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On July 22nd, twelve members of the Footballguys staff got together for the site's fourth draft of 2015. Below is the league scoring format and bylaws.
League Parameters
- 12 teams
- 20 roster spots
- Starting Lineup
- 1 quarterback
- 2 running backs
- 3 wide receivers
- 1 tight end
- 1 flex (either a running back, wide receiver, or tight end)
- 1 team defense
League Scoring
- Offensive Players
- 4 points - passing touchdown
- 6 points - rushing/receiving touchdown
- 0.05 points - passing yard
- 0.1 points - rushing/receiving yard
- 1 point - reception
- Team Defense
- 6 points - touchdown
- 2 points - turnover recovered
- 2 points - safety
- 1 point - sack
- 10 points - Offensive points against: 0-0
- 7 points - Offensive points against: 1-6
- 4 points - Offensive points against: 7-20
- 1 point - Offensive points against: 21-29
- -3 points - Offensive points against: 30-99
- 6 points each - Number of Defensive and Special Teams Touchdowns
THE DRAFT ORDER
The draft order was created randomly. After the first round, the draft continues in a regular serpentine manner. Click here for the full draft pick by pick
1. Chris Feery
2. John Lee
3. Justin Howe
4. Jeff Haseley
5. Jason Wood
6. Ari Ingel
7. Will Grant
8. Justin Bonnema
9. Matt Harmon
10. Steve Buzzard
11. Bear Heiser
12. Chad Parsons
Starting with Chris Feery from the 1.01 spot, Ryan Hester provides an unbiased evaluation of each team's draft performance
Chris Feery: Draft Position 1
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.01 | 1 | Bell, Le'Veon PIT RB |
2.12 | 24 | Hilton, T.Y. IND WR |
3.01 | 25 | Gordon, Melvin SDC RB |
4.12 | 48 | Allen, Keenan SDC WR |
5.01 | 49 | Cooper, Amari OAK WR |
6.12 | 72 | Roethlisberger, Ben PIT QB |
7.01 | 73 | Johnson, Duke CLE RB |
8.12 | 96 | Ivory, Chris NYJ RB |
9.01 | 97 | McFadden, Darren DAL RB |
10.12 | 120 | Randle, Rueben NYG WR |
11.01 | 121 | Rudolph, Kyle MIN TE |
12.12 | 144 | Carr, Derek OAK QB |
13.01 | 145 | Jones, Marvin CIN WR |
14.12 | 168 | Cardinals, Arizona ARI Def |
15.01 | 169 | Amaro, Jace NYJ TE |
16.12 | 192 | White, James NEP RB |
17.01 | 193 | Clay, Charles BUF TE |
18.12 | 216 | Smith, Geno NYJ QB |
19.01 | 217 | Chiefs, Kansas City KCC Def |
20.12 | 240 | Shorts, Cecil HOU WR |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
1. What draft strategies did you have with this being a Best Ball league? Were you able to follow that strategy or did the draft unfold differently causing you to use a different approach?
I tend to follow a similar strategy for all Best Ball leagues. For the early rounds, I’m focusing on the best player available at my draft position. I have clearly defined tiers of value by position that ultimately narrows my selection and determines the course I will follow for the remainder of the draft. For this draft in particular, full PPR and selecting 1st overall, I knew I had a stud running back in the bag from my 1st selection and was hoping to complement with a next tier running back and two high-target wide receivers over my next three picks. That part went according to plan as I was able to select Melvin Gordon, T.Y. Hilton and Keenan Allen in rounds 2-4. Once I have the core of my team in place, I still stick to my tiers but also become mindful of position scarcity as the draft unfolds. My 5th pick is a good example of how this plays out for me. While I knew wide receiver remained deep at this point, I’m very high on Amari Cooper’s upside for his rookie campaign. There were no overwhelming running back choices available, the top-tier tight ends were gone by this point and I was confident I could wait on a quarterback and be pleased with the selection. I was able to select Roethlisberger (a quarterback I’m very high on) in round six and load up on running backs that will contribute in rounds 7-9 as position scarcity became a very important factor. From this point, I was looking to fill the holes on my team but still sticking to best player available and scarcity, trying to be careful not to draft anyone too high in relation to their value just because I have a need at that position.
2. Which player on your team, if he hits, will be the main driver of success for your team? Explain why you have high expectations for this player.
Melvin Gordon. I’m very intrigued by Gordon in a lead back role for the Chargers. He was an absolute stud in college, impressive in OTA’s and may be a much better pass catcher than advertised. Injuries in the backfield really hampered the Chargers in 2014 and the fresh legs of Gordon could really open things up for the offense. Despite the offseason trade rumors, Philip Rivers will continue to thrive in this offensive scheme and has the potential to threaten career best numbers. The explosive Gordon will receive a heavy workload right out of the gate and should be a huge part of the Chargers attack in 2015. Based on all of these factors, I’m very confident in Gordon as a solid RB2 for my team.
