Throughout the preseason, we will take a look at some interesting drafts for the Footballguys Players Championship and give some of our thoughts and critiques. This should give you an idea of what types of draft strategies to consider for your own league.
This draft was conducted in the week of August 22nd.
Round | Team 1 | Team 2 | Team 3 | Team 4 | Team 5 | Team 6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jamaal Charles | Matt Forte | LeSean McCoy | Adrian Peterson | Jimmy Graham | Calvin Johnson |
2 | Alshon Jeffery | Antonio Brown | Jordan Cameron | Jordy Nelson | Julio Jones | Rob Gronkowski |
3 | Randall Cobb | Peyton Manning | Le'Veon Bell | Andre Johnson | Keenan Allen | Andre Ellington |
4 | Michael Floyd | Rashad Jennings | Victor Cruz | Michael Crabtree | Cordarrelle Patterson | Wes Welker |
5 | Percy Harvin | Toby Gerhart | Mike Wallace | Matthew Stafford | Ben Tate | Jason Witten |
6 | Chris Johnson | Dennis Pitta | Torrey Smith | Bishop Sankey | Lamar Miller | Brandin Cooks |
7 | Emmanuel Sanders | Zach Ertz | Eric Decker | Frank Gore | Trent Richardson | Pierre Thomas |
8 | Steven Jackson | Charles Clay | Matt Ryan | Eric Ebron | Kenny Stills | Tom Brady |
9 | Devonta Freeman | Greg Jennings | Kelvin Benjamin | Mike Evans | Justin Hunter | Cecil Shorts |
10 | Dwayne Allen | Jordan Matthews | Darren McFadden | Tavon Austin | Mark Ingram | Terrance West |
11 | Heath Miller | Tony Romo | Andre Williams | Riley Cooper | Jeremy Hill | Khiry Robinson |
12 | Jared Cook | Knile Davis | Seahawks Defense | Harry Douglas | Russell Wilson | James Starks |
13 | Cam Newton | Josh Gordon | Christine Michael | Marcedes Lewis | Jonathan Stewart | Jerrel Jernigan |
14 | Donald Brown | Jarrett Boykin | Andrew Hawkins | 49ers Defense | Cody Lattimer | Doug Baldwin |
15 | Bryce Brown | Aaron Dobson | LeGarrette Blount | Jerick McKinnon | Paul Richardson | Robert Woods |
16 | Alfred Blue | Jonathan Grimes | Austin Sefarian-Jenkins | Andre Holmes | Robert Turbin | Mike Tolbert |
17 | Theo Riddick | Bengals Defense | Chris Polk | Ryan Tannehill | Ka'Deem Carey | Stephen Gostkowski |
18 | Mychal Rivera | Steven Hauschka | Matt Prater | Dan Bailey | Steelers Defense | Carson Palmer |
19 | Justin Tucker | Jordan Todman | Marvin Jones | Levine Toilolo | Luke Wilson | Saints Defense |
20 | Lions Defense | Joseph Randle | Geno Smith | Jeremy Kerley | Blair Walsh | Brandon Bolden |
Round | Team 7 | Team 8 | Team 9 | Team 10 | Team 11 | Team 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Eddie Lacy | Montee Ball | Demaryius Thomas | Dez Bryant | A.J. Green | DeMarco Murray |
2 | Julius Thomas | Doug Martin | Brandon Marshall | Giovani Bernard | Arian Foster | Marshawn Lynch |
3 | Roddy White | Aaron Rodgers | Reggie Bush | C.J. Spiller | Alfred Morris | Zac Stacy |
4 | Shane Vereen | Larry Fitzgerald | Drew Brees | Joique Bell | Pierre Garcon | Vincent Jackson |
5 | Greg Olsen | Kyle Rudolph | Vernon Davis | Ray Rice | Jeremy Maclin | Ryan Mathews |
6 | T.Y. Hilton | Julian Edelman | DeSean Jackson | Jordan Reed | Andrew Luck | Kendall Wright |
7 | Marques Colston | Sammy Watkins | Darren Sproles | Terrance Williams | Fred Jackson | Martellus Bennett |
