Grading The Big Leaguers Fantasy Draft. Introducing: The Show
The Major Leaguers and Dave had their Fantasy Draft on Thursday, September 1st. Outside of the one brief pause for technical issues (shoutout ESPN Fantasy for lying to me and completely torpedoing my vision), the Draft was completed in timely fashion, just under two hours. Dave had some issues early deciphering where the information was coming from, but recovered rather nicely and ended up with a good squad. How good? Well, I'm going to go through each team's Draft and grade them.
League Name: The Show
League Settings:
Scoring System: 6 points per Passing TD, 1.0 PPR, 1.0 point for every 10 yards receiving, 10 yards rushing, and 25 yards passing.
Roster Size: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 FLEX (RB, WR, TE), 1 TE, 1 K, 1 DST, 6 Bench Spots
Now let's get into the teams and the Draft grades. Let me know if the comments who you thought was the best and what the biggest reach was. We'll start in order from 1st pick - 12th.
Sunday Funday: C
This is the new team in the league is still very young, entering it's second season. But as the rookie squad, they made the no brainer move and took Jonathan Taylor in the 1.1 spot. He's the lock #1 pick in any format on my board. While I don't love going RB/RB early, I am very high on James Conner, he's my RB7 this year, so I like that pick at #24. Keenan Allen isn't a guy I particularly am crazy about just because we know his upside. He's a guy who has never had 1,200 yards or more than 8 TDs in his career. But in the PPR format, he is valuable simply due to volume. He's averaging 102 catches/year over his last four years. I just wish he had more upside, but he's a steady Eddie at WR. Coming back with Justin Herbert in making a play for a stack isn't a bad idea, it was just a bit early for QB. But with 6-point passing TDs, it's a way to be aggressive and this squad is clearly banking on Herbert to build off his 38 TD year in 2021. David Montgomery is good value in Roung 5, but TJ Hockenson was way too early for me. The fact they took a backup TE is a rookie move from a rookie squad. Allen Lazard has a chance to be something in Green Bay after Davante Adams is gone, so I like that in Round 7. If This squad is going to make some noise, they'll need their fellow Wisconsin native to have a big year. Damien Harris is good insurance in case of an RB injury and Olave and Boyd can be rotational guys that hopefully never have to see the field. This team is HEAVY at RB but dangerously thin at WR.
Miami ThunderCox: D+
In my ESPN Fantasy induced haze when I couldn't see anything, I asked who had the best team and there was a lot of praise for Nap's early round. He seems like a great dude, but I do not agree. Christian McCaffrey is such a risky play at #2 overall. I understand his outstanding upside, especially in a PPR format, but the guy has played 10 games in 2 years, so I cannot get on board with him early. Aaron Jones is another one, while I like him a player, he's 27 years old and was ceding carries to AJ Dillon towards the end of the year. I realize he can also catch the ball, which is especially valuable, but I feel like his best days are behind him. Kyle Pitts has a ton of upside, but the guy scored 1 TD last year and his Quarterback just got worse. He'll need to get in the paint at least 8 times for that pick to be worth it at #26 overall. I don't mind the next three picks with Brandin Cooks, Diontae Johnson, and Christian Kirk filling out his Receiver room, but the rest of the draft isn't my favorite. Jalen Hurts is a tough play in a 6 point passing TD league. Especially with 30+ TD guys like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow and Russell Wilson going the round after. Kadarius Tony has some good upside and he's dynamite when he's on the field. The rest of the draft I respect the lottery tickets. If Rachaad White, Skyy More, Isaiah McKenzie, or Tyrion Davis-Price turn out to be a dude early, that could certainly help his outlook, but I wasn't an overall fan of the final product here.
Takos and Tequila: A-
I was a big fan of the first four rounds of this draft. Justin Jefferson at #3 is a bold pick, but it's hard to deny his talent. I would have went Cooper Kupp in PPR, but there is certainly an argument for Jefferson and I appreciate the foresight. I love Tyreek Hill in Round 2 and to come around and get Javonte Williams at #27 overall, he's got three of my top 15 players 27 picks in. It continued to get better with Terry McLaurin at #46 overall giving Mous four top 22 guys 46 picks in. I'm not the biggest Jerry Jeudy guy this year, but that was his range so I respect it. I called out the Lamar Jackson pick in real time citing it was a 6-point passing TD league. Lamar is lights out and sun fun to have as your fantasy QB, but he'll need to be closer to 30 passing TDs and score way more than 2 rushing TDs, which is what he did last year for that to work out. Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Devonta Smith aren't my favorite options there, but I like the Zach Ertz pick. With his bench I would've preferred some more fliers as we know the ceiling of most of those guys. But overall this was a very good team and someone who should be in the mix around the holidays.