3. Drafting first overall can be a challenge, especially at the turn of the third and fourth round. What advice would you give to someone drafting in this slot? In a Best Ball league, is there any difference in strategy?
Having the first pick is definitely challenging. You’re guaranteed a stud (barring injury) but at the mercy of how the remainder of the draft plays out from that point. You need to have a clearly defined game plan for the early rounds. For this full PPR draft, I was hoping for a solid second tier running back still being available at the turn of the second and third rounds, luckily that came to fruition. I was able to complement that with two high target wide receivers as per my plan for the first four rounds. If this were a standard scoring league I would have probably looked to snag three running backs in the first four rounds. Wide receiver is very deep, if I’m not selecting a top three tight end I’m comfortable waiting until the later rounds and I’m confident I can snag a quarterback back I’m high on after the fifth round. As the rest of the draft played out I stuck to my core theories of best player available and position scarcity. The benefit to the first overall selection is the back-to-back selections at the turns. This allows you to key on your top two selections at that point without having to resort to the proverbial flip of the coin. My advice is to have your early-round strategy mapped out going in and to have each position ranked in tiers. Every draft unfolds differently, a clear sense of the value of each player as you see it will help your decision making immensely, especially when available players become scarce at a specific position.
John Lee: Draft Position 2
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.02 | 2 | Gronkowski, Rob NEP TE |
2.11 | 23 | Evans, Mike TBB WR |
3.02 | 26 | Jeffery, Alshon CHI WR |
4.11 | 47 | Hyde, Carlos SFO RB |
5.02 | 50 | Murray, Latavius OAK RB |
6.11 | 71 | Blount, LeGarrette NEP RB |
7.02 | 74 | Wilson, Russell SEA QB |
8.11 | 95 | Sims, Charles TBB RB |
9.02 | 98 | Floyd, Michael ARI WR |
10.11 | 119 | Quick, Brian STL WR |
11.02 | 122 | Baldwin, Doug SEA WR |
12.11 | 143 | Seahawks, Seattle SEA Def |
13.02 | 146 | Winston, Jameis TBB QB |
14.11 | 167 | Bowe, Dwayne CLE WR |
15.02 | 170 | Daniels, Owen DEN TE |
16.11 | 191 | Herron, Dan IND RB |
17.02 | 194 | Starks, James GBP RB |
18.11 | 215 | Browns, Cleveland CLE Def |
19.02 | 218 | Helu, Roy OAK RB |
20.11 | 239 | Robinson, Denard JAC RB |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
1. You drafted one rookie in your draft - Jameis Winston as your backup quarterback to Russell Wilson. Explain your strategy for selecting veterans in this league.
When I am drafting a team in best ball format, I want to capitalize on known quantities to find two things: a) consistency, and b) upside. My preference is and almost always will be to draft players who have been in the league for at least a year (excluding dynasty/keeper-type drafts) because I have a better feel for how those players will be used and how their college performance has translated to the next level. With rookies, I am always concerned that they will fail to meet expectations, whether it be due to the team bringing them along more slowly than expected or because the player's talent simply does not meet the standards of the NFL. Over the past five years, only five runnings backs (LeGarrette Blount, Alfred Morris, Doug Martin, Eddie Lacy, and Jeremy Hill) have exceeded 1000 yards in their rookie season; likewise, there have only been five receivers who have amassed 1000 receiving yards in their rookie season since 2010 (A.J. Green, Keenan Allen, Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, and Odell Beckham). With hundreds of rookies entering the league over the past 5 years, yet only 10 achieving greatness in their rookie season, I feel largely content ignoring rookies, unless extreme value presents itself during the draft.
So, then, why did I draft Jameis Winston if I am so averse to rookies? First, I love his receiving targets (Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins); all are 6'5" or above and all three are fantastic pass catchers. Mike Evans managed to make Johnny Manziel look like an NFL quarterback while at Texas A&M and then put up impressive numbers last year despite the likes of Mike Glennon and Josh McCown at quarterback. Bring in Jameis Winston, who absolutely crushed his collegiate opponents from the moment he walked onto the field in Tallahassee; Winston never faltered in college, finishing his days as a starter at Florida State with a 26-1 record. Next, the Tampa Bay Bucs' defense is currently Footballguys' #24 ranked team defense, which means that Winston will likely be playing from behind for most of the season; when teams trail, their quarterbacks' stats tend to benefit. Lastly, I already had drafted one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league, Russell Wilson, so I felt comfortable drafting Winston in the 13th round, knowing that he would contribute with big weeks from time to time.