8 | Rueben Randle | Danny Woodhead | Maurice Jones-Drew | Reggie Wayne | Ladarius Green | Golden Tate |
9 | Bernard Pierce | Stevan Ridley | Knowshon Moreno | Travis Kelce | Delanie Walker | Nick Foles |
10 | Lance Dunbar | Brian Hartline | Anquan Boldin | Tyler Eifert | Carlos Hyde | DeAndre Hopkins |
11 | Markus Wheaton | Dwayne Bowe | Antonio Gates | Ahmad Bradshaw | Kenny Britt | Jay Cutler |
12 | Colin Kaepernick | Dexter McCluster | DeAngelo Williams | Robert Griffin | Marqise Lee | Hakeem Nicks |
13 | Ronnie Hillman | Coby Fleener | Philip Rivers | Ben Roethlisberger | Garrett Graham | Roy Helu |
14 | C.J. Anderson | Malcom Floyd | Steve Smith | Danny Amendola | James White | Rams Defense |
15 | Broncos Defense | Charles Sims | Cardinals Defense | James Jones | Andy Dalton | Patriots Defense |
16 | Panthers Defense | Rod Streater | Tre Mason | Chris Ivory | Browns Defense | Brandon Bostick |
17 | Johnny Manziel | Jacquizz Rodgers | Miles Austin | Kenbrell Thompkins | Shonn Greene | Stepfan Taylor |
18 | Brian Quick | Mohamed Sanu | Jerricho Cotchery | Bears Defense | Dri Archer | Chiefs Defense |
19 | Adam Vinatieri | Mason Crosby | Alex Smith | Phil Dawson | Matt Bryant | Jets Defense |
20 | Jermichael Finley | Texans Defense | Shayne Graham | John Brown | Buccaneers Defense | Nick Novak |
Team 1
Interesting strategy here starting with a superstud RB with the first pick overall and following that up with 4 straight WRs. While that might seem like overkill, I actually like it a lot given the players that this owner was able to get. Obviously they needed to hit RB before too long and Chris Johnson could be a solid reliable option. One area that might be worth reconsidering is the pick of Emmanuel Sanders in the 7th round. Nothing wrong with the player, but taking a 5th WR at that point means you’re not going to be able to start one of them in most weeks. Team might have been better served taking another RB like Gore there to form a RB2BC and cover some bye weeks, or possibly their top-ranked TE. The Jackson/Freeman combo should hopefully give them a starter in Atlanta, which is a smart play and one of the benefits to drafting on the ends. After waiting so long at TE, I like the move to continue waiting on QB and put together a solid group in rounds 10 through 12. Landing Cam Newton in round 13 really shows again why it’s almost always smart to wait at the QB position. Given the early round strategy, this team made a smart decision to take some chances at RB later on and I think players like Bryce Brown and Alfred Blue could really pay off. Overall, I think this team made some nice outside-the-box moves that should give them a great chance to win the league. They obviously need to hit on some players and really need a strong year from Newton despite what looks like a lack of weapons.
Best pick: Cam Newton (13th)
Worst pick: Emmanuel Sanders (7th)
Clayton Gray comments: I like the strategy of starting with the stud running back and then hammering wide receivers, but Team 1 went a little overboard here. This team would be so much better with a quality tight end at the 4/5 turn. There are plenty of bodies at the position, but having a star would have been better. Being able to grab a solid starting quarterback in the 13th round makes it all possible.
