OverDrive - September 4, 2026 - Hour 1 - Mike Wright

0:00This hour of overdrive is powered by Fandool. Fandool bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. Overdrive off and running on a Friday! Mike DeSephino filling in for... AZB for the last time of the summer. We got Dave Fesstra, the Toronto star. And with me, Milled in Friday brought to you by Boston Pizza Canada's favorite sports bar. Enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree aside in a drink. And you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less. A fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food. See you for a $15 fast lunch at your local Boston Pizza. Dave, how we feeling on a Friday? A team's back on Tuesday, Al's brother. Yeah, yeah. Lots coming back. I mean, that's... It's the end of the summer. Like I had a technically summer solstice couple more weeks. But at Labor Day's like the unofficial end of summer. Right? This is the last... This is the last hurrah before... Before everything kind of gets back.

1:00The boys, they're back on Tuesday and a fell back on Wednesday. Week after that, the Leafs. We'd back on the ice for training camp, a couple weeks later. The NHL season starts up. You got Kauai and the Raptors getting ready to roll around the same time. And week after that, they'll be tipping off to start the season. So I'll start to really come... Come quick, isn't it? But before that, we got Labor Day Classic. We got Argos at the tie-cats on Monday. Yeah. I used to grow up going to that game. My family. We... I think like the first set of tickets I got, like when I was a kid, like nine, 10 years old, playing mind-alike football in Niagara. And we got to go to Labor Day Classic as the whole team went. That was like my introduction to like CFL football. And the Argos and the tie-cats and Labor Day Classic and the big... The big match that that truly is. And I've been to like five or six of them now. In my fandom lifetime, it's always a good... Like it doesn't matter how good or bad the teams are.

2:02Like that is a battle each and every year. That Labor Day Classic. Oh, it's a... They call it a classic for a reason. It's not overhypid, right? But yeah, it does feel like the end of summer though. You get the jets overhead in Toronto. You know that feeling when they're practicing for the air show? Yeah. You hear that loud jet engine flying above you. You can't see it because it's like way in the clouds. Like that to me is the sound of Labor Day weekend in Toronto. That's what that's kind of tipsy off. It's like, oh yeah, Labor Day here, the jets. They were going... They're in Cleveland too. I don't know if you saw Keegan Matheson. He's going to join us a little bit later on today. He was tweeting up a storm about how much... He was bothered by the air show going on in Cleveland during yesterday's ball game. Trying to take in the Jays and Guardians game and just massive air show apparently happened. Above him. So I bet he'd be happy to hear that. We got to deal with it here in Toronto. So you must be happy being Kansas City. A lot of people don't like the air show. I get a lot. You get a lot of people that get really upset about the air show. For whatever I personally like it, I mean, I'm not like...

3:03If you don't know it's happening, right? Like that, it's startling. It is a startling sound when you hear just like the piercing sound of the planes cutting through the air. And it's so loud and they're so low and they're massive. And you're like, what is going on right now? You legitimately have no clue what's happening. And you obviously kind of clue in, oh, okay, it's an air show, not something worse, which some people maybe think in with the way the times are like, oh, what's happening right now? No, that's a good point. I mean, there's people that have... You got PTSD from PTSD. I think is what I'm looking for there. From really horrific stuff that happens around the world. And you got to be sensitive to that. But I mean, it's a big part of the summer here in Toronto. Hey, we lost the Indie. They put that up to Markham and he used to complain about the noise from the Indie. So there's only one really noisy event now. People get to complain about everything. That's the thing. People get to complain about absolutely everything. So yeah, can you get a joint inside 505 today?

4:04Mike Wright from the Fandison Footballers podcast. Get a joint inside 425 and Connor Brown. Get a joint as former Toronto Maple Leaf now at the New Jersey Devils. Get a joint inside at 530. You know, another guy, it's going to be different for a lot of these NHLers who are getting set, getting ready to go. A really quick ramp up to the season, which starts now in September. They moved that up a couple of weeks. Short training camp. Yes, all you cut up with Chris Tannip. Not too long ago. We put out a piece this morning in the Toronto Star. Hopefully he's ready to go by training camp. And that guy's going to be an important piece of the puzzle here in Toronto. A lot of the focus obviously on Austin Matthews and what can Gavin McKenna provide. Can knives have a rebound after playing through injury? That is a player that I think the Maple Leafs need to bounce back this season. And stay healthy and be the warrior he was in year one. Like Chris Tannip is a very important piece of bringing this team back into the playoffs.

