Recently (Aug. 16th), a portion of the FFToday
crew got together for our staff league draft. This is a real league
that will be played out during the season. Team-by-team results
and commentary from each owner are below.
12 owners, 18 Rounds
Starting line-up: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WRs,
1TE, 1 Flex (RB, WR or TE) 1K, & 1 D/ST. Scoring
1 point for every: 10 yards rushing, 10 yards receiving, 20 yards
passing, reception
2 points for every: safety, PAT rushed
3 points for every: field goal
4 points for every: touchdown thrown
6 points for every: touchdown rushed, received, fumble returned,
interception returned, kick returned
You can view the Round
by Round results here.
Looking to ace your draft? Pickup
a copy of the Draft Buddy and get customized projections and
rankings for your league.
Bill Anderson - Pick
No. 1 |
WR |
Antonio Brown, PIT |
1.01 |
WR |
Sammy Watkins, BUF |
2.12 |
RB |
Mark Ingram, NO |
3.01 |
RB |
Matt Forte, NYJ |
4.12 |
QB |
Andrew Luck, IND |
5.01 |
WR |
Emmanuel Sanders, DEN |
6.12 |
TE |
Coby Fleener, NO |
7.01 |
RB |
Charles Sims, TB |
8.12 |
WR |
Josh Gordon, CLE |
9.01 |
RB |
Justin Forsett, BAL |
10.12 |
DEF |
Seattle Seahawks, SEA |
11.01 |
WR |
Vincent Jackson, TB |
12.12 |
QB |
Matt Ryan, ATL |
13.01 |
TE |
Eric Ebron, DET |
14.12 |
WR |
Dorial Green-Beckham, TEN |
15.01 |
RB |
Charcandrick West, KC |
16.12 |
K |
Graham Gano, CAR |
17.01 |
WR |
Victor Cruz, NYG |
18.12 |
|
Pick #1 - Bill Anderson
Strategy: Last year I waited until
Round 6 to select and RB and my team paid for it badly. This year
I wanted a more balanced team so I wasn't scrambling all season
to make trades or hope for a waiver wire miracle to occur. I addressed
every position (even defense!) with earlier picks, perhaps reaching
for a few, but I think the strategy will pay off in the end.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
I was hoping Giovani Bernard and/or Tyler Lockett would fall to
me at the end of Round 6 but both were taken a few picks before
I settled on Emmanuel Sanders. I was also disappointed to see
Bruce Ellington go, literally one pick before I was going to take
him, in the 12th round. Bilal Powell (10.05) was another player
I wanted to snag but I misjudged how quick he would go.
Final thought: Overall I felt like
I reached for Andrew Luck (5.01), Matt Forte (4.12) and Emmanuel
Sanders (6.12) and failed to grab some of my personal favorites,
but I learned last season that in a league full of sharp owners
that know every sleeper and potential breakout candidate, you
have to be very aggressive and think a bit outside the box in
order to draft a winning team. My team makeup is totally different
this season so it will be interesting to see if it produces a
different result.
Doug Orth - Pick
No. 2 |
WR |
Odell Beckham Jr., NYG |
1.02 |
WR |
T.Y. Hilton, IND |
2.11 |
RB |
LeSean McCoy, BUF |
3.02 |
RB |
Danny Woodhead, SD |
4.11 |
QB |
Aaron Rodgers, GB |
5.02 |
TE |
Travis Kelce, KC |
6.11 |
RB |
DeAngelo Williams, PIT |
7.02 |
RB |
Melvin Gordon, SD |
8.11 |
WR |
Tavon Austin, LA |
9.02 |
RB |
Derrick Henry ®, TEN |
10.11 |
TE |
Martellus Bennett, NE |
11.02 |
WR |
Bruce Ellington, SF |
12.11 |
DEF |
Carolina Panthers, CAR |
13.02 |
WR |
Mike Wallace, BAL |
14.11 |
QB |
Andy Dalton, CIN |
15.02 |
RB |
Terrance West, BAL |
16.11 |
K |
Justin
Tucker, BAL |
17.02 |
WR |
Pierre Garcon, WAS |
18.11 |
|
Pick #2 - Doug Orth
Strategy: The two-RB, three-WR setup
of this league makes elite WR1s even more important than they would
be in a two-RB, two-WR format, so selecting two of my top 12 wideouts
within the first three rounds was critical. After that, my main
focus was targeting running backs with solid floors - in terms of
workload and fantasy points - while remaining flexible enough to
snag a player who I felt was sliding and represented incredible
value (i.e. Aaron Rodgers), even if it wasn't at a position of need
(which explains in part how I ended up with DeAngelo Williams, Melvin
Gordon and Martellus Bennett).
