RADIO
This year marks the second iteration of the National Fantasy Football Convention (NFFC, not to be confused with the National Fantasy Football Championship draft series). Held in Fort Worth, Texas, a stone's throw away from Jerry's World in Dallas, the convention took place from July 13-15 and featured some of the biggest names from the NFL and fantasy world.
Stars like Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon, Dez Bryant, Patrick Mahomes, and the Playmaker Michael Irvin were in attendance, along with over 100 current and former NFL players. RotoBaller was granted media access to the event and I was able to sit in on press conferences with several players to pose questions about the upcoming season.
Here are my insider notes on player interviews from NFFC Day 1.
NFFC Player Quotes and Reaction
Kenyan Drake (RB, MIA)
Miami running back Kenyan Drake was the first player to enter the media room, so I immediately asked him to give his take on what the backfield situation would look like after the addition of veteran and future Hall of Fame RB Frank Gore, along with talented rookie Kalen Ballage. Listen to his response here:
Takeaway: Drake is still the RB1 in Miami, but he is unlikely to be an RB1 in fantasy. Keep in mind that Drake did all his damage after Jay Ajayi was jettisoned and Damien Williams suffered a shoulder injury along with Sinorice Perry, leaving Drake as the only healthy RB. Frank Gore proved he can still carry a full load last year, although he is going to a team with an equally bad offensive line and won't put up better numbers, especially in a limited role. He will still be on the field enough to eat into Drake's production, however. Kalen Ballage is an unknown commodity and shouldn't a big concern as of right now, but a strong training camp could push Drake's value down even further. His current ADP of 46 overall in PPR leagues (according to FantasyFootballCalculator.com) is too rich given the team context. He's much more desirable as an RB3/flex play, but there's no way you're getting him that late.
Jamaal Williams (RB, GB)
Aside from the revelations that Vaseline really does help in the frozen tundra of Green Bay and he beats roommate Aaron Jones in Madden regularly, Williams stated that Ty Montgomery has played a big brother role to both he and Jones. There is no rivalry whatsoever between the running backs and all three support each other regardless of outcome. I asked if he felt a steep learning curve coming out of college and he admitted that he got more comfortable as his rookie season progressed, especially once he fully grasped the playbook.
Takeaway: Williams barely saw the field in the first half of 2017, logging 11 carries for 34 yards with just four receptions over the first eight games. Once he became the main runner, he piled up 746 total yards over the last eight games, despite having an inept Brett Hundley behind center for most of the time. Williams averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, but frequently faced bad situations and still would have finished with a 1,000-yard rushing season. He is talented, but stuck in a dreaded RBBC that shows no signs of dissipating. In fact, backfield mate Aaron Jones was asked about that very situation...
Aaron Jones (RB, GB)
Asked about the backfield situation, he replied, "They just told us it's going to be open. All three of us will be getting reps. We'll all be touching the ball on Sunday. We all complement each other well, so I'm just excited to see how it works out."
Takeaway: Green Bay fans may be excited, but this is a worst-case scenario for fantasy owners. A three-headed monster may prove efficient, but there isn't enough volume in an already pass-happy offense to make any of the three RBs appealing as anything other than a depth stash in case of injury.
The elephant in the room remained invisible, as nobody dared ask Jones about his recent two-game suspension. It doesn't figure to make a big impact in the long run, but it does make him that much less appealing in fantasy drafts.
Patrick Mahomes (QB, KC)
Mahomes first responded to a question about what it was like to sit and watch as a rookie. "I learned a ton. Alex (Smith) was an amazing guy. He brought me into the quarterback room, accepted me and did his thing and had a great season himself, but at the same time taught me things. Just to see what it took to mentally prepare for the game and what you have to do in order to have success on the field was something that I value and will utilize going into this next season."
I asked whether the team planned to take the offense in a more vertical direction with the addition of Sammy Watkins and he reiterated that he will run the offense that Andy Reid creates. He made it clear that the offense is loaded with playmakers and that he simply needs to put the ball in their hands so they can make plays on their own.
