The 2023 Matthew Berry Challenge

The 2023 Matthew Berry Challenge

Welcome to the 2023 Matthew Berry Challenge. If you’re not familiar with what we’re going to do today, let me give you a brief intro on how all of this is going to work.

This challenge is going to work exactly how the Sean Allen stuff did. I called out Allen for his bad fantasy hockey takes. We then tallied the score at the end of the season. In the least surprising turn of events ever, I completely humiliated the ESPN fantasy hockey expert. It wasn’t remotely close and I won the fantasy hockey title for the third consecutive year (I’ve only been doing it for three years).

If you read this site on a regular basis, you have a pretty good understanding by now that I don’t have much respect for the fantasy football industry. It’s the same nonsense over and over again. Everything that gets marketed is snake drafts, one quarterback, and PPR leagues. Just gross for so many reasons that I shouldn’t even have to explain.

Before I begin, I want to make it very clear that I have far more respect for Matthew Berry than I did for Sean Allen. This is going to be significantly more difficult to win. Berry is at least original and has a brain. I don’t think he’s good at fantasy, but he’s not a dumb, dumb.

I have respect for Berry in the fact that he’s the face of fantasy football. Almost in a Mel Kiper Jr. sort of way with the draft. However, he’s still very flawed as a fantasy analyst and I’m going to show you why.

It’s not just the fact that Berry caters his product to a cookie-cutter product. The fact of the matter is (his words, not mine) that he is the cookie-cutter product. I’ll give you the perfect example.

We’re going to base everything today on his Love/Hate column. He has George Kittle on his hate list. Yet has him as the 4th ranked tight end in fantasy. Quite literally everyone has Kittle ranked as TE4 or 5. If you hate the guy, he should be ranked TE15. Grow a pair of balls, Berry.

That’s the problem with Berry. He never actually goes out on a limb. He believes in letting the draft come to you and following the rankings. All of his rankings look virtually identical to what everyone else has. The guy just did a mock draft the other day where he proclaimed Amon-Ra St. Brown his “ride or die” and then passed on him only to watch St. Brown get picked with the next selection. That’s so pathetic. He also doesn’t watch college football at all (but we established that in another post).

There isn’t a doubt in my mind that I’m better at fantasy football than Berry. He has an open invite to my league and I guarantee he will never beat me in it. Never.

Today we’re here to prove it. I do, however, anticipate this one being closer than the Sean Allen challenge. Regardless of if I get a few of these wrong, just know that at least I’m also trying to educate on why your one QB snake draft league is pathetic. Something that Berry does not ever do.

Okay, enough chit-chat. Let’s go kick his ass.

*Scoring will be used based on my league’s rules. No PPR scoring. The scoring likely won’t matter regardless.

*When I say over, I mean over the spot he has him ranked. So if Berry has someone ranked at four and I take the over, that means I think he will finish lower. Vice Versa for under. Just clarifying for verbiage.

Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)

The three quarterbacks to start the challenge can be found on my Cheese list. Unlike Berry, I actually have balls. The Cheese list is to identify who we’re crossing off the list entirely. Not the list to put someone in timeout and then maybe select them if the ranking falls in line.

Berry has Jackson at QB4. It’s the exact same spot that every amateur-hour fantasy analyst has him after that group of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts. I’ll take the over. In fact, give me the way under.

My QB4 is Trevor Lawrence. He’s ranked 8th on every list you check. I’ll bet you Lawrence outscores Jackson.

We have to understand that the flukey MVP award season is gone. We’re never going to see it again. You’re a crackhead if you think QB1 is within the range of outcomes. Everyone wants to sit here and pretend that this Todd Monken offense is a good thing. As a former Ravens fan, I will fade it and I want it known that Greg Roman will eventually be owed an apology.

Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts)

We did a pretty in-depth look in the cheese post about why you’re a complete and utter moron if you’re creaming yourself over Anthony Richardson in redraft leagues.

Berry has Richardson as QB12. I’m saying that’s basically impossible unless half the quarterbacks in the league go down via season-ending injuries. I keep hearing from all these Richardson people that the guy is Josh Allen. I don’t buy that he is, but let’s just go with it out of entertainment value. Allen finished as QB19 when he was a rookie. The idea that Richardson is going to be a starter in a 12-team league as a rookie is comical.

I could do this all day but we have to understand that Richardson is remotely close to being ready to play. That has to be obvious if you watched him at Florida. The rushing is also totally overstated. Fun fact, Sam Howell rushed for 174 more yards than Richardson when comparing their final seasons in college. Bet you wouldn’t have guessed that.

This is the easiest over ever. No chance he finishes as a QB1 starter-level guy in fantasy. No shot. Not this year anyway. 99% of the time rookie QBs are utterly worthless in fantasy. That’s even in two QB leagues. Would much rather have a flier on someone who’s been in the league like Kenny Pickett or Jordan Love. If you’re going to take a rookie QB in fantasy, it should be Bryce Young.

Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

Ryan Fitzpatrick 2.0. Don’t even need to say anything else. Berry has Geno at QB13. Give me the over as well.

Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons)

I feel like I need to choose my words carefully here so that I don’t get misunderstood. I like Bijan Robinson. I would take him in fantasy. You guys are just blowing the guy and have elevated him into a class he doesn’t belong to.

It’s exactly why he’s on the Cheese list for RBs. You guys are acting like he’s the next LaDainian Tomlinson. I’m saying no chance he’s that good.

Berry has Bijan ranked as RB3. I’ll take the over. He’s insane to put Nick Chubb lower on that list. If I’m in a redraft auction league, I’d much rather have Rhamondre Stevenson for significantly fewer dollars while allocating those resources to the rest of the team.

Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions)

Another rookie running back where the hype has gotten out of control. Again, I like Jahmyr Gibbs. I don’t think the Alvin Kamara comps are crazy. Berry has Gibbs as RB12 which would be an RB1 in 12-team leagues. I’ll take another over.

You’re insane if you think he’s more talented than D’Andre Swift. Totally insane. You have to stop letting the draft price fool you about who the actual player is. I think Gibbs is really good but he’s going to have to be a lightning rod day one. Not just a lightning rod, but a full-blown assassin to be RB12 while Montgomery fills the Jamaal Williams role. Totally crazy to have Stevenson one spot lower. If you’re going to take a guy who is on a committee, Kenneth Walker is a much better pick.

Berry better hope Gibbs catches 100 balls. Otherwise, he’s losing this one easily.

David Montgomery (Detroit Lions)

Ranking David Montgomery as RB23 is a hilarious rookie mistake. Give me the over. Just an embarrassing mistake to think he’s a RB2 in respectable leagues. I don’t know who needs to hear this but just because Jamaal Williams scored 17 touchdowns last year doesn’t mean Montgomery will this year. It’s amazing how many people think Montgomery will just replicate that. I say no chance it will happen. Lowkey, Montgomery stinks and you’re insane if you’re pulling the trigger on him that early.

Rashaad Penny (Philadelphia Eagles)

Berry has Penny on the love list and ranked as RB 40. I’m just going to go right ahead and let him know that he’s got the third-best Eagles running back on his love list. Forget about D’Andre Swift (I’ll get there later), Kenneth Gainwell is absolutely going to outscore Penny in fantasy.

How does he think Penny is going to be better? I can’t believe anybody believes otherwise. I don’t really understand it. For what it’s worth, give me Tank Bigsby ahead of Penny too. Barring injury, I’d expect Penny to finish third among points for all Eagles’ running backs. Speaking of injuries, Penny is quite literally the least reliable back they have in terms of staying healthy.

Samaje Perine (Denver Broncos)

Just a crackhead take. Berry has Perine as RB35. He also has Javonte Williams on the hate list. Is he really not aware of the fact that Perine sucks? How TF do you have AJ Dillon ranked lower? That’s banana land. Another easy over.

By the way, Berry has Perine as the third-ranked backup running back in fantasy essentially. That’s a noob move. Just no way that happens.

D’Andre Swift (Philadelphia Eagles)

Berry has Swift on the hate list. He also has him ranked as RB31 and ahead of Penny (which makes no sense if you love Penny, but whatever).

I have Swift on the OnlyFans list. Swift has league winner written all over him. I’ll the under here. I have Swift as a top 10 running back in fantasy. Just needs to stay healthy. He’s going to catch a billion balls this year and is the best running back that gets to play behind the best offensive line in football for the favorite in the NFC.

I can’t believe how stupid people are. When he lights it up, I want all of the credit.

Skyy Moore (Kansas City Chiefs)

You probably know by now that I think Skyy Moore stinks. It remains a complete and utter joke that Kansas City took him ahead of George Pickens. Moore is probably the last KC wide receiver I’d take a flier on. Give me Kadarius Toney, Justyn Ross, and Rashee Rice in that order over Moore. Berry has Moore ranked as WR48 and I’ll just take the over despite the fact that he’s basically free. Moore was also a massive bust in fantasy last year, which nobody wants to talk about.

Tank Dell (Houston Texans)

I’m not sure what to do with this one given the fact that Berry has Dell on the love list but also doesn’t have him ranked. Again, I have no idea how that works, but whatever. If you’re spending resources on a 160-pound receiver in fantasy, you’re an idiot. I went over that here.

If you’re going to take a Texans’ WR, it’s gotta be John Metchie. Would even go Nico Collins after.

Rashod Bateman (Baltimore Ravens)

Berry has Rashod Bateman as WR44 and ahead of all of the wide receivers on the Ravens. That’s a joke. Zay Flowers is way better than him. Way better.

This is what I have on Flowers coming during the draft process.

This is what I have on Bateman coming into the draft.

Thus far, I’ve been right. Devin Duvernay is better than Bateman, c’mon. This is an over with the added caveat that Flowers will be the one you want.

Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Talk about disrespect. I get that the QB situation in Tampa is ugly. This is still a team that’s going to be trailing a lot and will need to throw. Evans is still one of the best wide receivers in the league. The scoring output may be inconsistent but to say he’s WR33 and on the hate list?

This is Mike Evans. He will find a way to finish better than that. I’ll take the under.

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