What player(s) did you miss out on?
Once I chose Williams, I pretty much took myself out of the running
for the player I wanted as my WR3, Sterling Shepard. I was also
hoping either Latavius Murray, Carlos Hyde or Jordan Reed was
going to slip to my pick near the end of the fourth round, although
I admit last year's RB3 (Danny Woodhead) and a quarterback many
feel is the best in the game (Rodgers) isn't a bad tradeoff.
Final thought: "Receiver fever"
was on full display (15 of the first 24 picks were wideouts) and
eight teams had at least two receivers by the end of the third
round. The other thought has to do with Williams: If I could assure
you a seventh-round pick has a good shot to deliver four RB1 performances
at the beginning of the season (and potentially some later in
the season), you'd agree he's worth the pick, right? Even in the
leagues I don't draft Le'Veon Bell, I will be targeting Williams
in the seventh- and eighth-round area.
Colby Cavaliere
- Pick No. 3 |
WR |
Julio Jones, ATL |
1.03 |
RB |
Devonta Freeman, ATL |
2.10 |
WR |
Alshon Jeffery, CHI |
3.03 |
TE |
Jordan Reed, WAS |
4.10 |
RB |
Thomas Rawls, SEA |
5.03 |
RB |
Giovani Bernard, CIN |
6.10 |
WR |
Marvin Jones, DET |
7.03 |
RB |
Rashad Jennings, NYG |
8.10 |
QB |
Philip Rivers, SD |
9.03 |
WR |
Phillip Dorsett, IND |
10.10 |
DEF |
Arizona Cardinals, ARI |
11.03 |
RB |
Christine Michael, SEA |
12.10 |
QB |
Ryan Tannehill, MIA |
13.03 |
WR |
Tyler Boyd ®, CIN |
14.10 |
TE |
Jordan Cameron, MIA |
15.03 |
K |
Steve
Hauschka, SEA |
16.10 |
WR |
Tyrell Williams, SD |
17.03 |
RB |
Keith Marshall ®, WAS |
18.10 |
|
Pick #3 - Colby Cavaliere
Strategy: I wanted to change up my
strategy from last year. I’m still getting used to the PPR
format since I’ve been in a 20-plus-year standard league with
friends. I wanted to go WR-WR in Rounds 1 and 2 (more on that later)
and then find running backs that could approach 30-plus receptions.
Rawls bucks this philosophy, but I felt he was well worth the gamble
in Round 5. I also forced myself to hold off on quarterbacks since
the position is tremendously deep. Ideally I wanted Roethlisberger
or Manning, but they both went between my picks in Round 7 and 8.
Settling for the consistency of Rivers and upside of Tannehill ended
up being fine.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
After getting Julio Jones at No.3 overall, I really wanted to
pair him with Amari Cooper or Keenan Allen in Round 2. It just
so happens that BOTH of them went right before me. Team Gordon
foiled me again in Round 4 when I was hoping to nab Latavius Murray
as my RB2, but had to reverse course and go with the upside of
Jordan Reed.
Final thought: I’m generally
happy with my roster, albeit a bit nervous about having Freeman
AND Jones on my team. The fantasy community seems are down on
Freeman, but in a PPR league I see less of a regression. I feel
like I have three No.1 receivers on my team in Julio Jones, Alshon
Jeffrey and Marvin Jones. If Jeffery can stay healthy he should
be a top 10 wideout that I was able to grab in Round 3. I was
really surprised by how quickly receiver value dries up in the
current fantasy climate. I still come from the old school running
back is king world of fantasy football, so I have to continue
to refine my roster creation strategies. I thought What player(s) did you miss out on?
was Rashad Jennings in Round 8 as he could easily find a place
in my starting line-up.
