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8/18/2015 - 12 Teams, PPR

Recently (Aug. 18th), a portion of the FFToday crew got together for our staff league draft. This is a real league that will be played out during the season. Team-by-team results and commentary from each owner are below.

12 owners, 18 Rounds

Starting line-up: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WRs, 1TE, 1 Flex (RB, WR or TE) 1K, & 1 D/ST.

Scoring
1 point for every: 10 yards rushing, 10 yards receiving, 20 yards passing, reception
2 points for every: safety, PAT rushed
3 points for every: field goal
4 points for every: touchdown thrown
6 points for every: touchdown rushed, received, fumble returned, interception returned, kick returned

Note: You can view the Round by Round results here. This mock was done the day before WR Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL.

Looking to ace your draft? Pickup a copy of the Draft Buddy and get customized projections and rankings for your league.

 Colby Cavaliere - Pick No. 1
WR Antonio Brown, PIT 1.01
WR Mike Evans, TB 2.12
RB LeSean McCoy, BUF 3.01
TE Travis Kelce, KC 4.12
RB Andre Ellington, ARI 5.01
QB Ben Roethlisberger, PIT 6.12
RB Doug Martin, TB 7.01
RB Duke Johnson ®, CLE 8.12
RB Danny Woodhead, SD 9.01
WR Marvin Jones, CIN 10.12
RB Roy Helu, OAK 11.01
QB Teddy Bridgewater, MIN 12.12
RB Matt Jones ®, WAS 13.01
DEF Philadelphia Eagles, 14.12
RB James Starks, GB 15.01
WR Dwayne Bowe, CLE 16.12
K Justin Tucker, BAL 17.01
TE Jared Cook, STL 18.12
Pick #1 - Colby Cavaliere

Strategy: I'll state again for the record that I HATE the 1st overall pick as it really complicates strategies for me, and you too often get caught at the end of position runs leaving you grasping. With that said, my strategy at No.1 overall was to go as safe as possible with Antonio Brown. I planned to take some risks at RB, as I guessed that McCoy might drop to me at the end of round 2 after his injury in practice just before the draft, and I really wanted Andre Ellington. I packed the RB position in the middle rounds to hedge my bets.

My best pick: The turn at 4.12 and 5.01 with Travis Kelce and Andre Ellington. Both players were picked right about at their ADP, but I feel they'll both produce above their draft spots. A lesser workload could actually be a blessing for Ellington, making him more explosive, especially in the passing game, and Kelce could catch 80 passes.

Final thought: Maybe it's me, but I find I'm always drafting off the back foot when I pick 1st overall. I like to take chances with upside when I draft, but with large chunks of time between picks, reaching and making a mistake feels magnified. I'm going to regret passing on Jordan Matthews and DeAndre Hopkins at the end of round 2 when I picked Mike Evans, I know it!


 Mike Davis - Pick No. 2
RB Eddie Lacy, GB 1.02
WR Alshon Jeffery, CHI 2.11
WR T.Y. Hilton, IND 3.02
RB Alfred Morris, WAS 4.11
QB Peyton Manning, DEN 5.02
WR Mike Wallace, MIN 6.11
TE Martellus Bennett, CHI 7.02
RB Tevin Coleman ®, ATL 8.11
RB Rashad Jennings, NYG 9.02
QB Tom Brady, NE 10.11
WR Kenny Stills, MIA 11.02
DEF Buffalo Bills, 12.11
DEF Miami Dolphins, 13.02
TE Dwayne Allen, IND 14.11
TE Coby Fleener, IND 15.02
K Cody Parkey, PHI 16.11
WR Greg Jennings, MIA 17.02
QB Carson Palmer, ARI 18.11
Pick #2 - Mike Davis

Strategy: I wanted youth at the top of my depth chart and a proven combination of durability/performance for backups. I mostly achieved this distribution with running backs and wide receivers, but my 3 quarterbacks (Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Carson Palmer) are a combined 113 years old.

