Rock Action's Newbie IDP Thread (1 Viewer)

[rockaction]

Rough timing to finally get FAAB back... in the first three weeks, we all loaded up on the surprise guys like Aldon Smith, Hyder, Kiser, Kyzir White, Jewell, Gerry, Eric Wilson, Bynes, Okereke, Okuokun, Joe Thomas, Walker, Hewitt, Jordan Fuller, Chuck Clark, Josh Jones, Marcus Maye, CGJ, etc.

This was a dud of a waiver wire week.

Thanks for commiserating. I honestly don't feel too badly outside of Aldon Smith. Not many of those listed were available in my league, IIRC. I know Kiser and White were taken. Josey Jewell was indeed available and I had noticed from the 4for4 reports and the TN game that we all watched that Monday night that he was on the field a lot and effective. So I missed him, too. Same with Hyder. But Nate Gerry was long gone. He was scooped up last year. So was Eric Wilson. I tried to swing a trade for Okereke. And I have Mykal Walker, too. Neville Hewitt? Also taken before the year. Fuller? Gone after Week One. Josh Jones? The same.

So I really only missed the boat after Week One, as it appears my compadres in the league don't leave a whole lot of pebbles of gold there with 51 man rosters.

In conclusion and after getting up to speed for the week, I've decided to go with most experts' consensus recommendations and bid on two guys. Andrew Wingard and Trevon Diggs, come on down! You're starting this week!

 

[rockaction]

Andrew Wingard, scheduled to star for the defense, scored .88 points before leaving with a "core" issue. Hoo boy. Trevon Diggs scored 7.50, so combined that was a total dud. On the other hand, Foyesade Oluokun and Avery Williamson combined for over forty from their linebacker spots, so that was nice.

I'm in a dead heat with my Rashaan Evans to his E. Sanders and D. Knox. It's possible I'll win, but I wouldn't bet the farm or even gander a glimpse of its deed. Chark and McLaurin were what really did me in this week. 

 

[TakiToki]

Not picking Kyzir White back up after week 3 is causing me physical pain right now. Drafted him and Micah Kiser in back-to-back rounds as my "Kaiser Bros" a couple years back and have dropped and picked them up so many times (especially Kyzir) after they aged out of rookie taxi. Luckily I wound up with Micah going into the year (although Reeder going buck wild this week in his stead was less than thrilling).

Tonight watching him lined up at Mike and making a million tackles 7 yards downfield brought back memories of Hardy Nickerson. Maybe he'll lose snaps for the umpteenth time to make me feel better, but not feeling too hot now. After week 3, picked up Pierre-Louis and Eric Wilson while continuing to hold Anzalone and Jewell instead of another go-round with White (although certainly can't complain about Wilson and Jewell at the moment).

Of course the SD LB meme is well known here. We all thought that we had a Derrick Brooks that put up volume tackles with Jatavis Brown, among all the other crap.

 

[rockaction]

So I lost, but beat out eight other teams in the league. My all-play and points for are both good for seventh place, my record sees me in tenth place. The teams below me are both 0-5. I've won one. I hope I keep performing admirably and taking losses, because one could then say I'm doing as good as I can right now without sacrificing draft position. 

 

[Don Quixote]

So I lost, but beat out eight other teams in the league. My all-play and points for are both good for seventh place, my record sees me in tenth place. The teams below me are both 0-5. I've won one. I hope I keep performing admirably and taking losses, because one could then say I'm doing as good as I can right now without sacrificing draft position. 

I try to stay out of this thread as much as possible so I can't be considered poaching, but you are doing good. I've got the better record, but I'd take your team over mine. You've got a better all-play than me, but I'm 3-2 and you are 1-4. Luck of the draw sometimes.

 

[rockaction]

I try to stay out of this thread as much as possible so I can't be considered poaching, but you are doing good. I've got the better record, but I'd take your team over mine. You've got a better all-play than me, but I'm 3-2 and you are 1-4. Luck of the draw sometimes.

Thanks, man. I appreciate it, and appreciate the non-poaching aspect of it. (For those that don't know: Don Quixote of FBG is our commissioner of this particular league.) You're really welcome in anytime as I really have wondered and thought about making this public in all respects. I figured it's a learning experience and wanted to open up and be transparent and maybe get some help with a new endeavor. The only thing that I question that I've offered up is maybe the personal info on the last trade that didn't work (though he did write it to both of us) and also, in general, updates on specific player movement -- but I sort of just went ahead and documented it like most other guys here in leagues. I trust you. If it ever seems like a conflict of interest, don't be bothered. I full well know -- we discussed when I first joined Zealots -- that you're here and on the boards. It's no sweat by me if information that I choose to make public might be used in some way. Knowledge is knowledge, and you can't really put it back. Plus, in language we're probably familiar with, I have no real expectation of privacy given even a subjective test. If I really were concerned about information being used, I'd never have started the thread. There's a link to FBG right at our homepage at MFL, and I expect that to be used.  

As far as where we sit now, I also appreciate your take on it. I hope you appreciate that I'm both doing all I can yet still realistic about where I would and should finish. I think there are three runaway teams this year, one that should be there and is banged up severely, and the rest of us are fighting around the middle. I think you have a much better team than it looked like at the start. You've done well, too, while accumulating some nice draft capital for next year. As for me, if I'd started Mahomes that one day (I'll never do it again) I'd probably have an all-play around .500 right now, so I'm not convinced that this was totally a dead in the water team. Needed a year with some love at linebacker and defensive line, and that'll continue on through next draft. I'd say in recap that if I had to do it again I wouldn't have gotten excited and traded Conner for a second and Boyd for the same. I think I was dead sure there was no season, Conner's contract was up in the air, and Boyd I've never been sold on as a player. I also would have wanted more for the 1.01, though I'm actually glad I got out that spot, kind of. Your pick, CeeDee, was going to be my unhappy 1.01 from most of the mocks I did. I didn't trust CEH and Taylor from video, and still don't. But Lamb? He's on fire now. Great pick on your part.

