Fantasy Life Show

By Matthew Berry's Fantasy LifeSports Football Fantasy Sports

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Fantasy Life Show episodes

August 25 Injury Panic Meter: Rating Every Major Injury on a Scale of 1-10 for Fantasy Football
Ashton Jeanty went down in practice, and while it looks better than the initial fear, he is nowhere near the only problem on draft boards right now.
Kendall Valenzuela and Peter Overzet go through twelve of the most heavily drafted players currently dealing with injuries and rate exactly how panicked they are about each one, on a scale of 1 to 10.
Jeanty's sprained ankle and the question of whether Mike Washington has become a must-draft handcuff. Mike Evans leaving practice early with a quad. Tucker Kraft's ACL recovery and a possible first-half snap count. Jordyn Tyson looking at two months with a hamstring. Emeka Egbuka's toe and a Week 1 availability question. Alec Pierce still on PUP with no timeline. Luther Burden missing all of preseason with a groin. And the ripple effect of Jayden Higgins' torn ACL sending Kayshon Boutte to Houston.
Then they flip the scale. Four players have gotten genuinely encouraging news, and the question becomes how optimistic you should actually be: George Kittle activated from PUP, Christian McCaffrey back at practice after sitting out with tightness, Patrick Mahomes calling himself extremely confident for Week 1, and Malik Nabers possibly shedding the red non-contact jersey this week.
Some of these are worth moving down your board today. Some are noise that other people in your league will overreact to, which is where the value is. Every player gets a number, and Fantasy Life projections for the situations where the backup suddenly matters.
Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, fantasy football injuries, fantasy football injury uupdates, injury updates, Ashton Jeanty, Mike Washington, Mike Evans, Tucker Kraft, Jordyn Tyson, Emeka Egbuka, Alec Pierce, Luther Burden, Kayshon Boutte, Jayden Higgins, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes, Malik Nabers, fantasy football draft strategy, handcuff running backs, fantasy football rankings, ADP, who to draft in 2026

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54 min
August 22 The Worst (& Best) Way You Can Start Your Fantasy Football Drafts in 2026
You don't win your fantasy league in the draft. But you can absolutely lose it there, and it usually happens in the first twenty minutes.
Kendall Valenzuela and Peter Overzet go pick-by-pick through every single draft slot, 1.01 through 1.12, and lay out the worst possible way to start your 2026 draft from each one. Not bad players — bad combinations. The two-pick starts that look defensible on the clock and leave your roster broken by Round 4.
Then they flip it. Every slot also gets the best way to open, so you're not just walking away knowing what to avoid. Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Ashton Jeanty, Saquon Barkley, De'Von Achane, Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Chase Brown, Kenneth Walker, Josh Jacobs, Kyren Williams, Omarion Hampton and Jeremiyah Love all come up, along with Malik Nabers, Nico Collins, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashee Rice, Drake London, George Pickens, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Brock Bowers, Derrick Henry and Josh Allen.
Some of these guys show up on both lists depending on where you're picking from — which is the whole point. There is no universally correct start. There's only the correct start from your slot. Find your pick number in the timestamps below and skip right to it.
🔍 Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, fantasy football draft strategy, worst draft picks, best draft picks, draft slot strategy, first round picks, second round picks, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Ashton Jeanty, Saquon Barkley, De'Von Achane, Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Chase Brown, Kenneth Walker, Malik Nabers, Nico Collins, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashee Rice, Drake London, Brock Bowers, fantasy football rankings, ADP, PPR draft strategy