Jake Gordon - Pick
No. 4 |
WR |
A.J. Green, CIN |
1.04 |
WR |
Keenan Allen, SD |
2.09 |
WR |
Jarvis Landry, MIA |
3.04 |
RB |
Latavius Murray, OAK |
4.09 |
RB |
Duke Johnson, CLE |
5.04 |
TE |
Delanie Walker, TEN |
6.09 |
RB |
Chris Ivory, JAC |
7.04 |
WR |
Torrey Smith, SF |
8.09 |
QB |
Derek Carr, OAK |
9.04 |
TE |
Julius Thomas, JAC |
10.09 |
RB |
Spencer Ware, KC |
11.04 |
WR |
Rishard Matthews, TEN |
12.09 |
RB |
Isaiah Crowell, CLE |
13.04 |
DEF |
Los Angeles Rams, LAR |
14.09 |
DEF |
New England Patriots, NE |
15.04 |
QB |
Joe Flacco, BAL |
16.09 |
K |
Chandler Catanzaro, ARI |
17.04 |
WR |
Kenny Britt, LA |
18.09 |
|
Pick #4 - Jake Gordon
Strategy: Drafting a running back
in the top five picks is an unnecessary risk in a PPR format this
season. After the top three receivers (Brown, Beckham, Jones) were
taken it is a crapshoot for the next best receiver. I opted for
what I feel is the safest choice to land targets, red zone looks
and reception totals. I was surprised at the amount of running backs
taken after my selection of A.J. Green considering this is a PPR
league that starts three wide receivers. This set me up nicely to
deploy a modified Zero-RB strategy (Latavius Murray, Rd 4). I feel
like I did a good job mining value at running back and tight end
but got bit waiting out the quarterback position. Fantasy owners
should consider exploiting the deeper tight end pool by selecting
a second tight end in the middle rounds as I backed up Delanie Walker
with Julius Thomas. The investment isn’t too costly if you
miss but the upside of having trade bait and another FLEX option
for PPR leagues improves the flexibility of your roster.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
Cavaliere sniped me three straight times in Rounds 5 (Thomas Rawls),
7 (Marvin Jones) and 9 (Philip Rivers) so I’ll be comparing
our respective trios throughout the season to see if a grudge
is warranted. I may end up regretting my Torrey Smith pick in
the 8th round. The speed and deep ball abilities of Smith in Chip
Kelly’s offense are being severely undervalued but securing
a fourth receiver before my first quarterback may not have been
the wisest choice considering the options that were available
that late. Randall Cobb (3.12) and Justin Forsett (10.12) were
two of the better value picks in the draft. I considered taking
Cobb briefly over Landry in the early third and it won’t
be shocking to see a healthy Forsett emerge as Baltimore’s
most steady rusher.
Final thought: Whether you prepare
for days or minutes, be sure to spend enough time to know the
settings and scoring options of the league prior to your draft.
As an owner that plays in several leagues I am often short on
time during these next few weeks and going from a 10-team dynasty
PPR league to a standard scoring 12-team league a day later requires
a completely new strategy. Making sure I have a set of updated
rankings that reflects each league’s unique scoring is just
as important to knowing the latest injury updates. Don't be that
guy or gal that walks into a draft during Labor Day weekend using
the rankings from a magazine that was written in July!
