Last Place Wisdom: Draft Recap
As I stated previously, draft day is my favourite day of the Fantasy Football year, and Monday night certainly did not disappoint. Between the jokes, having everyone drafting their own team for once, and being able to set myself up for what I hope to be fantasy dominance once again, I hope a great night was had by all.
I'll get to my thoughts on specific moves in the draft, but I think overall it was as interesting and unpredictable as I was expecting. I think my move to get the #1 overall pick paid off. In my private mock drafts, I had Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Marshall and Andrew Luck going as the first 3 picks in some order. While there were other players I liked, those were the 3 players I felt stood out as a cut above the rest, and figured it would be worth it to make sure I got at least one. Ending up with 2 was a possibility I held out for; by taking Luck #1 overall I was thinking I might encourage Curtis and/or Dawson to also take a QB, which they both ended up doing.
The trade did make me lose out on Cordarelle Patterson, a player who I absolutely love this year and really wanted to get, but getting Marshall instead of him makes it tough to be too disappointed with missing out on a guy I think could easily have a top 10 season.
Some general thoughts: QB's went early and often like I was thinking, people waited on rookies and long-shots which I think is a smart strategy, and in general I think this was the strongest draft of them all from top to bottom. Even with the changes in the league settings, people have been playing fantasy football long enough that bad picks were kept to a minimum. It should make this year the most competitive yet.
Individual Team Thoughts
The Keith-glorious Basterds
I'm very happy with my team. I have capable starters at every position, with lots of upside on my bench. I got my upside by going for players entering their second year: Hopkins, Randle, Hunter, Robinson, Miller (to go with rookie standouts Lacy and Stacy). I may regret not going with an established veteran backup instead of my young guys (Roddy White, Reggie Wayne, Pierre Thomas were all guys I thought of), but hopefully my starters are solid and I don't need to rely on a veteran until a couple of my young guys can break out. I also stayed true to my word of waiting for a TE, and right not am happy with the result.
Best Pick: Hopkins, Randle or Hunter (I think one of these guys breaks out for a top 15 WR season).
TLDR: Balance; 2nd year upside.
The Fear Boners
Going from last to first is never easy, but John has given himself a team that at least has that shot. Lynch was a great pick where he got him, and my love for Cordarelle was made known. For John, it will all come down to his QBs. It's tough to trust Rivers or Palmer, but both do have top 10 potential. If they have good seasons, or Manziel becomes the starter, John can compete with anyone.
Best Pick: Rather than talk about Patterson again, I'll go with Mark Ingram. I think he has lots of upside this year.
TLDR: It all comes down to his QBs
What Are The Chances
I feel invested in Curtis' team, since so many of his keepers were guys that I traded to him. I think it was a mistake to take Russell Wilson in the 1st round, but Curtis put together a solid roster nonetheless. He might not have many true "stars", but he has a solid 1-2 QB punch, and good players in every position. He shouldn't be a pushover this year.
Best Pick: Terrance Williams. He was one of the 2nd year receivers I had targeted and was disappointed I missed out on. Curtis could have a big year if Dallas' offense throws as much as expected.
TLDR: No stars, but solid. Should compete
Oh that's nasty
Again, I feel it was a mistake for Dawson to take Matt Ryan over Marshawn Lynch, but without another pick until round 4 I understand him wanting to get a QB he can trust. Ryan could have a bounce back year, and he gives Dawson a possibly great 1-2 punch with Kaepernick. Getting both RBs in Tennessee was a good move, and Dawson certainly benefited from having the best 1-2 WRs in the league by allowing him to focus on other positions.
Best Pick: Fred Jackson. He's the ultimate under-the-radar guy. He's not a sexy player by any means, but all he does is score points.
TLDR: Not sexy, but it works.
RW Throws a Sexy Deep Ball
With the most 1st round talent already kept, coming out of the draft in good shape was pretty easy for Andrew. He found himself plenty of guys capable of being a WR2 (Cooper, Fitzgerald, Tate, Benjamin) and has some great RB depth as well with MJD and Sproles. I don't love his QBs, which could pose a problem. Neither guy is bad, but I wouldn't want to have to trust them each and every week. I see him making some sort of move for another QB at some point in the season.
Best Pick: Kelvin Benjamin. He might not be a 2nd year WR like I prefer, but he's really the only guy in Carolina to throw to. Could have a big year.
TLDR: QB is iffy, but it might not matter.
BISP
John is on record as hating Mike's draft. I don't hate it, but it would scare the crap out of me if that was my team. He has players that can play, but it has so much injury potential it's not even funny. Foster, Spiller, Gronkowski, Crabtree, Newton, RG3, McFadden, Pierce; all are guys that have either missed lots of time with injury or are at great risk of doing so. If everyone stays healthy, he might be ok, but it could get ugly in a hurry if guys start going down.
Best Pick: Not taking Frank Gore, this should be self explanatory. But more seriously, I think Joique Bell is another unsexy RB who just scored points. Mike should be able to trust him when his other players get injured.