2. Which pick in the first ten rounds of your draft are you most concerned about? Explain your thoughts.
Alshon Jeffery (Round #3, Pick #2). There is absolutely zero doubt in Jeffery's talent and/or ability to excel; however, I have apprehension about the offense in Chicago this year, largely because of Jay Cutler and the new leadership in Chicago. I fully expect John Fox (Head Coach) and Adam Gase (Offensive Coordinator) to reign in Cutler's careless gunslinging ways to avoid another locker room implosion in Chicago this season; that, alone, could be enough to diminish Jeffery's production from 2014 (85 receptions, 1155 yards, 10 touchdowns). Furthermore, the addition of #7 overall draft pick, Kevin White, adds to the uncertainty surrounding Jeffery; if White is used heavily and becomes the apple of Cutler's eye, which has happened in previous seasons with other receivers (Greg Olsen in 2009, Brandon Marshall in 2012, etc), Jeffery could find himself on the outside looking in. I still believe Jeffery will be a key component of this Bears' offense, but I try to avoid questionable selections in the first 4-5 rounds and this could have been a misstep.
3. Which player of yours drafted between the 10th and 20th round are you most excited about this year? Explain.
It's a tough question because I really like the second end of my draft (despite a few miscues early in the draft). I have already discussed Jameis Winston (13th round) above, so I will not repeat those reasons here, other to say that I am entirely content getting him where I did. At running back, I got much needed insurance in the form of Dan Herron (16th round), James Starks (17th round), Roy Helu (19th round), and Denard Robinson (20th round). Herron performed admirably near the end of last season and, despite the arrival of Frank Gore, I fully expect him to contribute on a weekly basis in Indianapolis. Starks is the backup running back on one of the best offenses in the league and has previously been asked to touch the ball 20+ times per game when Lacy has been injured; if Lacy goes down, I immediately have a top ten running back every week. Helu is a handcuff to Latavius Murray and a proven contributor who could step in if Murray is injured or cannot cut the mustard as an everyday starter (I completely ignore Trent Richardson in that scenario). Lastly, Robinson has been serviceable when asked to run the ball behind ProFootballFocus' 25th ranked rushing offensive line last year; getting him in the last round was a nice surprise. At wide receiver, I drafted two team's #1 wide receiver in Brian Quick (10th round) and Dwayne Bowe (14th round). Both players were the victim of circumstances last year; Quick was impressive early in the season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in October, while Bowe played on a Chiefs' team that did not throw a single touchdown pass to a wide receiver for the entire season. Both players have decent upside for their respective draft positions. Drafting Owen Daniels in the 18th round as a backup to Rob Gronkowski was a necessary move (to cover Gronkowski's bye week and the possibility of an injury), but I am excited to see if there will be weeks where Peyton Manning throws multiple touchdowns to this veteran tight end. Lastly, getting the Seahawks in the 12th round allowed me to not have to worry about drafting 3 team defenses (which I tend to do in best ball format), thereby opening up options for drafting depth in the latter rounds while others were worried about covering their lesser defenses.
Justin Howe: Draft Position 3
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.03 | 3 | Brown, Antonio PIT WR |
2.1 | 22 | Forsett, Justin BAL RB |
3.03 | 27 | Hopkins, DeAndre HOU WR |
4.1 | 46 | Sanders, Emmanuel DEN WR |
5.03 | 51 | Tate, Golden DET WR |
6.1 | 70 | Martin, Doug TBB RB |
7.03 | 75 | Crowell, Isaiah CLE RB |
8.1 | 94 | Freeman, Devonta ATL RB |
9.03 | 99 | Newton, Cam CAR QB |
10.1 | 118 | Woodhead, Danny SDC RB |
11.03 | 123 | Kaepernick, Colin SFO QB |
12.1 | 142 | Williams, Andre NYG RB |
13.03 | 147 | Moncrief, Donte IND WR |
14.1 | 166 | Fleener, Coby IND TE |
15.03 | 171 | Mariota, Marcus TEN QB |
16.1 | 190 | Davis, Vernon SFO TE |
17.03 | 195 | Eagles, Philadelphia PHI Def |
18.1 | 214 | Green, Virgil DEN TE |
19.03 | 219 | Ravens, Baltimore BAL Def |
20.1 | 238 | Lockett, Tyler SEA WR |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions:
1. You drafted one running back in the first five rounds. Explain why you chose this strategy.
Well, I don’t think it’s an optimal strategy in a best-ball league, where RB production falls off a cliff in the middle to late rounds. But it’s one that can be made to work if you’re pressed into it, as I was. Sitting in the #3 hole, I only saw WRs worthy of the pick, so I took Antonio Brown, my #1 WR by a good margin. (I nearly took a huge dive and took my #2 projected RB, C.J. Anderson, but passed.) I then secured solid RB1 usage in Justin Forsett, but the RB drop-off just didn’t make it prudent for me to chase and overdraft from a huge pool of fairly interchangeable options. In this draft, the WR value on the board urged me to stockpile wideouts.
