💪 3 Players Going Full Hardo

You can’t waste a nickname as good as ‘Pop’…

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by BetMGM:

I’m a “show, don’t tell” guy.

Don’t tell me you are in the best shape of your life. Show me.

Here are three players who are making an impression this offseason by going the extra mile:

🏃 The Hardo Workout Award: Pop Douglas

Patriots second-year WR Demario Douglas flashed down the stretch last year, but now faces more competition for targets with the additions of Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.

Pop knows running sprints on a flat surface ain’t gonna be enough, so he’s taken to running routes up a hill.

He also gets bonus hardo points for doing it barefoot.

☎️ The WR Who Is Always Open…For A Call: Michael Wilson

It’s always smart to get in the good graces of your QB if you are WR. Being at their beck and call could mean an extra target or two a game.

To cement their friendship, Cardinals second-year WR Michael Wilson is accepting calls from Kyler Murray at 3am.

Why Kyler is calling at that hour (maybe he had a bad dream?) is a topic for another newsletter.

What matters here is that Wilson is answering the phone, even if it disrupts his REM cycle.

⏰ The Early Bird Gets The Carries: Jaleel McLaughlin

“First guy in, last guy to leave” is a classic football guy-ism, but how many players actually take it to heart?

Well, Broncos second-year RB Jaleel McLaughlin, for one. Sean Payton says McLaughlin has been getting to the facilities at 5:15am every day.

Imagine how pissed Javonte Williams was after hearing about this? C’mon dude, let me crush some Cinnamon Toast Crunch and roll in at 7am like a normal twentysomething.

If we learn that McLaughlin also has a journaling practice each morning, this backfield competition is all but over.

🏆 Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals

Who will hoist Lord Stanley for the first time? McDavid or The Panthers?

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🐅 Restoring the roar? Bengals fantasy football outlook for 2024.

🎤 Rashee Rice’s first public remarks after his offseason incidents. Suspension still looms.

🥁 Coach McDaniel bangs the drum. Go Panthers.

🤣 Jamaal Williams is a national treasure. He loves what he loves.

🏀 Damar Hamlin can hoop. Hits the game winner here.

💳️ Keon Coleman playing credit card roulette. His friend’s face is too good.

⚽️ Jayden Daniels takes in a soccer game. They could use him on the pitch.

Best Ball season is in full swing and degenerates everywhere are flocking to max-enter Best Ball Mania V (BBMV). In his inaugural best ball piece, Sam Wallace uses the Fantasy Life expert rankings to compare against Underdog ADP. Here are four players that differ significantly between the two datasets and what drafters should do about it.

In each of these profiles, the player in question is at least a full-round separate in ADP when comparing the Fantasy Life consensus rankings and Underdog ADP.

🥊 Fantasy Life Rankings > Underdog ADP

🤠 Joe Mixon, RB - Texans

• Fantasy Life Ranking - 46.3

• Underdog ADP - 59.3

Arguably one of the biggest non-QB free agent winners, Joe Mixon signed a 3-year, $25.5 million contract with the Houston Texans that included $13 million guaranteed. The landing spot couldn't have been better. In his first season, C.J. Stroud led the team to a division title and a playoff victory. This offseason, they went out and added Mixon, Stefon Diggs, and re-signed Nico Collins to a nice contract.

This team is going to be a fantasy goldmine for the foreseeable future.

After an injury-shortened 2020, Mixon has seemingly gotten better with age. He's finished inside the top-10 in three straight seasons, appearing in at least 15 games each year. Here are his season averages since 2021:

• 253 rushing attempts

• 1,021 rushing yards

• 9.6 rushing TDs

• 51 receptions

• 317 receiving yards

• 2.6 receiving TDs

He joins a team that averaged 22+ points per game last season and could/should be even better in Stroud's second year..

The Fantasy Life team has Mixon ranked near the back-half of Round 4 while Underdog ADP has him coming off the board near the end of Round 5. So what's with the 13-pick difference?

On one hand, he's an aging RB who will turn 28-years old this summer. He's certainly reached the tipping point of the RB age cliff and will now have to adjust to a new team for the first time in his professional career. In addition, head coach DeMeco Ryans recently stated he believes Mixon and Dameon Pierce will serve as a 1-2 punch.

Please no. Just let Mixon run wild.

I understand why it might be in the best interest of the team to pace Mixon throughout the season and keep him fresh for a potentially deep playoff run but this is fantasy and we selfishly just want points, no matter how they come.

Here's where the stark difference comes into play. The Fantasy Life projections tool projects Mixon to finish as the RB7 using Underdog scoring. Notice the massive discrepancy in his Underdog ADP compared to the rest of the projected top-12.

He has the lowest Underdog ADP by a full round of any projected top-12 RB. This tells me that Mixon is currently a screaming value in best ball formats.

Despite the concerns about age and change in team, Mixon is objectively the most talented RB on the Texans and it isn't particularly close. Also, this offense has the necessary firepower to put up a ton of points this season. That means that A) ample scoring opportunities will be there and B) positive game scripts should be the norm more often than not. Both of those bode well for Mixon and his fantasy potential this season.

Draft Mixon with confidence at or above his current Underdog ADP.