TL;DR Thanks for popping in and offering kind words, Don. Peace.

 

[Don Quixote]

Thanks, man. I appreciate it, and appreciate the non-poaching aspect of it. (For those that don't know: Don Quixote of FBG is our commissioner of this particular league.) You're really welcome in anytime as I really have wondered and thought about making this public in all respects. I figured it's a learning experience and wanted to open up and be transparent and maybe get some help with a new endeavor. The only thing that I question that I've offered up is maybe the personal info on the last trade that didn't work (though he did write it to both of us) and also, in general, updates on specific player movement -- but I sort of just went ahead and documented it like most other guys here in leagues. I trust you. If it ever seems like a conflict of interest, don't be bothered. I full well know -- we discussed when I first joined Zealots -- that you're here and on the boards. It's no sweat by me if information that I choose to make public might be used in some way. Knowledge is knowledge, and you can't really put it back. Plus, in language we're probably familiar with, I have no real expectation of privacy given even a subjective test. If I really were concerned about information being used, I'd never have started the thread. There's a link to FBG right at our homepage at MFL, and I expect that to be used.  

As far as where we sit now, I also appreciate your take on it. I hope you appreciate that I'm both doing all I can yet still realistic about where I would and should finish. I think there are three runaway teams this year, one that should be there and is banged up severely, and the rest of us are fighting around the middle. I think you have a much better team than it looked like at the start. You've done well, too, while accumulating some nice draft capital for next year. As for me, if I'd started Mahomes that one day (I'll never do it again) I'd probably have an all-play around .500 right now, so I'm not convinced that this was totally a dead in the water team. Needed a year with some love at linebacker and defensive line, and that'll continue on through next draft. I'd say in recap that if I had to do it again I wouldn't have gotten excited and traded Conner for a second and Boyd for the same. I think I was dead sure there was no season, Conner's contract was up in the air, and Boyd I've never been sold on as a player. I also would have wanted more for the 1.01, though I'm actually glad I got out that spot, kind of. Your pick, CeeDee, was going to be my unhappy 1.01 from most of the mocks I did. I didn't trust CEH and Taylor from video, and still don't. But Lamb? He's on fire now. Great pick on your part.

TL;DR Thanks for popping in and offering kind words, Don. Peace.

Appreciate it.This has been a tough season with lineup decisions. Take sure points on Sunday, or risk a zero on Monday/Tuesday. Back in the early days of Zealots, they had a “backup QB” designation. It was taken away as too much work, but it feels like a designation that would make sense this year more than ever.

IDPs can be tough. I try to get just ahead of the runs on IDPs in rookie draft, but sometimes hard to get it right (I was targeting Queen in the 2nd, but he ended up going just before my pick, but Shenault looking like an okay consolation for me).

I’ve been happy with Lamb, but I feel like injuries and my early luck with the schedule going to start catching up to me, as playing without Chubb, Ekeler, M.Thomas, J.Bosa, D.Hunter, and D.James a lot to have out.

ETA: And if you are really loving the IDP experience, I’m in the specialty “Phalanx” league at Zealots.  It is only IDPs — start 3 DTs, 3 DEs, 5 LBs, 3 CBs, 3 Ss, and even a punter. 

 

[rockaction]

Appreciate it.This has been a tough season with lineup decisions. Take sure points on Sunday, or risk a zero on Monday/Tuesday. Back in the early days of Zealots, they had a “backup QB” designation. It was taken away as too much work, but it feels like a designation that would make sense this year more than ever.

IDPs can be tough. I try to get just ahead of the runs on IDPs in rookie draft, but sometimes hard to get it right (I was targeting Queen in the 2nd, but he ended up going just before my pick, but Shenault looking like an okay consolation for me).

I’ve been happy with Lamb, but I feel like injuries and my early luck with the schedule going to start catching up to me, as playing without Chubb, Ekeler, M.Thomas, J.Bosa, D.Hunter, and D.James a lot to have out.

The boldface font makes sense regarding the IDP runs. I think we all just missed the run at Queen. I had mocked him to me at 2.7 all the time, and went with Edwards instead, hoping he'd fall to 3.1. No such luck. The draft, in retrospect, wasn't as savvy for me as I thought it would be, though the jury is still out on all these guys. They've got years to develop into the players they will be.

And yeah, I think having that many guys out is really significant and catches up in time. That's really unfortunate. Hope you get them back soon. The defensive guys are all silent killers to have out.  Hunter is, relatively speaking score-wise, one of the outliers in the game to your benefit usually. I did an Excel chart of all the guys and their scores this off-season when I started. Hunter at DL and Thomas at WR were the two outliers that really stood out as clear positional number ones.

 

[rockaction]

Update: Seriously, some guy (I won't say who) just offered me Sammy Watkins for AJ Dillon and Denzel Mims. This is the same guy who offered me Kerryon and a bunch of bench sitters for Chase Young and three starters. Watkins is hurt. Does he not think I know that? Does he not think I know Watkins is always hurt?

This play the counter-offer game is getting a little aggravating.

 

[rockaction]

Well, lost again. 3-8 all play, too. Not a great week. Still in seventh in all-play and points for, now 1-5 on the year. 

On IDP front, we saw a zero by Justin Houston, but the rest was pretty good. Linebackers Williamson, Oloukun, and Rashaan Evans averaged 12.65. Unfortunately Ju'Whaun Bentley and Tyrell Adams had coming out parties on my bench, at 22 points and 17 points, respectively. Amazingly, my linebackers are my deepest and most productive position players right now. Thanks to the guys in this thread -- especially @Tickand @massraiderfor pointing out or suggesting to check their availability in my leagues (Oloukun by raider was before the season even started. Good stuff.) -- I've assembled a core group of LBs that seem pretty formidable right now. I'd put them up against even some of the better crews in the league. I just lack one true LB stud to make it really formidable and set and forget it.

