Last season was my worst Anarchy team by far, so I'm hoping for a major bounceback. As always, I'm relying heavily on projections and trying to stick pretty close to my draft board, adjusting positional values as I go.
1.01 TE Travis Kelce KC
Kelce was the most valuable player in this format last year, even though McCaffrey, L Jackson, and M Thomas had ridiculous years and he didn't. With 2 PPR and playoff potential he's at the top of my draft board this year. Also considered: none.
2.16 QB Drew Brees + Taysom Hill NO
Brees seems to still be going strong, and when you add on all of Taysom Hill's production plus playoff value the Saints QB looks to me like the best QB option outside the big two. Also considered: none.
3.01 RB Kenyan Drake ARI
This feels like a soft spot in the draft; would've loved to have Mixon fall. Drake has a lower floor than I'd like this early in the draft, but also has the potential to put up big numbers in an offense that's a great fit for him. Also considered: WR Allen Robinson.
4.16 RB Chris Carson SEA
I don't usually go this RB heavy in Anarchy, but I also usually don't have this kind of workhorse RB fall to me at the end of round 4. Also considered: none.
5.01 WR DK Metcalf SEA
Plenty of upside going into his 2nd year, and even just a repeat of last year's numbers wouldn't be bad. Playoff potential bumps him over McLaurin & Parker, and doubling up on Seahawks makes that even better. Also considered: RB David Montgomery, WR Terry McLaurin, WR DeVante Parker, QB Tom Brady.
6.16 WR Marvin Jones DET
7.01 WR Brandin Cooks HOU
I was crossing my fingers that Marquise Brown would fall, but alas. Huge tier drop after Edelman & Brown, and I'm left picking between a bunch of similarly valued players. I went with Jones & Cooks who both have pretty strong mainline projections and some upside based on what they've done in the past, though they also have some downside risk with Jones's age & recent injuries and Cooks's concussion history and lousy 2019 season. I downgraded Swift & Diontae Johnson a bit due to camp injuries, and passed on QBs because I expect to find a good value there sometime later on. Also considered: RB D'Andre Swift, WR Jamison Crowder, WR Diontae Johnson, QB Matthew Stafford.
8.16 PK Harrison Butker KC
9.01 PK Justin Tucker BAL
Kickers! The top kickers have several advantages - quality of offense, talent, job security, playoff potential - which stack to put them at the top of my draft board after Crowder didn't quite fall to me. Also considered: WR Preston Williams, RB Phillip Lindsay, QB Jared Goff.
10.16 RB Zack Moss BUF
Moss is a committee back with a shot at the larger role. Nice value here. He was limited in practice yesterday with a neck injury, which might be part of why he fell, but
from what I've read it sounds really minor.
11.01 DST Baltimore Ravens BAL
If everyone is fading defenses, I'll take a top one here with talent, an easy schedule, and playoff potential. I would've doubled up at RB if Breida or Armstead had fallen. Also considered: WR Henry Ruggs, QB Ryan Tannehill, RB Boston Scott.
12.16 TE Gerald Everett LAR
13.01 RB Darrell Henderson LAR
My third straight year drafting Everett! These are a little more boom-or-bust than I'd like, with uncertainty about their roles on the Rams offense, but I don't see anyone who I like better. Probably would've gone Aiyuk if he'd been healthy, or QB if I saw more separation between MIA, CAR, and LAC. Also considered: QB Dolphins, WR Brandon Aiyuk, RB Tony Pollard, DST Minnesota Vikings, DST New England Patriots.
14.16 WR Brandon Aiyuk SF
15.01 DST Chicago Bears CHI
Aiyuk is a starting WR with some upside, and I decided I'm willing to take on some hamstring risk given how much I like him relative to the other receivers. The Bears are likely to have a good defense. Decided to gamble on either QB Dolphins or QB Chargers making it to my next pick. Also considered: QB Dolphins.
16.16 QB Sam Darnold NYJ
I guess I should've taken my QB last round - I was hoping for MIA or LAC but Blinky sniped me on both. I guess the gap between NYJ and WAS is big enough to take one here, especially since many of the WRs & TEs near the top of my board went undrafted in other leagues.
17.01 WR Russell Gage ATL
If I'd known that Pollard would fall this far I would've waited on my last RB, but it still doesn't make sense to flex him. Instead I'll go with the guy who seems to have the Falcons' WR3 job locked down. Also considered: TE Jordan Akins, TE Logan Thomas, WR Denzel Mims.
18.16 TE Logan Thomas WAS
High ceiling given the offseason hype and the lack of other Football Team receiving options, and his floor isn't too bad since he seems likely to get plenty of snaps. Also considered: TE Darren Fells, TE Nick Boyle, WR Danny Amendola, TE Will Dissly, TE Robert Tonyan.
This squad feels more boom-or-bust than I usually go. I'm pretty excited about the upside of some of the later picks (Aiyuk, L Thomas, Moss) but they could blow up in my face. Weaker than usual at WR, more early RBs, very strong specialists, barbell QB & TEs. I think I mismanaged the QB position a bit, and also wasn't able to take advantage of the RB value late (Pollard with my next-to-last pick or James Robinson as Mr. Irrelevant). Picking on the turn had some downsides, watching guys that I'd been eyeing for over a round get sniped shortly before me (Marquise Brown, Boston Scott, QB Chargers, and some others). But on the plus side I got Travis Kelce, so probably worth it.
My favorite non-me teams are Blinky The Three Eyed Fish and Genester.