Nick Caron - Pick
No. 5 |
RB |
David Johnson, ARI |
1.05 |
WR |
Amari Cooper, OAK |
2.08 |
WR |
Demaryius Thomas, DEN |
3.05 |
WR |
Julian Edelman, NE |
4.08 |
QB |
Russell Wilson, SEA |
5.05 |
RB |
Arian Foster, MIA |
6.08 |
RB |
Jonathan Stewart, CAR |
7.05 |
WR |
Corey Coleman ®, CLE |
8.08 |
TE |
Gary Barnidge, CLE |
9.05 |
RB |
T.J. Yeldon, JAC |
10.08 |
RB |
Theo Riddick, DET |
11.05 |
RB |
Paul Perkins ®, NYG |
12.08 |
WR |
Tajae Sharpe ®, TEN |
13.05 |
RB |
Darren McFadden, DAL |
14.08 |
RB |
Tim Hightower, NO |
15.05 |
TE |
Hunter Henry ®, SD |
16.08 |
DEF |
Minnesota Vikings, MIN |
17.05 |
K |
Adam Vinatieri, IND |
18.08 |
|
Pick #5 - Nick Caron
Strategy: With the No. 5 pick, I knew
that I was unlikely to land one of the top three wide receivers.
I also assumed that my top PPR running back, David Johnson, would
be off the board, but that ended up not being the case and I was
happy to begin building my team with what I perceive to be a relatively
safe, young back who can give me week-to-week production in a great
offense. This did leave me with a hole at wide receiver, however,
so I opted to address the position in each of my following three
picks. I wasn't expecting to go QB as early as I did (Rd 5), but
with a dynamic talent like Russell Wilson on the board, I had to
pass on the likes of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews who would have
been my RB2. This left me scrambling to find depth at RB, so I opted
to go after some aging veterans but players who still have the capability
of putting points on the board if they are healthy: Arian Foster
and Jonathan Stewart. I looked for some potential PPR sleepers at
the RB position with Theo Riddick and T.J. Yeldon, who both quietly
contributed a good number of receptions in 2015.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
I was hoping Dez Bryant or Brandin Cooks would fall to me at 2.08,
but it just didn't happen. I still believe that Bryant has the
potential to put up double-digit touchdowns and huge yardage this
season and wouldn't be surprised if Cooks cracked 100 receptions.
In Round 6, each of the four running backs I had queued up get
selected: DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Jeremy Hill and Matt Jones.
This hurt because each one of those players is a much safer option
than my pick, Arian Foster, who has among the worst floors of
any player in the entire draft. I panicked a bit in taking Foster
when I probably should have gone with Delanie Walker, who was
taken with the very next pick. Walker is among the best tight
ends in the league and it's very possible I'm going to deeply
regret taking the gamble on Foster.
Final thought: This draft was streaky.
The only running back taken in the top six picks was my David
Johnson selection. However, the next five selections were all
running backs. The PPR format in this league certainly played
a part, but I also believe the industry as a whole is beginning
to lean more heavily on wide receivers due to the high fluctuation
and injury risks that running backs hold. We also saw a string
of four quarterbacks taken at the end of Round 4 and into Round
5. We then saw a run on defenses start in Round 11 when four defenses
were selected over a stretch of 14 picks. History tells us that
at least one of the FFToday staff members who selected a defense
this early is likely to look back and say, "I wish I wouldn't
have done that" as they're scrounging the waiver wire to
find a new defense.
Kirk Hollis - Pick
No. 6 |
WR |
DeAndre Hopkins, HOU |
1.06 |
WR |
Jordy Nelson, GB |
2.07 |
QB |
Cam Newton, CAR |
3.06 |
RB |
C.J. Anderson, DEN |
4.07 |
WR |
Doug Baldwin, SEA |
5.06 |
RB |
Matt Jones, WAS |
6.07 |
QB |
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT |
7.06 |
WR |
Laquon Treadwell ®, MIN |
8.07 |
TE |
Tyler Eifert, CIN |
9.06 |
TE |
Zach Ertz, PHI |
10.07 |
WR |
Travis Benjamin, SD |
11.06 |
RB |
James Starks, GB |
12.07 |
DEF |
Houston Texans, HOU |
13.06 |
RB |
Kenneth Dixon ®, BAL |
14.07 |
RB |
Javorius Allen, BAL |
15.06 |
RB |
Jordan Howard ®, CHI |
16.07 |
K |
Dan Bailey, DAL |
17.06 |
WR |
Breshad Perriman, BAL |
18.07 |
|
Pick #6 - Kirk Hollis
Strategy: After last season, I have
concluded until further notice that wide receivers are generally
safer and have much higher floors than the "top" running
backs these days. That said, while I didn't marry myself to a WR-WR
start, I was leaning that way coming in. I did not plan to draft
Newton, but found his dual-threat abilities too hard to pass up
in the middle of Round 3. Beyond that, it was all about drafting
the best player available, which in this case, included a second
elite QB (Roethlisberger) simply because the value was too great.