5:10Yes. That guy's got to be healthy if that's going to happen this year. Without a doubt, you can put him to me right at the top of the list of the most important Maple Leafs. Because let's face it, like everybody wants Austin Matthews to get back to 50 goal territory. Obviously after these past two seasons, where he averaged 30, formerly the greatest goal score on the planet has suddenly been diminished to something much less than that. But let's face it, he got 33 the year they won the Atlantic. Right? Under Craig Burrubbe. Right? So they've been able to succeed with Matthews doing less than Superman, heroics from a goal scoring perspective. But you know what else happened when they won the Atlantic and Craig Burrubbe's first year? Chris Tannip played 75 games that he was the best defenseman on the team. So a lot more what do you play 11 last year? 11 games. Yeah, 11 games. And like he was him and him and Jake became a pretty formidable like shutdown pair. Just kind of slotted guys more properly, a little less pressure on Morgan Riley.

6:11I think that's what we're hoping for this season with the Maple Leafs is if that duo can get back to being the shutdown pair that they were in two years ago when they won the division, I think that's just going to make things a lot easier for this revamped blue line. Riley and maybe whether it's radish or you know, OEL, whoever ends up playing alongside him, you know, allow them to maybe get a little bit more time in the offensive event and allow them to ease their plate defensively and maybe Riley won't lead the NHL and five on five goals against this season. Yeah, that'd be good for sure. And I mean, look, you know, to speak about the brief interview I did with Chris Tannip this week. It's not exactly like probably the best news Leaf fans could hope for. He still has as he put it boxes to check with the doctors before he's cleared to play. Yeah. So it's like six months since he had the surgery, we all know he had the felt the pop in that game against Detroit in late December, you know, how to groin slash

7:12core injury that needed to be attended to. Now he tried to come back. He didn't get the surgery until March because he was hoping if the Leafs would have gone to the playoffs that he might have been a contributor to that flight. When it was a parent, they weren't going to go to the playoffs. He had the surgery six months later. I mean, he's been skating. He's been training with Gary Roberts skating in that group that includes Mick David and dry sidle and, you know, Chris Tannip's brother Brandon Tannip, a bunch of really great players out there. So the science point to him being ready for training camp, but it hasn't been, it hasn't been 100% okayed by the medical professionals that don't need to be consulted. Well, hopefully he's got a little bit of time before. Yeah, come out the puck on September 29th. I don't think it's imperative that he gets into preseason games, but September 29th, let's hope that he's got the clearance. I'm ready to go for game one because I ain't got, yeah, that guy's going to be very important for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blue Jays back in action tonight, they started a new series against the Kansas City Royals.

8:15And they just got to keep the positive vibes rolling from Cleveland. You know, and I'm looking at, I think this is a very important series for one guy specifically, Vladimir Garot Jr., who I thought started to show signs of life in that series. He had a home run, a double, three or four balls that were hit very hard over 105 miles an hour. Got pimped a walk yesterday and that went over the Cleveland Guardians. Like it seems like he's trying to, he's starting to find his swag back. And in order for the Blue Jays to make a run, we've been talking about it all summer. They need that guy to come back. And I think we saw some signs of that toward the end of that Cleveland series, but it's got to continue and do this series here. His two games isn't enough for me to be like, oh, he's back. But if he can come out again, maybe he gets another home run in the series, a couple more doubles, a couple more hard hit balls, works a couple of tight walks, then you could think, okay, I think he's found something. He might be on his way back.

9:16Yeah, I mean, I'm with you. Like that was a great series for him. You know, you look at the stats, I mean, 1000 plus OPS in the series. Yeah, the moon shot home run with actual launch angle. Like he hit a ball that wasn't a line drive, I was brother. Like how often is he done that? I golfed it. Like just, yeah, and he had a sack fly that went deep as well, which is something we haven't seen a ton of from him. So I'm with you. It's really positive signs. And but you're going to need a lot more than that, right? Like you got 21 games to go here. And he, hey, why not have 21 great ones if you're Black, or junior, like this is the perfect time to flip the switch and become. Absolutely. You know, become the player you were in the playoffs last year. We all know that this guy rose to the occasion when it mattered in the fall last year. And as you say, some resending here, it's pretty much fall. Yeah, officially fall. Maybe we'll see a little early playoff version of playoffs. Well, they're, they're playing. It's essentially the playoffs.

10:17Like that series gets Cleveland. Like that was almost like a playoff-esque series where you got to pick up games against these types of teams. Now the royals, they're a little bit further back. You know, they're, they're looking behind them as opposed to looking ahead at the guardians. But I mean, they're playing some good ball. Like they're playing quality ball. And they came into Toronto. They took two or three and from them just last week. So it's not like you can roll over and think, all right, here's another series win. Let's move on and look ahead. Gotta take care of business this weekend. Gotta take care of business. I think James and Ty on coming off the IL. He'll be on the mount tonight. Eric Getty's going to be out there. I mean, Max Scherzer's going to be thrown to the hill. So you don't have Toriano Dylan sees likely not to pitch in this series as well. Yeah, you're going to have to rely on the depth, the pitching staff's depth to kind of get you through. You might need some offense when those guy, if it's that crop of, you know, pictures that are going to be starting some games. Yeah. And you might need some offense. And yet the last time you played the Royals, you know, as you point out,