My best pick: Although I was satisfied with where I got my starting running backs (Eddie Lacy in Round 1 and Alfred Morris in Round 4), my steal of the draft was likely Rashad Jennings as a backup in Round 9. He's not the best PPR back but is pass catching skills are more adept than his direct backup, Andre Williams.

Final thought: I usually wait on my quarterbacks; I expected to snag someone like Ryan Tannehill after I had addressed all my RB/WR/TE needs. But when Peyton Manning is staring at you in the 5th Round and Tom Brady is there in the 10th Round, it's hard to resist them no matter how old they are.


 Antonio D'Arcangelis - Pick No. 3
RB Jamaal Charles, KC 1.03
RB Justin Forsett, BAL 2.10
WR Kelvin Benjamin, CAR 3.03
RB Latavius Murray, OAK 4.10
TE Greg Olsen, CAR 5.03
QB Cam Newton, CAR 6.10
WR Roddy White, ATL 7.03
WR Pierre Garcon, WAS 8.10
RB Arian Foster, HOU 9.03
QB Joe Flacco, BAL 10.10
WR Percy Harvin, BUF 11.03
WR Rueben Randle, NYG 12.10
WR Cole Beasley, DAL 13.03
TE Larry Donnell, NYG 14.10
DEF Arizona Cardinals, 15.03
RB Dan Herron, IND 16.10
K Dan Bailey, DAL 17.03
WR Kevin White ®, CHI 18.10
Pick #3 - Antonio D'Arcangelis

Editor's Note: This draft occurred one day before Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL.

Strategy: First, I’d like to remind everybody that as the defending champ, I felt a lot of pressure to draft competently, even if I wasn’t totally prepared for such a competitive bunch of fantasy experts. A normally RB-heavy value drafter who’s slowly learning to change my ways, I didn’t want to get too crazy with an early pick, so I selected Jamaal Charles at 1.03, as Andy Reid running backs often finish among the top fantasy contributors. I knew I wanted Kelvin Benjamin and a QB who could run, Cam Newton (6.10) and the Panthers’ bolstered offense made sense to target as they were slightly undervalued.

My best pick: Given the reaction from the other owners hoping to snag him in the middle rounds, I think the Arian Foster (9.03) pick left me feeling the most confident. He’s my fourth RB, viable trade fodder, and I won’t need to rely on him until he’s healthy since the deeper rosters (18) this season allow us to stash players longer than usual. That's a huge factor for owners to consider before they take a shot on Foster.

Final thought: I took some safe picks but reached here and there for a few risky, high-upside flex players like Oakland RB Latavius Murray (4.10), new Bills weapon Percy Harvin (11.03), the “Welkeresque” Cole Beasley (13.03), but I didn’t get sucked into positions runs and stuck to my Draft-Buddy-generated cheatsheets. I’m left with what I feel is a good blend of high-floor and soaring upside among my selections, enough to warrant a self-graded B+ with my draft.

 Kirk Hollis - Pick No. 4
RB Le’Veon Bell, PIT 1.04
QB Aaron Rodgers, GB 2.09
TE Jimmy Graham, SEA 3.04
WR DeSean Jackson, WAS 4.09
WR Golden Tate, DET 5.04
WR Jeremy Maclin, KC 6.09
RB Todd Gurley ®, STL 7.04
WR Michael Floyd, ARI 8.09
RB Tre Mason, STL 9.04
WR Torrey Smith, SF 10.09
WR Marques Colston, NO 11.04
WR Breshad Perriman ®, BAL 12.09
RB Charles Sims, TB 13.04
QB Derek Carr, OAK 14.09
TE Heath Miller, PIT 15.04
RB Denard Robinson, JAC 16.09
DEF Carolina Panthers, 17.04
K Blair Walsh, MIN 18.09
Pick #4 - Kirk Hollis

Strategy: My strategy was to try to pick three "elite" players at their respective positions over the course of the first three rounds if at all possible. After landing my top ranked running back, I turned my attention to WR and either QB/TE to make that goal happen. The problem was that I didn't like the WRs available at the 2.09 and 3.04 spots. So, I ended up with both a QB and a TE at those spots as opposed to either/or.

