What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

2021 SSL 1 Discussion thread (1 Viewer)

BassNBrew  

Replied: 39 minutes ago

Can you please send me your e-mail address and post your pick in the Discussion thread at 4:01PM


Per Bass since Norris B timed out -  

1.04 - Ill take Zeke Elliot - RB - Dallas 

@Aaron Rudnicki - not sure if you can pick now, or if we have to wait for MFL to be fixed.

Thanks, glad to be back in the SSL

 
1.15 Darren Waller - woo hoo, glad to take Waller at the bottom of the first round. Two ppr here combined with over 100 receptions a year ago. Sign me up!

Also kudos to @BassNBrew for delaying the start a bit and waiting for an additional day to get the schedule out there today. Looking forward to this draft with all you special people, post draft 21 and also post schedule 21.

 
1.15 Darren Waller - woo hoo, glad to take Waller at the bottom of the first round. Two ppr here combined with over 100 receptions a year ago. Sign me up!

Also kudos to @BassNBrew for delaying the start a bit and waiting for an additional day to get the schedule out there today. Looking forward to this draft with all you special people, post draft 21 and also post schedule 21.
Isn't it released tomorrow? (Happens to be my wife's birthday)

 
You are correct, I have Bible Study every Tuesday night at my home and am teaching our life group class on Zoom about an hour later and had it in my mind that I would not be able to follow.

So, I realize that @OldMilwaukeemade two consecutive picks, but I think that he is cruising. I am going to delay my second round pick per @BassNBrewpost here.

I do like that I have options, at least three guys I really like to choose from.

 
You are correct, I have Bible Study every Tuesday night at my home and am teaching our life group class on Zoom about an hour later and had it in my mind that I would not be able to follow.

So, I realize that @OldMilwaukeemade two consecutive picks, but I think that he is cruising. I am going to delay my second round pick per @BassNBrewpost here.

I do like that I have options, at least three guys I really like to choose from.
so the schedule comes out tomorrow, we are going to delay until then? @rzrback77

 
2.2 Austin Ekeler RB LAC

Ekeler remains solidly at the top of the Charger RB depth chart and they greatly improved their offensive line in free agency and the draft. I was concerned that being in the same division as the Raiders, they might have the same bye week but they did not. Easy pick for me here.

 
2.2 Austin Ekeler RB LAC

Ekeler remains solidly at the top of the Charger RB depth chart and they greatly improved their offensive line in free agency and the draft. I was concerned that being in the same division as the Raiders, they might have the same bye week but they did not. Easy pick for me here.
I almost took him at 1.11 over Chubb. Foolishly thought he might fall to me early 2nd. Love Ekeler this year.

 
nittanylion said:
I almost took him at 1.11 over Chubb. Foolishly thought he might fall to me early 2nd. Love Ekeler this year.
He's probably a great pick. But if he goes above Chubb, I'm highly unlikely to get him in any league including the FBG contest (if he costs more)

 
He's probably a great pick. But if he goes above Chubb, I'm highly unlikely to get him in any league including the FBG contest (if he costs more)
I am very interested in this year's in season FBG contest, the first one without David Dodds. Looking forward to whether it has significant changes, particularly in the assignment of player costs.

 
@OldMilwaukeeis still on the cruise till Sunday. I propose that we pause the clock to allow him to make his two picks at his own opportunity. He may be back on land by the time his next turn comes up.

 
Hopefully, we were just all being kind and waiting for you. Since we seem to still be waiting, why don't you give us a rundown on the trip?
Back to work now, so not alot of time.   Cruised/fished from Tampa bay to the Key's for the week.   Took all kinds of fish.   Five guys....each took home a hundred pounds of fish.   Gruppers, Snappers, Mahi- Mahi, Pemit, Amberjacks, Black Fin Tuna.    Didn't keep a lot of junk fish we wouldn't eat, including a 5 ft hammerhead.   Ran into a big school of large King Mackerel in which we all picked up "bucket list trophy fish"(sent you picture of mine).    Good times, good friends,  great memories made.

 
Nick Chubb, Chase Edmonds

Amari Cooper, Brandin Cooks

Mark Andrews

Team looks nothing like I thought it would when I hit the clock in Round 1.

 
so week7 bye is really a problem in these for me.

Started with Zeke and Keenan - both week 7,

Had to pass on Dak & Justin Herbert at QB. Also couldnt take any Pitt WR because of that as well.

