Season 4 Episode 3
NFC East & West Preview | Guest: Henry Marken @hsmarken
The Screenplay Podcast — Season 4, NFC East & West Preview
The Screenplay Podcast wrapped up its division-by-division preview series with the NFC East and NFC West, joined by sports comedy content creator and San Francisco 49ers fan Henry Markin (@HSMarkin). Hosts Evan Grenus and Andrew Novak then broke down every team in both divisions, covering real-life storylines, win totals, and a full fantasy football position-by-position guide.
Guest Spotlight: Henry Markin on Impressions, the 49ers, and the Substation
Henry Markin, known for viral impressions of the Joker, Tony Romo, and Chris Collinsworth, discussed his content process — including a Joker bit he's performed since age nine that still unsettles his girlfriend, and an exhausting Romo impression he compares to "fighting for his life." He shared that meeting Steph Curry in person, a childhood idol from growing up in the Bay Area, remains the peak moment of his career, and that his Erling Haaland content generated over 100 million views during this summer's World Cup.
On the 49ers, Markin addressed the team's long-running "substation" curse meme with mock seriousness, defending the actual Santa Clara substation as an unsung hero of Silicon Valley infrastructure while acknowledging real concerns about how physically demanding 49ers practices are compared to other teams. He predicted San Francisco's Week 1 trip to Australia to face the Rams will decide their season, arguing the Rams' unconventional early-departure travel strategy could leave them fatigued, and said the team will have an outstanding year if they win that opener. On the offseason report involving owner Jed York, Markin called it a non-issue for the team on the field, joking that billionaire owners are largely insulated from personal-life consequences.
Markin also weighed in on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as a fellow Hoosier alum, saying he hopes Mendoza's earnest, motivational public persona translates once he starts in the NFL, and admitted a soft spot for the Patriots as a compelling villain now that Drake Maye has the team competitive again.
NFC East Preview
New York Giants
Odds: +600 to win the NFC East, 70-1 Super Bowl odds. Win total: 7.5 (Evan predicts 8-9 wins).
New head coach John Harbaugh brings in Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator and Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator, with most of last year's departures (Dexter Lawrence, Cor'Dale Flott, Wan'Dale Robinson, Daniel Bellinger) landing with new Titans OC Brian Dabl in Tennessee. Both hosts like the Harbaugh hire but have reservations about Nagy, with health for Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers viewed as the biggest swing factor. On fantasy, Dart is viewed as a high-risk, high-reward QB play who averaged 20.1 points per game in his 12 full outings last year, while the receiving corps behind Nabers is considered thin after Jalin Hyatt's camp injury.
Washington Commanders
Odds: +500 to win the NFC East, 66-1 Super Bowl odds. Win total: 7.5 (both hosts predict 7-9 wins).
New OC David Blough (promoted from quarterbacks coach) replaces Kliff Kingsbury, who left to become the Rams' assistant head coach in a departure both hosts found curious. A season-ending Trent Williams injury turned a strength into a question mark on the offensive line, and a brutal opening slate (at Eagles, at Cowboys, Seahawks) has both hosts wary of an 0-3 start. On fantasy, Terry McLaurin is viewed as a strong value at WR24 given his WR7 finish two years ago, and tight end Chig Okonkwo is viewed as a solid late dart throw at TE22 given his remarkable durability (17 games played every season of his career).
Philadelphia Eagles
Odds: +120 to win the NFC East, 16-1 Super Bowl odds. Win total: 10.5 (Evan predicts 11-6).
New OC Kevin Patullo's replacement Sean Manion inherits an offense that lost AJ Brown but returns a strong offensive line, and both hosts noted Philadelphia drew by far the easiest schedule in the division. Both hosts expect Saquon Barkley to remain a top-three fantasy running back if healthy, while DeVonta Smith is viewed as a strong value at WR16 in a crowded receiving room that also includes Dontayvion Wicks, rookie Makai Lemon (going late as WR38), Hollywood Brown, and Elijah Moore.
Dallas Cowboys
Odds: +200 to win the NFC East, 25-1 Super Bowl odds. Win total: 9.5 (Evan predicts 11-6, leading the division).