Team 2
This team had a solid start in the first 3 rounds as they grabbed an elite player at three different positions. While I typically recommend waiting on QB, I can also see how it would be tough to pass on Peyton Manning in the third round. By taking a QB there, however, you also have to wait a long time until your next pick. Rashad Jennings appears to be in a great situation, but late 4th round still feels a bit early for a player with such a limited track record of success. This owner followed that up with another somewhat risky RB in Toby Gerhart, who should have a feature role in Jacksonville but will they produce enough for him to be worth starting most weeks? I probably would rather grab a WR like Floyd or Harvin in the 4th and then look for a RB after the turn. After that start, this owner made an unconventional move to take a TE with their next 3 picks. I can’t fault the players taken, but it feels like overkill to take a 3rd TE before a 2nd WR despite the TE-friendly scoring here. For this team to succeed, they will probably need a big year from Jennings or Matthews. The Romo pick also feels unnecessary given that Peyton Manning almost never gets hurt and will be in your starting lineup whenever healthy. Team would have been better served taking another WR at that spot I think as there were some good ones available. I like the upside of the players they took late in the draft, so if one or two hit big this team could be in the mix but I feel like they will likely be chasing due to relative weakness at RB2 and WR2.
Best pick: Antonio Brown (2nd)
Worst pick: Tony Romo (11th)
Clayton Gray comments: There's nothing wrong with taking Peyton Manning in the 3rd. Of course, you're going to have some holes elsewhere, but if he even approaches his 2013 numbers, the pick makes sense. Team 2, however, makes a mistake with Tony Romo in the 11th. That's far too early to back up a third-round quarterback. Another wide receiver should have been the target.
Team 3
This league went TE-heavy early on with Julius Thomas and Rob Gronkowski off the board by the 18th pick. I’m thinking this owner either got caught up in that run, or had their mind set on taking a TE in round 2 coming in, and that pushed them into reaching for Cameron at the end of the 2nd round. He might be worth that spot in a best case scenario, but I think Antonio Brown would have been a better choice. Feels like nice value getting Le’Veon Bell in the 3rd, and they made up for passing on WR in the 2nd by landing some quality at the position in rounds 4 through 7. After 7 picks, this team looks to be in good shape with 2 stud RBs, 4 solid WRs, and a potential elite TE. They probably felt they had most of their starting lineup set at that point so they decided to take the plunge on a QB with Ryan in the 8th. I think that’s still too early though as he’s probably not much better than the QBs who will be available in the next round or two, and picking him required passing on some positions where value is dropping off more quickly. For example, I think there was some nice value at TE around that turn, which would give them a great flex option most weeks. I think this team took the Seahawks defense earlier than necessary, but obviously they are the one defense that it might be worth reaching on a little. I like the Blount and Polk handcuffs late, but would have probably preferred to see a better TE2 than Sefarian-Jenkins and a better QB2 than Geno Smith. I think this team has potential but lacks ideal depth to survive bye weeks and injuries.
Best pick: Le’Veon Bell (3rd)
Worst pick: Matt Ryan (8th)
Clayton Gray comments: This team has both good and bad with regards to roster composition. There are three quality starters at running back and tight end, and waiting until the fourth to hit receivers means you have to go with quantity. Team 3 did exactly that with their next four picks. Grabbing a quarterback in the eighth turned out to be a reach considering all of the talent that went off the board in the 12th and 13th, and I don't like getting a fifth receiver before a third running back an before a second tight end. They did bulk up the running back position but are woefully thin at quarterback and tight end. Luckily for them, it's often easy to find talent at those positions on the waiver wire.
Team 4
This is an interesting team when you look at the end result. They landed a perfect RB1 anchor in Adrian Peterson at the 4th spot, which gave them enough flexibility to look at several positions over the next few rounds. They wound up taking a WR with each of their next 3 picks, and I can’t blame them given how pass-heavy the league has become. I would have preferred to pass on the QB in round 5 and probably take a TE or RB, but that’s probably not a huge reach. They landed what should give them a RB2BC with their next two picks in Sankey and Gore, and then took a risky TE1 in Ebron in the 8th. At this point, I might argue the team’s strongest position was WR so it was interesting that they took a WR with their next 4 picks. Clearly they are planning to start the maximum of 4 WRs each week, but they wound up drafting 9 of them and I think some of those spots could have been better used to build depth at RB and TE. If Sankey and/or Gore don’t work out, this team will really need to hit on a waiver wire RB at some point. Also seems risky to count on Ebron/M.Lewis as TE all year, but Toilolo could be a nice sleeper. Overall, I think this team had a good strategy (get an anchor at RB and load up at WR), but went a little overboard in the execution and wound up too weak at RB and TE to truly contend.
