Earlier today, just after dropping $200 in craps in 10 minutes while showing Tim Schuler my new "strategy", we headed over to the Bellagio to draft in the NFFC 14-team Classic. It's a 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WR, 1-TE, 1-FLEX (RB/WR/TE), 1-K, 1-D, 10 reserves. PPR scoring, six points per passing TD. Entry-fee is $1,550, grand prize is $100K. We drew the seventh slot.
Here's how it went:
1.7 Demaryius Thomas - Schuler and I had strategized poolside, figuring the big-four RBs would be gone along with Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas, leaving us Dez Bryant, but when the guy in the six hole took Marshawn Lynch, Thomas fell to us. We were happy about it, but we don't see a huge difference between Thomas, Bryant or even Julio Jones.
2.8 Keenan Allen - We figured he'd be our second pick as we didn't want to take one of the TEs or QBs here. We thought about Drew Brees for a second, but passed.
3.8 Victor Cruz - Cruz is who we thought might fall to us - we were building a WR-heavy roster for the 3-WR PPR format.
4.7 C.J. Spiller - We noticed his ADP slipped past this point in the NFFC of late, and he was our target this round.
5.8 Trent Richardson - I know, I know. But Eric Decker was the other option on the board (remember this is a 14-team league), and I drafted Decker last week after reading a RotoViz article about him and regretted it. One of our big strategy points was to take players we liked and not to take "tips". We were hoping to get Richardson in the sixth (and probably would have), but no one else on the board jumped out at me, and he was the player I'd have been most disappointed about if he were gone. I briefly considered Brandin Cooks, but I had pledged not to own him at his going rate and steered clear. Which in retrospect was a dumb reason. Who cares what I pledged? But we both like Richardson's chances to be effective on a good offense in a PPR league. I just think there was an 80-percent chance he'd be there on the way back.
6.7 Nick Foles - That said, taking Richardson gave us Foles (had we taken Decker or Cooks, we might have taken Richardson on the way back). We were the first to dive into the post-Stafford QBs, but Andrew Luck and Tom Brady went shortly thereafter, making us feel okay. We felt worse when Cam Newton and RGIII went in Round 12, however. But Foles was the player I put as the No. 4 QB in our magazine in May before all the training camp noise, and Schuler had him as his clear No. 4 too. In this QB-friendly scoring system, we took him over the undifferentiated WR/RBs. There were still plenty of second-tier TEs left, too. And again, we were going with our guys.
7.8 Dwayne Bowe - We were hoping Bishop Sankey would slip, but he went two picks before us. We considered Sammy Watkins but he went one pick before. Bowe was my sleeper in the RotoWire magazine this May, and Schuler also liked him. We now had three "last year's bums" in Spiller, Richardson and Bowe. I'm also bullish on the Chiefs passing game and think either Bowe or Travis Kelce will have a big year.
8.7 Greg Olsen - We needed a TE, and he was at the top of our board. He should see plenty of targets in a thin Carolina pass-catching crew.
9.8 Josh Gordon - When Aaron Dobson and Marqise Lee went, it was time. While Gordon won't play in time for Week 1, the NFL could agree to a revised drug policy with the players at any point, which could result in his reinstatement. And the NFFC is the best place to have him because of the deep benches, big overall prize and playoff-heavy structure. After we took him, two other owners claimed we wouldn't have gotten him on the way back.
10.7 Darren McFadden - He healthy now and only 26.
11.8 Ahmad Bradshaw - He's less Richardson's backup than his alternative. In a 14-team league we wanted to have a starter more or less locked in (at least for now.)
12.7 Rod Streater - With Dwayne Bowe and Josh Gordon suspended for Week 1, we needed some viable WR options for our flex. Streater is the Raiders' best receiver, with a good size/speed profile. And Maybe Derek Carr will turn out to be good.
13.8 Mike Williams - More WR depth. We were discussing the merits of Williams vs, Robert Woods, and when Woods went two picks before us, it was an easy call.
14.7 Tyler Eifert - Year 2 is when TEs break out, we can use him in the flex if necessary, and he was easily the top TE on our board. We nearly took Alex Smith here as backup QBs had flown off the board, and he was our highest ranked by far, but Eifert's flex eligibility makes him more valuable.
15.8 Alex Smith - Surprisingly Smith fell to us anyway.
16.7 Ka'Deem Carey - I wanted to draft Stepfan Taylor, given Andre Ellington's situation, but he went two picks before us. Carey should be the guy should 29-year old Matt Forte go down, and that was good enough for us.
17.8 Justin Tucker - Schuler had wanted us to take Stephen Gostkowski in the last round, and by the time we picked, he, Steven Hauschka and Phil Dawson were gone. Tucker was the last top kicker on our list.
18.7 Davante Adams - All the defenses we wanted had flown off the board rounds ago, and we felt Adams was being unduly discounted by his non-use in one game against the league's best defense. Remember Keenan Allen was barely used early last year too.
19.8 Ricardo Lockette - I have to credit Schuler for his one. Lockette had more than 11 points in this format on Thursday, so this cancels out Bowe's suspension and gives us someone to drop.
20.7 New York Giants Defense - They were good for most of last year, and they've had a good camp. Jason Pierre Paul is healthy, and the secondary is stout. Plus, most of the good options were gone.
Here's the full grid:
