Under The Hoodie

Howie and Jordan Jacobs of The Go-To Guys: the father-son duo behind the fantasy football podcast and POV skits that have pulled millions of views since July.

Scott Hoyt asks the question every family league wants answered: who is actually better at fantasy football, dad or son? And what evidence do you have?

Howie and Jordan Jacobs are The Go-To Guys, a father-son fantasy football brand that covers podcasts, fantasy POV skits, sports cards, and food reviews. The name dates back to a 1990s USA Today headline Howie read in the SUNY Albany cafeteria, and the brand took shape during Jordan's COVID gap year before the University of Michigan, when the two launched Jacobs Dynasty Sports. Scott met them through the FSGA and the friendship has grown from there.

In this episode:

🏈 How a Kevin Willis headline became a 20-year fantasy team name and a brand

🎙 Running a podcast with your dad: who is really the boss, on and off the mic

📈 Why their daily fantasy POV skits connect, and what makes a great podcast guest

🔥 Start your studs, work the waiver wire, a "go-to bench guy" injury rule, and a $150K Vegas high-stakes title

Chapters:

00:00 Highlight Reel

00:30 Intro & Welcome

04:09 The Go-To Guys Origin Story

10:35 Father & Son Behind the Mic

22:02 Jordan's NYC Marathon

24:28 Great Podcast Guests & Viral Fantasy POVs

29:33 State of Fantasy Football: Injuries & Perspective

32:40 Waiver Wire vs. Start/Sit

36:25 The "Go-To Bench Guy" Idea & Fantasy Tech

41:13 Fantasy Football Rapid Fire

49:16 Dad vs. Son: Who's Better at Fantasy?

51:50 Howie's 0.2-Point Loss & $150K Vegas Win

54:14 Favorite Sports Movies & Where to Follow

Follow The Go-To Guys on Instagram: @thegotoguysports

#UnderTheHoodie #FantasyFootball #GoToGuys #FatherAndSon #FantasyFootballPodcast #WaiverWire #FantasySports #NFL

The sports betting and fantasy sports media world is getting louder, more fragmented, and more competitive by the day—and Brad Evans has spent more than 20 years learning how to thrive in the middle of it.Brad Evans joins Scott Hoyt and co-host Kelly Singh for a high-energy conversation about building a career across fantasy football, sports betting, radio, and writing while staying true to himself.In This Episode:•How Brad Evans went from high school teacher and weather enthusiast to a career in sports media•Why today’s creators need to wear multiple hats to thrive in a fragmented industry•How advanced analytics, film study, and player props influence fantasy and betting analysis•Why transparency and owning both the wins and misses help build audience trust•What media companies risk losing when they change the voices and content audiences already value•Why women’s sports may offer overlooked opportunities for sports bettors•How prediction markets could shape the future of sports betting•Brad’s favorite fantasy player, best sports city, and go-to sports movieBrad Evans is a sports betting analyst, broadcaster, and award-winning writer. He co-hosts BetMGM Tonight and contributes to The Athletic. Known for his bold opinions, deep research, and unmistakable on-air energy, he has built a career across Yahoo Sports, SiriusXM, Westwood One, and more.Tune in for a front-row seat to the future of fantasy, betting, and sports media, and to meet the personality behind one of the game’s loudest voices.00:00 Welcome to Under the Hoodie01:02 Meet Brad Evans03:44 From teaching to sports media06:30 Brad’s big break at Yahoo Sports08:50 What radio taught him about connecting with audiences11:34 How sports betting changed the media audience14:00 The sports media landscape and wearing multiple hats16:07 Is sports media oversaturated?17:49 Women’s sports and betting opportunities23:00 Is sports becoming one big entertainment ecosystem?25:24 What companies misunderstand about audiences26:32 What could change in sports media over the next few years?29:24 Prediction markets and sports betting31:05 Rapid-fire questions32:20 Brad’s favorite fantasy football player33:21 A player Brad is high on—and one he’s frustrated with36:45 Brad’s favorite sports city38:00 A sports media personality Brad would have a beer with40:30 Brad’s favorite sports movie42:30 Where to find Brad Evans44:44 Closing remarksLinks: https://www.youtube.com/@BetMGMTonighthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/betmgm-tonight/id1572904358https://x.com/NoisyHuevos#UnderTheHoodie #FantasyFootball #FantasySports #sportsbetting #theathletic #betmgm #siriusxm #SportsRadio #DynastyFantasyFootball #WaiverWire #FSGA #Podcast #CareerAdvice