Thus, the goal for this type of best ball roster is to overpower the competition with WR scoring and mix-and-match from a large depth chart of RBs. Taking four WR1/2 guys gives me strong WR scoring and helps to cover my flex position with a semi-elite talent like Golden Tate, rather than praying over an overdrafted RB3 like Todd Gurley Andre Ellington. And filling my RB rotation with mid-rounders with high volume potential makes fairly likely I can throw up two startable guys on any given week.
2. Which pick of yours do you feel you received the most value? Explain why you like that player this year.
I think I snagged two legit RB2/3 types in the 10th and 12th rounds. By all accounts, Danny Woodhead is healthy and locked into the primary passing down role in San Diego. He may not run the ball as often as he did in 2013, but we all know of his 60- or 70-catch potential, so he’s PPR gold in Round 10. Andre Williams was underwhelming as a rookie, but he was loaded with opportunity throughout his struggles. Rashad Jennings is 30 and an absolute mess of injuries who’s never logged 170 rushes in a season, and Williams footed the bill for him throughout much of 2014. He posted seven weeks of RB2 or better fantasy scoring. He was even thrown a solid number of passes, a surprising development that at least showed the Giants have real interest in trying him as an every-down workhorse.
And ultimately, that’s the point behind the Zero-RB strategy: to draft a stable of high-upside guys in the middle and late rounds in the hopes of finding 1-2 that can contribute startable weeks. I think both Woodhead and Williams will end the season as solid RB3s at worst, and both have posted a number of RB1 and RB2 weeks over the last two years.
3. In this draft, you subscribed to the late round tight end strategy. Is this a strategy that you prefer or did the draft happen to unfold this way. Explain your thoughts.
Punting the tight end position – Zero-TE Drafting, if you will – is probably the strategy I’m most confident in for best-ball drafts. There are a number of reasons for that. First and foremost, the talent at the position is very heavily concentrated in the middle tiers. By my projections, the top five tight ends (Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen, Travis Kelce, Martellus Bennett, and Jimmy Graham, who’s on the borderline) are the only ones worth chasing through the first 10-12 rounds. I don’t want to spend valuable RB/WR picks on a TE, though. Since I don’t project them to drastically outscore the next 5-8 guys on my board, it almost always makes sense to me to wait. I’ll happily take 7 points/game from, say, Coby Fleener over 9 points/game from Graham if I can wait ten rounds to fill the spot.
I think a lot of best-ball players chase big, monstrous TE numbers. It’s a very chic position, one at which we’re flooded with intriguing, athletic freaks of nature in practice reports. But chasing the next world-beating Jimmy Graham often leaves us flailing for the flavor of the month in the first 6-8 rounds. That’s where we should be fortifying and re-fortifying our RB and WR spots. In best ball leagues, I’m not looking for top-tier producers at TE. All I really want is weekly touchdown potential, since quite frankly a touchdown is usuallt all it takes for a TE to be startable for the week. A 3-30 line is fine with me if a TD was caught, so I’m looking for a group of three guys with decent chances of that each week. Rostering three late-round, moderate-upside options gives me a strong shot at posting a TE1 line every time out.
Jeff Haseley: Draft Position 4
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.04 | 4 | Peterson, Adrian MIN RB |
2.09 | 21 | Hill, Jeremy CIN RB |
3.04 | 28 | Graham, Jimmy SEA TE |
4.09 | 45 | Matthews, Jordan PHI WR |
5.04 | 52 | Edelman, Julian NEP WR |
6.09 | 69 | White, Roddy ATL WR |
7.04 | 76 | LaFell, Brandon NEP WR |
8.09 | 93 | Brown, John ARI WR |
9.04 | 100 | Ryan, Matt ATL QB |
10.09 | 117 | Manning, Eli NYG QB |
11.04 | 124 | Sproles, Darren PHI RB |
12.09 | 141 | Allen, Dwayne IND TE |
13.04 | 148 | Artis-Payne, Cameron CAR RB |
14.09 | 165 | Dunbar, Lance DAL RB |
15.04 | 172 | Riddick, Theo DET RB |
16.09 | 189 | Dorsett, Phillip IND WR |
17.04 | 196 | Wheaton, Markus PIT WR |
18.09 | 213 | Rodgers, Richard GBP TE |
19.04 | 220 | Cowboys, Dallas DAL Def |
20.09 | 237 | Falcons, Atlanta ATL Def |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
Jason Wood: Draft Position 5
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.05 | 5 | Charles, Jamaal KCC RB |
2.08 | 20 | Cobb, Randall GBP WR |
3.05 | 29 | Luck, Andrew IND QB |
4.08 | 44 | Kelce, Travis KCC TE |
5.05 | 53 | Robinson, Allen JAC WR |
6.08 | 68 | Vereen, Shane NYG RB |
7.05 | 77 | Wallace, Mike MIN WR |
8.08 | 92 | Cobb, David TEN RB |
9.05 | 101 | Williams, DeAngelo PIT RB |
10.08 | 116 | Garcon, Pierre WAS WR |