 
Hurts (6.03)

Etienne (4.03)

Hopkins (2.03), McLaurin (3.14), Aiyuk (5.14)

Kittle (1.14)

***

Because any time you have a chance to construct an entire fantasy lineup out of guys from bottom-half NFL offenses, you have to take it ... right?  :bag:

 
Just plan to score the most points in week 6 🤷🏻‍♂️
Doh, the draft plan is to score the most points in as many weeks as you can, but that is so much harder to do than say, particularly with 16 fairly quality owners and only 18 picks for nine scoring positions.

 
QB Russell Wilson
RB Alvin Kamara
RB Melvin Gordon
WR Justin Jefferson
WR Robby Anderson
TE T.J. Hockenson

 
Last edited by a moderator:
5.08 Dak Prescott DAL QB7 (7)
Glad to see him still available, pretty easy call here as this is where QB’s start going and feel Dak could be top 3 this year. Hoping a TE target makes it back. 

3.08 Najee Harris PIT RB21 (7)
Twenty RB’s gone, better get one. Sniffed McLaurin.  Harris set up to improve that running game and should see a full workload on all three downs.

1.08 Tyreek Hill KCC WR1 (12)
Six RB’s gone, not sold on any of the ones left, so didn’t want to drop a tier or two with first pick of draft there, so looked at WR and decided to take a tier one guy.  Rodgers uncertainty led to Hill over Adams and also eliminated Aaron Jones. 

2.09 A.J. Brown TEN WR7 (13)
Would probably have gone Dobbins if he made it one more pick, also would have snatched Ekeler, Metcalf or Hopkins had they dropped. Decided to pass on RB again and hit WR since we start three. Remaining RB’s just a few too many questions for me. Thought about Pitts.

4.09 CeeDee Lamb DAL WR20 (7)
Like watching him play, he had a very solid rookie season, think you could almost say great considering the QB situation and overall climate in DAL.  74-935-5 with some rushing attempts and a TD on top. Wouldn’t be surprised if he outperforms Cooper this year, in fact IMO I would take Lamb over Cooper this year. Looked at the question marks surrounding some of the other WR options and felt like this was a good get here. Sniffed Hunt and Dak. 

6.09 Tyler Higbee LAR TE12 (11)
Boom, he made it back, barely.  Eleven off the board, three went after my Dak pick.  Four teams finishing off this round behind me do not have a TE so this is the time.  Love Higbee with Stafford this year and the way that team is set up now.  
 

 
Good thoughts on the picks made. Everybody join in the discussion when you can!

nicer pace today, let’s keep it going. @-OZ- OTC

 
Kirk Cousins (6.15) Baker Mayfield (7.02) - should be able to cobble together a solid score weekly with these two. Considered higher upside guys at 7.02 but went with the known. 

Josh Jacobs (2.15) Chris Carson (3.02) - not real comfortable with these 2. Will need to find a gem or two later

Courtland Sutton (4.15) DJ Chark (5.02) - I like the pair on paper, but lots of unknowns with both. 

Travis Kelce (1.02) - 2 ppr and felt need to grab the top TE

 
Last edited by a moderator:
1.14 - George Kittle SF TE2 [6]
No joke: When it got to my turn, I needed to double-check the MFL scoring settings to make sure Bass hadn't turned off 2PPR this year. He, Kelce and Waller should all have gone in the top half of the first round IMO. Also considered: Waller.

2.03 - DeAndre Hopkins AZ WR4 [12]
At this point there were 12 RBs off the board vs. just 3 WRs. Now, I like Joe Mixon as much as the next guy, but in full-PPR no chance I'm ever drafting him over a future first-ballot HOFer in his prime. Nuk finished WR5 in his first year with a new system and QB so, as crazy as it sounds, there's still upside here. Also considered: Metcalf.

3.14 - Terry McLaurin WAS WR15 [9]
A famous philosopher-poet once wrote, "Balance in rosters is good; getting the F1 as your WR2 in a 16-team league is better." Basho? Walt Whitman? One of those two, I think. Terry should be Wes Craven-level scary with DGAFitz under center this season. I would own him everywhere at this price. Also considered: none.

4.03 - Travis Etienne (R) JAX RB23 [7]
My plan was to grab Murray on the way back to stack with Nuk; my second choice was deciding to just go full zero-RB by grabbing Godwin. Sadly, in both cases Old Mil was having none of it. It's best-ball, so we need ceiling, so give me the 1st-round rook with the explosive skillset. Given his built-in rapport with T-Law, could be an attractive PPR play even if he's sharing backfield snaps. Also considered: D.J. Moore, Lamb.