My DBs are a little weak right now. I stepped lightly with them and I think other people are really reaping the waiver spoils. I'll have to be on that early and often next year. Harrison Smith and Mathieu seem like they're in coverage more than playing safety. I'm getting circles run around me in this department every week. I'm learning not to neglect nor think I can play match up at CB with the point totals being what they are in our league. You need some quality run stuffing thumpers. This also sort of goes to how nickel packages are evolving, from what I can glean. Seems like nickel is base now, which means three-down safeties become de rigueur, while three-down LBs stay scarce like RBs, relatively speaking. 

My DLs are thin. Young, Odenigbo, and Houston combined to give me a 6.33 points average, with Odenigbo doing the heavy lifting, garnering 14 points on 1.5 sks and a slew of tackles for a DL. Josh Sweat rang on my bench like a sore appendage, garnering 15 points in untapped duty. Seems like every week I have a DL pulling a zero out of his hat and costing me. Drafting Young was obviously big for me, but since the injury he hasn't set the world on fire.

Sweat will see the starting nod against the Giants this Thursday. Let's hope he brings it.

And that's it. Dispatches from the deep and all that. Enjoy your week and best to you fellas. You're making my season a much more competitive and bright one than it would otherwise be.

 

[Gally]

Well, lost again. 3-8 all play, too. Not a great week. Still in seventh in all-play and points for, now 1-5 on the year. 

On IDP front, we saw a zero by Justin Houston, but the rest was pretty good. Linebackers Williamson, Oloukun, and Rashaan Evans averaged 12.65. Unfortunately Ju'Whaun Bentley and Tyrell Adams had coming out parties on my bench, at 22 points and 17 points, respectively. Amazingly, my linebackers are my deepest and most productive position players right now. Thanks to the guys in this thread -- especially @Tickand @massraiderfor pointing out or suggesting to check their availability in my leagues (Oloukun by raider was before the season even started. Good stuff.) -- I've assembled a core group of LBs that seem pretty formidable right now. I'd put them up against even some of the better crews in the league. I just lack one true LB stud to make it really formidable and set and forget it.

My DBs are a little weak right now. I stepped lightly with them and I think other people are really reaping the waiver spoils. I'll have to be on that early and often next year. Harrison Smith and Mathieu seem like they're in coverage more than playing safety. I'm getting circles run around me in this department every week. I'm learning not to neglect nor think I can play match up at CB with the point totals being what they are in our league. You need some quality run stuffing thumpers. This also sort of goes to how nickel packages are evolving, from what I can glean. Seems like nickel is base now, which means three-down safeties become de rigueur, while three-down LBs stay scarce like RBs, relatively speaking. 

My DLs are thin. Young, Odenigbo, and Houston combined to give me a 6.33 points average, with Odenigbo doing the heavy lifting, garnering 14 points on 1.5 sks and a slew of tackles for a DL. Josh Sweat rang on my bench like a sore appendage, garnering 15 points in untapped duty. Seems like every week I have a DL pulling a zero out of his hat and costing me. Drafting Young was obviously big for me, but since the injury he hasn't set the world on fire.

Sweat will see the starting nod against the Giants this Thursday. Let's hope he brings it.

And that's it. Dispatches from the deep and all that. Enjoy your week and best to you fellas. You're making my season a much more competitive and bright one than it would otherwise be.

Typically you can stream DB's and not lose much.  I know on my waiver wire there are multiple top 15 overall DB's out there.  The nature of the position is that they are boom or bust as there aren't too many Baker's out there.  So one good game and you vault up the overall rankings.  The trick is knowing when to hold em and knowing when to fold em.   If you are diligent and play matchups well you can cobble a secondary that puts up league average (or better) points each week.  I wouldn't spend draft capital on them or high FAAB/waiver priorities. 

 

[rockaction]

Typically you can stream DB's and not lose much.  I know on my waiver wire there are multiple top 15 overall DB's out there.  The nature of the position is that they are boom or bust as there aren't too many Baker's out there.  So one good game and you vault up the overall rankings.  The trick is knowing when to hold em and knowing when to fold em.   If you are diligent and play matchups well you can cobble a secondary that puts up league average (or better) points each week.  I wouldn't spend draft capital on them or high FAAB/waiver priorities. 

That's good, because I didn't and haven't. I've tried, the past two weeks, to play matchups. I'll probably continue that strategy going forward.

 

[Gally]

That's good, because I didn't and haven't. I've tried, the past two weeks, to play matchups. I'll probably continue that strategy going forward.

One thing I have done is trade for the studs in season.  I look for teams that have Baker or Adams or Derwin (when he was healthy) and give up depth at a strong position and a flash DB (one that scored well that particular week) to get the more consistent guy.  I have had good success with that approach.

For example, this year I traded Robbie Anderson and Justin Reid (who I picked up off waivers) for Baker after week 1 to a team that really need WR help.  I already had Golladay, Thielen, A-Rob, Lamb, & Slayton so Anderson was expendable for no cost to me.  Now I have a set it and forget DB for basically nothing. 

 

[rockaction]

One thing I have done is trade for the studs in season.  I look for teams that have Baker or Adams or Derwin (when he was healthy) and give up depth at a strong position and a flash DB (one that scored well that particular week) to get the more consistent guy.  I have had good success with that approach.

For example, this year I traded Robbie Anderson and Justin Reid (who I picked up off waivers) for Baker after week 1 to a team that really need WR help.  I already had Golladay, Thielen, A-Rob, Lamb, & Slayton so Anderson was expendable for no cost to me.  Now I have a set it and forget DB for basically nothing. 

One thing about dealing from a position of strength is that the team I inherited was so thin that there really is none to speak of and the draft picks I made aren't exactly lighting it up. Mims, Edwards, Gandy-Golden, Willie Gay Jr., Tyler Johnson, and Quintez Cephus are really zeros thus far. But I agree with your overall take in both respects about DBs from my limited experience. It seems better to stream and trade for than it does to draft. 

 

[rockaction]

Update:

A solid defensive day this past week and looking to defeat a team up 26 with my Everett and his D. Henderson.

