With fantasy football rambling toward the playoff season, there are a number of shows to choose from to get data and direction. One of those shows that really stands out is Fantasy Focus Football on ESPN. All-around football dude Field Yates is joined by a varied pack of fantasy football experts for a discussion on rankings, injuries, and game previews.
The participants also debate how the biggest NFL stories, on and off the field, impact fantasy football rosters. On this particular episode, Yates was joined by Daniel Dopp and Stephania Bell.
Dopp opened the show as the de facto host after a video barrage of numbers, graphs, and numerical equations filled the opening montage. This particular edition of Fantasy Focus Football featured three of the best fantasy commentators in the business right now.
A Roster That Plays to All Fields
Dopp is deep into fantasy numbers, on track and on point with his selections and thoughts. I really like his style. It’s relaxed and laid-back, but also enthusiastic and charming. He is charismatic and a superior addition to a number of ESPN fantasy programs.
Bell has emerged as the medical/injury expert on ESPN fantasy platforms. She is extremely knowledgeable, with insight on the types of injuries. How long a player might be out of service, and how each injury and player is incredibly different. She is to ESPN fantasy football injuries what Cynthia Frelund is to NFL Network numbers and trends.
And then there’s Yates.
The former NFL personnel staffer is not only a regular talking about fantasy football on ESPN, but has taken a lead role on NFL Live and other programs. He has taken his nerdy, numbers-crunching persona and brought it to another level.
The mix of Dopp, Bell, and Yates is a great one on Fantasy Focus Football. They are equal parts intellect, personality, and style. This particular program offered a recap of the Monday Night Football game between Dallas and the Raiders. Also Week 12 waiver wire options for fantasy football owners and GMs.
Analyisis Rooted in Detail
Yates’ first words were apologies to Raider fans for their team’s dismal performance vs. Dallas this past Monday. Bell emphasized that this has been a really tough week for NFL injuries. Stressing that this is what separates good teams from great teams. Meaning: Is a team relevant and stacked enough to withstand injuries and make a playoff run?
This trio really possesses a nice mélange, offering different skill sets and angles without talking over each other. The show is fun and upbeat without being overbearing.
As Dopp, Yates, and Bell analyzed the Monday Night Football game from a fantasy standpoint, lower-third graphics showed individual player stats from that game. Yates and Bell talked about the super performance by Dallas wide receiver George Pickens. Who had 11 targets, 9 receptions, 144 yards, and a touchdown for a total of 29.4 fantasy points.
Dallas’s performance spurred Yates to say that the team now has his attention. He said that their next game against the Eagles will be a lot tougher. But if they play defense the way they did in the MNF game, it could be interesting.
A subsequent graphic showed the in-house fantasy league for Fantasy Focus Football staffers. Showcasing each team’s performance from this past week. Dopp, Yates, and Bell had a lot of fun with this, with some barbs and good-natured ribbing.
Metrics That Matter
One of the best parts of Fantasy Focus Football is the advice they hand out regarding players who might be available on the waiver wire to help in the fantasy playoffs. Dopp selected San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who just returned from injury. He has Pearsall as a good playoff stash, rostered in 67% of leagues and averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game.
Dopp always has solid intel and statistics to go along with his assertions. He’s definitely one of my favorite fantasy football broadcasters on TV. He also stated that with Brock Purdy back at quarterback, Pearsall becomes an even more interesting add.
Yates went with the Vikings’ quarterback J.J. McCarthy as a playoff stash, while Bell gave some injury updates for the Steelers and picked Pittsburgh RB Kenneth Gainwell as her playoff stash selection. The trio also talked about Week 12 bye teams. The Broncos, Chargers, Dolphins, and Commanders — and how the remaining bye weeks will factor into fantasy football.
I like the priority pickup segment of the show, where Dopp talked about a couple of quarterbacks: Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett and Seattle’s Sam Darnold. He provided some really good insight on why to stick with Darnold despite his horrible game this past week against the Rams.
Dopp and Bell had a nice back-and-forth about the Packers’ running back situation with the injury to Josh Jacobs this past week. Dopp mentioned Green Bay running back Emanuel Wilson as a possible priority pickup if Jacobs cannot play. Some of the deeper fantasy targets discussed by Dopp, Yates, and Bell were running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. of the Commanders and Sean Tucker of the Bucs, who had a monster game this past week in a loss against the Bills.
The discussion of Tucker put Bell front and center to talk about the lingering injuries of Tampa Bay running back Bucky Irving, who has been out since Week 4 with both foot and shoulder injuries.
Bell, the ultimate injury insider, spoke with people in the Tampa Bay organization, who told her that Irving is at practice every day, but just not able to play in the games. They do not have any definitive timetable for his return, she related. Bell also questioned how many carries Irving would get even if he did come back. It’s a question that fantasy owners have to ask themselves if he is activated and able to play in Week 12. Bell stressed that even with all of his rehab, rest, and time at practice, Irving is not being tackled, which, of course, will happen in a game.
Dopp mentioned Falcons’ WR Darnell Mooney as another deeper league target. A dubious Yates immediately retorted that he actually started Mooney on his own fantasy team back in Week 8. Mooney had 1 catch for 11 yards in that game against the Dolphins.
Bell chimed in, reminding everyone that Mooney hurt his shoulder on the first day of training camp. This exchange was a great example of the tremendous synergy between Dopp, Yates, and Bell.
Fantasy Focus Football is a wide-ranging and varied program, covering all of the aspects, variables, and fun minutia of fantasy football. As the show neared its end, the panelists revealed their playoff “trash picks” — players whom you should not trust as the fantasy playoffs approach.
Players mentioned were Chargers WR Quentin Johnson, Cleveland RB Quinshon Judkins, Eagles wideout A.J. Brown, and Kansas City RB Isiah Pacheco.
From picks to pans to percentages, Fantasy Focus Football gives you all of the stats, scoops, and storylines to make the right adds and drops that could bring your team to a coveted fantasy football championship.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