5.14 - Brandon Aiyuk SF WR32 [6]
Once again cruelly sniped on a QB (Herbert) I really wanted here, leaving me with a dilemma: pass on the clear and obvious BPA at this spot, or double down on the aerial weapons of a run-first offense led by either a guy whose own coach trusted to throw only 9 times in a playoff game or a rookie with 10 career college starts? Ugh. Option B, I guess. Also considered: Jav. Williams.

6.03 - Jalen Hurts PHI QB11 [14]
No thanks on him at his QB9 ADP in regular formats - I mean, there's a non-zero chance he's not even the Week 1 starter. But in best-ball, a guy with Konami cheat-code potential like Hurts has more than enough upside to outweigh the risk at this ADP. Also considered: Jav. Williams, Stafford.

 


6.09 Tyler Higbee LAR TE12 (11)
Boom, he made it back, barely.  Eleven off the board, three went after my Dak pick.  Four teams finishing off this round behind me do not have a TE so this is the time.  Love Higbee with Stafford this year and the way that team is set up now.  
 
Figured he wouldn't make it back to 6.16 but I hoped. 

.

3.14 - Terry McLaurin WAS WR15 [9]
A famous philosopher-poet once wrote, "Balance in rosters is good; getting the F1 as your WR2 in a 16-team league is better." Basho? Walt Whitman? One of those two, I think. Terry should be Wes Craven-level scary with DGAFitz under center this season. I would own him everywhere at this price. Also considered: none.
Really liking him this year, for the reasons you state. 

These two picks stand out as the best IMO

 
Mahomes, Patrick KCC QB 

16 team, best ball, I'm always taking him or Allen in the early 3rd. 

McCaffrey, Christian CAR RB 

Montgomery, David CHI RB

CMC was an easy pick although Kelce would have worked fine here too. I like Monty, especially with the QB upgrade (either one, imo) 

Claypool, Chase PIT WR

Golladay, Kenny NYG WR

Jeudy, Jerry DEN WR 

Hoping for a certain HOF QB to get dealt, but even if not I think JJ will have a nice sophomore year. Claypool could be the best overall wr in Pittsburgh but I like him a lot more in best ball than in regular format. I'm not real sure what to expect from golladay, he's the one pick I kinda regret. 

Smith Jr., Irv MIN TE

It seems I always either go TE early or I wait too long. Here's hoping for the best. Irv has good upside. 

 
Team rzrback77 How about those baseball hogs? ranked #1 for several weeks and have won every series this season with only one to go, Florida at home

1.15 D. Waller - agree with @Mr. Irrelevanthere that he and I both received gifts near the end of the first round. In the WSL drafted a couple of months prior, Kittle went third overall and Waller 4th overall. Big advantage with the top tight ends in a 2ppr TE only scoring format.

2.02 A. Ekeler - Chargers have considerably improved their OL and could be one of the most improved offenses. Ekeler caught 54 passes a year ago in only ten games and sits easily atop the RB depth chart for the team.

3.15 - T. Lockett - very productive WR on a lower target amount than many. It was a difficult choice between him and Mike Evans here, but thankfully I got both. Lockett has averaged over 1,000 receiving yards and nine TDs for the past three seasons and I don't see much reason for less involvement this year.

4.02 - Mike Evans - There are an abundance of top guys to target in Tampa Bay, but Evans is dominant there, particularly for scoring TDs. He has averaged 1,200 yards and almost 10 TDs over the past three seasons, with a career high of 13 TDs in his first season with Tom Brady.

5.15 - Tom Brady - the GOAT joins the squad and I double up with him and Evans. Brady had 4,600 passing yards and 40 TDs and added three more rushing TDs in his first season and admitted he was not comfortable with the playbook until around week six last year. Lots of talk about the NFL moving to load management, but do not expect Brady to leave the lineup at all, so looking forward to another Hall of Fame year. All my previous drafts this year, I have waited and waited, so thankful to get Brady at QB10 with expectations of him finishing higher/

6.02 - JuJu Smith-Schuster - Dude caught 97 passes on 128 targets a year ago and added nine TDs. Yes, the yardage was paltry on the number of receptions, but he signed to return to Pittsburgh betting on himself. I see him continuing to be the second most targeted WR and should equal last year's production when he finished WR23 and he was drafted at WR34.

