Strategy
This is my second year participating in the NFFC RotoWire Online Championship, with the overall contest winner coming away with $200,000, not to mention other prizes for first/second place within your respective league. There's plenty of incentive to shoot for best-case scenarios and outlandish upsides.
I felt pretty comfortable with the idea I wanted to get two running backs with my first two picks. Normally I try to remain flexible in a given draft, but with the way RBs have been priced up to such an absurd extent, there's really no options available if you're trying to fade the pack and I didn't want to get stuck, like I have before, trying to reach for a RB2 later in the draft.
That strategy was essentially locked in once it was revealed I was picking No. 8, despite each of my top-four pick selections being from 1-4. I've done seven drafts this season and have never picked higher than 7, so I guess it's good I had plenty of practice for this range, but I was admittedly a little annoyed by lady luck before the start of this draft. He's the rundown of my thoughts throughout each pick, as well as the overall board for you to look over.
Roster Construction
1.8 - Clyde Edwards-Helaire
I guess I dodged the ominous Leonard Fournette threat, but even if Fournette were to have signed with the Chiefs, I believe Edwards-Helaire would still be the primary offensive threat. Perhaps it's
Strategy
This is my second year participating in the NFFC RotoWire Online Championship, with the overall contest winner coming away with $200,000, not to mention other prizes for first/second place within your respective league. There's plenty of incentive to shoot for best-case scenarios and outlandish upsides.
I felt pretty comfortable with the idea I wanted to get two running backs with my first two picks. Normally I try to remain flexible in a given draft, but with the way RBs have been priced up to such an absurd extent, there's really no options available if you're trying to fade the pack and I didn't want to get stuck, like I have before, trying to reach for a RB2 later in the draft.
That strategy was essentially locked in once it was revealed I was picking No. 8, despite each of my top-four pick selections being from 1-4. I've done seven drafts this season and have never picked higher than 7, so I guess it's good I had plenty of practice for this range, but I was admittedly a little annoyed by lady luck before the start of this draft. He's the rundown of my thoughts throughout each pick, as well as the overall board for you to look over.
Roster Construction
1.8 - Clyde Edwards-Helaire
I guess I dodged the ominous Leonard Fournette threat, but even if Fournette were to have signed with the Chiefs, I believe Edwards-Helaire would still be the primary offensive threat. Perhaps it's just because I'm mesmerized by what he did against Alabama, but it's hard for me to pass up the allure of 2020's version of Brian Westbrook, which I think is the upside scenario for CEH. Downside looks something like Damien Williams from Week 9 through the Super Bowl, which was basically a top-15 RB in PPR formats such as this one.
2.5 - Austin Ekeler
I held my breath a bit after the Josh Jacobs selection as I knew I wanted to try and stick two RBs with my first two picks and didn't like the prospect of Aaron Jones to fill that void. Ekeler feels like a safer player in full PPR formats than Miles Sanders or Kenyan Drake, both of whom went a round ahead of the Chargers back.
3.5 - Odell Beckham
It's not really an "on-brand" choice much like it would be for my buddy and RotoWire colleague Jim Coventry, who inspired me. But I wanted to diversify a bit off of Calvin Ridley who would have been my next WR choice. The love of my life, and my fantasy football portfolio, A.J. Brown, is someone I typically target in the fourth round, but easily has first/second-round upside. He shockingly went higher than his typical ADP, but I still think Beckham was the right call. I was prepared to take Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes if they had fallen to me, though I think I'm ultimately happy with how this strategy played out.
4.8 - Cooper Kupp
What happens when you take a bunch of players you don't really like, but know are good values relative to their ADPs? Guess we're going to find out, as I linked my first Beckham share with my first Kupp share as well. I think Kupp's ADP stumbled somewhat thanks to a vague and mysterious leg injury that forced him to miss one practice. Maybe that's giving my league mates too much credit because there's really no other reason to see him fall to this point. The Rams have understandably lost some of their offensive luster from two years ago, but Kupp is still Jared Goff's favorite target in an offense that's probably going to throw close to 600 times again. Yes, Kupp loses some value if/when the Rams transition to more 12 personnel, but there's a pretty easy WR2 floor already projected into this draft slot and possible league-winning upside if Los Angeles opts to deviate to a different plan of attack. Might I recommend whatever the Rams did from Weeks 2-5 last season when they went 3-1 against the likes of the Saints, Browns, Bucs and Seahawks? What's that, Kupp accumulated 34 receptions, 459 receiving yards and four touchdowns during that stretch? I mean, I guess I can settle for that.
5.5 - Devin Singletary
In hindsight, I probably should have went with Marquise Brown, but I just am not a huge fan of the RBs left at this point in the draft and wanted to pad the depth when I had a chance. I'm out on Swift this year — he's an incredible talent, but I think the Detroit defense is going to render Swift an afterthought by the second quarter. And if by some miracle the Lions are available to keep the game competitive, I suspect Kerryon Johnson and Jason Huntley will muck up the waters enough where nobody is viable. Make no mistake, Swift is an exceptional talent, but I think his landing spot couldn't have been much worse when it comes to his fantasy value. Guys like J.K. Dobbins, Leonard Fournette (pre-Jaguars release) and Kareem Hunt weren't of any interest to me either. I have enough of Ronald Jones and Mark Ingram already, so the natural RB choice became Singletary. This will come as a direct contrast to my fantasy football crushes, John McKechnie and Mario Puig, but I just don't think Zack Moss is that good. Yes, he'll take some of the goal-line work, but Singletary is the more explosive player and proved it last season. There's definitely warts on this selection, but that's the unfortunate premise when dealing with RBs, quite frankly, after the first round.