Best pick: Frank Gore (7th)
Worst pick: Eric Ebron (8th)
Clayton Gray comments: It's hard to see anything else on this roster except for the wide receivers. Well, there is also the lack of quality at tight end. It's really hard to succeed in the FPC when you wait so late to get your first tight end and don't quickly grab more at the position. As for running backs, Team 4 started strong there but has zero depth. They definitely misplayed their picks in rounds 11 through 13.
Team 5
Another interesting strategy was taken by this team as they didn’t take a RB until round 5. I like the players they took in the first few rounds, but it’s always risky to pass on RB because of the scarcity at the position. I think the move may have paid off, however, with the picks in rounds 5 through 7. Each of Tate, Miller, and Richardson have a great chance to wind up as season-long feature backs for the respective teams and make a very serviceable group of starting RBs in most weeks. If that happens along with contributions from their later picks like Ingram and Hill, this team will have enough talent elsewhere to make them tough to beat. They also showcased the value of waiting at QB when they were able to snag Russell Wilson in round 12. Passing on QB2 completely also makes sense because it gave them another shot in the dark. If one of their late picks doesn’t amount to much early on, they can cut him and find a decent QB2 on the waiver wire as teams are forced to make moves during the bye weeks. I probably would have preferred to take a better TE2 than Luke Wilson in round 19, as even Graham will have a bye week and you can always start a TE in one of the flex spots.
Best pick: Lamar Miller (6th)
Worst pick: None stand out, but should have added a better #2 TE than Luke Wilson in the 19th.
Clayton Gray comments: If you're wondering if it's possible to avoid running back for four rounds - well - it is. Of course, Team 5 will be a little nervous about his running backs, but I love this roster composition except for their tight end depth. If there was another tight end taken in rounds 10 through 12, I might be giddy.
Team 6
This team didn’t go to the extreme of team 5, but drafted along similar lines. They waited until round 3 to take a RB and didn’t take their second until round 7. Andre Ellington could be a low-end RB 1 this year and Thomas may get enough work in the Saints passing game to make a decent RB2. I think this team probably should have taken another RB in the middle rounds somewhere, but they waited until round 10 and landed some players with upside who could pan out but may wind up stuck on the bench. Given the way they drafted, however, it feels like they should have wound up stronger at WR than they did. Welker at WR2 and Cooks at WR3 could both wind up below-average for a league like this. This team will probably go as far as Calvin Johnson and their TE tandem of Gronkowski and Witten will take them. I don’t have an issue with the strategy in the early rounds, but I think they maybe should have passed on Witten or Cooks in rounds 5 or 6 for a better RB2 option. That would have given them more flexibility later on to take advantage of some of the WR talent that was there in rounds 9 through 11. Passing on QB until later probably would have helped as well. I’m not sure this team has enough quality to compete for the championship unless their top-3 picks all come through with huge seasons.
Best pick: Andre Ellington (3rd)
Worst pick: Brandin Cooks (6th)
Clayton Gray comments: With finally see a tight end-heavy roster, and it's pretty solid. Team 6 will get massive points from their tight ends and have good quantity at running back and wide receiver - we will overlook Welker's concussion as it happened after this draft occurred. While individual players can be argued, the roster composition is solid here.
Team 7
I really like what this team did to start out. There was probably a dropoff after the top-6 picks, but Lacy is clearly in the next tier. Julius Thomas feels like a safer choice than Gronkowski with nearly as much upside, and Roddy White looks like a great value in round 3. Shane Vereen is a bit of an injury risk, but should be a big part of the Patriots passing game when healthy. I think players like Olsen, Hilton, and Colston will make solid starters in most weeks as well. After 7 rounds, this team has what I would probably consider the strongest starting lineup in the league. Then they followed up a strong start by adding in solid depth at RB/WR in the next 4 rounds before finally making a move for a QB in round 12. I might take some issue with the Dunbar pick in the 10th over some of the other RBs available, but a Murray injury could push him up to RB2 status. Despite waiting that long at RB, they also still had a choice among Kaepernick, Wilson, and Newton which is a great position to be in. I may have gone in a different direction with some of the later picks, but I agree with the idea of drafting for upside. That way if the players don’t pan out relatively early, you can always dump them and use the waiver wire to address any weak spots. As long as Kaepernick performs, this team looks like it could be a frontrunner.