Fantasy football seasons are won by the people who stay calm when the injuries hit, the waiver wire looks ugly, and everyone else starts panicking. Scott Hoyt and co-host Kelly Singh sit down with Kendall Valenzuela, Senior Analyst at Fantasy Life and one of the most trusted voices in fantasy football, for a conversation that goes far beyond rankings. Kendall shares how she built her career in sports media from entry-level roles into on-air analysis, why radio helped sharpen her craft, and how she learned to communicate advanced data in a way both beginners and seasoned managers can actually use.In This Episode: •Why the best fantasy advice comes from knowing when to challenge your own assumptions•How Kendall evaluates injuries, underperformance, and “next man up” situations before the market catches up•Why the waiver wire is still about long-term upside, even in a brutal season•How to balance analytics, intuition, and league context without getting trapped by hot takes•The roster-building mistakes that keep costing managers every weekKendall also explains why she believes fantasy managers should embrace being wrong, not chase every headline, and use tools like utilization data to spot value before the box score does. Kendall Valenzuela is a senior analyst at Fantasy Life and a prominent voice on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, known for turning deep football data into practical fantasy advice that works for every kind of player.0:00 Intro5:07 Kendall’s path into sports media7:13 Starting out in Denver11:11 Finding her voice on SiriusXM13:27 Making fantasy analysis accessible17:46 Balancing personality and analysis on air19:53 Why Kendall still loves football21:14 Navigating an injury-heavy fantasy season29:16 Smart waiver-wire strategy31:47 Avoiding overreactions and chasing points36:02 Rapid fire43:01 Closing thoughts and where to find KendallLinks: https://www.fantasylife.com/https://www.siriusxm.com/channels/siriusxm-fantasy-sports-radio#UnderTheHoodie #FantasyFootball #FantasySports #FantasyLife #SiriusXM #SportsRadio #DynastyFantasyFootball #WaiverWire #FSGA #Podcast #CareerAdvice

Katie Richcreek went from ESPN to Action Network to a layoff that took half her team, then back to ESPN two levels higher, and now to The Athletic, where she helps lead sports betting coverage. On this episode of Under the Hoodie, she breaks down what it really takes to build a career in sports media.Katie is Deputy Managing Editor for Sports Betting at The Athletic. She started in ESPN's Digital Media Associate program, spent six years helping build Action Network into a leading sports betting media brand, and serves on the board of the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association (FSGA), where she has co-chaired its annual conferences.In This Episode- Getting the call from ESPN and why covering boxing, WWE, and the Mae Young Classic made her a better journalist- Betting on herself at 23 to join Action Network right after PASPA fell, and what six years of startup chaos taught her about betting audiences- "Media free agency with a mortgage tied to your ankle": surviving a layoff, leaning on her network, and taking a job at a coffee shop- Her best advice for young journalists, why being a good teammate beats hard skills, and where fantasy sports and betting go nextChapters00:00 Highlight Reel00:30 Intro & Welcome04:00 Getting the Call From ESPN11:11 Leaving ESPN for Action Network17:52 How Sports Betting Changed Sports Content24:31 Media Free Agency: The Layoff and the Coffee Shop29:52 Coming Home to ESPN32:28 Why Katie Joined The Athletic35:47 Advice for Young Journalists39:49 Inside the FSGA Board44:17 The Future of Fantasy Sports and Betting46:46 Rapid Fire#UnderTheHoodie #SportsMedia #SportsBetting #FantasySports #ESPN #TheAthletic #ActionNetwork #FSGA #SportsJournalism #WomenInSports