Takeaway: Mahomes seemed supremely confident in his offense and coaching staff. As a young player and first-time starter, it's to be expected that he'll give the company line and defer to his veteran teammates to the media, but he appeared genuine throughout the conference. Mahomes has a gun for an arm, as you have probably seen by now, but you'd never know it by looking at him without pads. While listed at 230 pounds, it's hard to imagine he's close to that. The Chiefs are likely to rely on Kareem Hunt early in the season to alleviate pressure on Mahomes and it sounded as if the plan was to have him make quick reads and rely on his receivers earning YAC. The deep ball will definitely be in play, but it isn't likely to be as prevalent as it was last year with Smith at center, contrary to what many fantasy owners may speculate. He concluded by adding that his favorite play call is "any play that's a touchdown." We should still see plenty of those in KC, but it may be fewer than last season.
Chase Litton (QB, KC)
Asked if he sees the QB competition as wide open with Alex Smith gone, Litton replied his intention was to "learn from the best. I'm around guys who... Pat (Mahomes) being a second-year guy and Chad Henne being an 11-year pro, so I'm excited to learn from him. Really just let Pat do his thing and focus on learning the playbook and being the best teammate I can."
Takeaway: As an undrafted free agent out of Marshall, Litton has the size (6'5", 232 lbs) and pedigree to be an NFL quarterback, having thrown at least 23 touchdowns in his first three college seasons. He is no real threat for playing time this season, however, as it will take a Mahomes injury and horrendous play by backup Henne for Litton to see the field. In dynasty leagues, he is a watch-and-see waiver option based on how Mahomes progresses this year, since Henne is merely a "Break in Case of Emergency" backup and unexciting Matt McGloin is the only other QB on the roster at the moment. The Chiefs are all in on Mahomes.
Terrance West (RB, NO)
West has not participated with the team yet, but will arrive on the 24th of July. He is excited to join a team that is explosive and runs the ball a lot. I asked what his conversations with Coach Payton had been like so far and whether playing time was discussed, he simply said, "We haven't went over anything like that yet, but he told me he was a fan of me coming out of college, going to the NFL, so that was big."
Takeaway: With Mark Ingram set to miss the first four games of the season, West could provide surprising short-term value for fantasy teams, especially those who choose to stash Ingram at the start of the season. West only played five games with Baltimore last year, but he ran for 774 yards and five touchdowns the year before in a committee role. He enters his fifth NFL season at just 27 years old and could find his way into the end zone a couple of times on a dynamic offense. We know Sean Payton loves his guys, so if he is a believer in West as an Ingram clone (West is one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier), then consider him a deep-league streamer candidate on ZeroRB roster builds for Week 1-4.
Tyrone Crawford (DE, DAL)
The Cowboys obviously had the biggest presence in this Dallas-based event, but Crawford was the biggest (literally) of them all. He believes opposing QBs will "be a little more hesitant" this season with the pass-rush between himself and DeMarcus Lawrence, as Lawrence may be moved along the line more frequently to mix things up scheme-wise. He downplayed the idea that Earl Thomas coming to Dallas is a necessary step for the secondary to improve, heaping compliments on safety Jeff Heath and the unit as a whole.
Takeaway: Crawford was being truthful when he admitted that players like himself and Heath are representative of the Cowboys D, which doesn't get many gaudy sack or turnover totals, but can be effective when needed. Fantasy teams need stats and without a playmaker like Thomas, it isn't going to happen. Sean Lee must stay healthy, Leighton Van Der Esch must make an instant impact, and someone else must step up on the defensive line. Don't count on it happening.
Simeon Rice (retired)
While not a current NFL player, Rice was the most entertaining of all interviewees and displayed his trademark confidence throughout, especially when advising a young teen in the room to aspire to greatness and "embrace misery" on the practice field in order to improve. Rice praised Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, who was his D-line coach in Tampa Bay between 2001-2005. "Rod is a player's coach, but you have to be a player though... He allows you ultimate freedom. He trusts his players." He has worked with some Cowboys linemen this offseason on their pass-rush techniques and also identified free agent Lamarr Houston, a former second-round pick in 2010, as someone who he has mentored recently. The interview ended with a question about Terrell Owens and his Hall of Fame situation. Here is his response below:
More 2018 Fantasy Football & ADP Analysis