11.05 | 125 | Bridgewater, Teddy MIN QB |
12.08 | 140 | Allen, Javorius BAL RB |
13.05 | 149 | Gates, Antonio SDC TE |
14.08 | 164 | Crabtree, Michael OAK WR |
15.05 | 173 | Dolphins, Miami MIA Def |
16.08 | 188 | Cadet, Travaris NEP RB |
17.05 | 197 | Toon, Nick NOS WR |
18.08 | 212 | Vikings, Minnesota MIN Def |
19.05 | 221 | Walford, Clive OAK TE |
20.08 | 236 | Aiken, Kamar BAL WR |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
Ari Ingel: Draft Position 6
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.06 | 6 | Lacy, Eddie GBP RB |
2.07 | 19 | Green, A.J. CIN WR |
3.06 | 30 | Gore, Frank IND RB |
4.07 | 43 | Johnson, Andre IND WR |
5.06 | 54 | Bryant, Martavis PIT WR |
6.07 | 67 | Landry, Jarvis MIA WR |
7.06 | 78 | Mathews, Ryan PHI RB |
8.07 | 91 | Cameron, Jordan MIA TE |
9.06 | 102 | Witten, Jason DAL TE |
10.07 | 115 | Tannehill, Ryan MIA QB |
11.06 | 126 | Parker, DeVante MIA WR |
12.07 | 139 | Bush, Reggie SFO RB |
13.06 | 150 | Bills, Buffalo BUF Def |
14.07 | 163 | Johnson, Stevie SDC WR |
15.06 | 174 | Texans, Houston HOU Def |
16.07 | 187 | Griffin III, Robert WAS QB |
17.06 | 198 | Robinson, Josh IND RB |
18.07 | 211 | Bortles, Blake JAC QB |
19.06 | 222 | Williams, Maxx BAL TE |
20.07 | 235 | Lee, Marqise JAC WR |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
1. What area of your team are you most concerned about heading into the season. Explain your concerns.
I thought I balanced my team quite well, having strong units across the board. One area that could potentially hurt me is the quarterback position. I am fairly high on Ryan Tannehill as he enters the second year of OC Bill Lazor’s system. I also think Miami did an excellent job of surrounding Tannehill with some great new weapons in Jordan Cameron, Kenny Stills, DeVante Parker and Jay Ajayi to go along with Lamar Miller and Jarvis Landry. That said, in Best Ball leagues, unless you have Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck, it’s always important to have a solid QB2, which I wasn’t able to get. I had Carson Palmer and Jay Cutler targeted on several occasions but they went just before I could grab them. So instead I decided to use late round picks on Robert Griffin III and Blake Bortles. I’m hoping that loading up on two backups will help supplement Tannheill’s output nicely, especially if RGIII can return to form. In rounds 16 and 18, they are not bad value.
I am also slightly concerned with my running backs. As long as Eddie Lacy and Frank Gore stay healthy, I think I’m golden with Reggie Bush and Ryan Mathews providing sporadic depth. The Packers and the Colts should be high-octane offenses this year and I like targeting running backs on great offensive teams. I intended to back up both players with James Starks and Dan Herron respectively, as they would be plug and play in the event of injury to my starters. This is also an approach I preach in my 2-2-1 RB Strategy [http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/article.php?article=ingel15_221_strategy]. Unfortunately I got a bit too cocky and waited all the way until the 17th and 18th rounds to grab them, but John Lee beat me to the punch grabbing them on consecutive picks before I could get either. It was a silly mistake on my part and a reminder that you have to be a bit aggressive when drafting handcuffs that your truly covet. I should have grabbed them back in the 14th and 15th rounds. In doing so I would have solidified an amazing RB unit all year long. Now I am left somewhat vulnerable, but only in the case of injury.
2. In this Best Ball league, what strategy did you have entering the draft? Were you able to maintain that strategy as the draft went on?
In all my drafts I maintain a motto of getting your guys instead of just drafting those guys who fall to you. An example of this is drafting a guy like Joique Bell because he is there for you to take instead of drafting a higher upside guy you really like, someone like Duke Johnson. In Best Ball leagues I also like to mix high floor players with high ceiling players and I thought I did a good job of that. Jordan Cameron could be a top 5 tight end this year and Jason Witten’s floor is always high. With the wide receivers I mixed high floor guys like AJ Green, Andre Johnson and Jarvis Landry, with high ceiling guys like Martavis Bryant and DeVante Parker. I was also aggressive with my defenses getting two of my projected top 4 defenses in the Bills and the Texans. Defenses often go neglected in fantasy leagues because you can play the matchups and stream, but in Best Ball there is no waiver wire, so you need to ensure you either grab two great defenses or three decent ones. I kept to that strategy with my running backs as well, Gore and Lacy should be steady performers, while Ryan Mathews could potentially be a difference making RB1 if Murray gets hurt and no worse than a weekly flex play if not.