Renner Weismann and Mikey Allison built @Fan2MarketExperience (F2MX), an app that lets you buy and sell your fantasy football players mid-game like the stock market.Renner Weismann and Mikey Allison are the co-founders of F2MX (Fan-to-Market Experience), a new fantasy football app built around a live, in-game player market. Renner, a longtime fantasy player and personal stock trader, came up with the idea after one too many season-defining injuries; Mikey, a self-described fantasy “nerd” he’s known for years, joined the team two years ago to run marketing. The app went live on the Google Play Store about two weeks before this recording, with iOS in review.In this episode, they walk Scott through how F2MX actually works, why a 0.02-point loss taught Mikey a hard lesson about holding a player too long, and how Renner put up 421.62 points in a single week by trading in and out of his roster all game long.Topics covered:- How F2MX turns your fantasy roster into a live market — sell a player who's about to bust, buy the next one, before, during, or after the game- Mikey's brutal week one lesson: losing a matchup by 0.02 points for holding Patrick Mahomes through a kneel-down- Renner's 421.62-point week, and how in-game trading blows up traditional fantasy scoring- The business model, the product roadmap (NBA next, college football down the line), and why F2MX isn't "vibe coded"- Renner Weismann and Mikey Allison are the co-founders of F2MX. Chapters:00:00 Highlight Reel00:25 Intro & Welcome02:25 Meet Renner & Mikey, Founders of F2MX04:19 The Origin Story: Injuries Meet the Stock Market07:06 Launch Day: F2MX Goes Live08:15 Mikey's 0.02-Point Lesson & How Trading Works13:39 No Draft, Bananas Scoring & Standing Out19:12 The Business Model: Buy-Ins, Currency & Ads21:20 AI, the Roadmap & What's Next25:31 Lessons Learned & The Renner-Mikey Partnership29:34 The 12-Month Goal & Rapid Fire Round38:17 Where to Find F2MX & Final ThoughtsSubscribe for weekly conversations with leaders in fantasy sports and gaming.Under the Hoodie is produced by Fantasy Sport Strategies | fantasysportsstrategies.com

Larry Schechter, author of The History of Fantasy Sports, joins Under the Hoodie to trace fantasy football and fantasy baseball back to where they actually started — Bill Winkenbach's 1963 Oakland league, Dan Okrent's 1980 Rotisserie draft, and the health scare that finally got the book written.Larry is the author of The History of Fantasy Sports: And the Stories of the People Who Made It Happen, as well as the 2013 book Winning Fantasy Baseball. A fantasy sports player since 1991, he spent years interviewing the entrepreneurs, statisticians, and superfans who built the hobby into a global, multi-billion-dollar industry.In This Episode- How a 1991 radio ad and a near-fatal heart attack four years ago led Larry to finally write the book- The real story behind Bill Winkenbach's 1963 fantasy football league — and the Oakland bar owner who spread it nationwide- Why Dan Okrent's famous "airplane ride" origin story for fantasy baseball only tells half of it- How the FSTA/FSGA and the NFL Players Association went from fighting fantasy sports to building their business around itChapters00:00 Highlight Reel00:30 Intro & Welcome02:54 Larry's Path Into Fantasy Sports04:39 Why He Wrote the Book: A Heart Attack & a Regret08:12 Surprises From the Research11:04 The True Origins: Okrent, Winkenbach, Stratomatic & APBA14:46 From Hobby to Industry: Magazines, Computers & the Internet21:47 Community & Culture: Vegas, Bar Leagues & the Fishbowl26:17 Fantasy Sports' Innovation Pattern & the Rise of FSTA/FSGA31:12 When the NFL Fought Fantasy Sports33:54 Rapid Fire Round36:17 Wrap-Up & Where to Get the Book#UnderTheHoodie #FantasySports #FantasyFootball #FantasyBaseball #SportsHistory #FSGA #Podcast #FantasySportsHistory

Stacy Perez (Fan Girl Football) joins Under the Hoodie to break down her boldest 2026 fantasy football draft strategy — from a late-round quarterback plan to the tight end she's ranking ahead of Trey McBride.