My best pick: My favorite pick was probably either Aaron Rodgers or Todd Gurley. The news that the Packers want to run a more up-tempo offense this season has me super high on Rodgers given that he's already explosive in a more traditional offensive rhythm. Gurley may not contribute big right away, but he's a special talent and I think he'll pay big dividends from late October on.

Final thought: PPR drafts are almost always interesting because WRs go so fast. If you pick anything but a WR in the first round, you can end up with an odd assortment of characters at that position when all is said and done. Such it is with my team- I've got seven serviceable receivers, but I'm not sure any of them are going to be consistently good week-in and week-out. That's the price you pay, I guess, for having a top-two QB and TE on the roster. It was a very challenging draft to say the least.

 Nick Caron - Pick No. 5
RB Adrian Peterson, MIN 1.05
RB Jeremy Hill, CIN 2.08
WR Emmanuel Sanders, DEN 3.05
WR Martavis Bryant, PIT 4.08
RB Joseph Randle, DAL 5.05
WR Vincent Jackson, TB 6.08
WR John Brown, ARI 7.05
WR Davante Adams, GB 8.08
TE Julius Thomas, JAC 9.05
QB Ryan Tannehill, MIA 10.08
RB Knile Davis, KC 11.05
RB Darren Sproles, PHI 12.08
TE Owen Daniels, DEN 13.05
RB Fred Jackson, BUF 14.08
RB Cameron Artis-Payne ®, CAR 15.05
QB Marcus Mariota ®, TEN 16.08
DEF New England Patriots, 17.05
K Phil Dawson, SF 18.08
Pick #5 - Nick Caron

Strategy: I went into the draft at the No. 5 pick expecting that I would be selecting one of the elite wide receivers, presuming that Antonio Brown would be gone by my pick. I was shocked when my No. 2 overall player, Adrian Peterson, fell to me at No. 5. That immediately changed my draft strategy as it became evident that I wasn't going to have an opportunity to get a top-tier wide receiver. I opted to draft Hill in round two and then spend most of my next few picks selecting various young, high upside wide receivers.

My best pick: It'd be hard to envision many scenarios where Adrian Peterson falls to No. 5, so that was a pretty good value in my opinion. Aside from Peterson, I think Joseph Randle in Round 5 has the potential to be a top 10 running back and I was very happy to get him when his FFToday ADP (PPR) currently puts him near the end of the third round.

Final thought: Todd Gurley’s current ADP is 5.05 in FFToday PPR , and he fell all the way to the mid-seventh round while LeSean McCoy, who suffered a hamstring injury in practice only hours before this draft, fell out of the second round. This tells me that the owners in this draft were more conservative than I expected and probably more conservative than most other analysts in the industry. We were more willing to take the "sure thing," likely due to the fact that many of us expected to get good values, particularly at the running back position, later in the draft.

 Doug Orth - Pick No. 6
RB Marshawn Lynch, SEA 1.06
WR Randall Cobb, GB 2.07
RB Frank Gore, IND 3.06
WR Keenan Allen, SD 4.07
RB Ameer Abdullah ®, DET 5.06
QB Drew Brees, NO 6.07
WR Charles Johnson, MIN 7.06
WR Steve Johnson, SD 8.07
WR Steve Smith, BAL 9.06
QB Philip Rivers, SD 10.07
RB James White, NE 11.06
TE Vernon Davis, SF 12.07
TE Kyle Rudolph, MIN 13.06
DEF Houston Texans, 14.07
RB Chris Polk, HOU 15.06
RB Andre Williams, NYG 16.07
K Mason Crosby, GB 17.06
RB Lance Dunbar, DAL 18.07
Pick #6 - Doug Orth

Strategy: I wanted to come away with cornerstones at running back and receiver with my first two picks barring something completely unforeseen (such as C.J. Anderson falling to No. 19 overall) and hammer away at those two positions as much as possible until value presented itself at quarterback and/or tight end. Beyond that, I hoped to come away with at least three capable starting backs and two strong receivers after my first five picks, taking advantage of the deep pool of WR3 candidates that I anticipated would still available in Rounds 6-8.