6.8 - DeVante Parker
Here again might be a situation where a perfectly timed injury news release helped Parker fall down the ADP ranks, but I was happy to select him as my WR3 instead of T.Y. Hilton, Michael Gallup and Diontae Johnson. The fact he still hasn't practiced with this vague "undisclosed" injury is a bit concerning, but coach Brian Flores seems to believe Parker will be just fine for the start of the season, so I'm begrudgingly placing my faith in him as well. I don't think the return of Preston Williams should go unnoticed — Parker will almost certainly not put together a stretch like we saw toward the end of the season when he piled together four 100-yard games in the last seven contests. But so long as Ryan Fitzpatrick is under center, I think the Dolphins will be passing plenty, and even a 58-yard, four-catch type of afternoon (his respective averages Week 1-10) is plenty acceptable for a WR3.
7.5 - Kyler Murray
I don't enter a draft looking for a QB in this round, but it feels like a natural fit considering the QBs still available and the skill-position players to choose from. I think Murray, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott are all fairly equal, so I was happy to let the board decide which of those options would be my selection. There was a decent QB run later in Round 11 that, had I waited a bit later for my starter, could have allowed for me to take some extra dart throws, but Christian Kirk is really the only target I like in this range anyway.
8.8 - Phillip Lindsay
I think the shortage on capable RBs is going to be more pronounced than ever in 2020, particularly in such a deep league format like the NFFC. I know the contract compensation would suggest otherwise, but I believe Lindsay and Melvin Gordon are closer, talent wise, than most people might think. It's not as if Gordon is known as a back that always stays healthy, and he's already dealing with a rib injury that has kept him out of practice. Lindsay had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and can still do #PassCatchingStuff — that's really all I need for high-upside RB dart throws.
9.5 - Hunter Henry
It's not really a sexy pick, but I needed a starting tight end and figured I'd be able to capitalize on the depth of the position later in the draft. If you can guess the upside weeks of Henry, he's a top-5 player at his position, but the injuries coupled with random bouts of ineffectiveness certainly don't paint a rosy image. I don't know what Henry does with the switch from Philip Rivers to Tyrod Taylor, but I can't imagine the drop off is that drastic. In hindsight, I think I would have rather had Chris Herndon.
10.8 - Tevin Coleman
Count me among the non-believers of Raheem Mostert. The list is pretty long considering it also includes six other NFL teams, but it more or less reinforces the point that Kyle Shanahan can do incredible things with just about any running back. Why not take a dart throw at the backup to such a friendly RB situation?
11.5 - Austin Hooper
If there's limited value at RB and WR, there's gotta be a position of depth somewhere else. This fantasy draft season it's tight end, as there's almost no reason someone who just finished a second consecutive 70-catch season and now joins an offense that heavily features the tight end should be going in the 11th round. I felt a bit better with my Singletary selection knowing I could use Hooper and Blake Jarwin in my flex spot until the Bills' back wrestles away the starting gig.
12.8 - Allen Lazard
I really was hoping Jalen Reagor or Michael Pittman would fall to my next pick, but that dream scenario was snuffed out quickly. If Reagor becomes the next Beckham like some believe he can be, I'll of course never let myself live this selection down, much like I did with Lamar Jackson in this same contest last year. Still, if that sort of optimism is unfounded, Lazard as the entrenched No. 2 wideout for the Packers isn't a bad option at WR5. Again, if my idea is to utilize the TE depth as pseudo-WRs, there's really no reason Lazard should ever need to be in my starting lineup unless he wants to run over the helpless Lions once more.
13.5 - Joe Burrow
I really don't get the lack of interest in Burrow. Is it because of COVID camp stuff? Is it because we aren't supposed to like rookies? The 2020 No. 1 overall pick sure seems like an easy candidate to outperform his ADP, especially if the Bengals defense is going to be as bad as it looks on paper. So what if he plays the Steelers and Ravens twice a year. He's in easy starting consideration the other 12 weeks of the season.
14.8 - Blake Jarwin
See Hooper, Austin. Earlier RB dart throws afford me the opportunity to capitalize on one of my favorite breakdown TEs at the moment, who also feels basically guaranteed to outperform his ADP.
15.5 - Bills D
If I can't get the Steelers or Ravens defense, the Bills become my natural pivot point. They face the rest of the AFC East and get games against the Raiders, Chargers and Broncos. That's easy money.
16.8 - Steven Sims
Total fan boy pick. Mario and John will hopefully be proud of me after spurning their Zack Moss love. In all seriousness, someone has to catch passes for Washington besides Terry McLaurin, and I just don't have a lot of belief Dontrelle Inman and Trey Quinn.
17.5 - Giovani Bernard
My forever "last" RB dart throw. Probably can't be a good starting back if Joe Mixon were to get hurt, but I think the Bengals would try and plug him in anyway.
18.8 - Zane Gonzalez
It's a kicker. I selected one. Nothing more needs to be said.
19.5 - Broncos D
Rule No. 1 of the 2020 fantasy season — target the AFC East. The Broncos don't get six games against the division, but they do get three.
20.8 - Trent Taylor
You could do worse when it comes to final-round selections. The Niners' injured pass-catching corps could allow for Taylor to do enough things during the first couple weeks to not be completely forgotten once the cavalry arrives.
