Kenneth Walker III, Tee Higgins, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Alvin Kamara?
Your keepers are excellent. While I would be tempted to draft a running back given the injury risks to McCaffrey and Barkley, you have to grab McBride. Drafting him or Brock Bowers in as many leagues as possible is a top priority for me this year.
- Two-quarterback league where my keepers are Joe Burrow and Nico Collins, should I keep Trey McBride or Chase Brown as my third keeper?
That’s a tough call; you’re making me pick between two of my favorite guys. However, I would lean toward McBride because I value having an elite tight end this year more than most fantasy experts. See what you can get for Brown on the trade market. He is too valuable to just let him go back into the player pool.
- Pick one to keep in a 12-team PPR league: Davante Adams (Round 2), Lamar Jackson (Round 3), James Conner (Round 6), Khalil Shakir (Round 7), and Chuba Hubbard (Round 7)
Jackson is the easy pick. He likely goes in the late second round of 1QB home leagues, so you’re getting a solid value. Hubbard is an appealing option, but I would rather have the elite quarterback over the solid RB2, even with the four-round pick differential.
- In a full PPR and 1QB league, who should be my lone keeper at cost? Drake London (Round 2), Lamar Jackson (Round 5), or Ladd McConkey (Round 7).
While keeping Jackson at a two or three-round discount is an appealing option, I’m going with McConkey despite the addition of Keenan Allen. He will remain Justin Herbert’s top wide receiver and shouldn’t come off the field for the veteran. McConkey is a massive value in the seventh round.
Dynasty League Questions
- Would you trade away Emeka Egbuka, Ricky Pearsall, and a late 2026 first-round rookie pick for CeeDee Lamb? I am stacked at wide receiver and have plenty of depth.
Trading away two former Day 1 NFL Draft pick wide receivers and a first-round rookie pick is a tough pill to swallow. However, Egbuka and Pearsall likely won’t become a fantasy superstar like Lamb. I would make the deal, especially since you have plenty of depth at wide receiver.
- How worried should I be about Quinshon Judkins with his off-the-field situation since he is the only rookie who hasn’t signed his contract? Should I sell low or wait it out and see what happens from here?
The whole situation sucks, from what Judkins is accused of doing to the fantasy ramifications. I don’t like how the owner didn’t sound very confident about the rookie playing this year. However, to sell low now would be a mistake. I actually traded for him on a couple of my rebuilding teams in exchange for a veteran like Najee Harris or Travis Etienne Jr. and a 2026 second-round pick.
- Who is the better dynasty asset: Justice Hill or Keaton Mitchell?
Neither has much value with Derrick Henry healthy. Furthermore, both will have a role if the superstar misses time with an injury. More importantly, neither guy has any meaningful long-term value. Mitchell is the better dynasty asset, but I would trade either running back for a fourth-round rookie selection.
- Since you’re a Longhorns fan, am I an idiot for tanking this year for Arch Manning?
Yes, only because I believe Manning won’t declare for the NFL Draft until 2027. Both his uncles spent four years in college, and that was before the days of NIL. Manning is worth tanking for, but I would be loading up on 2027 first-round rookie picks for multiple players. The 2027 draft class will include Manning, Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Ryan Williams (Alabama), DJ Lagway (Florida), and other elite prospects. That rookie class could rival the 2024 group.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