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1 hr
August 20 Zero RB vs. Hero RB vs. Robust RB Mock Draft: Which Strategy is Best in 2026?
Three years ago, eight running backs went off fantasy football draft boards in the first two rounds. This year it's thirteen. Is that surge justified, or has the fantasy community wildly overcorrected?
Kendall Valenzuela, Peter Overzet and Dwain McFarland settle it the only honest way — by doing a mock draft. They run a single fantasy football mock together, sixteen rounds, with each of them locked into a different approach to the position. Pete takes Zero RB and won't touch a running back in the first three or four rounds. Dwain runs Hero RB, taking exactly one back in the first four. Kendall goes Robust RB, hammering two backs in the first two or three rounds.
Nobody gets to hedge. Every round, all three explain the pick they're making and why their strategy forces it, which means you see exactly where each approach starts to hurt — the round where Zero RB gets nervous, the round where Robust RB has nothing left at receiver, and whether Hero RB actually splits the difference or just gets the worst of both.
At the end they compare the three rosters and say which strategy they'd actually run in a real 2026 draft. If you've been reading Zero RB takes all summer without ever seeing the rosters they produce, this is that video.
🔍 Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, Zero RB, Hero RB, Robust RB, RB draft strategy, fantasy football mock draft, fantasy football draft strategy, running back rankings, when to draft running backs, fantasy football rankings, ADP, PPR draft strategy, best ball, who to draft in 2026

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1 hr 5 min
August 18 Year 2 Breakouts in Fantasy Football: Can a Model Predict Who Actually Pays Off? (Feat. Alex Cupps)
Last year Ashton Jeanty finished as the RB15 at 14.4 PPR points per game. You drafted him as the RB6. This year he's going as the RB7 or RB8 — so you're paying nearly the same price for a player who hasn't yet paid it off.

Kendall Valenzuela and Peter Overzet are joined by Fantasy Life's Alex Cupps, who built a model that predicts second-year breakouts. Alex explains what the CUPPS Score actually measures, what goes into it and how accurate it's been historically — in sixty seconds or less — and then they run nine of his favorite year-two players at their current ADPs.
Jeanty goes first, and his closest historical comps include Bijan Robinson, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Jahmyr Gibbs and Breece Hall alongside considerably less encouraging names like Javonte Williams and Kerryon Johnson. From there it's Cam Skattebo, Bhayshul Tuten, Harold Fannin, Travis Hunter, Oronde Gadsden, Terrance Ferguson and the Titans' second-year receiver room with Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor.
Every player gets the same treatment: the model's closest comps, what those comps actually did in year two, and the median points per game that group produced. Some of these numbers are a lot higher than the market price. Some are a lot lower. If you've been guessing on which sophomores are worth the pick, this replaces the guess with a comp set.
Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, second year breakouts, fantasy football breakouts, CUPPS Score, Alex Cupps model, Ashton Jeanty, Cam Skattebo, Bhayshul Tuten, Harold Fannin, Travis Hunter, Oronde Gadsden, Terrance Ferguson, Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor, fantasy football draft strategy, fantasy football sleepers, ADP, running back rankings, tight end rankings, fantasy football rankings

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55 min
August 15 The Best & Worst Pick in Every Round of 2026 Fantasy Football (Round 6 is GROSS!)
ESPN's ADP is doing some genuinely strange things this year, and Kendall Valenzuela and Peter Overzet went through all sixteen rounds to find it.
Every round gets the same treatment: one pick you should be running to the podium for, and one you should be letting somebody else make. It starts in the first with Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor going in wildly different directions, then Brock Bowers and Josh Allen in the second, Breece Hall and Josh Jacobs in the third. Round 4 brings Emeka Egbuka and Tyler Warren, Round 5 has Jaylen Waddle and Quinshon Judkins, and Round 6 pairs Luther Burden with a kicker taken far too early.
The middle rounds are where ESPN's board really comes apart — Mike Evans and DK Metcalf, Christian Watson against a defense going way ahead of schedule, Justin Herbert and Travis Hunter, Josh Downs and Isaiah Likely. Then the late-round dart throws that actually matter: Kyle Monangai, Kenyon Sadiq, Stefon Diggs, Hunter Henry, KC Concepcion, Woody Marks, Jayden Higgins, Jerry Jeudy, Malik Willis, Fernando Mendoza, Chris Rodriguez and Tank Dell.
Each round opens with the actual ESPN ADP board so you can see exactly where these players are going and what it costs you to wait. If you're drafting on ESPN this year, this is the round-by-round cheat sheet for what to exploit and who to fade.
Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, ESPN ADP, fantasy football draft strategy, best and worst picks, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Brock Bowers, Josh Allen, Breece Hall, Josh Jacobs, Emeka Egbuka, Tyler Warren, Jaylen Waddle, Quinshon Judkins, Luther Burden, Mike Evans, DK Metcalf, Christian Watson, Justin Herbert, Travis Hunter, Josh Downs, Isaiah Likely, Kyle Monangai, Kenyon Sadiq, Stefon Diggs, Hunter Henry, KC Concepcion, Jayden Higgins, Jerry Jeudy, Malik Willis, Tank Dell, fantasy football rankings, players to avoid