Stacy is a partner at Fan Girl Football, the community and podcast built to get more women into fantasy football, alongside founder Judy Adabie. A Tampa-based attorney by day — she's in her 16th year practicing family law — Stacy has built one of the most respected analytical voices in the fantasy industry, known for disciplined, history-first player evaluations and a refusal to chase hype.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

•  Why she's fading Jonathan Taylor and buying Cyrus Allen out of the Chiefs backfield

•  The tight end she drafted ahead of Trey McBride and why she thinks he ends up as Caleb Williams' number one target

•  Her wait-on-QB strategy: how she landed Bo Nix and a "homer pick" on Jordan Love in the double-digit rounds

•  Inside Fan Girl Football's first live draft event, and what it's building for women in fantasy sports

CHAPTERS

00:00 Highlight Reel

00:30 Intro & Welcome

02:29 Stacy's Journey Into Fantasy Football

06:01 Building Fan Girl Football

09:06 Why Representation in Fantasy Matters

12:52 Day Job: Life as a Divorce Attorney

15:36 2026 Draft Season: Tuning Out the Hype

18:29 Rookie Backs & Receivers to Trust

21:51 Coaching Shakeups: Ravens Buy, Jets Fade

24:55 Inside Her FPC Pros vs. Joes Draft

35:06 Lightning Round: Bold Predictions

43:38 Where to Find Stacy + Favorite Sports Movie

#UnderTheHoodie #FantasyFootball #FanGirlFootball #WomenInFantasy #WomenInSports #FantasySports #FantasyFootball2026 #SportsBusiness

Eric Balkman of the FFPC on why he's fading Christian McCaffrey, buying De'Zhaun Stribling, and where 2026 ADP has it wrong.

Eric Balkman is one of the driving forces behind the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC), hosting the High Stakes Fantasy Football Hour, the High Stakes Lowdown on RotoViz, and FFPC Insider Access. Scott has known him since 2009, and Eric has had a front-row seat to the FFPC's growth into one of the largest high-stakes fantasy football communities in the country.

In this episode, he and Scott dig into what thousands of live 2026 drafts are actually telling us: why running backs are surging back up the board, why Green Bay's backfield is suddenly one of the most contested value debates in fantasy, and which former first-round locks are sliding out of Round 1 entirely.

Topics covered:

• Why running backs are getting drafted earlier than any point in the last two years, and what it means for zero-RB strategy in 2026

• Green Bay's backfield shakeup: what Josh Jacobs' commissioner's exempt list status does to Marshawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson's value

• Trey McBride and Justin Jefferson: the tight end Eric flip-flopped back into, and the receiver he still can't fully trust

• Eric's rapid-fire board: the player he refuses to draft at ADP, his best quarterback bargain, his top rookie buy, and his pick to win the FFPC Main Event outright

Eric Balkman hosts the High Stakes Fantasy Football Hour, the High Stakes Lowdown on RotoViz, and FFPC Insider Access. Follow him: @EricBalkman | youtube.com/fpcfantasy

Chapters:

00:00    Highlight Reel

00:30    Welcome Back Eric Balkman

04:00    2026's Big Trend: Running Backs Are Back

08:30    Sharp Money's Early Movers

11:30    The De'Zhaun Stribling Rise

19:00    Green Bay's Backfield Chaos

22:00    First-Round Risk: McBride and Jefferson

28:50    Tight End Premium: The New Big Four

31:30    Best Ball vs. Redraft ADP Splits

38:00    Rapid Fire: Fades, Values, and Bold Takes

48:30    The Mindset Every Drafter Needs

50:10    What's New at FFPC

Subscribe for weekly conversations with leaders in fantasy sports and gaming.