Lots of rounds remaining, but I do like the start here. Not as strong as typically at WR, but a lot of guys that I like still hanging around and should be available for several more rounds. Best of luck to everyone!

 
some picks I liked so far: McLaurin at WR15, Evans WR18, Hunt RB26, Gordon RB27-think he is still solid even with the rook in town, Aiyuk WR32, Boyd WR38, Beasley WR43, Carter RB37, and Harris RB38.....thought there was some value at most of these....many like Boyd etc, seem to be slipping a little because of rookies being drafted on their teams, but like in Boyd's case, if he goes to the slot it might be better for him, etc...think you can chase some value in some of this situations because of the perceived depreciation with new cars on the lot.....

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nick Chubb, Chase Edmonds

Amari Cooper, Brandin Cooks

Mark Andrews

Team looks nothing like I thought it would when I hit the clock in Round 1.
Have added Matt Stafford, Trey Lance, Damien Harris, and Jonnu Smith to the Roster, but the sentiment still remains. Surprised, mostly in a pleasant way.

1.11 RB Chubb, taken as RB8. Chubb won me a lot of money in 2020. If anything, the Browns have gotten better. People worry about Hunt, and I'll admit I'm greedy, and hate when he's on the field and my guy is looking on, but the aggregate rushing stats this offense can generate is staggering, and plenty to go around, even with someone playing 2nd fiddle. Even in PPR, where he might be slighted, his floors for yardage and TD opportunities are so high that the risk is mitigated. Considered Swift, but it's too early in the year for anything Lions to be in my circle of trust. Considered AJones, and I think Rodgers/Packers iron things out, but I'm wary of Dillon. Considered Akers, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in that offense, and with a real hand-picked QB in his possession, think mad scientist McVay is going experiment with a lot of things, and every skill position player might cannibalize each other. Considered reaching for Ekeler, because I'm sky-high on him, but thought he might fall to me at 2.06 for a helluva 1-2 punch. They were the next 4 RB off the board.

2.06 TE Andrews, taken as TE4. TE Premium, I was surprised to find him there. Lamar Jackson is still Lamar Jackson, last time I checked. To me, that means I only take Ravens when I can get them at value, and Andrews screamed value to me at #22 overall. I don't care who they add at WR, in my mind, until Jackson evolves more as a QB, all that does is helps Andrews reach expectations. Feel pretty safe saying his 2021 projected outcome isn't in jeopardy. Unfortunately, taking him close to one turn means a 20-pick wait to see what's left at RB/WR by the time 3.11 comes around, but I like my two cornerstones as much as anyone's in this format. No other considerations.

3.11 WR Cooper, taken as WR13. Love Dak. Love Lamb. I don't see 2021 as a pass the torch season, though, and see those 2 through the same lens as Chubb/Hunt. Potentially staggering passing game volume, more than enough to go around. Considered Evans here.

4.06 RB Edmonds, taken as RB25. My target here was Mike Davis, who MB took at 4.04, but I'll take the consolation prize. Adding James Conner to the RB mix in Arizona, I think, actually helps Edmonds more than it hurts, as does subtracting Drake. Excited about seeing this offense potentially evolve in year 2. Reduced wear-and-tear, not much to threaten the PPR volume, additions and subtractions at WR/TE (drafted RMoore, Green in/Fitz potentially out, Arnold out), not drafting a RB...I think Edmonds has a decent chance to at least slightly outperform his draft position of mid-RB2 in a 16 Teamer, and getting that, in Round 4, feels like a win. Would have had a dilemma if Lamar Jackson made it to me, but he went 1 pick before me, at 4.05. Another long wait ahead.

5.11 WR Brandin Cooks, taken as WR31. No matter where he goes, or who's under center, Cooks is a guy who seems to get it done. QB situation in limbo, of course, and I have no insight as to the Watson situation, too vague to even waste time thinking about. If Watson is there, the ceiling elevates considerably, but Cooks seems to be a guy that carries a high floor with him. Outside of the QB, I like the stable of RB's as an aggregate to keep defenses honest, and the complimentary options in the passing game are solid, and do nothing to take the passing offense focus off Cooks. Texans haven't been a TE team since the Owen Daniels days. Definitely a guy who could have some 'boom' weeks built into his Season totals. Cooks, like Andrews, really stood out to me as a guy who didn't belong available when I got on the clock.