Linebackers were in full swing this weekend. Averaged 12.5 or so points, which is really nice in my league. Oluokun, Adams, and Williamson came up big. Safties averaged a solid nine apiece for the DBs. Vaccaro, Walker, and Tre Boston (new addition because Smith's and Mathieu's floors are costing me games) came through. Chase Young had a big day for DLs with thirteen points, Josh Sweat had four (meh), and Clowney had ten for an average of nine, too. Next week I'll have Obendibgo going for Young (bye) and Houston for Sweat, whose playing time is suspect a bit and drops in coverage quite a bit (at least he did against the Giants). We get points for passes defended, but I'm not sure how many the big fella is defending. So Houston or Marcus Davenport get the nod (M. Davenport scored eight this week. I might roll him out).

Overall, the other 1-5 team in the league is also on schedule to win and improve his all-play pct. greater than me, so I might slip into number two in draft order, which would be nice to win and do all at the same time. He's got Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, and others so he shouldn't be down too long.

 

[rockaction]

Oof. This week's lineup on offense looks like dog poo right now, really. I'm favored, though, because the guy has no QB to speak of (Kyler Murray is on bye). He rejected a trade offer from me for a QB, so he's really not interested in playing out the string. Not even a counter to my offer, and I have Lock and Newton going this week for me if he wants. He's 2-5 like me.

No, I didn't ask for a first or second. I asked for a third and said "very negotiable" and he just outright rejected it.

I hope he wins. IDP news: Went with Oluokun and Boston at LB and DB, respectively. Not a bad showing for either. Averaged 10.5 points, which is all I'm looking for from defensive guys, really. Oluokun did not get credited with a half sack when he arrived almost instantaneously to the DB who sacked Bridgewater. They credited him with it, and took it away. Sigh.

Going for me on the IDP tip this week:

DE: Clowney, Davenport, Sweat
LB: Oluokun, R. Evans, A. Williamson
DB: Boston, Vaccaro, Walker

Let's go fellas.

 

[Tick]

I maintain that teams shouldn't be drafting IDPs early in rookie drafts.  They're just too plentiful on the waiver wire.

After a ton of turnover in offseason auctions and the waiver wire this year, I've added these players that are still on my rosters - costs listed in zbucks from Zealots - we get something like $200-$250 to cover offseason free agency and in-season blind bid waivers.  I also listed their rest-of-season ranks from sometime earlier this week using FBG's tools - these won't match up exactly in each league due to some component of best-available-FA in the rest-of-season ranking.

League 1:

• Montez Sweat $2 DL27, Trey Flowers $102! DL28, Justin Houston $5 DL34
  
• Micah Kiser $1 LB13, Kyzir White $1 LB16, Eric Wison $1 LB39, Bobby Okereke $1 LB42, Josey Jewell $3 LB44, Tyrell Adams $2 LB45, Davion Taylor $1 LB99+
  
• Rodney McLeod $1 DB22, Deshazor Everett $1 DB56
  
• Side note: I won both James Robinson and JaMycal Hasty in consecutive $1 offseason auctions and dropped both before the season :-(
  

League 2:

• Kerry Hyder $1 DL16, Emannuel Ogbah $1 DL19, Marcus Davenport $75! DL61, Jeremiah Attaochu $1 DL78, Kemoko Turay $1 DL99+
  
• Foye Oluokun $1 LB24, Eric Wilson $1 LB37, Tyrell Adams $2 LB43, Robert Spillane $1 LB44
  
• Josh Jones $1 DB09, Chuck Clark $1 DB12, Ronnie Harrison $1 DB70
  
• Side note: Won Aldon Smith for $1, dropped before season :-(
  

League 3 (not a contender):

• J.J. Watt $61 DL10, Aldon Smith $1 DL13, Emannuel Ogbah $1 DL19, Akiem Hicks $4 DL20, Ifeadi Odenigbo $1 DL33, Mario Addison $1 DL43, Darrell Taylor $1 DL99+
  
• Micah Kiser $21 LB12, Vince Williams $1 LB38, Eric Wilson $1 LB42, Neville Hewitt $1 LB44, Josey Jewell $2 LB45, Anthony Walker $1 LB50
  
• Josh Jones $2 DB10, Marcus Maye $1 DB22, Jordan Fuller $1 DB??, Kareem Jackson $1 DB41, James Bradberry $1 DB76, DeShon Elliott $1 DB97
  

League 4 (not a contender):

• Kerry Hyder $1 DL17, Akiem Hicks $24 DL20, Mario Addison $19 DL41, Ifeadi Odenigbo $1 DL49
  
• Kyzir White $1 LB16, Tyrell Adams $2 LB44, Danny Trevathan $14 LB35, Ja'Whaun Bentley $1 LB39, Eric Wilson $1 LB40, Jacob Phillips $4 LB93, Davion Taylor $2 LB99+
  
• Brandon Jones $1 DB99+
  

League 5:

• Ifeadi Odenigbo $1 DL48
  
• Kyzir White $1 LB14, Tyrell Adams $2 LB32, Robert Spillane $1 LB44, Josey Jewell $1 LB45, Dre Greenlaw $1 LB??, Germaine Pratt $60! LB61, Cole Holcomb $1 LB99+, Reuben Foster $49! LB99+
  
• Marcus Maye $1 DB24, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson $1 DB39, Ronnie Harrison $1 DB63
  

Here were my thoughts on the where Young could possibly fit in to the rookie draft this season, even if we expected him to have a good chance of reaching Bosa status:

Players whose round/position hit rate demand they're higher than Young (12):
Edwards-Helaire 68%, Taylor 55%, Dobbins 55%, Swift 55%, Akers 55%, Lamb 53%, Jeudy 53%, Raegor 53%, Jefferson 53%, Ruggs 53%, Aiyuk 53%, Dillon 55%

Players with good arguments based on hit rate and positional value (17):
Vaughn 40%, Higgins 34%, Pittman 34%, Shenault 34%, Mims 34%, Burrow 64%, Edwards 34%, Moss 40%, Tua 64%, Hamler 34%, Gibson 40%, Van Jefferson 34%, Claypool 34%, Herbert 64%, Evans 40%, Duvernay 34%, Love 33%

 

[rockaction]

Nice post. Something to think about, for sure.