Running backs occupied many of my final picks. It’s the position
I am least confident about heading into the season..
What player(s) did you miss out on?
I was hoping to land Duke Johnson in the fifth round, but he went
off the board two picks ahead of me. In Round 8, I was targeting
Sterling Shepard, but again he went two picks before mine causing
me to settle for another rookie WR in Laquon Treadwell.
Final thought: The landscape has
certainly shifted away from a RB-heavy approach, so it was interesting
to see the volume of RBs taken early in this draft. Owners can
start 2-3 running backs which allows for RB-heavy teams to remain
relevant in this league and ultimately that's a good thing. I
like leagues where there are multiple paths to success. It was
a tough draft to get a "steal". The only player on my
team that would qualify for that designation was C.J. Anderson
in the second half of the fourth round. Moving forward, another
top-15 RB will be needed in order for me to succeed which might
be possible via trading one of my quarterbacks.
Steve Schwarz -
Pick No. 7 |
RB |
Todd Gurley, LA |
1.07 |
WR |
Brandin Cooks, NO |
2.06 |
WR |
Jeremy Maclin, KC |
3.07 |
QB |
Drew Brees, NO |
4.06 |
WR |
Allen Hurns, JAC |
5.07 |
WR |
Michael Crabtree, OAK |
6.06 |
RB |
Ameer Abdullah, DET |
7.07 |
QB |
Tom Brady, NE |
8.06 |
RB |
Devontae Booker ®, DEN |
9.07 |
WR |
Devin Funchess, CAR |
10.06 |
DEF |
Denver Broncos, DEN |
11.07 |
RB |
LeGarrette Blount, NE |
12.06 |
K |
Stephen Gostkowski, NE |
13.07 |
TE |
Clive Walford, OAK |
14.06 |
WR |
Davante Adams, GB |
15.07 |
DEF |
Cincinnati Bengals, CIN |
16.06 |
WR |
Brandon LaFell, CIN |
17.07 |
RB |
Wendell Smallwood ®, PHI |
18.06 |
|
Pick #7 - Steve Schwarz
Strategy: It was Major Vic Deakins
in the movie Broken Arrow who said "battle is a highly fluid
situation" ... and so was my strategy. I once won a league
with a majority of my starters having the same bye week, but I wanted
to try it against a tougher level of competition. I realized, however,
after I had foolishly used the pre-selection process for my top
pick in case I was late for the draft, and ended up with Todd Gurley,
that I didn't particularly like the teams who were off in Week 8.
So I adjusted the remainder of my top picks to the Week 5 bye week
(New Orleans, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Seattle). Picks 2-5 were
therefore; WR Brandin Cooks, WR Jeremy Maclin, QB Drew Brees and
WR Allen Hurns.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
The player I missed out on, who would have greatly helped this
team, was running back Jonathan Stewart, who went two picks before
me in the seventh round. Instead of a solid veteran, I ended up
with a question mark - Ameer Abdullah.
Final thought: This team is in
need of an active GM. I'm hoping that Devin Funchess, Davante
Adams or Brandon LaFell can develop into a reliable scorer to
give me trading flexibility. Option 2 is to offer up Tom Brady
in Week 6 after Brees returns from his bye . Option 3 is Denver
rookie Devontae Booker is as good as his preseason hype.