6.06 QB Stafford, taken as QB12. Felt really lucky to have been patient enough to wait on QB, and still have a quality option available here. Big McVay fan, and excited to see what he cooks up with his hand-selected QB at the helm, who's in a completely different tier than Goff. Because I don't exactly know what McVay is concocting in his underground lab at this time, I'm a little wary of every Ram skill guy, but the one I am prioritizing is the straw that stirs the drink. Detroit is a very odd Team. Always something going on that derails their offensive plans. Stafford has fared pretty well, despite the circumstances, and I'm excited for him to play for a coach I respect, a system I respect, and surrounded by talent.  McVay/Stafford might be a match made in heaven. Yet again, another player I didn't expect available. Very pleased to have landed him here. Another long wait ahead. This run of getting lucky has to end sometime. It's just not natural.

7.11 TE JSmith, taken as TE16. In this format (no flex) I'd imagine most of us anticipate filling out our starting offensive lineup by Round 7, Round 8 if you see a guy you want badly enough to grab as depth, and I had an open WR spot going into this pick, but unlike previous Rounds, I didn't see anyone who seemed to have fallen through the cracks down to me here. TE premium, and one of my cornerstones was Mark Andrews, and in larger formats, I sometimes like to add quality depth/insurance at my strong points, both to ensure production out of those points, and prevent others from shrinking the advantage. Going into this pick, I feel good about what I've done, and feel like I have some room to play, rather than filling an open spot with one of many equivalent options. I am very excited to see what Belichick has in store for 2021, after C19 Season and Brady winning a Title in Tampa. I'm not very excited about Newton, Stidham or Hoyer, and it's too early to speculate about Mac Jones, but I don't see how things get worse. Jonnu seems to do plenty of his damage in the Red Zone, and that's risky because Newton can take a lot of oxygen out of that room, but Olsen seemed to make it work with Cam in Carolina. There are varying perspectives on the Smith/Henry dynamic. I'm quite intrigued by the idea of Agholor/Bourne/Smith/Henry on the field together, and what it might produce. They seem like a terrific set of complimentary weapons, that with decent QB play, could generate a nice aggregate without feeding off each other too much, but of course, that requires decent QB play. I think Smith is the safest bet to reach his projections, regardless, and if the QB is decent, the ceiling only goes up. Henry and Smith are different players, but it's hard for me to imagine the passing game not flowing through the TE, and Smith is better closer to pay dirt. The combo of Newton/White/Smith/Henry/Bourne is intriguing, in terms of where the ball goes within 10 yards of the LOS. Again, I think Smith is the safe play here, and in 16-team TE premium best-ball, he's a valuable enough piece to grab here.

8.06 RB Damien Harris, taken as RB38. Ah, the dreaded Patriot RB conundrum...and I'm getting involved in it in the top half of the draft, which means I'm 'that guy' jumping in too early. First decision I'm going to be eyeballing post-draft into the Season, because Kenyan Drake was sitting right there as well, and I passed on him (next RB off the board) for Harris. I can't really say why I did that, TBH. Maybe because I'd drafted Edmonds, there was some recency bias. Maybe I'm so happy with my draft, I got a little careless. Still have an open WR spot to fill, but like a lot of similar guys who should be around in Rd9. Just a gut feeling that ***this time it's going to be different***!!! Well, there's no Burkhead to contend with, at least not yet. Bill loves that guy, though, so you never know. I think Michel is now the backup, and I don't think the kid they drafted will amount to much - he's like a poor man's version of Harris/Michel. Of course, there's the Cam factor, especially in the Red Zone, and they have a shiny new expensive Red Zone toy in JSmith, who I took the pick prior. And, there's still James White, and Harris has to stay healthy. Jeez, that's a lot of stuff. Guess I just want to believe that if Bill has a guy he feels he can hang his hat on, he's gonna hang his hat...and he hasn't had that guy in a long time.

9.11 QB Trey Lance, taken as QB26. Hindsight being 20/20, I might wind up being happier down the road if I'd taken QB/Drake with my last 2 picks, instead of Jonnu and DHarris. Felt boxed in that QB had to be the pick here, given what had gone off the board since 7.11. Was hoping Wentz or Carr would have fallen to me here, but think I got the last guy who's upside I'm optimistic about. Seeing as how Winston and Darnold went with the next two consecutive picks, I'm glad to have made this move, as they were the others I considered. Having been a long-suffering WFTskins fan for the better part of my 53 years, I appreciate Kyle Shanahan as much as I appreciate McVay, and much of what compelled me to draft Stafford earlier, drove my decision to draft Lance. He walks into an offense roughly identical to the one he played in, in college, and the NDSt. factor is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Wentz had early success, and there's still NFL optimism that he can recover his mojo in Indy. Oh, the weapons he has at his disposal: an established ground game with a deep stable to keep defenses honest. Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle. A stout defense that ought to have him playing out of positive, low risk scripts. The ability to generate stats both through the air and on the ground. No staff allegiance to the other QB currently on the Roster...but waiting this long puts pressure on both Stafford and Lance (and Jonnu and Harris) to deliver.

