Summary of The Fifth Annual “My Guy” Fantasy Football Draft With Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck

Overview of The Fifth Annual “My Guy” Fantasy Football Draft

This episode is a fast-moving fantasy football draft roundtable where Bill Simmons, Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck each pick players they’re irrationally high on, suspicious of, or refusing to draft. The big theme: this feels like a hard year to find “secret” sleepers because too much information is public, preseason hype is everywhere, and injuries have made the player pool unusually messy. As a result, the crew repeatedly comes back to a simple strategy: trust elite talent, target boring volume, and don’t overreact to preseason noise.

Biggest Draft Themes

• The sleeper market feels tighter than ever

  • They argue that social media, practice clips, and nonstop fantasy content have made it harder to hide breakout candidates.
  • That’s pushing drafters toward safer veterans and players with obvious roles rather than chasing “mystery” upside.

• Injuries are distorting the board

  • A lot of their favorite players come with some version of:
    • “if healthy”
    • “one injury away”
    • “too risky but too good to ignore”
  • They repeatedly mention that preseason injuries have been brutal for top skill players.

• Tight end value is extremely top-heavy

  • Their stance is basically: if you miss on the top tier, wait and take a dart throw late.
  • Brock Bowers and Trey McBride are treated as the clear premium tier.

• They’re looking for offenses with clear volume

  • The best picks are almost always tied to teams where the player should get touches, targets, or goal-line work no matter what.

Their Favorite Players by Category

“My One True Love”

• Brock Bowers — Heifetz’s favorite; the argument is elite rookie production, huge target share, and a rare tight end who can be treated like a receiver.
• Kenneth Walker III — Kelly’s pick; he loves the explosiveness and thinks the Seahawks will feature him heavily.
• Luther Burden III — Horlbeck’s pick; he sees a special talent in a role that could be used like a hybrid weapon.
• A.J. Brown — Simmons’ favorite; he thinks Brown was badly used, checked out, and could rebound in a big way if his situation unlocks him.

“I’m Taking Crazy Pills”

• Zay Flowers — Horlbeck thinks the Ravens receiver market is too inflated for a player whose fantasy output hasn’t matched the price.
• Cam Skattebo — Kelly likes the player but thinks the market is treating him like a much safer bet than he is.
• Parker Washington — Simmons is the outlier here, arguing he’s still undervalued despite obvious signs of role and talent.

“I Hate Myself for Doing This”

• Jalen Waddle — Kelly likes the talent and situation more than the cost, but admits he hates trusting Sean Payton-style uncertainty and shaky QB environments.
• Rashee Rice — Heifetz can’t help himself: whenever Rice plays, he produces.
• Quinshon Judkins — Horlbeck loves the talent, but admits the off-field and durability risk make it a difficult bet.

“Stay Away From That Whole Team”

• Cleveland Browns — The group is broadly out because of quarterback chaos, weather, and an offense that feels hard to trust weekly.
• Tennessee Titans — Another team they’re skeptical of, mainly because of the QB situation and overall offensive uncertainty.

“Shameless Homer Pick”

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba — Horlbeck is extremely high on him and sees him as one of the top receivers in football.
• Drake Maye — Simmons is all-in on Maye as a fantasy QB breakout.
• Pat Freiermuth — Kelly lands on him as a Steelers homer pick, with a chance to bounce back in a thin tight end room.

“Veal Chop Guy”

The “expensive but possibly elite if it works” category.

• Omarion Hampton — Simmons is in on the Chargers rookie, seeing big upside in a featured role.
• Bhayshul Tuten — Kelly likes him as a cheaper, explosive play in the right offense.
• They debate whether Hampton’s draft price is too rich versus his actual role.

“Do Not Draft”

• Xavier Worthy — Horlbeck thinks the speed is overstated and the contact risk is too high.
• Jordan Addison — Kelly worries the target share is too shaky and too touchdown-dependent.
• Alec Pierce — Simmons dislikes the delayed surgery and the fluky profile.
• Jackson Dart — Simmons is out because he expects chaos and injury risk.
• Jaden Daniels — Simmons is avoiding him because of the offensive line and injury concerns.
• George Kittle — Heifetz is wary of age, injuries, and the torn Achilles history.
• Brian Thomas Jr. — Horlbeck was burned badly last year and doesn’t want to go back.
• Kyle Pitts — Kelly is emotionally done with the relationship.
• DJ Moore — Simmons is not paying up for him despite the talent.

Smart, Steady Value Picks

This was the category they liked most as a roster-building idea: dependable players who can give you 12–15 points a week without drama.

• Bo Nix — Simmons thinks he’s affordable, high-volume, and the Broncos will keep letting him throw.
• Chase Brown — Kelly likes the workload, pass-catching, and offense.
• Brock Purdy — Horlbeck views him as a quiet top-10 fantasy QB every year.
• Trevor Lawrence — Simmons believes his late-season production and improving weapons make him a solid value.
• Malik Willis — discussed as a cheap fantasy loophole QB because rushing production can create outsized value.

Players They’re Happy to Bet On Late

• Jalen Coker — Simmons likes the Panthers receiver as a sneaky target earner.
• Harold Fannin Jr. — Simmons likes the Browns tight end as a cheap pass-game option.
• Devon Achane — Danny is still in, even though the Dolphins’ overall situation feels shaky.
• David Montgomery — Danny sees him as a boring but dependable scoring back.
• Rico Dowdle — Horlbeck likes the steady weekly production.
• Mark Andrews — Simmons thinks everyone has given up on him too early.
• Terry McLaurin — Horlbeck describes him as “frozen yogurt”: fine, but not exciting.
• Jalen Hurts — Simmons says he’s expensive but still one of the best fantasy QB bets.

Final Takeaways

• Brock Bowers was the consensus-ish favorite among listeners and a lot of the panel.
• The crew is generally more bullish on elite talent with obvious usage than on trendy preseason sleepers.
• They’re especially interested in:
  • tight ends with elite volume,
  • running backs in run-heavy or feature-back roles,
  • and receivers with stable target shares.
• Their biggest warning sign this year: don’t overpay for hype if the role isn’t guaranteed.

Notable Meta Moments

• They spend a lot of time joking about:
  • the value of joint practices over preseason games,
  • how Hard Knocks has lost some relevance,
  • and how much easier it is to be fooled by practice clips without context.
• The episode also includes ads and a few live-show / NFL season promo updates, but the main value is the fantasy strategy and player debate.