3. Who is a player that you are high on this year that you were unable to draft? Explain why you have such high hopes for that player.
I was looking to take Allen Robinson until Jason Wood snatched him up one pick before me. I was happy to settle for Martavis Bryant, but I think Robinson has incredible potential to be a high end WR2 this year. People are drafting him very aggressively, so if you want him, you really have to go and get him. Another player I have been targeting is Ameer Abdullah, as I think he will take over that backfield in Detroit sooner than later. Unfortunately he was taken two picks before me by Matt Harmon; once again, if you want a player like that, you have to be aggressive in acquiring them.
Will Grant: Draft Position 7
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.07 | 7 | Forte, Matt CHI RB |
2.06 | 18 | Nelson, Jordy GBP WR |
3.07 | 31 | Spiller, C.J. NOS RB |
4.06 | 42 | Benjamin, Kelvin CAR WR |
5.07 | 55 | Olsen, Greg CAR TE |
6.06 | 66 | Ajayi, Jay MIA RB |
7.07 | 79 | Agholor, Nelson PHI WR |
8.06 | 90 | Manning, Peyton DEN QB |
9.07 | 103 | Fitzgerald, Larry ARI WR |
10.06 | 114 | Smith, Steve BAL WR |
11.07 | 127 | Jackson, Fred BUF RB |
12.06 | 138 | Flacco, Joe BAL QB |
13.07 | 151 | Harvin, Percy BUF WR |
14.06 | 162 | Blue, Alfred HOU RB |
15.07 | 175 | Miller, Heath PIT TE |
16.06 | 186 | Packers, Green Bay GBP Def |
17.07 | 199 | Hurns, Allen JAC WR |
18.06 | 210 | Buccaneers, Tampa Bay TBB Def |
19.07 | 223 | Titans, Tennessee TEN Def |
20.06 | 234 | Kearse, Jermaine SEA WR |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
Justin Bonnema: Draft Position 8
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.08 | 8 | Bryant, Dez DAL WR |
2.05 | 17 | Thomas, Demaryius DEN WR |
3.08 | 32 | Miller, Lamar MIA RB |
4.05 | 41 | Rodgers, Aaron GBP QB |
5.08 | 56 | Coleman, Tevin ATL RB |
6.05 | 65 | Thomas, Julius JAC TE |
7.08 | 80 | Brees, Drew NOS QB |
8.05 | 89 | Perriman, Breshad BAL WR |
9.08 | 104 | Wright, Kendall TEN WR |
10.05 | 113 | Johnson, David ARI RB |
11.08 | 128 | Cruz, Victor NYG WR |
12.05 | 137 | Ball, Montee DEN RB |
13.08 | 152 | Ebron, Eric DET TE |
14.05 | 161 | Patterson, Cordarrelle MIN WR |
15.08 | 176 | Panthers, Carolina CAR Def |
16.05 | 185 | Donnell, Larry NYG TE |
17.08 | 200 | West, Terrance CLE RB |
18.05 | 209 | Sanu, Mohamed CIN WR |
19.08 | 224 | Lions, Detroit DET Def |
20.05 | 233 | Taliaferro, Lorenzo BAL RB |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
1. You selected three rookies in the draft (Tevin Coleman, David Johnson and Breshad Perriman). Why or why not is that a good strategy to use in a Best Ball draft.
It’s a good strategy in that all three of these guys are an injury away from being the default starter at their respective positions. Coleman I really like in the sixth round or later. It wouldn’t surprise me if he became the most fantasy relevant player of all rookies. So I’m targeting him in every draft, especially if I don’t land a top-tier guy early.
But drafting this many rookies can backfire as they take up three roster spots and may never be productive enough to contribute to my team throughout the season. Both Johnson and Perriman are going to have limited snap counts early in the season, and there’s no guarantee they earn a bigger role. I can only hope that the Falcons, Cardinals and Ravens end up in a lot of high-scoring games.
2. You drafted two Top 10 quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Explain why you like this strategy in a Best Ball league.
I can already hear the late-round quarterback lynch mob marching in the street, ready to drag me out of my bomb shelter and make a public example out of me.
The truth is I don’t recommend this approach. But you can justify it with the mindset that a luxury car deserves luxury insurance. Aaron Rodgers fell to me at 4.05. I’m not bothered by the opportunity cost when I look over the list of players I missed out on. Sure, Andre Johnson or Travis Kelce might make my roster look better on paper. But wide receivers are deep and, frankly, the running backs in that price range stink. I love the value I get with someone who might end up as QB1.
Drew Brees is the luxury insurance in this situation (and truthfully, I didn’t mean to draft him. I thought I had a different player selected). If something were to happen to Rodgers, I have another guy with QB1 potential to plug in. I also think the fear that the Saints are going be run-heavy is overblown. Brees will still be plenty productive, even if more efficient.
In a perfect scenario, I would pair a late round option with Rodgers, like Andy Dalton or Alex Smith. And then round out my quarterback trio with Marcus Mariota or Blake Bortles.
