It’s fantasy football time! And here’s a little story…

I used to LOVE fantasy football. I ran the league, did the research, made the trades…the whole thing. But I didn't love the person I became every fall. At some point, I realized I couldn't be flipping a coffee table over a fumble.

What I do miss is the thrill of finding a diamond in the rough before everyone else. Is there any better feeling than calling a breakout before it happens and looking like a genius?

For me, no one embodied that feeling more than Peyton Hillis. His magical 2010 season won fantasy championships, earned him a fan-voted Madden cover, and turned an unlikely running back into a legend.

This week, Mike Wright of the Fantasy Footballers joins me to remember fantasy football's greatest surprise heroes, the players you swore lifelong allegiance to after one magical season, and preview the first round of the 2026 fantasy draft with a mock Round 1.

Welcome to Episode 005 of REAL DEAL. I'm Tony Reali, and I'm so happy you're here

For more from Mike Wright and the Fantasy Footballers:
The Fantasy Footballers Podcast - TheFantasyFootballers.com
2026 Ultimate Draft Kit - UltimateDraftKit.com

Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

It&rsquo;s fantasy football time! And here&rsquo;s a little story&hellip;
I used to LOVE fantasy football. I ran the league, did the research, made the trades&hellip;the whole thing. But I didn't love the person I became every fall. At some point, I realized I couldn't be flipping a coffee table over a fumble.
What I do miss is the thrill of finding a diamond in the rough before everyone else. Is there any better feeling than calling a breakout before it happens and looking like a genius?
For me, no one embodied that feeling more than Peyton Hillis. His magical 2010 season won fantasy championships, earned him a fan-voted Madden cover, and turned an unlikely running back into a legend.
This week, Mike Wright of the Fantasy Footballers joins me to remember fantasy football's greatest surprise heroes, the players you swore lifelong allegiance to after one magical season, and preview the first round of the 2026 fantasy draft with a mock Round 1.
Welcome to Episode 005 of REAL DEAL. I'm Tony Reali, and I'm so happy you're here
For more from Mike Wright and the Fantasy Footballers:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The Fantasy Footballers Podcast - <a href="http://thefantasyfootballers.com/">TheFantasyFootballers.com</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">2026 Ultimate Draft Kit - <a href="http://ultimatedraftkit.com/">UltimateDraftKit.com</a></li>
</ul>
Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

REAL DEAL with Tony Reali is a sports culture podcast built around one irresistible moment at a time. A play. A clip. A photo. A legend. The cultural touchstones of sports that never leave us. Every episode starts small and goes deep into the story behind the story, the feeling behind the moment, and the human truth that explains why it's still living rent-free in our heads years later.

 

Hosted by longtime ESPN personality Tony Reali, REAL DEAL blends storytelling, humor, nostalgia, emotional insight, and unpredictable energy with guests who complete the story. Athletes, broadcasters, superfans, comedians, journalists and the people nobody else would think to call.

 

This is neither a debate show nor a recap show. It’s an evergreen sports culture format built around the moments, stories, and emotional chaos that keep sports alive, always.

 

REAL DEAL with Tony Reali is a sports culture podcast built around one irresistible moment at a time. A play. A clip. A photo. A legend. The cultural touchstones of sports that never leave us. Every episode starts small and goes deep into the story behind the story, the feeling behind the moment, and the human truth that explains why it's still living rent-free in our heads years later.
&nbsp;
Hosted by longtime ESPN personality Tony Reali, REAL DEAL blends storytelling, humor, nostalgia, emotional insight, and unpredictable energy with guests who complete the story. Athletes, broadcasters, superfans, comedians, journalists and the people nobody else would think to call.
&nbsp;
This is neither a debate show nor a recap show. It&rsquo;s an evergreen sports culture format built around the moments, stories, and emotional chaos that keep sports alive, always.
&nbsp;

REAL DEAL with Tony Reali

 Fantasy Footballers' Mike Wright: Biggest Fantasy Heroes of All-Time and a 2026 First-Round Preview

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4a403393-b39b-43ef-8fb5-b4a20168fa27/transcript