11:17you lose two or three and you didn't score three more than three runs in any of the games. Yeah, brutal. Not not good enough. No, but you know, to, I guess if you're taking the optimistic view, they're coming off these two wins in Cleveland where they scored a combined 17 runs. So they have shown some signs being able to create some offense. And look, Brett Bateman's been a bright spot. Like this guy is, you know, absolutely on fire. He's disruptive on the base path. He's a heady ball player that, you know, you like to watch play. You see like pimped a bun single yesterday. Yeah. Did you see the reaction he had? Like doubt a bun single, which, hey, like the J's haven't had, you know, a guy like that who can like out bun singles for bass hits a whole lot. The fact that he was able to do that and then he had a little like stare, like just stood there, stopped stare. And it was just a little bit of sway. Yeah, that beat man. I kind of like it. I like that. This kid has absolutely exceeded all expectations. And he's like, he's kind of killed three birds with one stone, right?

12:19Like I remember you and I did a show back in, I right before the trade deadline. And I did like a list and I had another Friday, five pack coming a little later today. Five stories that define the Canadian sports summer. But we were talking about five items that the blue J's might want to buy, get some heavy lifting done, looking ahead to next season. At the time, the J's, yeah, I was like, yeah, they're going to try and thread the needle, little selling, little buying at the deadline. We thought they could buy some stuff early and we had a lead off hitter was on that list, trying to get yourself a lead off hitter, right? You have a center fielder that can replace Dalton Varsho. That was there. And then someone who also can give you something in the now because they were still somewhat in the playoff race. And he's hit all three of those. Like with one trade, the blue J's, I mean, assuming he continues to hit this way, they've got their everyday center fielder. They've got a guy who you feel confident at the top of the line of who seems to be handling it in strides. That's going to 330 on base right now.

13:20Yeah. Like he's getting on base and then he's a menace on the paths. I mean, there was that he came around. I think it was the first or second game of the Guardian series. He ends up coming around and nearly passes his teammate on his way to the home plate. Like the speed is something that really I think is helping this team and then the defense. Like it's, it's, he's providing even better defense than what Dalton Varsho was doing this year in center field for the blue J's. It's been an upgrade for the now and themes like they have checked off a couple of boxes for next year and beyond as well. Yeah, you've got to love it. And there's a, you know what? He's brought an energy that this team just hadn't shown a lot of, right? This team had been in like a malaise for a lot of the season. Yeah. And it just, it just feels like this is a guy who's shown up and said, I mean business, I'm a smart ball player at your point. I'm a great defensive player. And, you know, he, he's absolutely been exactly what they've needed and provided a great injection.

14:23And look, I mean, this is the home stretch now. You got a few weeks left in the season and we'll see if they can get it done. I mean, you know, if you kind of had zero hope or like faint, faint, hope at the trade deadline, it's kind of amazing how they've turned it into a, you know, a semi realistic hope now that. Oh, I have to get back. Oh, yeah, it's realistic. I think semi like there's a realistic chance. This team can get into the post season. Half a game back, what, 22 games to go. They just beat the team that they're chasing, right? They look at the schedule. They got all teams under 500 teams that they need to beat. They kind of hold their own destiny in their hands in a way. And if they continue to play the way they are, if Vladdy can pick up where he left off in Cleveland and continue to kind of find his stroke a little bit, I think the J's, I don't think they've got to feel good about themselves. And not it's sometimes it's not about how good your season is. It's, you know, when you get hot and getting hot in September, boy, that could really, really do some damage for them heading into October.

15:26That would be the miraculous thing, right? If you could, if you could just have this incredible December, or so it's incredible September. And parlay that into a playoff worth, I mean, you'd basically erase the memory of the previous five months, right? Yeah. You'd basically say, hey, who cares that it was like a 500 season in barely? And we spent much of the season below 500. You could really just electrify this town, give you that Wildcard series. And you know, who knows what can happen? And as we've talked about more than once, like the third Wildcard, it's a pretty good spot. That's a interactive place to be. It's more tracked in the second Wildcard. Right now you'd be playing Houston. Yeah. And that's, you know, it's better than playing the Yankees of the Redstone. Getable, winnable teams. Yankees of the Redstone. And so, yeah, why not? I mean, it would be a lot of fun, right? There is very little that I find more intriguing than playoff baseball. Blueja's been lucky enough to play quite a bit of it of late. And I mean, I see more. It would be. We'll get more into this when Kigamathus and Jones has had five o'clock.