Mike Krueger - Pick
No. 8 |
RB |
Lamar Miller, HOU |
1.08 |
WR |
Dez Bryant, DAL |
2.05 |
RB |
Eddie Lacy, GB |
3.08 |
WR |
Michael Floyd, ARI |
4.05 |
RB |
DeMarco Murray, TEN |
5.08 |
WR |
Tyler Lockett, SEA |
6.05 |
WR |
DeSean Jackson, WAS |
7.08 |
WR |
Sterling Shepard ®, NYG |
8.05 |
QB |
Blake Bortles, JAC |
9.08 |
RB |
Bilal Powell, NYJ |
10.05 |
TE |
Jason Witten, DAL |
11.08 |
QB |
Kirk Cousins, WAS |
12.05 |
TE |
Zach Miller, CHI |
13.08 |
RB |
Chris Johnson, ARI |
14.05 |
WR |
Anquan Boldin, DET |
15.08 |
DEF |
Buffalo Bills, BUF |
16.05 |
K |
Brandon McManus, DEN |
17.08 |
WR |
Chris Hogan, NE |
18.05 |
|
Pick #8 - Mike Krueger
Strategy: Fantasy owners are hot and
heavy after the Zero-RB strategy this season and for good reason,
especially in PPR leagues like this one. Going ever so slightly
against the grain, I’ve been practicing the One-RB strategy
on many occasions this year when saddled with pick 6-9 in Round
1. I anticipated drafting David Johnson, Lamar Miller or Adrian
Peterson with my first selection then tackling the receiver position
in Rounds 2 through 4. However, the sheer volume of receivers (26)
being drafted in the first four rounds as opposed to RBs (18) often
leads to RB value that’s too good to pass up.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
Demaryius Thomas and Jeremy Maclin were my WR targets in Round
3 and just missed out on both – Mr. Schwarz sniped Maclin
right in front of me, causing me to shift gears and select RB
Eddie Lacy giving me two RBs in my first three picks – going
against my pre-draft desires. Schwarz did the honor again in Round
9 when I lost out on RB Devontae Booker who I think could end
up leading the Broncos in rushing this season giving him RB2 upside.
Final thought: In this pass-happy
day and age it was interesting to see that half of the picks in
Round 1 were running backs. In PPR leagues you can reasonable
expect 3-4 RBs to be taken in Round 1 making the early part of
this draft somewhat unusual. Speaking of unusual, Aaron Rodgers
was the 4th quarterback off the board behind Newton, Brees and
Andrew Luck. Players not selected in this 18-Round draft included
WR Ted Ginn Jr., QB Jay Cutler and TE Ladarius Green, PIT.
Eli Mack - Pick
No. 9 |
RB |
Ezekiel Elliott ®, DAL |
1.09 |
TE |
Rob Gronkowski, NE |
2.04 |
WR |
Golden Tate, DET |
3.09 |
WR |
John Brown, ARI |
4.04 |
RB |
Ryan Mathews, PHI |
5.09 |
RB |
Jeremy Hill, CIN |
6.04 |
WR |
Stefon Diggs, MIN |
7.09 |
QB |
Eli Manning, NYG |
8.04 |
TE |
Antonio Gates, SD |
9.09 |
WR |
Kamar Aiken, BAL |
10.04 |
QB |
Matthew Stafford, DET |
11.09 |
RB |
Shane Vereen, NYG |
12.04 |
RB |
C.J. Prosise ®, SEA |
13.09 |
RB |
Alfred Morris, DAL |
14.04 |
WR |
Will Fuller ®, HOU |
15.09 |
DEF |
New York Jets, NYJ |
16.04 |
K |
Mason Crosby, GB |
17.09 |
WR |
Josh Doctson ®, WAS |
18.04 |
|
Pick #9 - Eli Mack
Strategy: With the new pass-happy
NFL mindset, fantasy football has shifted accordingly from the “Marshall
Faulk Rule” of drafting two RBs with your first two picks
to wide receivers playing a dominant role. I, too, believe heavily
in the importance of receivers in today’s fantasy football,
and as such, I entered into the draft hoping to land at least two
dominant PPR-type players within my first two picks. I also looked
to supplement my squad with a couple of lottery ticket players at
various positions late in the draft.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
Instead of Gronk in the 2nd round, I was hoping for Allen Robinson
but he was taken one pick ahead of me. Missing Tom Brady for four
games gives me some pause, but hey, somebody’s gotta catch
the ball in New England. My other misses came late. I wanted Theo
Riddick in Round 11 but he went four picks before me. With Calvin
Johnson retired and Eric Ebron hobbled, Riddick should easily
reach 80 catches again this year. In the 14th round, I took Alfred
Morris as a handcuff to Zeke Elliott. I probably could have waited
another round on Morris, because it cost me Tyler Boyd (14.10).