My best pick: Ameer Abdullah. For all of you that have looked at the first version of my Big Boards, it will come as no surprise that I am choosing the rookie here. I took a calculated risk in the third round by passing him up for a player in Gore that I believe will be a regular visitor to the end zone and made the tough decision to let him slide past me again so I could remain competitive at receiver (Keenan Allen), so I was thrilled when he was still there at 5.6 – a full two rounds later than I have him slotted.

Final thought: For those of you that still believe in a more traditional way of drafting (building a balanced roster as opposed to zero-RB) like I do, grab two receivers you believe in during the first 4-5 rounds and pick your pleasure from a WR3 group that includes Anquan Boldin, Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson and Steve Johnson two or three rounds later to fill your WR3 slot. A modified zero-RB strategy often makes sense for owners at the end of the first round – especially in a league where three receivers must start each week – but I would strongly advise against that approach when the opportunity presents itself to build your team’s foundation around one of the 5-6 elite backs that have demonstrated staying power.

 Jake Gordon - Pick No. 7
WR Julio Jones, ATL 1.07
QB Andrew Luck, IND 2.06
WR Julian Edelman, NE 3.07
RB Melvin Gordon ®, SD 4.06
RB C.J. Spiller, NO 5.07
WR Anquan Boldin, SF 6.06
WR Eddie Royal, CHI 7.07
RB Chris Ivory, NYJ 8.06
TE Tyler Eifert, CIN 9.07
QB Eli Manning, NYG 10.06
TE Delanie Walker, TEN 11.07
RB DeAngelo Williams, PIT 12.06
DEF St. Louis Rams, 13.07
WR Kenny Britt, STL 14.06
WR Michael Crabtree, OAK 15.07
RB Chris Johnson, NYJ 16.06
K Steve Hauschka, SEA 17.07
RB Khiry Robinson, NO 18.06
Pick #7 - Jake Gordon

Strategy: I feel the WR and RB positions are tough to navigate in ’15 and went into the draft focused on building my roster more evenly than I did a year ago when I was the last team to select a wide receiver. I also focused on drafting only players I labeled as “safe” or “high upside.” This was a deciding factor in my selection of Julian Edelman over Brandin Cooks and Jordan Mathews… to play it safe early. Later, I reached for Eddie Royal’s upside over veterans Kendall Wright, Pierre Garcon and Larry Fitzgerald.

My best pick: I’ll take the injury risk of C.J. Spiller in an offense masterminded by Sean Peyton with pick No.55 any day. I feel his specialized role in the offense will actually help him stay motivated and healthy throughout the year. At the discounted price of a fifth-round pick he can put up modest reception totals and be a fine RB2. Or he leads the Saints in targets and carries my team into the playoffs as a low-end RB1.

Final thought: Round 9 stands out in my eyes. Rashad Jennings, Devonta Freeman, Tre Mason and David Cobb are probably going to be their team’s starting running back to open the year. They all have legit RBBC concerns but all of them will be flex options to open the season and one or more could hold down the lead role for a good chunk of the fantasy regular season.

 Eli Mack - Pick No. 8
RB Matt Forte, CHI 1.08
WR Jordy Nelson, GB 2.05
WR Brandin Cooks, NO 3.08
WR Jarvis Landry, MIA 4.05
RB Jonathan Stewart, CAR 5.08
QB Matt Ryan, ATL 6.05
WR Victor Cruz, NYG 7.08
TE Zach Ertz, PHI 8.05
WR Terrance Williams, DAL 9.08
RB Alfred Blue, HOU 10.05
QB Andy Dalton, CIN 11.08
RB Darren McFadden, DAL 12.05
TE Antonio Gates, SD 13.08
WR Donte Moncrief, IND 14.05
DEF New York Jets, 15.08
DEF Denver Broncos, 16.05
K Matt Bryant, ATL 17.08
K Matt Prater, DET 18.05
Pick #8 - Eli Mack

Strategy: Since this is a PPR league, my initial plan was to stock up on running backs with receiving skills. Matt Forte at the No.8 spot was a no-brainer in that regard. I targeted both C.J. Spiller and Ameer Abdullah in the 5th round, but they were both taken the two picks before I selected Jonathan Stewart. Likewise, my targets at receiver were players that I felt would be pass-catching phenoms.