3. Which flex player or bench player of yours are you most excited about his chances of exceeding expectations this year?
I’m going to circle back around to David Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals. He might not see a lot of snaps initially, and may never be the starter, but should something happen to Andre Ellington, Johnson immediately jumps into an RB1 situation. As it stands, most analysts—in both real and fake football—think Johnson is in line for short yardage and goal-line carries. With a healthy Carson Palmer, I’m confident that the Cardinals will compete and may even have one of the most complete offenses in the NFC.
Matt Harmon: Draft Position 9
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.09 | 9 | Murray, DeMarco PHI RB |
2.04 | 16 | Anderson, C.J. DEN RB |
3.09 | 33 | Ingram, Mark NOS RB |
4.04 | 40 | Stewart, Jonathan CAR RB |
5.09 | 57 | Jackson, DeSean WAS WR |
6.04 | 64 | Abdullah, Ameer DET RB |
7.09 | 81 | Decker, Eric NYJ WR |
8.04 | 88 | Johnson, Charles MIN WR |
9.09 | 105 | Stills, Kenny MIA WR |
10.04 | 112 | Brady, Tom NEP QB |
11.09 | 129 | Eifert, Tyler CIN TE |
12.04 | 136 | Hill, Josh NOS TE |
13.09 | 153 | Jets, New York NYJ Def |
14.04 | 160 | Green-Beckham, Dorial TEN WR |
15.09 | 177 | Smith, Alex KCC QB |
16.04 | 184 | Broncos, Denver DEN Def |
17.09 | 201 | Beasley, Cole DAL WR |
18.04 | 208 | Royal, Eddie CHI WR |
19.09 | 225 | 49ers, San Francisco SFO Def |
20.04 | 232 | McKinnon, Jerick MIN RB |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
1. You selected five running backs in the first six rounds. Explain why you chose that strategy and how that affected the rest of your draft.
The running back is king in the MFL10 format. With the position so inherently volatile and prone to quick change, you have to take your stabs at ball carriers at the onset of drafts. If something changes with one of your top running backs, it can quickly change the outlook of your team. Ideally you want to own multiple players taken early to insulate yourself from running back burn. Usually, I swing for four in the first five rounds, with a strong wide receiver stuck in there somewhere. In this draft, I ended up really pushing the running back envelope, and it mostly had to do with Ameer Abdullah. I’ve been aggressive with the Lions rookie, as I fully expect him to win that job and be the team’s primary backfield threat by Week 3 or so. He’s been a target of mine in rounds 4-5 throughout the offseason. So when I saw Abdullah staring back at me at 6.07, I couldn’t help myself. This pick also made me feel better about taking a health-risk running back in round four (Jonathan Stewart) and a running back with questions in round one (DeMarco Murray). As for the rest of my draft, I now needed to take wide receivers in a more selective manner. I still wanted some high upside players, like Green-Beckham and Johnson, but also went with an undervalued player with a secure role in Eric Decker. This also led me to take small, boring receivers at the end of the draft, in Royal and Beasley. Those guys are not make-or-break players, but they will get a surprising amount of targets, and present a very safe floor late in drafts.
2. Pick one of your mid-late round players and explain why you have high expectations for them this year.
Charles Johnson. As a physical talent, Johnson carries a profile that is top-notch athletically. Last year, he played 94.9 percent of the team’s snaps from Week 12 to the end of the season. The Vikings trusted Charles Johnson as a primary starter, and he had some nice games with Teddy Bridgewater. The team brought in Mike Wallace to add to the receiving corps, but lets not act like they made a big investment in him. Wallace has the higher profile and bigger name, but I’d bet on Johnson to lead the team in targets. He proved himself to be a good enough player to earn that distinction. If you believe in Bridgewater, as many do, you should feel confident in throwing a chip on Johnson.
3. You selected three defenses in this draft. Explain why multiple defenses is a wise strategy in a Best Ball league.
Fantasy defense performance can be from streaky from week-to-week, and even more so year-to-year. The tope few teams (like a Seattle) are normally locked in. However, the 5th to 15th best defense can vary wildly on a yearly basis. As such, its best to take three stabs at mid-level defenses in an MFL10 format, where you cannot stream the position. You want to give yourself options, and flexibility if one of your early defenses takes a major step back. Also, the odds of a late defense giving you a tide turning week score are much better than a late round stab at a skill position player. I took San Francisco’s defense in the 19th round, and I felt like that was great value. I like the odds of them giving me two or three scoring weeks when a talented player like Aldon Smith goes off, than I do of Marquess Wilson or another late receiver of that ilk doing the same.