Cono Squad: B-
Of all the Drafts, this one is the hardest to grade. It's kind of an incomplete due to all the unknowns, so I'll park somewhat in the middle. From Rounds 9 - 13, Manny only drafted rookies. He also drafted a guy on a new team in Round 3 with AJ Brown, a breakout candidate in Gabe Davis round 5, another rookie WR in Drake London Round 6 and a QB on a new team in Round 8 in Russell Wilson. I do like Austin Ekeler at #4 overall, especially in the PPR format. Ekeler has averaged 72 catches/year the past three years and coming off a 20 TD year, so there is a lot to like. Mark Andrews in Round 2 is a bit rich for me, but if he repeats his 2021 performance, that'll be more than worth it. I do like the flier approach with the bench and it's one I commonly use. Of the Isaih Pacheco, Kenneth Walker III, Alec Pierce, Treylon Burks, Drake London, and Romeo Doubs group - if 2 of those guys become dudes this is a playoff team. If 3+ become dudes, this is a legitimate championship contender, but a lot of unknowns on September 3rd.
Champ Champ: A-
The defending champ, Alex Bregman who drafted four Runningbacks in a row to kick off his 2021 Draft went with the value play and got Cooper Kupp 5th overall in a PPR league! The guy caught 145 balls last year! Bookending that with Deebo Samuel was a nice move at #20 overall. I love his Receiving corps and it should be the best in the league. Along with Kupp and Deebo, he's got JuJu Smith-Schuster who has a ton of upside in KC, Robert Woods who has always been solid, Nico Collins with big upside in Houston, and DeAndre Hopkins which was a shrewd play. This roster is good enough to tread water for 6 weeks. After he serves his suspension, he'll be trotting out three legit WR1 with Kupp, Deebo, and Hopkins. That is scary. Travis Etienne is an unknown having missed his entire rookie year, but he's got great hands and good be a really force in PPR. Cam Akers looked rough coming off his injury last year, but he's so young will he rebound? Drafting two defenses is actually a strategy I can get behind, especially because the 49ers play the Bears Week 1. Good foresight there. But this team will depend on the QB/TE stack of Derek Carr and Darren Waller. This team is so talented I'd almost rather diversify, but if those two are clicking, this team may be unbeatable.
The Kid: C+
Derrick Henry is a potential league winner if he can stay healthy, but at age 28 coming off a season in which he missed 9 games I have some concerns. He took Nick Chubb at #19 overall and my concern with the first two picks are they are probably the two least effective in a PPR format as they're both around 1-2 catch/game guys. I do really like DJ Moore at #30 overall and he is a darkhorse to lead the league in receiving yards this year. Courtland Sutton is also a former Pro Bowler and has a legit QB to throw him the ball, so big upside there. Chase Edmonds is a bit rich for me in Round 5, but I love his next pick in Hunter Renfrow. As a WR in a PPR league, he will be dynamite. New Raiders HC Josh McDaniels' offense has an emphasis on slot WRs and Renfrow is elite. Goedert is a bit early for me as after the top 3 TEs, I think you wait until the 12th-ish round to make a play there and there won't be a monster difference. But he is an Eagles fan, so it's nice to have a hometown guy on your squad to root for. Burrow is nice value in the 8th Round and the run on Quarterbacks went there so it was a savvy move to nab him where he did. On the bench, I like the handcuff in Miami with Raheem Mostert. George Pickens looks awesome, but will that translate right away as a rookie? Julio Jones has looked great by all accounts, so that could be a value play in Round 13, especially as he'll get more work early on with Chris Godwin on a pitch count to start the year. Overall this team is well rounded, but I wish he took advantage of the scoring system more and waited on a TE.
Ja'Marr Je'Merrier: B
A lights out first four picks. This squad really took the value with the last of the 'Big 3' Tier 1 WRs with Ja'Marr Chase. Leonard Fournette was solid at #18 and catches a bunch of balls too. Mike Evans and Mike Williams are both taller, big bodied guys who should both be double digit TD guys. So his three starting WRs (assuming he puts one in FLEX) AVERAGED 12 TDs last year. The Round 5 & 6 is interesting choosing to stack Hollywood Brown and Kyler. He better be careful on Call of Duty Double XP weekends because he's seen a big drop-off in performance then. But with DeAndre Hopkins being suspended for the first six games, they're betting on the former college teammates to light it up. The luxury here is that they don't actually need Hollywood Brown to start since he's technically WR4 and there are only 2 WRs and 1 FLEX. So do you start him early over Mike Williams or even Mike Evans? Could be risky. But either way, I'm not a fan of either selection, especially with 6-point passing TDs. What I do like about the rest of the draft, is they figure, ok we're set at WR with four pretty good ones, let's attack Runningback and hopefully somebody sticks and can be our RB2. So from Rhamondre Stevenson, Kareem Hunt, Darrell Henderson, Kenneth Gainwell, and Jerick McKinnon - if one of those guys can be a reliable RB2 and one can be a decent rotational play then they may be cooking with gas.