16:29It is the final show of the summer. And I thought it'd be a good time for us to look back on the summer. Kind of put a little bow on it. I've got five stories that define the Canadian sports summer. So here's a Friday five pack from yours truly. Okay. Love it. Coming in at number five, Canada's impact on the 2026 B for World Cup. We weren't sure how it was going to go, right? From an off-beal perspective. We talked about it yesterday. How janky the BMO seats looked. Does that kind of hold people? How's the city going to react? Are we going to have gridlock situation with parking and driving down to? We had no idea how this was going to turn out. I think it turned out a lot better than people expected. I can't do a good job whether it was here in Toronto or over in Vancouver. In terms of being a host city, I think Canada did a pretty good job from everything that we heard from the people who came from all over the world to come see these matches.

17:32The on-field products, most impressive performance by a Canadian team in Woke Up history. It's the first time that they advanced out into the knockout stage. They won a elimination game and moved on to the next round. On the field, I thought that there was tremendous impact. Canada was a big talking point throughout the course of the month there that the World Cup was ongoing. The Alfonso Davies story was massive too. Will he won? He played. Should he have played more? There's a lot of discourse that went around with the Canada soccer situation there. That came in at number five for me. I'll tell you what, man. That was the highlight of my summer. Canada Bosnia Herzegovina game in Toronto was one of the greatest things I've seen. In terms of just great patriotism and just a really electric atmosphere. Down there for the march. It was down there for the march down to Bimo.

18:32It was awesome. It was incredible to see the buy-in from the fans. On both sides, the Bosnia fans were great too. Then for Laren to get that goal was an unforgettable moment. Then I'll tell you what, the other five games Toronto hosted. I was at most of them. I don't know if I've ever seen anything better. It's going to be in my career top 10 of things I've seen. I've been lucky to see a few cool events. But that Croatia Portugal game here in Toronto, man, that was one of the best things I've ever seen. I had a live sporting event. It was just incredible. A lot of that was, this is not for me, but listening to the coaches and the players talk about the game after the game, people were just blown away. People who competed in the game were blown away by the atmosphere. Because Toronto, we've always known. Toronto is a great world cup city because there's so many great fans from so many different

19:35countries that cheer for some of the different countries like the Croatia and the Portuguese fans were just incredible. Yeah, what a summer, man. It was something I'll never forget. I think this town will carry the memory of the world cup for an awfully long time. 100%. We got to continue with the pack in a little bit. We got a flight because we got Mike Wright coming up in about five minutes. So after him, we'll get back to the five pack and I'll ride a lot of one through four. So that'll come in. I guess we'll probably do that in about 25 minutes or so. But Mike Wright of the Fannie-Soon Footballers podcast joins us next. He, Gimethasin and Connor Brown on the show today as well. You're listening on TSN to 50 watching on TSN for and on YouTube live. Here every game live on TSN radio.

20:35Plus, here from the players coaches and NFL insiders daily on one bills live. Allen steps up, fires Buffalo bills football on TSN radio. Touchdown. The bills live here now available on I hard radio. Melody and Friday is brought to you by Boston Pizza Canada's favorite sports bar. Enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree aside and a drink and you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less. A fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food. See you for a $15 fast lunch at your local Boston pizza. Overdrive continues on TSN to 50, TSN for Mike. Just have no filling in for Brian Hayes Dave Fester of the Toronto star. And with me, what Mike Wright to the fantasy footballers on momentarily, you a big fantasy football guy. I'm more of a pool guy. Pool guy. I'm getting a winds pool. I do like against the spread pool weekly. Long time tradition. I'd have been doing that for like 30 something years. Yeah, he looked ahead to week one. You if you looked at the schedule yet to see who you like.

21:37No, it's too early. I was brother. Come on, man. You really? Yeah. Yeah. You got to be in the moment. I got to get the injury reports. I got to be a little like I'd usually do it like, you know, you got to do it like the Friday of the of the of the big week one. I mean, I guess if you got to pick the Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday start to the season bothers me. I got to say I'm not a I hate that they're starting this thing on a Wednesday. It's just the doesn't seem like proper football. How many fantasy teams you got? I've got I trimmed it down this year. Only three. Only three. Only three. You're getting married. So you got to have like, you know, yeah, I like outside of fantasy football. Yes. Yeah, I think that might have been a been a part of it where I'm like, guys, like there there's a couple leagues that I was in. I think the most I've ever done was five. And I mean, it's not that hard to do it. It's more so the draft. It's like trying to schedule five different drafts that don't overlap with each other. I know we had our TSN draft a couple of days ago and that was fun and