TLDR: INJURY RISK!!!!
NFL Owner
Shayne had to wait the longest for a a pick, but his keepers should make him competitive regardless of who he took. When he finally did get to draft, Shayne had a clear trend; players who were good at one time, and might be again. Jackson, Richardson, Ridley, Maclin, Decker, Ivory, McCown all have had good seasons, but you aren't really sure you can trust any of them. It'll be interesting to watch how the strategy works out for Shayne this year.
Best Pick: I have the feeling one of Shayne's reclamation projects has a great year, I just can't predict who it will be. He does deserve props for getting Josh Gordon at the end of the draft and solidifying another keeper slot for next season.
TLDR: Will these guys be any good again?
Aaron-PRIMETIME-Clapperton
Aaron actually made quite a few picks that I like. Roddy White, Doug Martin, Vereen, Kendall Wright, Pierre Thomas, Blake Bortles. It's an interesting lineup for sure, although I'm not sure how much I expect it to win this year. I hate taking Flacco as his #2 QB however, he's boring, no real upside, and not really that good in fantasy.
Best Pick: Bortles if he starts this year, otherwise I think it'll be Kendall Wright.
TLDR: Don't hate it, don't love it.
Sideliners
It was nice to finally have him able to draft, even if he couldn't be there in person. All in all, he assembled a solid team. 2 good QBs, 2 good RBs, a good TE and what I think is the best WR depth in the league. The only issue I see is that while he doesn't have to worry about injuries to either of his starting RBs because of their handcuffs, unless Freeman wins the starting job he doesn't have much he can fill in for bye-weeks or in case his starters struggle.
Best Pick: Brandin Cooks. I'm putting this here just because he stole him away from John, which is worth bonus points in my eyes.
TLDR: So many WRs
NINERS
Other than my own team, I think Stan came away with perhaps the best draft. 3 potential top 12 RBs (Peterson, Morris, Ball), solid enough WRs (Hilton, Edelman, Garcon), and what I think is the best 1-2 QB situation in the league (Manning and Brady). Stan's team scares me a lot, so to be honest I'm kind of hoping for another Manning neck surgery since I don't think EJ Manuel is a good backup at all.
Best Pick: Tom Brady. I think he has a big bounce back year, and if he does, Stan will be tough to beat on any given week.
TLDR: If healthy, this is one scary roster.
I won't be coming out with a Week 1 preview, I want to see some actual games get played before I give out any more thoughts, but will certainly have a recap up early next week. Good luck to everyone this season, and lets bring on some games.
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| A bunch of murder-hobos slaying some dragons. I call being a Dark Elf! |
I'll get to my thoughts on specific moves in the draft, but I think overall it was as interesting and unpredictable as I was expecting. I think my move to get the #1 overall pick paid off. In my private mock drafts, I had Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Marshall and Andrew Luck going as the first 3 picks in some order. While there were other players I liked, those were the 3 players I felt stood out as a cut above the rest, and figured it would be worth it to make sure I got at least one. Ending up with 2 was a possibility I held out for; by taking Luck #1 overall I was thinking I might encourage Curtis and/or Dawson to also take a QB, which they both ended up doing.
The trade did make me lose out on Cordarelle Patterson, a player who I absolutely love this year and really wanted to get, but getting Marshall instead of him makes it tough to be too disappointed with missing out on a guy I think could easily have a top 10 season.
Some general thoughts: QB's went early and often like I was thinking, people waited on rookies and long-shots which I think is a smart strategy, and in general I think this was the strongest draft of them all from top to bottom. Even with the changes in the league settings, people have been playing fantasy football long enough that bad picks were kept to a minimum. It should make this year the most competitive yet.
Individual Team Thoughts
The Keith-glorious Basterds
I'm very happy with my team. I have capable starters at every position, with lots of upside on my bench. I got my upside by going for players entering their second year: Hopkins, Randle, Hunter, Robinson, Miller (to go with rookie standouts Lacy and Stacy). I may regret not going with an established veteran backup instead of my young guys (Roddy White, Reggie Wayne, Pierre Thomas were all guys I thought of), but hopefully my starters are solid and I don't need to rely on a veteran until a couple of my young guys can break out. I also stayed true to my word of waiting for a TE, and right not am happy with the result.
Best Pick: Hopkins, Randle or Hunter (I think one of these guys breaks out for a top 15 WR season).
TLDR: Balance; 2nd year upside.
The Fear Boners
Going from last to first is never easy, but John has given himself a team that at least has that shot. Lynch was a great pick where he got him, and my love for Cordarelle was made known. For John, it will all come down to his QBs. It's tough to trust Rivers or Palmer, but both do have top 10 potential. If they have good seasons, or Manziel becomes the starter, John can compete with anyone.
Best Pick: Rather than talk about Patterson again, I'll go with Mark Ingram. I think he has lots of upside this year.