I should’ve flip flopped those selections.
Final thought: It’s a new
day in fantasy football. Remember that notion of running the ball
to set up the pass? That seems like an ancient strategy. Teams
now rely heavily on the pass, and that changed philosophy has
filtered down to fantasy football. As such, fantasy owners covet
receivers the way we once coveted running backs. 18 WRs were taken
in the first 29 selections. I have quite a bit of youth at receiver,
with Stefon Diggs, Kamar Aiken and Will Fuller making up three-fifths
of my receiving corp. It is for that reason that I took Antonio
Gates. Gates, by the way, is only eight TDs shy of reaching the
record for most receiving TDs for the position. Philip Rivers
has said on numerous occasions that he will ensure Gates gets
the record. We shall see.
Mike Davis - Pick
No. 10 |
RB |
Adrian Peterson, MIN |
1.10 |
WR |
Allen Robinson, JAC |
2.03 |
RB |
Doug Martin, TB |
3.10 |
WR |
Donte Moncrief, IND |
4.03 |
WR |
Eric Decker, NYJ |
5.10 |
WR |
DeVante Parker, MIA |
6.03 |
WR |
Willie Snead, NO |
7.10 |
RB |
Jeremy Langford, CHI |
8.03 |
WR |
Markus Wheaton, PIT |
9.10 |
WR |
Sammie Coates, PIT |
10.03 |
QB |
Jameis Winston, TB |
11.10 |
DEF |
Kansas City Chiefs, KC |
12.03 |
RB |
Jerick McKinnon, MIN |
13.10 |
TE |
Charles Clay, BUF |
14.03 |
TE |
Will Tye, NYG |
15.10 |
QB |
Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ |
16.03 |
QB |
Robert Griffin III, CLE |
17.10 |
K |
Cairo Santos, KC |
18.03 |
|
Pick #10 - Mike Davis
Strategy: With the 10th pick in a
12-team draft, I decided that instead of using the Zero-RB approach,
I would REACT to the zero-RB approach by taking the best value I
could get at either RB or WR for the first half of the draft. In
an 18-round draft, that meant not even looking at QBs, TEs, defenses
or kickers until Round 10.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
I missed out on Martellus Bennett as my sneaky TE play by not taking
him in Round 10, but since I had already taken Markus Wheaton in
Round 9, I found Sammie Coates irresistible with my 10th pick because
that pretty much locked up the No.2 WR spot in Pittsburgh for me
regardless of how the preseason plays out. Simmer down Eli Rogers.
Final thought: My final thought is
that since Adrian Peterson is falling to folks with the 10th overall
pick (as happened to me), the focus on WRs is going through the
roof in 2016 --especially among experts such as the members of the
FFToday staff. That steered me into taking two running backs (Peteson,
Doug Martin) in my first three picks. Get a feel for your league
makeup prior to the draft and if you sense the general consensus
is also WR-heavy, don’t be afraid to go against the grain.
There’s value to be had at the RB position.
Antonio D'Arcangelis
- Pick No. 11 |
RB |
Jamaal Charles, KC |
1.11 |
RB |
Le'Veon
Bell, PIT |
2.02 |
RB |
Dion Lewis, NE |
3.11 |
WR |
Kelvin Benjamin, CAR |
4.02 |
WR |
Larry Fitzgerald, ARI |
5.11 |
WR |
Jordan Matthews, PHI |
6.02 |
QB |
Carson Palmer, ARI |
7.11 |
TE |
Dwayne Allen, IND |
8.02 |
WR |
Michael Thomas ®, NO |
9.11 |
QB |
Tyrod Taylor, BUF |
10.02 |
RB |
Darren Sproles, PHI |
11.11 |
WR |
Kendall Wright, TEN |
12.02 |
TE |
Jimmy Graham, SEA |
13.11 |
WR |
Mohamed Sanu, ATL |
14.02 |
RB |
Chris Thompson, WAS |
15.11 |
RB |
Karlos Williams, BUF |
16.02 |
K |
Blair Walsh, MIN |
17.11 |
DEF |
Pittsburgh Steelers, PIT |
18.02 |
|
Pick #11 - Antonio D'Arcangelis
Strategy: This was my first draft
of 2016. Last season’s FFToday staff league was a disaster.