 

[rockaction]

Side note: Also won Robinson and Hasty in $1 auctions. Got Hasty back after I dropped him. He'll be a desperation start for me this weekend, I think.

 

[Gally]

Side note: Also won Robinson and Hasty in $1 auctions. Got Hasty back after I dropped him. He'll be a desperation start for me this weekend, I think.

Coleman was just activated so Hasty might not be as good as you had hoped going into this week.

 

[rockaction]

Coleman was just activated so Hasty might not be as good as you had hoped going into this week.

Yeah, I just heard. Thanks, Gally. I appreciate the heads up.

 

[rockaction]

Update:

Finished the year 6-8, one game out of a playoff berth. Managed to move Mostert for what seems to be a mid-to-late second. Still stuck holding the bag on a bunch of guys like Elliott and Robinson. My scoring point totals went definitively up the last few weeks of the year thanks to these threads and the links therein.

Learning experience for sure. Definitely will have to improve my defensive line and linebacking corps. I finished 9th in scoring for DL, 9th in socring for LB, 8th in scoring for CB/Safety, so I need to improve my defense throughout next year. I have picks 4 and 5 and three seconds plus a fifth this offseason, so that worked out okay this year. My offense got thin, but should be fine once COVID is no longer a factor (will it ever not be?) and injuries calm down a bit. I got bit by the injury bug at WR. RB put up some admirable numbers as I had RB4, RB7, and RB19 in the league on my team. And I usually only started two or three, with RB3 and RB7 going every time out. I can't really count on that next year. Who knows what Elliott holds and what the coaching change and new GM mean for Robinson.

But defensively I still need help. Who to hold on to when cutdowns begin? We have 51 man rosters that get trimmed to 48 and then 40 this offseason for a restricted free agency period. My linebacking corps was built around fill-ins really. My DLs swing wildly up and down. I'm thinking of forsaking a lot of the flavors of the week in RFA (Spillane, Reeder, Bentley, Langi, T.J. Edwards) to get down to appropriate roster size. I'll check back in when the time comes. As of now, things are looking up but my linebacker situation is really in flux (no true studs) and my DLs left me wanting this year. Also, I won't spend all my money in auctions this year so I'll be able to adjust for big-time defensive contributors with FA dollars. So...

That's it. 

Thanks again for reading this and for the advice this year. Toward the end, I slacked on the updates, but there's only so much one can hear, see, or read about a guy's team. So I appreciate everyone who took the time and chimed in and helped with the ride. I'm still all ears, so feel free to comment, as I'll be updating things like roster composition throughout the offseason.

 

[MAC_32]

This is not the class to take a DL early, so I'd plan on one LB round 2. You won't get the first one, but you should still get a good one. Offense is very top heavy, but I'm skeptical there will be much worthwhile after round 2. 

 

[BigAl21]

If you are 6-8 and feel truly middle of the road take a slightly longer outlook with this squad. Move some of those older pieces for some younger upside guys over the next few months and maybe consider kicking your 2nd rounders and beyond down the road for 2022 upgrades. Look to grab/acquire some LBs that are younger and might still be attainable for cheaper (depending on your league mates) include;

Dre Greenlaw (no longer cheap)

jaylon Ferguson (snap share still pretty low but worth a stash for when Harrison doesn’t pan out)

kemal Martin (inside track for starting role next year)

Bobby Okereke (might be too expensive at this point)

Tae Crowder (looked decent recently when given chance and healthy)

Jarrad Davis (maybe owner is soured in his lack of production and ready to move on... needs a change of scenery but could be productive if given a chance somewhere new next year)

Good luck. This is the fun part...

 

[rockaction]

If you are 6-8 and feel truly middle of the road take a slightly longer outlook with this squad. Move some of those older pieces for some younger upside guys over the next few months and maybe consider kicking your 2nd rounders and beyond down the road for 2022 upgrades. Look to grab/acquire some LBs that are younger and might still be attainable for cheaper (depending on your league mates) include;

Truly middle of the road. I had a .497 all-play, coming in at 71-72 overall, so ball don't lie in this case.

I have one older piece on offense. Ezekiel Elliott. That's it. I'm serious. Nobody is over 25 in the receiving corps and the RB corps other than him. And I can't really seem to get close to market value for him this year. That's going to have to be during next year. But what exactly do you mean by kicking the 2nd rounders and beyond down the road for 2022 upgrades? Do you mean the younger LBs you listed that might be had with those? Or are you talking a different strategy in general, like trading this year's twos for ones in 2022? Because that I can get with, I'm just not sure the way guys in our league hoard picks that they'll want to partake in giving up a one for two back-end twos. Draft day will tell as the picks are at their highest then, but I'd be more than amenable to doing that. 

This is not the class to take a DL early, so I'd plan on one LB round 2. You won't get the first one, but you should still get a good one. Offense is very top heavy, but I'm skeptical there will be much worthwhile after round 2. 

Yeah, I get that feeling about the DL and your general point. I'm not sold on picking a DL that early, anyway. I need help at WR and RB, too, and while defense does tend to drive this league, so much is in flux and can be gotten off of the wire as Tick noted before, whereas offense is spoken for. I'm sort of already in the process of looking at it and it seems a lot of 2022 eligible guys are up there in the rankings. Four and five should net me a decent two picks, though. Chase, Harris, Bateman, and Etienne look like the top four as of now, with a bit of a drop-off after them. I'd be happy if one the three fell and I was able to scoop them up with four and five. I know the one linebacker I'm thinking about, but he won't be there in Round 2 as late as my picks are. (I pick, at best, seventh, eighth and tenth in Round 2). Maybe he will. Who knows?  Depends when the LB run begins.

I think over the year I've become a touch convinced that there's a lot of value on the wire and that guys just get hurt so frequently that if one has a decent amount of FA dollars, one can pick and choose their way through it. My hope is that the place that kept giving me goose eggs this year (DL) improves with the maturation of Young and Clowney becoming something of his former self again. Add in a few fillers to the mix, and you've got a recipe for at least mediocrity at the position.