TLDR: It all comes down to his QBs
What Are The Chances
I feel invested in Curtis' team, since so many of his keepers were guys that I traded to him. I think it was a mistake to take Russell Wilson in the 1st round, but Curtis put together a solid roster nonetheless. He might not have many true "stars", but he has a solid 1-2 QB punch, and good players in every position. He shouldn't be a pushover this year.
Best Pick: Terrance Williams. He was one of the 2nd year receivers I had targeted and was disappointed I missed out on. Curtis could have a big year if Dallas' offense throws as much as expected.
TLDR: No stars, but solid. Should compete
Oh that's nasty
Again, I feel it was a mistake for Dawson to take Matt Ryan over Marshawn Lynch, but without another pick until round 4 I understand him wanting to get a QB he can trust. Ryan could have a bounce back year, and he gives Dawson a possibly great 1-2 punch with Kaepernick. Getting both RBs in Tennessee was a good move, and Dawson certainly benefited from having the best 1-2 WRs in the league by allowing him to focus on other positions.
Best Pick: Fred Jackson. He's the ultimate under-the-radar guy. He's not a sexy player by any means, but all he does is score points.
TLDR: Not sexy, but it works.
RW Throws a Sexy Deep Ball
With the most 1st round talent already kept, coming out of the draft in good shape was pretty easy for Andrew. He found himself plenty of guys capable of being a WR2 (Cooper, Fitzgerald, Tate, Benjamin) and has some great RB depth as well with MJD and Sproles. I don't love his QBs, which could pose a problem. Neither guy is bad, but I wouldn't want to have to trust them each and every week. I see him making some sort of move for another QB at some point in the season.
Best Pick: Kelvin Benjamin. He might not be a 2nd year WR like I prefer, but he's really the only guy in Carolina to throw to. Could have a big year.
TLDR: QB is iffy, but it might not matter.
BISP
John is on record as hating Mike's draft. I don't hate it, but it would scare the crap out of me if that was my team. He has players that can play, but it has so much injury potential it's not even funny. Foster, Spiller, Gronkowski, Crabtree, Newton, RG3, McFadden, Pierce; all are guys that have either missed lots of time with injury or are at great risk of doing so. If everyone stays healthy, he might be ok, but it could get ugly in a hurry if guys start going down.
Best Pick: Not taking Frank Gore, this should be self explanatory. But more seriously, I think Joique Bell is another unsexy RB who just scored points. Mike should be able to trust him when his other players get injured.
TLDR: INJURY RISK!!!!
NFL Owner
Shayne had to wait the longest for a a pick, but his keepers should make him competitive regardless of who he took. When he finally did get to draft, Shayne had a clear trend; players who were good at one time, and might be again. Jackson, Richardson, Ridley, Maclin, Decker, Ivory, McCown all have had good seasons, but you aren't really sure you can trust any of them. It'll be interesting to watch how the strategy works out for Shayne this year.
Best Pick: I have the feeling one of Shayne's reclamation projects has a great year, I just can't predict who it will be. He does deserve props for getting Josh Gordon at the end of the draft and solidifying another keeper slot for next season.
TLDR: Will these guys be any good again?
Aaron-PRIMETIME-Clapperton
Aaron actually made quite a few picks that I like. Roddy White, Doug Martin, Vereen, Kendall Wright, Pierre Thomas, Blake Bortles. It's an interesting lineup for sure, although I'm not sure how much I expect it to win this year. I hate taking Flacco as his #2 QB however, he's boring, no real upside, and not really that good in fantasy.
Best Pick: Bortles if he starts this year, otherwise I think it'll be Kendall Wright.
TLDR: Don't hate it, don't love it.
Sideliners
It was nice to finally have him able to draft, even if he couldn't be there in person. All in all, he assembled a solid team. 2 good QBs, 2 good RBs, a good TE and what I think is the best WR depth in the league. The only issue I see is that while he doesn't have to worry about injuries to either of his starting RBs because of their handcuffs, unless Freeman wins the starting job he doesn't have much he can fill in for bye-weeks or in case his starters struggle.
Best Pick: Brandin Cooks. I'm putting this here just because he stole him away from John, which is worth bonus points in my eyes.
TLDR: So many WRs
NINERS
Other than my own team, I think Stan came away with perhaps the best draft. 3 potential top 12 RBs (Peterson, Morris, Ball), solid enough WRs (Hilton, Edelman, Garcon), and what I think is the best 1-2 QB situation in the league (Manning and Brady). Stan's team scares me a lot, so to be honest I'm kind of hoping for another Manning neck surgery since I don't think EJ Manuel is a good backup at all.
Best Pick: Tom Brady. I think he has a big bounce back year, and if he does, Stan will be tough to beat on any given week.
TLDR: If healthy, this is one scary roster.
I won't be coming out with a Week 1 preview, I want to see some actual games get played before I give out any more thoughts, but will certainly have a recap up early next week. Good luck to everyone this season, and lets bring on some games.
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