...and that's the 1st half recap.

 
1.14 - George Kittle SF TE2 [6]
No joke: When it got to my turn, I needed to double-check the MFL scoring settings to make sure Bass hadn't turned off 2PPR this year. He, Kelce and Waller should all have gone in the top half of the first round IMO. Also considered: Waller.

2.03 - DeAndre Hopkins AZ WR4 [12]
At this point there were 12 RBs off the board vs. just 3 WRs. Now, I like Joe Mixon as much as the next guy, but in full-PPR no chance I'm ever drafting him over a future first-ballot HOFer in his prime. Nuk finished WR5 in his first year with a new system and QB so, as crazy as it sounds, there's still upside here. Also considered: Metcalf.

3.14 - Terry McLaurin WAS WR15 [9]
A famous philosopher-poet once wrote, "Balance in rosters is good; getting the F1 as your WR2 in a 16-team league is better." Basho? Walt Whitman? One of those two, I think. Terry should be Wes Craven-level scary with DGAFitz under center this season. I would own him everywhere at this price. Also considered: none.

4.03 - Travis Etienne (R) JAX RB23 [7]
My plan was to grab Murray on the way back to stack with Nuk; my second choice was deciding to just go full zero-RB by grabbing Godwin. Sadly, in both cases Old Mil was having none of it. It's best-ball, so we need ceiling, so give me the 1st-round rook with the explosive skillset. Given his built-in rapport with T-Law, could be an attractive PPR play even if he's sharing backfield snaps. Also considered: D.J. Moore, Lamb.

5.14 - Brandon Aiyuk SF WR32 [6]
Once again cruelly sniped on a QB (Herbert) I really wanted here, leaving me with a dilemma: pass on the clear and obvious BPA at this spot, or double down on the aerial weapons of a run-first offense led by either a guy whose own coach trusted to throw only 9 times in a playoff game or a rookie with 10 career college starts? Ugh. Option B, I guess. Also considered: Jav. Williams.

6.03 - Jalen Hurts PHI QB11 [14]
No thanks on him at his QB9 ADP in regular formats - I mean, there's a non-zero chance he's not even the Week 1 starter. But in best-ball, a guy with Konami cheat-code potential like Hurts has more than enough upside to outweigh the risk at this ADP. Also considered: Jav. Williams, Stafford.
7.14 - Trevor Lawrence (R) JAX QB19 [7]
At this point I've, like, sextupled up on "offenses that were bad last year and I guess I'm hoping won't be bad again this year." To be fair, if I thought the Jaguars' offense was still going to be bad despite going from the Minshew-Glennon Comedy Hour to the #1 overall draft pick, I wouldn't have drafted him here in the first place. Whatever else you can say, I'm clearly not in this thing to finish 4th. Also considered: D. Johnson.

8.03 - Antonio Brown TB WR44 [6]
There's a bit of popular career advice that goes: don't focus on fixing your weaknesses, focus on making your strengths even stronger. I'm not sure it's meant to apply to best-ball drafts, but let's go with it ... my RB position is probably beyond fixing anyway. Stacking DeVonta with Hurts here was tempting, but AB has the far higher floor and a 90-catch ceiling to boot. Also considered: D. Smith, Harris, Drake.

9.14 - Nyheim Hines IND RB43 [14]
Ran to the podium to hand in this card. I knew Hines has always been quietly productive, but no idea he was "RB18 in this format last year" productive - even if Wentz goes downfield more often than Rivers did, it'll be very hard for Hines not to return value at this draft spot. Also considered: none.

10.03 - Cole Kmet CHI TE22 [10]
Agonized about whether I needed to grab a TE2 while there were still a couple of good options left or whether it'd just be a luxury pick ... but Kittle's only played one full season in 4, and at 2PPR, even a catch or two a game over replacement level can make a big difference when you're fighting to avoid the cellar any given week. Also considered: Trautman.