Under the Hoodie is produced by Fantasy Sport Strategies  |  fantasysportsstrategies.com

#FantasyFootball #HighStakesFantasy #FFPC #FantasyFootball2026 #UnderTheHoodie #DynastyFootball #ChristianMcCaffrey #FantasyMojo #FantasyFootballPodcast #ADP

Howard Bender is a longtime fantasy football analyst at Fantasy Alarm and part of the fantasy programming lineup at SiriusXM. A recognized, award-winning voice in the industry, he also writes for the New York Post and hosts the "Beat Howard Bender" best ball tournaments at RTSports.com. This is his third appearance on Under the Hoodie.

In this episode:

🔷 Howard's real-time read on Ashton Jeanty's injury scare, and why he told listeners to stay patient hours before the sprain diagnosis came back

🔷 Inside National Fantasy Football Draft Day in Las Vegas, including run-ins with Adrian Peterson and Austin Ekeler

🔷 Why Justin Jefferson keeps falling in drafts, and whether the fade is actually justified

🔷 Howard's floor-vs-ceiling method for breaking ties between two players in the murky middle rounds

Chapters:

00:00 Highlight Reel

00:25 Intro & Welcome

03:30 Vegas Recap

08:00 Ashton Jeanty's Injury Scare and the ADP Rollercoaster

18:08 Draft Board Movers

29:13 The First-Round Bust Rate

33:31 Breaking: Keyshawn Boutte Traded to the Texans

36:45 45 Coaching Changes: Who Actually Benefits

43:15 Howard's Floor-vs-Ceiling Draft Tiebreaker

46:44 Lightning Round: Draft Room Confessions & the Isaiah Likely Flag Pick

52:36 Fantasy Alarm Resources & How to Beat Howard

56:59 Closing Thoughts & Sign-Off

Fantasy Alarm: https://www.fantasyalarm.com/show

🎟️ Promo code "SHOW" for 50% off your first month

DRAFT AGAINST HOWARD: $20 best ball tournament against Howard Bender: rtsports.com/bender

YouTube Channel:  @FantasyAlarm 

Hashtags:#UnderTheHoodie #FantasyFootball #FantasyAlarm #HowardBender #AshtonJeanty#NFLDraftDay #FantasyFootball2026 #DynastyFootball #BestBall #FantasySports

Toby Bucsescu is the co-founder and CEO of Blitz:Draft, a swipe-based fantasy sports platform that lets users draft a full team in under two minutes. Alongside running the company, Toby has spent 16 years as an air traffic controller directing arrivals and departures at LaGuardia Airport. Blitz:Draft is live for free play in all 50 states, with real-money contests currently available in 18 states plus Washington, D.C.

In this episode:

• How a swipe on Tinder led to the idea for a fantasy sports app

• Why growing up watching planes at LaGuardia shaped Toby's approach to pressure and decision-making

• Inside the 2-minute draft: how Blitz:Draft's swipe mechanic actually works

• Blitz:Draft's next move: bringing live, in-person drafts to bars and venues this NFL season

Chapters:

00:00 Highlight Reel

00:22 Intro & Welcome

03:21 Meet Toby: From Aviation Obsession to Air Traffic Control

05:17 The Tinder Swipe That Sparked Blitz:Draft

09:52 Lessons From the Tower: Stress, Training, Pressure

13:28 Why Blitz:Draft Can Compete in a Crowded Market

16:39 Inside the Swipe: How Blitz:Draft Actually Works

21:18 Taking Blitz:Draft Into Bars: The IRL Pivot

25:44 Hiring for Creativity: Building the Founding Team

29:04 Community Feedback and the Future of Fantasy Sports

33:59 The Power of Networking: Toby's Biggest Lesson

37:15 Lightning Round: Risk, One Word, Favorite Movie

#UnderTheHoodie #FantasySportsStrategies #BlitzDraft #FantasySports #DFS #StartupStory #Entrepreneurship #AirTrafficControl #SportsTech #FantasyFootball

Check out our business that advises startups in the fantasy sports and gaming industry at fantasysportsstrategies.com. 

Come celebrate National Fantasy Football Draft Day at Circa Las Vegas from August 20th to August 22nd. Use promo code “HOODIE” at checkout for 25% off. https://www.draft-nation.com/

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