22:40it's it's always just the hassle trying to figure it out with everybody. Oh, yeah, always the logistics of a fantasy draft. Very tough. Yeah, very tough. And even like even the other day when I'm doing my fiancee is like, you done yet? Are you done yet? I'm like, no, we're still going. No, we're still going. I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm 16 or so. Yeah. That's married life. You need it. Yeah, I guess it's something that I'm probably going to have to get used to. Yeah. Yeah, let me use to. Well, it's, yeah, my brand, yeah, to your point about the Wednesday games, man, like this, this league is a little out of control and trying to colonize every day that ends with day. Yeah, you know, like it used to be, yeah, I mean, we'll see. I mean, I don't see it stopping though. Like they'll like, we got guys like Carlos saying they should play seven days a week. Well, I think this year, it's only Tuesday, the only day of the week that we're not going to see a football game play. So six to the seven days, we'll see football this year on the schedule. Yeah. What's starting with what the Wednesday Patriots and Seahawks, which, hey, Super Bowl rematch,

23:40it's interesting. Like who of the two teams, like is there one team that you feel more confident, can make it back to the dance? You would think Seattle, but they're the same division as the ramps. Yeah, I mean, the only, I think it is Seattle. I think I just think when you look at how the Patriots got to where they got last year, so much of it, and maybe this is, maybe this is something they're going to wear as a chip on their shoulder and throw it in our faces and make us eat our words, but it feels to me like so much of it was based on the easiest schedule that we'd seen in this league in decades. Yeah. And so it's just hard for me to imagine that they're going to be able to sort of reproduce that kind of a run now that they're playing with a real team schedule. Well, I think that's it. Yeah, there's, they're like the number one team. I think we're expecting regression from this year, right? And even if Bo-Nix doesn't hurt his ankle, like the odds of them beating Denver in that championship game are probably really low. I'd Denver probably would have won and gave Seattle a much better effort than you got out of the

24:43New England Patriots, but like Drake made took a step last year. You know, he did take a step. He was kind of in that MVP consideration for a little bit and now he's got AJ Brown. Like that, that's a reason intriguing ad for the New England Patriots and granted like, obviously the Buffalo Bill is going to be a big hurdle in that division, but Miami, the Jets, you can almost schedule four wins right there between those two teams. That's a good point. Like, yeah, like, you know, their schedule isn't that hard. And when you're playing those two teams twice each. So yeah, not a good point. It's a good point. And hey, man, who knows what's going to happen in Buffalo? I mean, that's, you know, like you talk about a team that, you know, there's some, there's some concern in Buffalo. I think that as much as you got this incredible talent at quarterback, you know, there's, you, you may have fired the wrong guy when you fired Mr. McDermott. I think being should have been the one. Well, that's the debate in Buffalo, right? People have watched this team closely and paid, you know, the utmost attention to what's

25:44gone wrong and why they haven't really get it over the hump. I think there's a very strong argument to be made that it wasn't about coaching, that it was, that's always been about personnel and Mr. Beans in charge of personnel. Yeah, I think it's a fair argument that, that you could make and we'll see. I mean, Joe Brady getting elevated from offensive coordinator. You know, we'll see what he can do as, as the head coach. Like the DJ Moore acquisition, I think, you know, I, for how much they paid for him. I imagine that he'll be a focal point in the offense, whether or not he could be a wide receiver one. I mean, he showed flashes last year with Caleb Williams. Like the guy could still run a run a run a go ball. Like he could still do a deep route. And if you got Josh Allen, who's got, you know, obviously, rock and arm best arm in all football, I am very intrigued by what that duo can do. I think that that that could be something to unlock. Some a little different because they haven't had someone who could go over the top of the wild. He's like Stefan Diggs. Great right runner. Right? Good or neat guy and immediate guy. But he wasn't one who was going to burn you, right?

26:45He wasn't like Tyree Kill who can go deep run a nine and get a go ball like that. And last year we saw a situation at the end of that game against the Detroit or the the Debra Broncos where they didn't have that guy. And who was not, who was the receiver they picked up in that game there? I want to say wasn't Kenny Stills. Yeah, you trust my man. Yeah, whoever was it throughout there? Who was it JP? No. Yeah. So whatever happens. Yeah, now they got a real deep threat in Buffalo. Definitely going to help. Definitely going to help. All right. Online now we got Mike Wright of the fantasy footballers podcast. Mike has it going. Going on guys, I had a little bit of tech difficulties. I think they we got to figure it out if you could see me if you can hear me. We're all good. We got you. We got you and we are definitely all good. It's the it's the weekend to have you on. I mean, this is the biggest weekend of her fantasy football. Yeah, obviously coming up with the schedule beginning next week.

27:46And we're talking about the Wednesday start. Like what do you make of a Wednesday start to the NFL season? You like it? Don't like it? Where do you sit with that? I'm actually I'm okay with it. It's week one. You know, the NFLs, they're doing everything they can to take over more and more days. But week one, it's all right. We've been waiting months and months and months. So give me a give me an extra game of prime time football. I'm cool with that. Takes away takes away a day to draft. That's that's that's kind of the thing too. For fantasy football perspective, lots of drafts usually happen on the eve of the start of the season. This year you got to move that up to the Tuesday. Wednesday is not a not an option. No, not anymore. No, absolutely not. So I want to get your thoughts on on this one here, Mike. Obviously being a fantasy football expert, lots of people going to be taking in their maybe first draft or their fair weather football fantasy football player.