Best pick: Roddy White (3rd)
Worst pick: Lance Dunbar (10th)
Clayton Gray comments: I absolutely love what was done here as this roster is very balanced. Team 7 went running back, tight end, and wide receiver with their first three picks. And then did it again with their next three. They then solidified their wide recever and running back depth before showing how much depth there is at quarterback. I have a small quibble in the 17th as another tight end would have been better than a second defense, but I think I can let that slide.
Team 8
This team helps highlight the way fantasy football has changed in recent years as this was one of only two teams in the league that took a RB in the first and second rounds. I think the tandem of Ball and Martin will give them a very solid foundation to build around, and actually can’t fault the pick of Aaron Rodgers in round 3 too much either. If everybody waits at QB, you have to be willing to go against the grain and take advantage when the opportunity presents itself. Waiting this long at WR can be risky but it seemed to pay off here as well when Larry Fitzgerald was still there in the 4th. I love the Rudolph and Edelman picks in the next two rounds as well, and this team looks very strong and balanced at this point. I’m somewhat less enthusiastic about the Woodhead and Ridley picks, but they probably went right around where they should have and this team didn’t want to wait too long to take another RB. Considering they waited longer than any other team to take their first WR, the fact they wound up with Fitzgerald, Edelman, Watkins, Hartline, and Bowe looks really impressive. I think this team is another contender, and passing on QB2 makes a ton of sense for the same reasons I discussed earlier.
Best pick: Larry Fitzgerald (4th)
Worst pick: Charles Sims (15th) – I think his injury was known prior to this draft.
Clayton Gray comments: We finally see someone kick it old school with back-to-back running backs. It's certainly a workable strategy in the FPC, but I don't think you can also go quarterback in the third. Waiting until the fourth and fifth to hit wide receiver and tight end respectively is tough to overcome. Team 8 does do something extremely smart at quarterback: since they went their so early, there is no need to grab a mediocre backup. It's much better to throw darts at other positions as there are bye-week quarterbacks available on the waiver wire.
Team 9
This team’s start was almost a mirror image of team 8 as they went WR/WR in the first two rounds and then added a RB and QB in the next two picks before grabbing their TE1 in round 5. They took another receiver in the sixth, which maybe should have been a RB given the dropoff that was coming but they addressed that in rounds 7 through 9 with some pieces that should combine for a RB2BC and possible flex options. I can’t really find too much fault with any picks or the overall strategy of this team. The only possible weakness might be RB, but I think there is enough talent here to get by with. Players like Boldin, Gates, and Steve Smith are all older veterans near the end of their careers, but they should still provide solid depth who you can plug in when needed during the bye weeks. Solid roster overall that could definitely make some noise behind those two stud receivers.
Best pick: Maurice Jones-Drew (8th)
Worst pick: None stand out
Clayton Gray comments: And we now present the award for most player names that non-football fans will recognize as veterans are plentiful. I can't find a lot to critique here except at quarterback. Team 9 discovered why you don't want to go quarterback early because you can grab a possible stud like Rivers in the 13th. Why they also selected Alex Smith in the 19th is a head scratcher though. Barring injury, he'll never be started, and Smith isn't a high-ceiling type of player that you don't want other teams to have.
