PLAYER 2017 YTD PTS BYE DRAFTED
Smith, Alex WAS QB 399.60 - 6.13
Wilson, Russell SEA QB 483.75 - 4.13
Crowell, Isaiah CLE RB 145.50 - 10.13
Dixon, Kenneth BAL RB - - 14.13
Elliott, Ezekiel DAL RB 205.20 - 1.04
Gallman, Wayne NYG RB 106.90 - 12.13
Mixon, Joe CIN RB 145.30 - 2.13
Cooks, Brandin NEP WR 221.20 - 3.04
Crabtree, MichaelOAK WR 171.80 - 7.04
Enunwa, Quincy NYJ WR - - 11.04
Funchess, Devin CAR WR 195.00 - 5.04
Hollins, Mack PHI WR 44.60 - 20.13
Snead, Willie NOS WR 17.20 - 16.13
Williams, Tyrell LAC WR 139.80 - 15.04
Eifert, Tyler CIN TE 12.60 - 9.04
Kittle, George SFO TE 149.50 - 8.13
Smith, Jonnu TEN TE (Q) 63.70 - 18.13
Crosby, Mason GBP PK 78.00 - 13.04
Dolphins, Miami MIA Def 99.00 - 19.04
Saints, NO NOS Def 150.00 - 17.04
1.04 - Zeke Elliott, DAL (RB4)
In non-PPR - with Bell's potential TC holdout, DJ's injury, and the Rams' regression potential - I'd argue that Zeke should go 1.01 this year, though this is about right for full PPR. Regardless, think he's in line for a monster season.
2.13 - Joe Mixon, CIN (RB16)
Didn't plan on starting RB-RB, but Mixon was the only name on the board that excited me at all. Ability and opportunity to be a 3-down workhorse in an offense that's historically at least on the good side of mediocre.
3.04 - Brandin Cooks, NEP (WR15)
Finished WR15 last year despite being a newcomer to the Belichick system and getting only 114 targets - to be fair, that same system is likely to cap his targets going forward as well, but there's no doubting the offense. Always a threat for the 35-point week that can win immunity by itself.
4.13 - Russell Wilson, SEA (QB5)
I went QB early in WSL1 so was planning to punt it here, but Wilson at QB5? That's just silly. Not only was he 2017's top fantasy scorer, the difference between him and QB2 (Brady) was
greater than the difference between QB2 and QB9. It would take a seismic scheme change or injury for him not to return value at this spot.
5.04 - Devin Funchess, CAR (WR30)
Didn't love any of my options in the monent. WR was a need, but I wonder whether Funchess may be miscast as a #1. However, his red zone usage and his age (just 23) combine to provide a decent floor and ceiling.
6.13 - Alex Smith, WAS (QB21)
If I pass on Smith here, there's no point in settling for Dalton or Manning six picks from now - so I'd be basically committing to dumpster diving at QB2. WSL's 20-man rosters make that a viable strategy, but Wilson's playing style is risky enough and Smith a screaming enough value as the 21st QB drafted that I decided to take the bird in hand.
7.04 - Michael Crabtree, OAK (WR35)
Had a year so bad by his standards that he was basically benched in Week 17, yet still finished five spots above where I drafted him. After some initial uncertainty, it seems he'll be back with the Raiders, whose offense should bounce back in 2018. Offers the kind of reliable production that can stave off elimination in a heavy bye week.
8.13 - George Kittle, SF (TE15)
9.04 - Tyler Eifert, FA (TE17)
As I expected coming into the offseason, all non-Garoppolo pieces of the 49er offense are being dramatically underpriced ... until that corrects I'll own one or more shares everywhere. As mid-round TE duos go I could do worse than pairing a mainly situational play in Kittle with a pure talent play in Eifert. After waiting so long at the position I'll need a TE3, but saw enough value in the late rounds in WSL1 to be comfortable with that.
10.13 - Isaiah Crowell, CLE (RB44)
Better than I deserved for waiting so long on RB3. Crow may be a typical two-down banger, but he's averaged 1,000 YFS the past three seasons (his '17 fantasy totals were depressed by just 2 TDs). Still only 25 and a lock to be leaving Cleveland, which is the textbook definition of "nowhere to go but up" situationally.
11.04 - Quincy Enunwa, NYJ (WR61)
My mid-rounds have given me plenty of floor, but no real high-risk / high-reward fliers except for Eifert. Enter Enunwa - a promising young WR
with Josh Gordon comps?! whose future is completely up in the air after a neck injury. He could finish WR20 or never play another snap, and neither outcome would surprise me.
12.13 - Wayne Gallman, NYG (RB57)
Thought this was a wasted pick as soon as I made it. Gallman is the best of a bad bunch in NY right now, but that means little as the Giants are almost certain to pursue other options in the draft and/or FA, and their OL is a train wreck anyway. Upside is probably 2017-ish production and downside if they draft Barkley is enormous. No excuse for passing on Lockett to draft this guy (and of course he didn't make it back to me).
13.04 - Mason Crosby, GB (PK7)
Reliable, good offense, job security, zero injury history. Good enough to ride solo, which has become my preferred approach in these leagues.
14.13 - Kenneth Dixon, BAL (RB62)
I thought Dixon was reasonable value when I took him 11.13 in WSL1, so to say I was surprised to see him available here three full rounds later is an understatement. Still a believer in the talent and think he'll play a significant role in '18 no matter what transpires with Collins and Woodhead.
15.04 - Tyrell Williams, LAC (WR76)
Looking back on past SL drafts, a remarkable number of good-value late-rounders were effectively put options on various hype trains. Of course I'm a Mike Williams and Hunter Henry honk - they'd revoke my SP membership card otherwise - but what if the zeitgeist is wrong on them? This pick is likely to be a swing and miss only if Allen plays another full season and
both Williams and Henry break out. That's a parlay worth betting against at a pick 200+ cost.
16.13 - Willie Snead, NO (WR81)
Was leaning rookie here, then ran a query. Before Snead's DUI- / injury-riddled trainwreck of a 2017, he averaged 188 points per season. This entire decade, exactly 12 rookie WR seasons have bested that total. Even if Snead (still just 25) only returns to 80% of his previous form, I'm more confident in him than that I can pick the right name out of the thicket of Day 2 draft picks.
17.04 - Saints DST, NO (Def15)
Probably chasing points here as the Saints don't have many playmakers on D, but at least their top-ranked running game will keep opponents off the field for long stretches.
18.13 - Jonnu Smith, TEN (TE35)
A key component of my strategy to wait on TE. The Titans have a new more exciting OC in town, and with Walker another year older I could see him and Smith moving more to a Gates/Henry type of timeshare in an offense with breakout potential.
19.04 - Dolphins DST, MIA (Def31)
They're bad, but they're not
this bad. Probably. I hope.
20.13 - Mack Hollins, PHI WR (WR103)
Torrey Smith is a likely cap casualty, which absent any major moves by the cap-strapped Birds would leave Hollins to man the X on a presumptive top-5 offense.
Overall: I drafted in both WSL leagues last year as well. The team I thought was my best top-to-bottom survivor draft ever flamed out in Week 4, while the one I thought was hot garbage made it to December. So I'm probably jinxing myself by saying I like this team better than my WSL1 effort but ... QB leads the pack, RB close behind, and WR should be solid if not spectacular. TE is the obvious wild-card for me. If I can get even 12 games out of Eifert, I should be a threat to hang around a while. If he's broken beyond repair and I have to rely on Kittle and Jonnu Smith at 2PPR, well, things probably won't end well.
Fun times as always and good luck to everyone.