28:51What are some do's and don't tips and tricks you have for for those who are maybe taking on their first drafts this weekend? Sure, I mean, honestly, you're a little bit late to the game. Truly, the number one thing is you've got to plug in. You've got to have information on bias. I think the fantasy footballers is where you should get your information and entertain it from. It's really staying up to date on what's going on. That is that's the big thing. We had what was the last weekend. That was a huge draft weekend. Boom, Josh Jacobs, bombshell drops while people like, there's probably people who literally clicked draft Jacobs in five seconds earlier when that thing was going off. Or if your draft was after it had happened and you're not plugged in to some source of late breaking news, you're really putting yourself at a disadvantage. So I would start there and make sure you have your information.

29:53Man, where do you start for the beginners? I would say a good basic strategy for people who are new or to the game is running backs and wide receivers are the bread and butter for fantasy football. Quarterbacks are fun. It's sexy. They're the most important players on the field for real football. But we're playing nerd football. We're playing a game that at its heart is actually supply, demand. It's a market. It's economics. It's just it's numbers and statistics. So we were actually pretty separated. So understanding that the game is that and you're supplying demand. You need multiple running backs at wide receivers per week, where most leagues are starting 12 quarterbacks and 12 tight ends out of 32 options, assuming there's no buy weeks. Wow, you're starting 30 plus of the other positions. So if your brand knew, I would focus on those before I start looking at quarterback and

30:56tight end, even to the point of like, you're looking at your starting roster. You don't need to fill it up right away. You can start putting guys on your bench because you're going to need them. Okay, Mike. You said this is nerd football. I got a nerd buddy that was telling me that he's done picking his fantasy teams. He's a huge fantasy enthusiast. He's calling in the AI. He's letting AI do his fantasy football picking forum because he's convinced, like, you know, computers have been beating us at chess. Human hasn't been a computer at chess for how many years now, right? Like, and he's thinking like, the computers will win if it's computers versus humans in fantasy football. Where are you on using AI in your fantasy football endeavors? I've got no problem if you're trying to use a new tool that is like accessible to you. I would say us in the football is not baseball. Like, we can't money ball.

31:57You know, there's just way too much stuff where baseball is at its core a 1v1 game until the batter puts the ball in play. Football, that's just that is not the case. And I think for a lot of newer players or even veterans, one of the most disappointing things about fantasy football is you can win on paper. You can absolutely destroy everyone on paper. And then week two comes in and it's a bloody Sunday and you're like, well, wait a minute, all my players are gone. And so yeah, I think that, you know, we're getting more advanced in our analytics, targets per route run, yards per route run, those have kind of, they're not super mainstream yet, but they're starting to break through and people are learning more advanced metrics to find the edge. It's getting harder and harder in fantasy football to truly have an edge over people who are like really in the game calling for a sleeper. You know, a sleeper for a newer player is often sometimes like just someone they've kind of heard

33:02for us who are were seasoned vets. If you want a sleeper, I mean, you are, you're dive into like the third string and you're trying to tell yourself the story about how it's going to work out. So I don't mind people using it, trying to figure out how to crunch the data, but at the end of it, I don't know if it's going to work out or really help you. And also, fantasy football is about fun, man. We want to like, we want to root for the players we want to root for. It's really fun to win a championship, but there's also that connection that you start building with the inemotional connection you start building with these players as they succeed or fail. With Mike Wright, let's get into the nitty gritty of fantasy football here, Mike. You guys do, you know, your my guys episode each and every year. And I'm curious who are your my guys this year? You've started your drafts that you like to come away with. Sure, my three my guys for this year starts with Kenneth Walker, new running back for the Kansas City Chiefs.

34:03I've been a Kenneth Walker, truth or believer or whatever you want to call it. I think he is a truly spectacular talent at the running back position who wasn't allowed to fly me. Look, you know what it was? That the good guys or new guys is like, I'm a peacock. You got to let me fly and like that's what the Kansas City Chiefs are going to do for Kenneth Walker. He's going to get so so many touches. There's there are people who are like, oh, I'm concerned about his health. That if you're only argument against a player is they might get hurt, then you're on to the right player because I would rather I would rather have a player where the only thing that can go wrong is they get hurt as opposed to maybe they just aren't good enough. Maybe the scheme isn't is going to change around them. If if it's just health like this was my argument for Christian McCaffrey last year, who was like my my flag was planted while there was many many people were just like, I will never draft McCaffrey.

