This article is part of our NFL Observations series.
The FSGA draft took place last night. It's a 14-team 1-QB, 2-RB, 3-WR, 1 FLEX, PPR league with regular scoring except QBs get one point every 25 passing yards and four points per passing TD. I drew the fifth pick.
Here are the results:
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1.5 Ezekiel Elliott -- I was hoping Elliott would fall to me. I had previously preferred Saquon Barkley or Jonathan Taylor, but Stephania Bell got me spooked about Barkley -- see this thread for the discussion about him:
and Frank Reich, who used a committee in Philadelphia, got me spooked about Taylor.
Had Elliott been taken, I would have gone with Taylor -- second-year stud back who dominated in last year's second half is the signal, rumors about prospective usage the noise. And I think Barkley works there too. But Elliott, who doesn't turn 26 for a couple weeks, has shown up in top shape, has no injury or major workload concerns, plays in a top offense and has little competition for the bulk of the work.
2.10 Clyde Edwards-Helaire -- It was either him or Justin Jefferson, and once Jefferson was off the board one pick ahead of me, it was a snap call. He's a pass-catching back in the league's best offense and without serious competition. While Patrick Mahomes doesn't check down much, Andy Reid should design more plays for last year's first-round pick. It would not surprise me much if CEH were pick 1.1 in 2022.
3.5 Terry McLaurin -- Another easy call as I have McLaurin at No. 6 among receivers.
4.10 Josh Allen -- My RB target in this round, Travis Etienne went at the 3-4 turn, and my WRs (Cooper Kupp/DJ Moore) also came off the board a few picks before me. This league format favors running QBs, and the Bills also throw the ball a ton.
5.5 Mark Andrews -- He's my TE4, and he went nearly a full round after T.J. Hockenson and three picks after Kyle Pitts.
6.10 Deebo Samuel -- The 49ers will use him as a running back at times, and they throw a ton of easy short passes to him, which is great for PPR.
7.5 Jerry Jeudy -- This pick cost me Antonio Brown who I was hoping would slip, but Year 2 is typically when receivers break out, and Jeudy, while inconsistent, showed flashes commensurate with his elite pedigree last year.
8.10 Mike Williams -- I've always liked Williams as a player. He's been one of the league's most efficient receivers since entering the league, but injuries and the presence of target-hog Keenan Allen have limited his volume. This year, according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper, Williams will line up as the X receiver under new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Lombardi came from the Saints where Michael Thomas was used in that role.
9.5 Nelson Agholor -- My only mistake of the draft. I like Agholor just fine, and it's good to have WR depth when four of my first five picks were on other positions, but I had just missed AJ Dillon by one pick, and I lost focus for a second. I should have taken Nyheim Hines for RB depth instead.
10.10 Kenneth Gainwell -- This was my make-up pick for passing on Hines. Gainwell was a great pass catcher in college, runs a 4.44 40 and could carve out a regular role on third downs if Miles Sanders struggles again.
11.5 Rob Gronkowski -- Gronk is only five months older than Travis Kelce and widely regarded as the greatest tight end of all time. He's completely healthy, integrated into the offense, re-united with Tom Brady and coming off a Super Bowl where he scored two TDs. He won't get Kelce's 150 targets, but he might get 90, and I'd bet Gronk gets more TDs per target than Kelce.
12.10 Rams Defense -- This was the first defense off the board. I picked the Rams because (1) They get the Lions in Week 1; and (2) They'll be better rested and playing with more leads this year now that Matthew Stafford has replaced Jared Goff.
13.5 Van Jefferson -- He's the No. 3 WR in what could be a top-five passing offense. And Year 2 is when receivers break out.
14.10 Tre'Quan Smith -- He showed flashes last year and should serve as the No. 2 WR and big-play threat, something that could be valuable if Jameis Winston wins the job.
15.5 Jason Sanders -- Taking Smith cost me Tyler Bass, but Sanders is an excellent kicker with a big leg, and the Dolphins should be competitive.
16.10 Giovani Bernard -- I am pretty thin at RB, so I took a flyer on Bernard who is really the only competent third-down back on the team.
Roster By Position
QB: Josh Allen
RB: Ezekiel Elliott/Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WR: Terry McLaurin/Deebo Samuel/Jerry Jeudy
TE: Mark Andrews
FLEX: Mike Williams
D: Rams
B: Nelson Agholor, Kenneth Gainwell, Rob Gronkowski, Van Jefferson, Tre'Quan Smith, Giovani Bernard
