On Saturday morning at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, I drafted my 14-team NFFC Classic team. It's their standard 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WR, 1-TE, 1-FLEX, 1-K, 1-D and 10 reserves. I picked out of the 10 slot. Here are the results: (Click to enlarge)
After doing the 14-team YF&F draft, picking 11th and getting Demaryius Thomas, I thought going 10th in the NFFC would be ideal, especially with third-round reversal, i.e., those who pick late in the first go early in the second *and* third rounds. I assumed the big four running backs would be gone (Le'Veon Bell, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles and Eddie Lacy), and that would leave the big-five receivers (Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, Thomas and Odell Beckham) along with Rob Gronkowski. I actually didn't want to take a tight end first, so I was hoping someone would take Gronk, and they did at pick No. 8. Unfortunately, Beckham went at No. 9 to Roger Gonzalez (last year's overall champion), and I was stuck.
The obvious pick was Jamaal Charles but I didn't want to start the draft with a running back if I could help it, and I've had a bad vibe on Charles health-wise this year. (Not that anyone else should care what my "vibe" is on a player, but I pay attention to it.) The reason I preferred to start with a receiver is there are so many starting-ish backs available in Rounds 3-8, it's easier to field a credible lineup if you take receivers at the top and backs in the middle. So I went A.J. Green, narrowly over Calvin Johnson.
Here's the rest of the draft:
1.10 A.J. Green - should get 90-1300-10 as a floor if he stays healthy. (Narrowly took him over Calvin Johnson and Charles.)
2.5 Alshon Jeffery - calf injury is an issue, but if healthy for Week 1, he's as good a bet as anyone to lead the NFL in targets and red-zone targets.
3.5 Emmanuel Sanders - it was as huge relief he slipped to me. The Broncos lost Julius Thomas and don't have an established No. 3 WR. Sanders should catch 85-plus if healthy all year.
4.10 Arian Foster - a no brainer if he plays 12 games, given the 10-man benches which make stashing players easier.
5.5 T.J. Yeldon - as a I said, plenty of starting backs available in these rounds.
6.10 Devin Funchess - I have no idea if he's any good, but Cam Newton will go for 3,500 yards and 20 TDs, and Greg Olsen isn't getting all of them.
7.5 Giovani Bernard - easy call at this spot in a full PPR league.
8.10 Eli Manning - I had played chicken in the 14-team format as long as I could. He was the 12th QB off the board.
9.5 Tevin Coleman - as I said, plenty of starting-ish RBs available in the draft's middle rounds. (I missed Bishop Sankey by one pick too.)
10.10 Alfred Blue - I don't even like him, but with Foster, I felt it was the right play in the 10th. It did cost me Brandon Coleman (whom I considered) though.
11.5 David Johnson - a high-upside backup with a shaky starter ahead of him.
12.10 Cody Latimer - another high-upside lottery ticket, and he's a handcuff of sorts for Sanders.
13.5 Brandon Bolden - once I got word Jonas Gray was cut, I wanted the Pats potential starter for Week 1, especially because we set Week 1 lineups after the Thursday night game, i.e., I'll get to see of Bolden did anything.
14.10 Eric Ebron - I played chicken on TE forever, and when someone took Vernon Davis in Round 13, I was in some trouble. But I like a pedigreed prospect like Ebron in Year 2 in an offense that has no real No. 3 WR.
15.5 Ladarius Green - He might be a top-10 TE for the season's first four weeks.
16.10 Jay Cutler - he DGAF, and neither do I in Round 16. Needed a backup QB/match-up starter.
17.5 Panthers Defense - they get the Jaguars in Week 1, and that was enough for me.
18.10 Stedman Bailey - he was the Rams' best receiver down the stretch, and no one there is established enough to block him if he clicks with Nick Foles.
19.5 Matt Bryant - an elite real-life kicker in an indoor stadium on a good offense.
20.10 Pierre Thomas - this was an error. I had intended to take Terrelle Pryor, but Roger took him one pick before me, and it threw me off my game. I had Christine Michael (before the Dallas trade) circled as well as Zach Zenner, but for some reason saw Thomas and went with him.
All told, I like this team so long as Jeffery doesn't miss time. I have big PPR hauls from my top three picks and a good chance to get production out of a couple backs.