35:04Okay, but when he's healthy, he's the best fantasy football player on the planet. And I think that's a dumb reason not to draft him. Boom, if you had McCaffrey last year, you probably won your your championship. So I kind of feel like that about Ken Walker, Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears, second year tight end, the way that things unraveled at the end of the year in terms of like the his usage. You know, we had four straight games, including two playoff games of double digit targets for a tight end. That is absolutely ludicrous. While I you know, I love Bowers, Love, McBride, I think that Colston Loveland going a couple rounds later can end up as the number one scoring tight end at the end of the year. And then Christian Watson, you want to talk about a player where it's just health that has really held him back. If you want to be scared of Christian Watson getting hurt, I can't blame you on that one because it has happened every single year, but the guy is an electric talent looking at what the team is for the Green Bay Packers now. They've Romeo Dobbs is out, Don't Tavy in which is out.

36:08The team has come out and said, it's possible that our over rotating of wider receivers has actually hurt our offense. And now we're consolidated. You know, it's read, uh, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden and Christian Watson is by far the best player of the bunch in my opinion. When he came back last year from his devastating knee injury, he was dominating over the second and half, uh, where it in his second half is like paid attention to that because a lot of fantasy football players, you know, they kind of they like they give up too early. They stop paying attention to what's going on. Christian Watson was awesome at the end of last year. And now with the Jacob situation, I think the identity of the team for this year for the Packers is going to be Jordan Love in the passing attack. And Christian Watson's my number one beneficiary of it. Yeah, they paid him too. They put handsomely. That's huge. So Mike, when you when you get, you know, go back to that Kenneth Walker truth or thesis. I mean, am I am I to read into that, the Euro believer that with

37:11my homes back to being my homes after the knee injury, um, that the the chiefs are going to return to prominence and and Walker will be a beneficiary of them becoming the team they've been in the past. I think a huge problem that my homes has had over the last couple years for the chiefs, um, is truly the running back position of, you know, like it's been a few years since we've seen the high flying the homes and Kansas and chiefs that we got used to with Tyree Kill. Now personnel wise, they they've tried a couple things that wide receiver, but I honestly, I think the biggest problem has been they don't they haven't had a cream hunt. And it's like in the the Andy Reed era when they're when his offenses are really kicking butt, he's got a true bell cow running back, who's a three down guy and it's a dominant player on on top of that. The fact that you know, like cream hunt and Isaiah Pacheco, that was how are the guys for the chiefs the last

38:14couple years and defenses just didn't really they weren't scared. I'll put it that way they weren't scared of the run and you can put the new defensive meta in and put the two high shell and just kind of shut down what they're doing. They didn't have a threat to open things back up. And Kenneth Walker in my opinion is the is the piece that can help us get there. I don't know if we can get back to the you know the like that where you're like, oh man, the home is going to throw for just five thousand yards and 40 touchdowns. I don't know if we can get there, but I think they're going to be it's a major major improvement from last year. So get us get your thoughts on the Ravens and like how you're looking at the Ravens offense and Lamar Jackson the other day I saw you did a radio hit and he was talking about how this offense is like nothing we've ever seen and it's going to be incredible to do in a little bit of everything. Lots of gadget plays and they're excited. They've added weapons. Like when you're watching the hearing that and then you try to implement it into your fantasy rankings like where do you have

39:15a lot of these Ravens guys kind of landing? No, I'll start with Zay flowers. I love Zay flowers. I don't think he got I don't think he gets the fantasy football respect that he deserves and I just was hitting that all off season and then boom was like a hundred plus million dollars or something contract comes in for Zay flowers and it was I told you guys like he is a true wide receiver one and Baltimore has paid him like one. I'm actually I have some excitement for the Ravens. You know it's a continuation of things as they once were that that can be nice and very helpful for fantasy but you know the offense that they were running that they needed to improvement and you get Declan Doyle down there now a disciple of the Ben Johnson offense which if you see the paying attention to the NFL you know we have McVay come in changed everything and then it was everyone we just want McVay offenses and they kept working shanahan offenses they just were and Ben Johnson is now paving away where I think he's going to end

40:20up with a huge coaching tree out there of of his offense taking over you know from his time in Detroit goes down to Chicago you know do completely turns around what the bears were and just blowing away expectations and I think they're just going to keep going and improving so the fact that you have that and I mean you can do the well Oman Raul is Zay flowers going to be like Oman Raul there he's a little bit of a different player but there is some of that game of Zay flowers that is in there that has me excited for the touchdown upside Zay flowers target share is going up each and every year that he's played and that that is the the truest stat that we should be chasing targets are the stickiest of stats touchdowns they come and go I mean look at Mike Evans you'll have who's an elite touchdown producer you would have years where he's putting on yards and the touchdowns just they weren't there they come and go but targets they come back targets turn into yards and then you