I drafted third and just about all of my RBs (Charles, Foster, Forsett),
my top WR (Kelvin Benjamin) were injured. I was excited about the
prospect of drafting 11th and trying to land a couple of stud WRs
near the turn and filling in the rest of my squad as value presented
itself. Unfortunately, the top five WRs were gone by pick No.11,
and my entire plan had to be scrapped. Instead, I followed the general
lead of my Draft Buddy and
filled in with as many PPR-enhanced RBs as I could, and shot for
a balance of steady production and risk/reward at WR and TE.
What player(s) did you miss out on?
Too many to name. This is a competitive and knowledgeable crew,
devoid of weak links, so several times I was scooped on players
who were next in my queue - Randall Cobb (3.12), DeAngelo Williams
(7.02) and Josh Gordon (9.01) come to mind. I was hoping A.J.
Green (ADP 1.09) fell to me at 11, but that was wishful thinking
among this crowd. Maybe Doug Orth and I can talk trade on the
DeAngelo front – he has a couple players I covet!
Final thought: I still really like
my team, as I have enough talent at RB to carry me through the
first four weeks without scrambling to fill the void left by Le’Veon
Bell’s suspension. I was willing to take another crack at
Benjamin despite last season’s untimely injury (I drafted
him the NIGHT before he was injured in practice). I love the upside
of rookie WR Michael Thomas (9.11), who’s arguably been
the best player at Saints camp.
Joseph Hutchins
- Pick No. 12 |
WR |
Mike Evans, TB |
1.12 |
WR |
Brandon Marshall, NYJ |
2.01 |
WR |
Randall Cobb, GB |
3.12 |
RB |
Carlos Hyde, SF |
4.01 |
TE |
Greg Olsen, CAR |
5.12 |
WR |
Kevin White, CHI |
6.01 |
RB |
Frank Gore, IND |
7.12 |
RB |
Tevin Coleman, ATL |
8.01 |
RB |
DeAndre Washington ®, OAK |
9.12 |
QB |
Marcus Mariota, TEN |
10.01 |
RB |
Jay Ajayi, MIA |
11.12 |
WR |
Jaelen Strong, HOU |
12.01 |
WR |
Steve Smith, BAL |
13.12 |
QB |
Tony Romo, DAL |
14.01 |
RB |
Shaun Draughn, SF |
15.12 |
WR |
Braxton Miller ®, HOU |
16.01 |
DEF |
Green Bay Packers, GB |
17.12 |
K |
Sebastian Janikowski, OAK |
18.01 |
|
Pick #12 - Joseph Hutchins
Strategy: I think over-strategizing
is dangerous, especially when you’re drafting last. My goal,
as always, was to stick to some guiding principles (value over need,
targets matter, Ks and DEFs don’t) and stay limber. The only
real structure I added this season was a shortlist of underrated
players at each position and some newer draft “commandments,”
namely no QB before the 6th round (I got mine in the 10th).
What player(s) did you miss out on?
If you read between the lines, that means I basically went after
the best available RB or WR/TE for the first nine rounds. Somehow,
I still missed out on two guys I really wanted, Eddie Lacy (3.08)
and Michael Floyd (4.05). The boss stole them both and I hope
they break their legs. Ha! In all seriousness, I thought they
both might slide farther than they did. Lesson learned: Don’t
write an article openly praising your draft targets right before
the draft.
Final thought: I’ve been
documenting turnover
at the RB position for several years and the data is incontrovertible:
Most Top 10 backs don’t maintain that status year-over-year
(Only two RBs (Forte, Miller) replicated their top ten ranking
last season). Yet, 7 of our first 14 players selected were RBs.
When will we ever learn?
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