 

[BigAl21]

I’m of the opinion that if you feel you have a sinking asset, like Zeke, and are truly not a real contender over the next two years then you move him even for less than what you believe he’s worth. The longer you hold the more they depreciate. The sooner you cash out the sooner your new asset can begin to increase in value. At the end of an 18 month - 24 month window maybe your new asset it of equal value (are close). Now you have age and roster liquidity. Of course this means that whatever young asset you get you need to be right about. 
 

if you don’t think you can kick the 2021 late 2nds for 2022 1st then try to acquire future draft capital in other ways. I’m currently middle the road and will be aggressively shopping all my picks for as many 2022 1sts, 2nds, 3rds as possible. I feel this is easier in IDP leagues because you can always include smaller player pieces to get that pick upgrade.

for example, try to pair a Late 2nd and a fairly productive but older safety/linebacker for that 2022 1st. Safety churn mught mean that safety may be unstartable - or at least WW replaceable in 18 months. Move it to a playoff team whom often think they will automatically be back in the playoffs next year.

Or try to move a late 2nd for an early 3rd and a 2022 2nd. Chances are the 2nd will be better and now you have this 3rd you can choose to use or flip for a 2022 2nd. How active and aggressive your league mates are at draft time determines many of these types of moves so you know best.

I’m in a 32 team league so there are so many potential trading partners and so much action around the draft, but that might not be the case with your league.

good luck

 

[BigAl21]

I am out of the playoffs this year but still super active on the WW with 53 man rosters I’m still looking ahead. Three names I picked up on Saturday were 

Carter Coughlin, NYG - Not sure about snap count yet but threw up a decent stat line and has good measurables for an edge LB. just a rookie so maybe he’s starting to earn a role, especially with Golden now in Arizona. 

Raekwon Davis - MIA - solid stat line. His last 5-6 weeks he’s been solid. He’s a rookie who might be earning some trust. Gotta look into snap counts as well

Ulysses Gilbert, PIT - activated off IR this week and played sparingly. I was optimistic that he’d be on the field more but I only saw him in certain situations and when Highsmith was banged up. 
 

BTW- just saw Hassan Reddick with 5 sacks yesterday along with 3 forced fumbles. Did that really happen? Scored like 50 points in my league format! Hahah

 

[rockaction]

BTW- just saw Hassan Reddick with 5 sacks yesterday along with 3 forced fumbles. Did that really happen? Scored like 50 points in my league format! Hahah

Yes, that really happened. On most people's benches, that is.

As far as trading for draft picks, our league is a twelve-team that isn't incredibly active, frankly. I've done everything from putting guys on the block to personally soliciting to other things and I find that there's just not much demand for what I've got -- or if there is, it's muted. Very tough to be an aggressive owner in our league. People are really conservative with their picks, save for two owners I can think of.

 

[Hoodoo]

Carter Coughlin, NYG - Not sure about snap count yet but threw up a decent stat line and has good measurables for an edge LB. just a rookie so maybe he’s starting to earn a role, especially with Golden now in Arizona. 

I'm interested. He played 62% of snaps & picked up a special teams tackle as well. I also found this nugget while doing a little digging:

https://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/giants-cardinals-1.50089210

Martinez’s direction will be missed, though, Carter Coughlin said. "Blake’s like having another coach on the field," he said. "

Especially when I was doing inside linebacker stuff, that dude was literally telling me what I was supposed to be doing every single play.

 

[rockaction]

So here goes. I need help editing this roster down to 48 and then 40 for a RFA period. Would love any input. This will really wrap up the phase of this being a new hobby and something I can bank upon experience for next year. But I've still got to balance short-term and long-term and I'm not sure how exactly to do that. Here's the roster. Below that are the cuts I would make to get down to forty.

QB

Lock, Drew
Mahomes, Patrick
Newton, Cam

RB

Boone, Mike
Dillon, A.J.
Edmonds, Chase
Elliott, Ezekiel
Harris, Damien
Hasty, JaMycal
Hill, Justice
Ozigbo, Devine
Robinson, James

WR

Cephus, Quintez DET(R)
Chark, D.J. JAC
Davis, Corey TEN
Edwards, Bryan LVR (R)
Gandy-Golden, Antonio WAS (R)
Godwin, Chris TBB
Johnson, Tyler TBB (R)
McCloud, Ray-Ray PIT
McLaurin, Terry WAS
Meyers, Jakobi NEP
Mims, Denzel NYJ (R)
Ruggs, Henry LVR (R)
Sims, Cam WAS
Williams, Preston MIA WR
Wilson, Cedrick DAL WR

TE

Arnold, Dan ARZ
Everett, Gerald LAR
Howard, O.J. TBB
Parham, Donald LAC
Parkinson, Colby (R) SEA

DE/DT

Clowney, Jadeveon TEN
Davenport, Marcus NO
Gholston, William TBB
Jones, Dre'Mont DEN
Odenigbo, Ifeadi MIN
Sweat, Josh PHI

LB

Adams, Tyrell HOU
Bentley, Ju'Whaun NEP
Davis-Gaither, Akeem CIN (R)
Edwards, T.J. PHI
Evans, Rashaan TEN
Gay, Willie KCC (R)
Harrison, Malik BAL (R)
Langi, Harvey NYJ 
Martin, Kamal GBP  (R)
McKinney, Benardrick HOU LB
Oluokun, Foyesade ATL
Reeder, Troy LAR
Spillane, Robert PIT LB
Taylor, Davion PHI (R)
Williamson, Avery PIT

S/CB

Curl, Kamren WAS S (R)
Fuller, Jordan LAR S (R)
Hawkins, Jaylinn ATL S (R)
Mathieu, Tyrann KCC S
Vaccaro, Kenny TEN S
Walker, Tracy DET S

So that's 60 guys. Here is who I would cut to get to 48, and then 40. First I'd cut three DBs.

