FantasyPros - 6 Fantasy Football Players Projections LOVE | Big Seasons Coming for These Picks (Ep. 2054)

What’s up, friendos—welcome to FantasyPros. Today we’re leaning into love, not hate, and asking which players the projections are pumping up. Jake Seely and Pat Fitzmaurice are here, and Jake, as our projections lifer, what do they get right when we strip away the noise?

Projections kill bias. A great example was Lamar in 2019—my model had him sky high, I manually pushed him down, and the model was closer to reality. Use the baseline, trust the rates, and let the data guide you eight times out of ten.

Pat, when you check projections, do you focus more on the lifts or the red flags?

I hunt outliers both ways, but I pause hardest when a player I like shows up light. That’s my cue for a deeper look.

Let’s start with some good vibes. Jake, make the case for Quinshon Judkins as a projections darling.

The scheme screams run heavy and bell cow, and he checks every box for that role even with another back mixing in. I’m around 277 carries, 1,136 yards, and eight scores with modest receiving—he fits a workload that plays regardless of the quarterback.

Pat, you buying the full send on Judkins?

Volume, yes; efficiency, maybe not. He’s coming off a late-season ankle and fibula injury, the offense could be rough, and the line is new, but if he stays upright he should still rack touches.

Next up, Colston Loveland. TE3 in projections and ECR with a juicy stat line. Pat, why are you in?

Around 80 grabs, 950 yards, and seven TDs feels like a fair baseline, and his late-season surge says there’s room to beat it. If his route tree really expands, he could pop beyond TE3 costs.

Jake, are you as high on Loveland?

Higher. My model has him pushing TE1 territory on a strong target share, with even more upside if he leads the room. Bet the offense as a whole and scoop Loveland a round after the elites.

Breece Hall time. ECR has him mid RB2, projections say a bit better. Jake, you’re nodding.

I love it. If the quarterback play is simply competent, Hall’s dual-threat path to around 260 carries, 47 catches, roughly 1,600 yards, and nine TDs is live. Braelon Allen will spell him, but that won’t cap his ceiling.

Pat, any pushback on the workload?

I lean ECR because the line should be fine, but I’d keep the volume sane in a non-title year. With Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis on hand, there’s no reason to grind him to 20 touches every week.

Quarterback swing: Jackson Dart. ECR around QB10, projections up near QB6. Pat, where do you land?

Those numbers make sense if he starts most games and Malik Nabers stays healthy, but I’m wary. Neighbors’ knee, Dart’s punishing style, and the coordinator fit keep me closer to QB13.

Jake, would you chase the upside anyway?

Yes. I rank him closer to QB9 for the rushing, though projections are nearer QB12 with sub-500 attempts. If it misses, replacement value is great this year, so I’ll swing.

Wideout check-in: Jameson Williams. ECR WR25, projections WR22. Jake, too rich or just right?

Too hot. With Amon-Ra and a tight end-centric plan, he profiles as a boom-bust WR3, not a locked WR2. Even if he hits about 1,050 and six, the week-to-week ride could be bumpy.

Pat, are you more comfortable with that rank?

I can live with it because he’s wildly efficient and Detroit weaponized him on crossers, but his value isn’t volume-based. The splash plays are real, and that’s why the projection works for me.

Last one, Rashee Rice. ECR WR12, projections all the way up near WR6. Pat, that’s a leap.

It ignores risk. Legal trouble, a knee cleanup, and games-played uncertainty make a 100-1,090-11 projection plus a rushing score feel light on caution.

Jake, where do you settle on Rice?

I’m closer to 87-975-8 in the model and rank him mid-teens because of the Mahomes effect. WR1 takes assume perfect health and availability, and that’s a big ask.

That’s the list: Judkins, Loveland, Hall, Dart, Jameson, and Rice—some buys, some brakes, and plenty to debate. I’m Chris Welsh with Pat Fitzmaurice; thanks for hanging, and we’ll catch you next time right here on FantasyPros.