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1 hr 1 min
August 13 Tier Rankings Wide Receivers for 2026 Fantasy Football Part 2! (Tiers 5-13)
Kendall Valenzuela and Dwain McFarland finish the 2026 wide receiver tiers. Part 1 covered the WR1s (check it out here: https://youtu.be/fSvyvFbbTn0); this is everything after — from the high-upside WR2s all the way down to the late-round names where drafts are actually won.
It starts with the tier that might matter most in your draft: Emeka Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan, Ladd McConkey, Luther Burden III, Zay Flowers, Jaylen Waddle and Garrett Wilson. Then a group of proven veterans in new or changed situations — Mike Evans, Davante Adams, DJ Moore, Terry McLaurin and Chris Godwin — followed by the bet-on-the-leap names in Christian Watson, Jameson Williams and Rome Odunze. Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate get their own conversation, as do Brian Thomas Jr. and Marvin Harrison Jr., two guys whose draft prices and projections are further apart than you'd expect.
From there it's the part of the board most people guess at. Parker Washington, Makai Lemon, Josh Downs, Jayden Reed, Quentin Johnston, Jordan Addison, Michael Wilson and Alec Pierce. Then Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf, Courtland Sutton, Michael Pittman Jr. and Jakobi Meyers. Then Matthew Golden, Xavier Worthy, KC Concepcion, Jayden Higgins, Omar Cooper Jr., De'Zhaun Stribling, Denzel Boston and Travis Hunter. And finally the last-picks-of-the-draft group: Romeo Doubs, Wan'Dale Robinson, Deebo Samuel, Rashid Shaheed, Jalen Coker and Khalil Shakir.
Dwain explains what separates each tier from the one above it, and Kendall pushes on the ones where the ranking doesn't match the price. If you're trying to figure out which late receiver is worth a real pick instead of a dart throw, this is the half of the board that decides it.

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1 hr 24 min
August 11 Which 2026 Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates Will ACTUALLY Break Out? (1-10 Scale)
Everyone has a list of 2026 breakout candidates. Almost nobody puts a number on how confident they actually are.
Kendall Valenzuela and Peter Overzet take the most popular breakout names in fantasy football and rate each one from 1 to 10 on how likely they are to genuinely break out — with a strict definition: a breakout means you'll be drafting that player at least one full tier higher next season. And Pete is only allowed to give one player a 10 all episode.
They work through Luther Burden, Emeka Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan, Bhayshul Tuten, Jonathon Brooks, Parker Washington, Ladd McConkey, Josh Downs and Matthew Golden, then move to quarterback with Jaxson Dart and Bo Nix before closing on tight end with Kenyon Sadiq. Every player comes with Fantasy Life's projections and the second-half splits that show whether the leap already started last season.
The scores get contentious. There are multiple players where Kendall and Pete are four full points apart, and at least one name where one of them is completely out on a consensus favorite. If you've been staring at a breakout list wondering which names are real, this puts a number on all of them.
Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, fantasy football breakouts, breakout candidates, fantasy football sleepers, Luther Burden, Emeka Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan, Bhayshul Tuten, Jonathon Brooks, Parker Washington, Ladd McConkey, Josh Downs, Matthew Golden, Jaxson Dart, Bo Nix, Kenyon Sadiq, fantasy football draft strategy, fantasy football rankings, target share, breakout wide receivers