41:21so I'm very excited for for Zay flowers and then Derek Henry he's kind of tough because it's like he's an outlier man he Derek Henry's his own thing at but I'm on the side of all bet on Derek Henry I'll go down with the ship like eventually it will end and Derek Henry is a human or that we call him the Yeti on the fantasy footballers because when the temperatures go down the Obama's snowman just comes out and people do not want to tackle him like if you look at his yards precarious over month it's it's hilarious I would just it steadily climbs and like to November December people just get out of the way so if the Ravens are winning that Derek Henry's still going to be awesome for fantasy football. Well Mike speaking of playing in snow we were just talking before you came on about the bills because you know they're close to us here with their games are on TSN 1050 this year and people are excited about that and we're wondering you were talking about you know the idea of you know how one player can maybe change the way defenses respect an offense and how much do

42:26you think the addition of DJ Moore to an offense that obviously is helmed by what many consider to be the best quarterback in the league in Josh Al and how much do you think more will make an impact and really make the bills that much more dangerous. So DJ Moore has been a pretty controversial fantasy football wide receiver over the off season I'll start with it should it should definitely make the Buffalo bills better as like as the the past catching weapons the biggest problem is DJ Moore's coming off the basically the worst year of his entire career in that Benjen Ben Johnson offense that I love and just it's weird to me that a guy with an offense of brain like Ben Johnson that's what he got out of him now maybe I don't know you know we're not privy to a lot of stuff that's going on behind the scenes but it's just weird that that a player of DJ Moore's age

43:27changing teams off of the worst year of his career. So I'm a little nervous about I'm a nervous in terms of how much it can go because the the the quick analogy that good or comparison is is the fond digs coming from Minnesota goes to Buffalo that worked out really really well the fond digs was still in his absolute prime and digs was actually coming off the highest yardest total of his career when he got traded to Buffalo so the decline in DJ Moore while other players were having success for the Chicago Bears and makes me nervous about what DJ Moore how much he actually changes things he's got he's fair familiar with Joe Brady so he should know the offense he should be able to go right in and not have a learning curve and really make an impact but I will say overall he's not a player I'm that I'm clamoring to get on my fantasy team sometimes it works out draft price wise every guy has a price in the market but overall I'm not overextending

44:28a reaching to get DJ Moore. I don't feel great I bid up and got DJ Moore my draft couple days don't feel as good about it now after you know I was like look we disagree on the show I a Jason on the footballer's he's he's more in the night. I'm praying for like the connection to come back from the Carolina days that's what pray it on the rocket arm a Josh Allen go balls all day long that's what praying for here and in Toronto. I mean if anyone can get it done it's Josh Allen right that's hope that's the gamble is is one of the best quarterbacks in the league what Caleb is definitely not at that point yet where you're saying he's one of the best. Right exactly Mike really appreciate it. Glad we were able to get you on after the technical difficulties but for anyone who wants to follow along and get some great fantasy football advice Mike right with the fantasy footballers podcast is the place to go appreciate it Mike. Hey thank you guys have a good one. Absolutely you as well. Mike right the fantasy footballers podcast

45:33that we got a fly we still got Keegan Matheson to come at 505 Connor Brown at 530 I might just step no day fast juke listen to overdrive on TSN 1050 TSN 4 and on YouTube live. You've heard the chaos now you can see it. Oh my god watch all your favorite podcasts from start to finish right inside the free I heard radio app catch every lap and I roll on shows like the Tom Green farmcast and park the bus now with full video we're building a ramp for Tony Hawk it's the same hosts in the same chemistry with all the hilarious moments you've been missing right on your screen. Open the free I heard radio app search video podcasts and tap watch overdrive continues on TSN 4 and TSN 1050 Mike just definitely filling in for Brian Hayes got Dave Feshak the Toronto star with me and you're just reading an article in the athletic just now about the Buffalo Bills and they're pretty stoked about you know their new stadium next they'll be the first Thursday night

46:34while I a second Thursday night or picking off week two hosting the Detroit Lions. I got some issues with their turf over there I'm reading they'd rip up the sod like they're going back to natural grass for the first time since 1972 and the natural grass that's been in there since October of last year yeah wasn't taking during the preseason it was just coming up in chunks you figured this out oh we're gonna have to wait for the season he's gonna be uh yeah it's gonna be some dicey dicey times no one's gonna sleep no one's gonna sleep for the next two weeks over there no camp just can't happen all right Kigga Matheson uh to come to start hour two of overdrive that's next you've been listening to overdrive powered by fan duel fan duel bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score i heart radio is thrown it back to the days of huge kids and unforgettable a non-stop stream of the biggest invest

47:38and more all your decade defining favorites all in one place this is cash up by 20 tens the decade on the free i heart radio app pre-sensitization so it's always one tab away