Dumb Jocs: B+
Dave going Zero RB early?! You love to see it! While there were some disconnects on what to expect and the ESPN Fantasy site totally boned me, Dave recovered quite well. Stefon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb are my WR4 and WR5, so I love the value of those picks. Lamb is a steal at #17 overall and Diggs is undervalued. He did have fewer yards last year than his dynamite 2020 campaign, but he still saw 164 targets and scored 10 TDs. It wouldn't be surprising for him to get back in the 1,500 yard range and score double digit TDs. In PPR especially he's dynamite averaging 115 catches/year with Buffalo. Despite his 104 catch campaign last year, I'm not as high on Jaylen Waddle here. They brought in Tyreek Hill, so that should take away from some of his target share. But based on the board at that time, it's fair value. Mike Evans going one spot before was a bad beat. I do LOVE the Breece Hall pick in Round 4. He's got big time upside in that Shanahan style scheme. JK Dobbins wouldn't have been my pick in Round 5. He was dominant as a Rookie averaging a staggering 6.0 YPC, but missed all of last season with an injury. Baltimore runs it a ton, but typically by committee, will Dobbins be the bellcow? If he is, that's a win, but his lack of receiving ability could hurt in PPR. I like Dalton Schultz, he's my TE4, but 6th round is too rich for me. I would've sat til late. On the plus side, with Michael Gallup limted to start the year, Dave will own most of Dak Prescott's receiving yards with Lamb and Schultz. Antonio Gibson is a savvy play in Round 7 after the unfortunate Brian Robinson news. I also like him nabbing JD McKissic late to handcuff that backfield situation for now. McKissic is also a sneaky RB2 play if you need in PPR. Tom Brady is Round 8 while maybe seeming like a homer play is actually a terrific pick in a 6-point passing TD league. Brady is my QB3 and led all QBs in TD passes last year with 43. The rest of his bench has some upside with Garrett Wilson seemingly being the easiest college WR to transition to the NFL, James Cook having good receiving ability and coming into a weak Buffalo backfield, and Russell Gage getting to work the slot with Tom Brady. The Browns also have a sneaky easy schedule the first four weeks so I like that pick. The Mac Jones pick is classic Dave and now we've got a Brady/Mac Jones QB room for the first time ever. Looking forward to see how it plays out!
Wil's Football Team: B
I'm conflicted on this team. Najee Harris' lisfranc injury is a little scary, but assuming he's healthy, he's dynamite for this format having caught 74 balls last year and also being one of the last remaining bellcow backs. Davante Adams is in a new situation, so I'm interested to see how his numbers will be. He has a great rapport with Derek Carr who was his college QB, but his target share from Green Bay is something I don't believe he'll be able to replicate with all the weapons they have in Sin City. Michael Pittman Jr. went in the range he probably should go, but Patrick Mahomes Round 4 was a bit high. Even in 6-point passing TD leagues. But I think you're paying a premium for the name brand there. Chris Godwin is a great PPR pick, but he may start the year off slow as he'll be on a pitch count early. Josh Jacobs is in a contract year, but only because the Raiders didn't pick up his 5th year option. They also brought in a bunch of RBs including Ameer Abdullah and Zamir White which could cut into his carries, but I do think Jacobs is a solid RB2. And if he's not, Devin Singletary in Round 7 could carry the mail for that spot. Tyler Lockett Round 8 doesn't necessarily play to the PPR format, but he's consistently underrated. The rest of the Draft after Round 8 isn't my favorite, but I do like the Benny Snell handcuff for his RB1. Chase Claypool is another Steelers player and I don't think you want to be married to that offense this year outside of Najee. Trotting them both out would be very risky. Hunter Henry is very TD dependent at TE and there were some better options. Trey Lance is a pure stash as you can't really start him over Mahomes in a 6-point passing TD league and any time you take trade bait in a Draft I'm not a fan of it. Overall this is a well-rounded team with upside, I would've liked to see a more well-rounded bench.