Team 10
I’ve often said that when drafting at the end of the first round, you probably need to consider taking an unconventional approach to make up the gap. This team appears to have done something along those lines with the way they loaded up on RBs in rounds 2 through 5. All 4 can likely start for this team in most weeks (once Rice is back from suspension of course), and probably 3 of them have RB1 upside. Reed is another player with a high ceiling that could give them a potential elite talent at a key position. After waiting so long to take a 2nd receiver, they took a promising young guy (T.Williams) and a reliable old guy (R.Wayne) who figure to make a WR2BC in most weeks and also offer a flex option. Williams I suppose has the added benefit of providing a handcuff to their anchor WR in Dez Bryant. In addition to excellent depth at RB, this team also managed to put together one of the deepest TE groups as well when they added Kelce and Eifert. So, after 10 rounds, this team looks pretty unique in that they have as many TEs as they do WRs, but we know that can work in this scoring system and provide a nice edge if you have a top-10 TE talent in a flex spot. This team made the right move to wait at QB and still wound up with an impressive tandem of Griffin and Roethlisberger in rounds 12 and 13. To address their clear weakness at WR, they hit the position hard down the stretch and will hope to land one or two solid options. John Brown in the 20th looks like a really interesting selection in particular. Overall, this team is a bit unorthodox but I think they are strong enough at several positions to be a true threat.
Best pick: Jordan Reed (6th)
Worst pick: None stand out, but probably would have been better off taking a WR in round 3 or 4.
Clayton Gray comments: If this draft proves one thing, it's that FPC scoring can be successfully attacked in a multitude of ways. You don't often see a team with four running backs in the the first five rounds - and still look good, but that's definitely what we're witnessing here. With only two definite starters at receiver, Team 10 might be a little light at the position and would have been better off going there in the 11th. I absolutely love waiting to grab your first quarterback and then being one of the first to take your second. Good stuff all over the place here.
Team 11
This team took a balanced approach to the early stages of the draft by going WR/RB and RB/WR with their first four picks. I do often favor that approach as it gives you more flexibility in later rounds to look for whatever value presents itself. In this case, the owner decided to take a WR in the 5th and QB in the 6th but could just as easily have taken a TE in Reed or RB in Mathews there too. Even though they took a QB earlier than I would normally like, I think they did a reasonably good job of filling in their depth at WR and TE afterwards. I might have preferred to see another RB pick in the middle rounds as well as perhaps a handcuff to Foster late, but a player like Shonn Greene in the 17th could wind up starting in Tennessee and make that a minor concern. Probably didn’t need to take the Browns defense where they did considering there were solid RB flyers available at the time, but this team has a chance if Foster and Morris live up to expectations.
Best pick: Shonn Greene (17th)
Worst pick: Browns Defense (16th)
Clayton Gray comments: As has been the theme for most of my comments, going quarterback early leaves you weak at either running back, wide receiver, or tight end. There is simply too much talent available in the middle rounds to warrant going to the position in the top half of the draft. This team would be glorius with Jordan Reed in the sixth and then a quarterback somewhere in round 9 to 12. Instead, one of those tight ends have to overproduce for this team to be a contender.
Team 12
Picking from the 12 spot is tough, but the Murray/Lynch start gives them a great shot at rolling out two top-10 RBs each week. I probably would have preferred to go WR/WR at the next turn to give the team more balance, but I think the Mathews/Wright picks at the next turn both were solid values. After 6 rounds, the team was heavy at RB but had 4 solid starters at the position. They were wise to move away from the position at that point and try to build up depth elsewhere. I like most of their picks in the next 6 rounds, but taking 2 QBs by round 11 felt unnecessary and will likely weaken them at a key position like TE. Martellus Bennett is a solid low-end TE1, but they wound up with an injured backup in Bostick and I think that will be tough to overcome. I don’t really get the strategy of taking 4 defenses in a league like this where you can usually find decent options on the waiver wire each week. Solid start, but poor finish will probably leave this team on the outside of the playoff picture.
Best pick: Martellus Bennett (7th)
Worst pick: Taking 4 defenses
Clayton Gray comments: Not sure if this team decided to play sheriff at team defense, but that's what looks like happened. While I really like every single defense they took, there is zero reason to have more than two - and you really don't need the second one. There are other issues here as well. While Team 10 showed that it's viable to hit running back hard, they did it while sitting on a stud receiver. Team 12 does not have a stud receiver - or tight end, and the strategy falls flat.