Meh, I dunno about these guys. Loved my start, not all that confident in what I've done since.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
nittanylion said:
Have added Matt Stafford, Trey Lance, Damien Harris, and Jonnu Smith to the Roster, but the sentiment still remains. Surprised, mostly in a pleasant way.

1.11 RB Chubb, taken as RB8. Chubb won me a lot of money in 2020. If anything, the Browns have gotten better. People worry about Hunt, and I'll admit I'm greedy, and hate when he's on the field and my guy is looking on, but the aggregate rushing stats this offense can generate is staggering, and plenty to go around, even with someone playing 2nd fiddle. Even in PPR, where he might be slighted, his floors for yardage and TD opportunities are so high that the risk is mitigated. Considered Swift, but it's too early in the year for anything Lions to be in my circle of trust. Considered AJones, and I think Rodgers/Packers iron things out, but I'm wary of Dillon. Considered Akers, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in that offense, and with a real hand-picked QB in his possession, think mad scientist McVay is going experiment with a lot of things, and every skill position player might cannibalize each other. Considered reaching for Ekeler, because I'm sky-high on him, but thought he might fall to me at 2.06 for a helluva 1-2 punch. They were the next 4 RB off the board.

2.06 TE Andrews, taken as TE4. TE Premium, I was surprised to find him there. Lamar Jackson is still Lamar Jackson, last time I checked. To me, that means I only take Ravens when I can get them at value, and Andrews screamed value to me at #22 overall. I don't care who they add at WR, in my mind, until Jackson evolves more as a QB, all that does is helps Andrews reach expectations. Feel pretty safe saying his 2021 projected outcome isn't in jeopardy. Unfortunately, taking him close to one turn means a 20-pick wait to see what's left at RB/WR by the time 3.11 comes around, but I like my two cornerstones as much as anyone's in this format. No other considerations.

3.11 WR Cooper, taken as WR13. Love Dak. Love Lamb. I don't see 2021 as a pass the torch season, though, and see those 2 through the same lens as Chubb/Hunt. Potentially staggering passing game volume, more than enough to go around. Considered Evans here.

4.06 RB Edmonds, taken as RB25. My target here was Mike Davis, who MB took at 4.04, but I'll take the consolation prize. Adding James Conner to the RB mix in Arizona, I think, actually helps Edmonds more than it hurts, as does subtracting Drake. Excited about seeing this offense potentially evolve in year 2. Reduced wear-and-tear, not much to threaten the PPR volume, additions and subtractions at WR/TE (drafted RMoore, Green in/Fitz potentially out, Arnold out), not drafting a RB...I think Edmonds has a decent chance to at least slightly outperform his draft position of mid-RB2 in a 16 Teamer, and getting that, in Round 4, feels like a win. Would have had a dilemma if Lamar Jackson made it to me, but he went 1 pick before me, at 4.05. Another long wait ahead.

5.11 WR Brandin Cooks, taken as WR31. No matter where he goes, or who's under center, Cooks is a guy who seems to get it done. QB situation in limbo, of course, and I have no insight as to the Watson situation, too vague to even waste time thinking about. If Watson is there, the ceiling elevates considerably, but Cooks seems to be a guy that carries a high floor with him. Outside of the QB, I like the stable of RB's as an aggregate to keep defenses honest, and the complimentary options in the passing game are solid, and do nothing to take the passing offense focus off Cooks. Texans haven't been a TE team since the Owen Daniels days. Definitely a guy who could have some 'boom' weeks built into his Season totals. Cooks, like Andrews, really stood out to me as a guy who didn't belong available when I got on the clock.

6.06 QB Stafford, taken as QB12. Felt really lucky to have been patient enough to wait on QB, and still have a quality option available here. Big McVay fan, and excited to see what he cooks up with his hand-selected QB at the helm, who's in a completely different tier than Goff. Because I don't exactly know what McVay is concocting in his underground lab at this time, I'm a little wary of every Ram skill guy, but the one I am prioritizing is the straw that stirs the drink. Detroit is a very odd Team. Always something going on that derails their offensive plans. Stafford has fared pretty well, despite the circumstances, and I'm excited for him to play for a coach I respect, a system I respect, and surrounded by talent.  McVay/Stafford might be a match made in heaven. Yet again, another player I didn't expect available. Very pleased to have landed him here. Another long wait ahead. This run of getting lucky has to end sometime. It's just not natural.