Cookin With Kamara: B-
On paper, the first two picks look dynamite. But I'm skeptical, and mainly due to age. Both RBs are 27 years old which is typically when RBs fall off a cliff. But if they both produce at the Pro Bowl levels, this will be a good start. The Receivers are interesting as they went with a bunch of breakout candidates. Tee Higgins, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Darnell Mooney, Michael Thomas, and Elijah Moore are an interesting bunch. Can Higgins take the next step? Can Amon-Ra St. Brown continue his torrid run at the end of the season where he got double digit targets in his final six games? Can Darnell Mooney be Justin Field's #1 weapon? Can Michael Thomas return to his 2019 form? The guy hasn't scored a regular season TD since before the pandemic! Elijah Moore is a solid PPR option, but will the Jets passing offense be explosive enough to warrant a starting fantasy slot? A lot of questions and I'm a little concerned about that position. But RB looks good, especially after the Dillon pick. He's the back to own in the Green Bay backfield in my opinion. Dak Prescott in Round 10 is great value, but they're dealing with a ton of injuries and the Tyron Smith one may hinder his ceiling. Taking 2 TEs is an unnecessary move so I don't like that. Going into the season, this team needs their RBs to still perform in the backend of the career and for at least two of those Receivers mentioned to hit. Solid potential, but a lot of questions.
Blood Sweat and Beers: A-
Eric Hosmer brought some fantasy magazines, cheat sheets, and a sharpie to the Draft. Love to see that type of preparation and attention to detail. It clearly paid off as he went Travis Kelce at 11th overall, which based on a PPR scoring format, gives him a monster leg up on the rest of the league at that position. The value was great and that's my best 1st round pick for the value. Joe Mixon in Round 2 is a good value. I'm less high on him, but I understand that he just turned 26 and they improved their Offensive Line. He should also be the bellcow in a good offense, so a very high ceiling. Allen Robinson is sneaky pick as he's finally with a good QB and has the potential to put up numbers. The only concern there is he was just so bad last year, but again, different situation. Dameon Pierce is a savvy play for RB2 38th overall. Breece Hall went right after and then that position takes a big step back, so good move getting an RB2 there. Rashod Bateman is in a potential breakout spot with Hollywood Brown leaving. Mark Andrews will get a ton of targets but they will have a WR out there and there are now 146 vacated targets. Adam Thielen has been productive when on the field and I almost wonder if he'll be the guy to see the biggest bump with Kevin O'Connell coming over from the Rams. He profiles the most similarly in size/speed/body type to Cooper Kupp, so I have my eye on Thielen this year. Brandon Aiyuk had a disappointing year last year, but historically, Year 3 is typically when most WRs put it together. Jahan Dotson is also a good flier later in the Draft as reports out of Washington is that he actually has the best chemistry with Carson Wentz so far. Cole Kmet is a solid option at TE and should get a lot of work with a young QB in Chicago. But my favorite part about this draft was bookending the QB position. Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford should both be 30+ TD guys and in a 6-point passing TD league, that is super valuable. To get Rodgers in Round 8 and take Stafford in the 12th is great value and will allow him to rotate them based on matchup. This gives Hosmer a huge leg up on a week to week basis against his opponent as the waiver wire simply is not as favorable.
We Are Phamily: D+
Shoutout on the team name. Very clever coming off of the league controversy last season. So Jake gets the W there, but that's the only spot he get it from me. Picking in the 12 slot can either be a big advantage or disadvantage depending on how the board falls to you. Taking 3 RBs in your first 4 picks isn't my preferred strategy. Not addressing the Receiver position in a PPR league until Round 6 can be considered reckless. His plan must bet to only start 2 WRs, but his top 2 Receiver's QBs are Geno Smith and Jacoby Brissett. Not ideal! George Kittle in Round 5 is also a bit rich for me, especially with Trey Lance at QB. But my least favorite pick may be Zeke Elliott at #37 overall leading off the 4th round. To see Dameon Pierce and Breece Hall go after him was a tough look. Tony Pollard is a good pick in the 7th round as he's Dallas' best back. But what I didn't like about this Draft was the fact that he loaded up on RB early and just kept loading up on them. We won't even go in on the fact that his 12th rounder was the recent victim of a shooting. While that could be just a play to get him into his IR spot, I think he needed to focus more on the Receiver position.
TLDR:
Best Drafts: Mike Moustakas, Alex Bregman, & Eric Hosmer (all A-)
Worst Draft: Mike Napoli & Jake Marisnick (both D+)
Looking forward to doing a lot more with this this season with matchup previews, recaps, and weekly standings updates. Be sure to follow @fffpod on twitter, instagram & tiktok to get it first!
And if you've got your own Fantasy Football Draft coming up, check out some of our position previews:
And my Fantasy Football Top 175 Cheaht Sheet