Mathieu, Tyrann
Walker, Tracy
Jaylinn, Hawkins

Then I'd cut three DL guys

Clowney, Jadeveon
Davenport, Marcus
Odenigbo, Ifeadi

Then five linebackers

Bentley, Ju'Whuan
Davis-Gaither, Akeem
Langi, Harvey
Martin, Kamal
Reeder, Troy
Spillane, Robert

Then from the offense:

Newton, Cam
Boone, Mike
Ozigbo, Devine
McCloud, Ray-Ray
Wilson, Cedric
Sims, Cam
Arnold, Dan
Parkinson, Colby

And that's forty guys left.

What do you guys think? Horribly misguided or somewhat on track? Any and all input appreciated.

 

[MAC_32]

Are your cuts due before free agency and the draft? 

 

[Gally]

I wouldn't cut Clowney, Davenport, Kemal Martin, or  Reeder

I would cut Justice Hill, Gholston,  two of the three DB's you kept (only because you can always find DB's), and Tyler Johnson (you have plenty of WR options of this type)

 

[rockaction]

Are your cuts due before free agency and the draft? 

Yes. They precede the exact date of free agency. From the rulebook:

C. Off-season Free Agency Period
1. Each team may protect up to 40 players and list no more than eight restricted free agents (RFA). Owners must cut their roster to no more than 48 players by the deadline to designate RFA's
2. The deadline to designate restricted free agents is 11:59PM ET two days before the NFL League Year. (e.g. if the NFL Year begins at 4PM ET on March 18, our FA designations are due at 11:59PM ET on March 16). Any team that misses this deadline will have their free agents designated by the syndicate czar.
3. The Zealots off-season free agency period will start on the same day as the start of the new NFL League Year, at a time determined by the commissioner, provided setup of the MFL site is complete.

 

[MAC_32]

Interesting.

I agree with @Gally, but I would keep Johnson and cut TJ Edwards. I think his upside is what we saw this year, an efficient base downs only starter. That has value in-season, but I prefer chasing potential home runs on my bench in the offseason. 

 

[rockaction]

I wouldn't cut Clowney, Davenport, Kemal Martin, or  Reeder

I would cut Justice Hill, Gholston,  two of the three DB's you kept (only because you can always find DB's), and Tyler Johnson (you have plenty of WR options of this type)

Thanks, Gally. I'll think about it. I agree with you about the DBs. I'll likely keep Curl even though Collins is coming back. He seems to have won quite a following in Washington and among the coaching staff. He'll probably be a safety regardless of designation. The other guys were replacement level guys, though Fuller as a rookie kind of came on at the end. I knew the Clowney and Davenport designations might raise an eyebrow -- and Reeder, too -- but Clowney and Davenport are both oft-injured non-producers over the years, it seems. I went back and looked at their scoring for our league. A lot lower than one would expect. I'd rather hold the guys on offense at this point. Hill is the one where I'm waiting to see how it all shakes out because I believe in his talent. Same with Tyler Johnson. If Godwin leaves, there's your slot guy in Tampa. Scotty Miller and Justin Watson aren't beating him out in the slot, IMHO. I'd rather cut Cephus, honestly. I'd cut Jakobi Meyers over either, actually, even though he scored points this year. I think Edelman owns the slot still and the NEP draft a WR.

 

[Enderdog]

Clowney doesn't raise an eyebrow here.  He's a definite drop from my Zealots team.  Doesn't do anything for my lineup listed as a DE, and will likely be listed as a less valuable LB next year.

 

[Gally]

Thanks, Gally. I'll think about it. I agree with you about the DBs. I'll likely keep Curl even though Collins is coming back. He seems to have won quite a following in Washington and among the coaching staff. He'll probably be a safety regardless of designation. The other guys were replacement level guys, though Fuller as a rookie kind of came on at the end. I knew the Clowney and Davenport designations might raise an eyebrow -- and Reeder, too -- but Clowney and Davenport are both oft-injured non-producers over the years, it seems. I went back and looked at their scoring for our league. A lot lower than one would expect. I'd rather hold the guys on offense at this point. Hill is the one where I'm waiting to see how it all shakes out because I believe in his talent. Same with Tyler Johnson. If Godwin leaves, there's your slot guy in Tampa. Scotty Miller and Justin Watson aren't beating him out in the slot, IMHO. I'd rather cut Cephus, honestly. I'd cut Jakobi Meyers over either, actually, even though he scored points this year. I think Edelman owns the slot still and the NEP draft a WR.

All makes sense.  This is my exact point with cutting one of them.  You have a lot in the same boat at a deep position (I was surprised how deep WR in general is).  If you have Johnson at the top of those guys then I would drop whoever is at your bottom.  I think you can stand dropping one so puck your bottom of the barrel guy.

As far as Clowney and Davenport they have both shown ability but have not been consistent.  I could see either getting it next year and you don't have much quality DL so keeping both makes sense to me which is why I wouldn't cut them.  Name alone may be able to get a trade done so they have more value than just being cut.

 

[rockaction]

Interesting.

I agree with @Gally, but I would keep Johnson and cut TJ Edwards. I think his upside is what we saw this year, an efficient base downs only starter. That has value in-season, but I prefer chasing potential home runs on my bench in the offseason. 

Gotcha. That makes sense. I already agreed about the DBs with Gally and registered a little dissent about the DL guys. I guess it depends to how one wants to construct their roster, how intimately they are involved with the defensive side of things, etc. Thanks for the input.

I'm not sure when we have to get down to 48, but it seems like that shouldn't be too hard of a target given the general strategy. Looks like to begin with I'd cut five DBs, a QB, three or four receivers, two or three DLs, and two or three LBs.

I guess the twelve to get to forty-eight would be:

Mathieu S
Vaccaro S
Hawkins S
Walker S
Fuller S
Odenigbo DL
Gholston DL
Langi LB
Spillane LB
Edwards LB
McCloud WR
Parkinson TE

 

 

[rockaction]

All makes sense.  This is my exact point with cutting one of them.  You have a lot in the same boat at a deep position (I was surprised how deep WR in general is).  If you have Johnson at the top of those guys then I would drop whoever is at your bottom.  I think you can stand dropping one so puck your bottom of the barrel guy.