Dallas overhauled its defense with roughly eight new starters (Danielle Hunter, Von Miller, Kenny Clark, Jourdan Lewis among the additions) around a proven, high-scoring offense, in what both hosts called the most impressive offseason rebuild in the NFL this year. Both hosts are the highest on Dallas they can remember being, provided Dak Prescott stays healthy — noting his odd career pattern of alternating big fantasy seasons with injury-shortened ones. On fantasy, Javonte Williams is a favorite value pick at RB17 after finishing RB12 last year in a high-scoring offense, while the hosts disagreed on tight end Jake Ferguson's outlook after his target-heavy 2025 season.
NFC West Preview
Los Angeles Rams
Odds: Heavy favorites to win the NFC West, with the best Super Bowl odds in the NFL at 5.5-1. Win total: 11.5 (Evan predicts 13 wins).
The Rams added Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade to pair with Trent McDuffie's, Jalen Watson's, and Camryn Curl-caliber pieces on defense, while both hosts expect Aaron Donald to play a reduced role after skipping the team's early trip to Australia. Andrew flagged wide receiver depth beyond Puka Nakua as a concern and questioned whether the Rams' talent level could lead to uncharacteristic regular-season losses. On fantasy, Kyren Williams remains the lead back in a timeshare with Blake Corum that Andrew views as a strong "handcuff-plus" value, and Davante Adams is viewed as a safe top-15 wide receiver given his red-zone role in an offense that scored 46 passing touchdowns last year.
Seattle Seahawks
Odds: +215 to win the NFC West, 11-1 Super Bowl odds. Win total: 10.5 (Evan predicts 14-3).
New OC Brian Fleury (formerly the 49ers' tight ends coach) takes over the offense while Mike Macdonald continues running the defense, with most of Seattle's toughest non-division opponents (Patriots, Chargers, Chiefs, Bears, Cowboys) coming at home. Both hosts are notably high on Seattle's win total, pointing to Sam Darnold's league-worst 20 turnovers last season as a clear correction opportunity behind a defense that finished top-six in takeaways. On fantasy, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is viewed as a safe top-five wide receiver, while Zach Charbonnet's ACL recovery timeline makes him a clear fantasy stay-away in favor of Jadarian Price.
Arizona Cardinals
Odds: +10000 to win the NFC West, 500-1 Super Bowl odds. Win total: 3.5 (Evan predicts 3-14).
New head coach Mike LaFleur and OC Nathaniel Hackett inherit a roster with legitimate offensive pieces (Jacoby Brissett, Trey McBride, a promising receiving corps, and rookie running back Jeremiah Love) undercut by what both hosts called the toughest schedule in the NFL — an opening stretch that has Arizona as likely underdogs in each of its first eleven games. On fantasy, Trey McBride remains locked in as the top tight end off a huge 2025 season under Brissett, and Michael Wilson is viewed as a value at WR36 given a strong second half of last season, while the hosts see the run-heavy backfield and injured Marvin Harrison Jr. as lower-priority pieces.
San Francisco 49ers
Odds: +305 to win the NFC West, 18-1 Super Bowl odds. Win total: 9.5 (Evan predicts 9-8).
New defensive coordinator Raheem Morris joins an offense still run by longtime assistant Klay Kubiak, with additions Mike Evans, Dre Greenlaw, and Christian Kirk added around a core still recovering from injuries to Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle. Both hosts framed the season entirely around health, with Andrew noting San Francisco has by far the easiest schedule in the division if its stars can stay on the field. On fantasy, Mike Evans is viewed as a locked-in top-20 wide receiver if he plays a full season given nine straight 1,000-yard years, and both hosts endorsed drafting George Kittle in the sixth or seventh round even if he misses the start of the season while recovering from Achilles surgery.
Screenplay Podcast Survivor Pool
The Screenplay Podcast is running its Survivor Pool again this season: $0 entry fee, $250 cash to the winner, hosted on Sleeper. Pick one team each week — win and advance, lose and you're out, with no revives. Sign up through the link on the show's Instagram page or website.
Listen to the Full Episode
New episodes of The Screenplay Podcast drop every Wednesday at 8 a.m. wherever you stream podcasts, hosted by Evan Grenus and PGA Tour winner Andrew Novak, running from now through the Super Bowl. Next week's episode covers the NFC North and South with returning guest Jason Schulruf (@ickjason), the show's resident Chicago Bears fan.