7.11 TE JSmith, taken as TE16. In this format (no flex) I'd imagine most of us anticipate filling out our starting offensive lineup by Round 7, Round 8 if you see a guy you want badly enough to grab as depth, and I had an open WR spot going into this pick, but unlike previous Rounds, I didn't see anyone who seemed to have fallen through the cracks down to me here. TE premium, and one of my cornerstones was Mark Andrews, and in larger formats, I sometimes like to add quality depth/insurance at my strong points, both to ensure production out of those points, and prevent others from shrinking the advantage. Going into this pick, I feel good about what I've done, and feel like I have some room to play, rather than filling an open spot with one of many equivalent options. I am very excited to see what Belichick has in store for 2021, after C19 Season and Brady winning a Title in Tampa. I'm not very excited about Newton, Stidham or Hoyer, and it's too early to speculate about Mac Jones, but I don't see how things get worse. Jonnu seems to do plenty of his damage in the Red Zone, and that's risky because Newton can take a lot of oxygen out of that room, but Olsen seemed to make it work with Cam in Carolina. There are varying perspectives on the Smith/Henry dynamic. I'm quite intrigued by the idea of Agholor/Bourne/Smith/Henry on the field together, and what it might produce. They seem like a terrific set of complimentary weapons, that with decent QB play, could generate a nice aggregate without feeding off each other too much, but of course, that requires decent QB play. I think Smith is the safest bet to reach his projections, regardless, and if the QB is decent, the ceiling only goes up. Henry and Smith are different players, but it's hard for me to imagine the passing game not flowing through the TE, and Smith is better closer to pay dirt. The combo of Newton/White/Smith/Henry/Bourne is intriguing, in terms of where the ball goes within 10 yards of the LOS. Again, I think Smith is the safe play here, and in 16-team TE premium best-ball, he's a valuable enough piece to grab here.

8.06 RB Damien Harris, taken as RB38. Ah, the dreaded Patriot RB conundrum...and I'm getting involved in it in the top half of the draft, which means I'm 'that guy' jumping in too early. First decision I'm going to be eyeballing post-draft into the Season, because Kenyan Drake was sitting right there as well, and I passed on him (next RB off the board) for Harris. I can't really say why I did that, TBH. Maybe because I'd drafted Edmonds, there was some recency bias. Maybe I'm so happy with my draft, I got a little careless. Still have an open WR spot to fill, but like a lot of similar guys who should be around in Rd9. Just a gut feeling that ***this time it's going to be different***!!! Well, there's no Burkhead to contend with, at least not yet. Bill loves that guy, though, so you never know. I think Michel is now the backup, and I don't think the kid they drafted will amount to much - he's like a poor man's version of Harris/Michel. Of course, there's the Cam factor, especially in the Red Zone, and they have a shiny new expensive Red Zone toy in JSmith, who I took the pick prior. And, there's still James White, and Harris has to stay healthy. Jeez, that's a lot of stuff. Guess I just want to believe that if Bill has a guy he feels he can hang his hat on, he's gonna hang his hat...and he hasn't had that guy in a long time.

9.11 QB Trey Lance, taken as QB26. Hindsight being 20/20, I might wind up being happier down the road if I'd taken QB/Drake with my last 2 picks, instead of Jonnu and DHarris. Felt boxed in that QB had to be the pick here, given what had gone off the board since 7.11. Was hoping Wentz or Carr would have fallen to me here, but think I got the last guy who's upside I'm optimistic about. Seeing as how Winston and Darnold went with the next two consecutive picks, I'm glad to have made this move, as they were the others I considered. Having been a long-suffering WFTskins fan for the better part of my 53 years, I appreciate Kyle Shanahan as much as I appreciate McVay, and much of what compelled me to draft Stafford earlier, drove my decision to draft Lance. He walks into an offense roughly identical to the one he played in, in college, and the NDSt. factor is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Wentz had early success, and there's still NFL optimism that he can recover his mojo in Indy. Oh, the weapons he has at his disposal: an established ground game with a deep stable to keep defenses honest. Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle. A stout defense that ought to have him playing out of positive, low risk scripts. The ability to generate stats both through the air and on the ground. No staff allegiance to the other QB currently on the Roster...but waiting this long puts pressure on both Stafford and Lance (and Jonnu and Harris) to deliver.

...and that's the 1st half recap.
In best ball, I really like the Stafford / Lance combo. Stafford could be a steal while Lance could put up some nice games.

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top