As far as Clowney and Davenport they have both shown ability but have not been consistent.  I could see either getting it next year and you don't have much quality DL so keeping both makes sense to me which is why I wouldn't cut them.  Name alone may be able to get a trade done so they have more value than just being cut.

Awesome reasoning. Thanks.

Though I tried to move Clowney this year. Crickets. Davenport might be a different story.

 

[rockaction]

Clowney doesn't raise an eyebrow here.  He's a definite drop from my Zealots team.  Doesn't do anything for my lineup listed as a DE, and will likely be listed as a less valuable LB next year.

Yep. He should have been a LB last year. Something didn't "feel" right about listing him as a LB according to -- who is it? -- Gary Davenport?

But that was sketchy if he's the EDGE in a 3-4. Or at least I'm guessing so.

Anyway, thanks for the input. Glad to hear that somebody might do what I did.

 

[rockaction]

I forgot to list that I have Chase Young at DL. I take him so for granted as cemented that I didn't even consider it.

 

[Enderdog]

I'm not sure when we have to get down to 48

Sometime in March.  You've got time as long as you're not over 60 players.

 

[MAC_32]

Thanks, Gally. I'll think about it. I agree with you about the DBs. I'll likely keep Curl even though Collins is coming back. He seems to have won quite a following in Washington and among the coaching staff. He'll probably be a safety regardless of designation. The other guys were replacement level guys, though Fuller as a rookie kind of came on at the end. I knew the Clowney and Davenport designations might raise an eyebrow -- and Reeder, too -- but Clowney and Davenport are both oft-injured non-producers over the years, it seems. I went back and looked at their scoring for our league. A lot lower than one would expect. I'd rather hold the guys on offense at this point. Hill is the one where I'm waiting to see how it all shakes out because I believe in his talent. Same with Tyler Johnson. If Godwin leaves, there's your slot guy in Tampa. Scotty Miller and Justin Watson aren't beating him out in the slot, IMHO. I'd rather cut Cephus, honestly. I'd cut Jakobi Meyers over either, actually, even though he scored points this year. I think Edelman owns the slot still and the NEP draft a WR.

Scotty is a perimeter player anyway.

 

[Don Quixote]

I’m the commish of the league over at Zealots that rock’s team here is in. We do have a vacancy that came open this offseason.  The more FBGs in the league, the merrier.

Feel free to shoot me a PM if would be interested in playing against us.

ETA: This vacancy has been taken.

 

[rockaction]

Just checking back in with an update. Gally is now in our league, so I'm not sure where this goes. I suppose I'll keep the diary up if it interests people. If not, I'll let it float away.

That said, and I don't think he'll mind me saying this as it's of record, but Gally and I completed a trade soon after he joined.

He got: 2.07, Foyesade Oluokun, Jadeveon Clowney, and Cameron Sims

I got: Michael Gallup and Darius Slayton.

He also completed another, but I'll let him chime in with that one if he so chooses. It was a big deal. 

So I now have 1.4, 1.5, 2.08, 2.10, and 5.07 for draft picks this year. Should be able to reload and improve LB with those. I hope.

 

[Gally]

Just checking back in with an update. Gally is now in our league, so I'm not sure where this goes. I suppose I'll keep the diary up if it interests people. If not, I'll let it float away.

That said, and I don't think he'll mind me saying this as it's of record, but Gally and I completed a trade soon after he joined.

He got: 2.07, Foyesade Oluokun, Jadeveon Clowney, and Cameron Sims

I got: Michael Gallup and Darius Slayton.

He also completed another, but I'll let him chime in with that one if he so chooses. It was a big deal. 

So I now have 1.4, 1.5, 2.08, 2.10, and 5.07 for draft picks this year. Should be able to reload and improve LB with those. I hope.

Thanks for the nice welcome.  It will be interesting to keep this going and we can both chime in with thoughts and ideas.  

The other trade was this:

Dobbins, Pittman, Bud Dupree, 2021 2nd rounder and 2022 2nd rounder

For

Davante Adams and Isaiah Simmons

I have Cook, Jacobs, and Mostert as my primary RB's and needed a difference making WR in this PPR league.   I was happy with the deal.

 

[rockaction]

Thanks for the nice welcome. 

No sweat. Welcome! Huge deal for Davante and Simmons. Hope it brings you points beyond compare.

 

[rockaction]

Deal I just did in that league.

Gave James Robinson, JaMycal Hasty, Avery Williamson, Rashaan Evans

Got Dallas Goedert, 2021 2.04, 2022 1st round

Let me know what you think. Everything I'm looking at says "go."

 

[MAC_32]

Deal I just did in that league.

Gave James Robinson, JaMycal Hasty, Avery Williamson, Rashaan Evans

Got Dallas Goedert, 2021 2.04, 2022 1st round

Let me know what you think. Everything I'm looking at says "go."

I'm not wild about the 22 class, but it's still fine. I think this was the wrong time to sell James Robinson though. 

 

[rockaction]

I'm not wild about the 22 class, but it's still fine. I think this was the wrong time to sell James Robinson though. 

Fair enough. When would have been the right time, in your estimation?

I've gotten one person who doesn't like the deal, either. Andy from the SP would go Robinson's side. I think Gally was perplexed, too. I wouldn't have shipped Robinson if I almost fully didn't believe that each coach wants his guy running the ball, within reason. JAX has so many picks and Urban Meyer now at the helm. Couple that with Robinson's replacement-level and low DVOA from Football Outsiders, his 29th-best grade from PFF, and his thirty percent speed score given his BMI, and I think you've got a recipe for replacement. Of course, I may be REALLY wrong and be forced to regret sending away a 22.4 year old away so quickly from the roster, but I just think if he gets replaced, his stock is sunk and he becomes an asset that is now not worth much. I'd rather invest in guys with draft capital who are clear starters.