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54 min
August 08 PPR Mock Draft for 2026 Fantasy Football (Every Pick Explained)
Kendall Valenzuela and Peter Overzet run a full PPR redraft 2026 fantasy football mock draft — every pick, every round, and the reasoning behind all of it.
No gimmicks and no exotic format here. This is the draft you're actually doing in a few weeks: standard PPR scoring, ESPN ADP, a normal redraft league, and the real decisions you'll be staring at when the clock is running. Kendall and Pete take turns on the board and explain each selection as they go, including the ones where they'd have gone a different direction.
It starts with James Cook in the first round and Chase Brown in the second, and gets genuinely interesting in Round 3, where maybe they went to heavy at the running back position. If you want a sense of how a draft actually flows — where the runs happen, when to take a position early, and which players are worth reaching for versus waiting on — this walks through all of it in real time.
🔍 Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, PPR mock draft, ESPN Fantasy football, fantasy football mock draft, redraft strategy, fantasy football draft strategy, James Cook, Chase Brown, first round picks, running back rankings, wide receiver rankings, when to draft quarterback, when to draft tight end, fantasy football rankings, who to draft in 2026

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58 min
August 06 Ranking the Top WRs for 2026 Fantasy Football: Part 1 (Tiers 1-4)
Kendall Valenzuela is joined by Dwain McFarland and Peter Overzet to go through Dwain's 2026 wide receiver rankings — not as a flat list, but in tiers. This is Part 1 of 2, covering the first four tiers and the 15 receivers Dwain considers true WR1s.
Are Ja'Marr Chase and Puka Nacua really in a class of their own, or has someone closed the gap? Where does Jaxon Smith-Njigba land after his breakout, and does Amon-Ra St. Brown or CeeDee Lamb come off the board first? Then the group Dwain thinks is the most misunderstood range on the board — Justin Jefferson, Malik Nabers, Drake London, Nico Collins, A.J. Brown and Rashee Rice — where the gap between name value and projection gets uncomfortable. And the last group of the day sorts out DeVonta Smith, George Pickens, Chris Olave and Tee Higgins, where you can still get WR1 production without paying WR1 prices.
Every player comes with Dwain's per-game projection and an Xfinity best-case ceiling, so you're not just hearing an opinion — you're seeing the range of outcomes that put each guy where he is. Kendall and Pete push back throughout on the ones they'd rank differently. Part 2 goes deeper down the board, so subscribe and come back for the rest.
Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, wide receiver tiers, WR rankings, Dwain McFarland rankings, Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Malik Nabers, Drake London, Nico Collins, A.J. Brown, Rashee Rice, DeVonta Smith, George Pickens, Chris Olave, Tee Higgins, fantasy football draft strategy, PPR rankings, WR1

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1 hr 3 min
August 04 The 10 Best Wide Receiver Values in 2026 Fantasy Football Drafts
Kendall Valenzuela and Peter Overzet count down the 10 biggest wide receiver values in 2026 fantasy football — the guys where Fantasy Life's rankings are furthest ahead of where the rest of the industry is drafting them. Every name comes with the actual gap: our rank versus ESPN, Yahoo, Sleeper, Underdog and RT Sports ADP, so you can see exactly how much free value you're getting at each pick.
The list runs from a five-spot edge all the way up to a 21-spot gap on the No. 1 value, and the names span every round of your draft. Malik Nabers, DeVonta Smith and Mike Evans are all going later than they should be. Jordyn Tyson, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed are the mid-round swings. And then there's the late-round group — Stefon Diggs, Romeo Doubs, Josh Downs and De'Zhaun Stribling — where the disagreement between us and the market gets the widest.
We also break down the projections behind each call: targets per game, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, so you're not just taking our word for it. If you want to walk into your draft knowing which receivers you can wait on and still get a rank you love, this is the list.

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52 min

About Fantasy Life Show

From the publisher's feed

Your fantasy football league doesn't take days off. Neither do we. The Fantasy Life Show is a daily fantasy football podcast hosted by Kendall Valenzuela, Peter Overzet and Dwain McFarland, with special guest appearances from the Matthew Berry! We eat, sleep, and breathe fantasy football so you don't have to (but let's be honest, you do too).