Steve Buzzard: Draft Position 10
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.1 | 10 | Lynch, Marshawn SEA RB |
2.03 | 15 | Foster, Arian HOU RB |
3.1 | 34 | Morris, Alfred WAS RB |
4.03 | 39 | Randle, Joseph DAL RB |
5.1 | 58 | Marshall, Brandon NYJ WR |
6.03 | 63 | Jennings, Rashad NYG RB |
7.1 | 82 | Bennett, Martellus CHI TE |
8.03 | 87 | Jackson, Vincent TBB WR |
9.1 | 106 | Romo, Tony DAL QB |
10.03 | 111 | Boldin, Anquan SFO WR |
11.1 | 130 | Walker, Delanie TEN TE |
12.03 | 135 | Colston, Marques NOS WR |
13.1 | 154 | Cutler, Jay CHI QB |
14.03 | 159 | Dalton, Andy CIN QB |
15.1 | 178 | Floyd, Malcom SDC WR |
16.03 | 183 | Latimer, Cody DEN WR |
17.1 | 202 | Cook, Jared STL TE |
18.03 | 207 | Bengals, Cincinnati CIN Def |
19.1 | 226 | Colts, Indianapolis IND Def |
20.03 | 231 | Chargers, San Diego SDC Def |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
1. What player on your team drafted in rounds 10-17 is the most vital to your team's success? Explain why you like that player this year.
Unfortunately, it is going to be my round 13 and 14 turn of Jay Cutler and Andy Dalton. Unfortunately I don’t have super high hopes for either of them which is why I had to choose two of them. However, by taking three quarterbacks I have hopefully cobbled together a quarterback crew that can put up a respectable score each week to go with my strong crew of running backs.
2. You selected three quarterbacks, three tight ends and three defenses. Explain why that strategy is important in a Best Ball league.
Defenses and tight ends are very unpredictable each week because so much of their scoring is tied to rare events like scoring touchdowns. Because we there are no moves throughout the year in a best ball league we need to figure out a way to reduce this variance and getting three defenses and tight ends is the best way to do it. I will almost always draft three defenses in every league. I will often do the same for a tight end as well unless I get Rob Gronkowski then I will probably stick with two. Jimmy Graham would have fallen in this group last year but in his new scenery I am avoiding Graham in best ball leagues since I feel like you still need a third tight end with him. For quarterbacks, I typically like to go with two but since my first two were weaker than I had hoped I went for a third to provide some stability at the highest scoring position.
Bear Heiser: Draft Position 11
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.11 | 11 | Beckham, Odell NYG WR |
2.02 | 14 | McCoy, LeSean BUF RB |
3.11 | 35 | Cooks, Brandin NOS WR |
4.02 | 38 | Ellington, Andre ARI RB |
5.11 | 59 | Watkins, Sammy BUF WR |
6.02 | 62 | Maclin, Jeremy KCC WR |
7.11 | 83 | Ertz, Zach PHI TE |
8.02 | 86 | Sankey, Bishop TEN RB |
9.11 | 107 | White, Kevin CHI WR |
10.02 | 110 | Stafford, Matthew DET QB |
11.11 | 131 | Williams, Terrance DAL WR |
12.02 | 134 | Davis, Knile KCC RB |
13.11 | 155 | Funchess, Devin CAR WR |
14.02 | 158 | Rams, St. Louis STL Def |
15.11 | 179 | Foles, Nick STL QB |
16.02 | 182 | Reed, Jordan WAS TE |
17.11 | 203 | Wilson, Marquess CHI WR |
18.02 | 206 | Ridley, Stevan NYJ RB |
19.11 | 227 | Strong, Jaelen HOU WR |
20.02 | 230 | Bears, Chicago CHI Def |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions
Chad Parsons: Draft Position 12
Pick | Overall | Selection |
1.12 | 12 | Jones, Julio ATL WR |
2.01 | 13 | Johnson, Calvin DET WR |
3.12 | 36 | Gurley, Todd STL RB |
4.01 | 37 | Yeldon, T.J. JAC RB |
5.12 | 60 | Bell, Joique DET RB |
6.01 | 61 | Bernard, Giovani CIN RB |
7.12 | 84 | Mason, Tre STL RB |
8.01 | 85 | Adams, Davante GBP WR |
9.12 | 108 | Smith, Torrey SFO WR |
10.01 | 109 | Seferian-Jenkins, Austin TBB TE |
11.12 | 132 | Rivers, Philip SDC QB |
12.01 | 133 | Bradford, Sam PHI QB |
13.12 | 156 | Palmer, Carson ARI QB |
14.01 | 157 | Green, Ladarius SDC TE |
15.12 | 180 | Britt, Kenny STL WR |
16.01 | 181 | Jones, Matt WAS RB |
17.12 | 204 | Patriots, New England NEP Def |
18.01 | 205 | Huff, Josh PHI WR |
19.12 | 228 | Saints, New Orleans NOS Def |
20.01 | 229 | Hardy, Justin ATL WR |
Strategy
Best Pick
Worst Pick
Evaluation
Post Draft Questions:
Questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome to haseley@footballguys.com