Last Place Wisdom: 2016 Pre-Best Day of the Year Special

I'm in full on fantasy mode at the moment, with pretty much every spare moment listening to various Fantasy podcasts in a desperate attempt to soak in as much knowledge as I can and improve on my draft disaster that was last season. Despite this, I haven't been having crazy fantasy dreams like I did last year; and with how things turned out maybe that's for the best.

At this point in my life, sitting down and writing out long coherent screeds each week seems like it is going to be a little difficult. I may be changing things up a bit for the blog this year, so prepare for some rapid fire thoughts (Some might call them "Hot takes"; you'll know them when you see them).

On that note, draft day is almost here, and to carry us over from last season, let's start off with the Emo Shoutout of the week. Why this one has been chosen for now should be self explanatory.

• I hate that I don't have a set NFL Fantasy Football name; NHL it's "Kaptain Krunch and the Krunch Krew", in CFL it's "Rouge Squadron"...but when it comes to the NFL nothing has ever stuck with me. I'm hoping I can change that, I'm tired of being a fantasy name nomad.
• After fantasy, I'm excited for the opportunity for cheap Papa John's on Mondays. I just went back and reread my Papa John's post from last year and I still think it's great.
• There are 2 clear strategies going into the draft this year; stockpiling early picks or relying on keepers. John, Dawson and myself are more in the keeper category, while Shayne, Aaron, Curtis and Mike are in the high picks camp, everyone else is kinda balanced. I'm interested in seeing how important those early picks end up being when it comes to creating a balanced team. 
• I've been just loving the TFLOEG podcast, it's the best addition to our league this year by far (sorry 0.5 PPR).
• I truly think this year's draft and league is going to be even more competitive and parity filled than last year; there are no weak owners or teams in our league and so when I read or listen to breakout and lottery ticket players, I'm realizing that there will probably 10 other owners who want the same guys at the same time. This is a daunting thought, but it makes me proud to know that we don't play in any regular fantasy league. 

2016 TFLOEG Last Place Widsom Papa John's Pizza Predraft Power Ranking:

1. John - With 3 of the most consistently great players in fantasy, John is in my #1 position going into the draft. This consistency is imporant, because John doesn't have much in the way of early draft picks. If Jordy Nelson comes back and John can find a QB he can trust, John will be in a great position to challenge for the Championship this year. Biggest need - QB
2. Clarke - No team has changed more this offseason than Clarke, and Clarke probably has the highest ceiling of any team at the moment. LeVeon Bell's suspension being reduced helps Clarke out, and all Clarke needs at this point is for Mike Evans to take the next step from good WR2 to a true WR1. I'm not as high on Lamar Miller as many experts, so that could be the reason for having him a step below John. Biggest need - #1 WR
3. Stan - The Champ goes into the season in a great spot, with 5 solid keepers all of which are pretty young. If Cooper and Watkins take the next step, the hot-take calling for Stan to repeat might come true. The only issue is that Stan won primarily by being so incredibly deep last year and had to lose a number of good players from his keeper list, and maybe his high end talent isn't quite up there with other teams. Biggest need - TE 
4. Curtis - Maybe the first surprise of my list, but I'm pretty high on Curt's team this year. Curt doesn't have the proven talent that a lot of other teams do, but Johnson and Rawls have as much potential as any team's RBs in the league. With the #1 QB from last season and a couple of solid WRs, everything for Curtis to make a turn around is in place. Biggest need - A true #1 WR, but there are plenty of options available for him in the draft.
5. Steve - Steve is a really hard team for me to rank, as it's undeniable that he has talent but I don't really love a lot of his keepers. I think his team might come down to Carlos Hyde, as I was really high on him last year before his injury. If he can live up to his potential and Alshon Jeffery can be at least somewhat healthy, this rank might be far too low for Steve. Biggest need- A RB he can trust
6. Keith - I'll hedge my bets and put myself directly in the middle of my power rankings. I can see myself being a powerhouse if everything goes right, however I'm a little bit scared. One injury to Brown or Hopkins and it's possible my season goes down in flames as I have a lot of risk at RB and few high draft picks to provide me with enough depth. Biggest need - RB depth
7. Dawson - I don't think Dawson did particularly well on the trade front last season and this off-season. He has a lot of talent, but it came at a price as he really didn't get a lot of value with his keepers. I can't help but look at his roster and think about what might have been if he still had Bell or Miller or Freeman and it influences my rankings here. Biggest need - For Murray or Forte to regain past glory.
8. Shayne - Maybe Elliott is a top 5 RB and Shayne's team is his usual solid self, but until I see it I just don't get excited from Shayne's keepers. Maybe they're solidly consistent, but they just don't have the flash that I would like to see to rank him higher. Biggest Need - Something flashy
9. Mike - I think Mike made a lot of smart trades this offseason to put himself in a position where he potentially can compete. His RBs might not be sexy, but he has some decent depth. Biggest need - WRs. Mike is seriously thin at the position right now, but thankfully there are plenty of options available in the draft and I'm not worried about Mike being able to solidify the position.
10. Andrew - In my mock drafts, when I get to Andrew's 2nd round pick I look at the available RBs and worry for him this season. I know Andrew feels ok about giving up on Elliott, but this is one move that could have huge ramifications for years to come. I can't help but feel maybe he should have held out to a 2nd round pick from Shayne. Maybe Andrew patches together a RB core and relies on his strength at WR and TE, but I'd have to reassess that after the draft. Biggest need - a true #1 RB, kind of like a Zeke Elliott
11. Travis - I was going to have Travis higher up the rankings, but the news that Lewis is going to miss half the season forced me to drop him down. Travis is not in nearly as bad a position as some might think, as I like all the rest of his keepers and they should help keep his team competitive all season long. Biggest need - a replacement RB for Lewis, and finding a value cornerstone for his team like Brown, ODB, Bell, Cooper, Johnson, etc.
12. Aaron - Outside of Allan Robinson, I don't really like any of his keepers, and feel like he would be in a much better spot with Nelson as opposed to Brady. With no RBs on his roster at the moment, everything I said about Andrew applies even more here, and even with his top 3 picks I don't love his chances of fixing that position. A zero-rb strategy can work if you get enough great receivers, and I don't think Aaron has that. Hot take - Aaron struggles more than Clarke or Travis did last season. Biggest need - RBs and value keepers

On the Next Last Place Wisdom

• I come up with a new team name that last until I feel in need of a shakeup
• I review the draft (including the team Aaron would have if he was allowed to pick players other teams have already chosen) as well create my 2016 "It Wouldn't Surprise Me" list.