My best pick: I like Brandin Cooks in the 3rd round. I think he will reach the 100-catch plateau as the No.1 receiving option in New Orleans. More than 200 targets went to Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills last year, and both are elsewhere. Those targets have to go to somebody, and I think Cooks stands to benefit the most.

Final thought: I’m not too thrilled with my running backs. Outside of Forte, I’m hurting in this PPR league. I’m hoping that Stewart can make up for his lack of receptions with a boatload of touchdowns, especially since Kelvin Benjamin’s injury. I am comfortable with my receivers. Along with Cooks, I have Jordy Nelson and Jarvis Landry. I’d go to battle any day with those three in a PPR league.

 Bill Anderson - Pick No. 9
WR Dez Bryant, DAL 1.09
TE Rob Gronkowski, NE 2.04
WR Jordan Matthews, PHI 3.09
QB Russell Wilson, SEA 4.04
WR Sammy Watkins, BUF 5.09
RB Isaiah Crowell, CLE 6.04
RB Shane Vereen, NYG 7.09
WR Kendall Wright, TEN 8.04
WR DeVante Parker ®, MIA 9.09
RB Reggie Bush, SF 10.04
RB David Johnson ®, ARI 11.09
DEF Seattle Seahawks, 12.04
WR Cody Latimer, DEN 13.09
TE Ladarius Green, SD 14.04
K Adam Vinatieri, IND 15.09
WR Devin Funchess ®, CAR 16.04
QB Jameis Winston ®, TB 17.09
RB Jonas Gray, NE 18.04
Pick #9 - Bill Anderson

Strategy: Last year I waited on QB and TE and had a bad season. This year I decided to mix it up and get a TE early (Gronk), QB relatively early (Wilson) and go WR heavy in first five rounds. I knew my RB's would suffer but I think the position is so volatile that I might get lucky late, and then work the waiver wire aggressively through the season.

My best Pick: It's not sexy but in a PPR league I like my Shane Vereen pick at 7.09. It's almost a full round later than he is going on average and I needed RB's badly. I do not trust Rashad Jennings to stay healthy and Andre Williams offers zero in the passing game. The Giants will likely pass a good amount and a lot of those should be screens and dump-offs. I think its possible Vereen is a top 18 PPR RB at year's end.

Final thought: With such smart and experienced drafters there were not a lot of surprises and not a ton of talent after the 12th round, although WR was certainly the deepest position for late round value. Looking back, I should have taken a RB over Russell Wilson in the 4th Round, as almost all the "surefire starters" at running back were gone after the early 5th. Lesson learned.

 Joseph Hutchins - Pick No. 10
WR Odell Beckham Jr., NYG 1.10
RB DeMarco Murray, PHI 2.03
RB Carlos Hyde, SF 3.10
WR Amari Cooper ®, OAK 4.03
RB LeGarrette Blount, NE 5.10
WR Nelson Agholor ®, PHI 6.03
QB Sam Bradford, PHI 7.10
TE Jordan Cameron, MIA 8.03
RB David Cobb ®, TEN 9.10
QB Tony Romo, DAL 10.03
WR Markus Wheaton, PIT 11.10
WR Tavon Austin, STL 12.03
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TB 13.10
RB Jay Ajayi ®, MIA 14.03
DEF Green Bay Packers, 15.10
RB Javorius Allen ®, BAL 16.03
K Connor Barth, DEN 17.10
WR Josh Huff, PHI 18.03
Pick #10 - Joseph Hutchins

Strategy: Calling anything I do draft-wise "strategic" would be greatly overstating the case. I'm all about reading and reacting. I equate having a pre-programmed strategy with being inflexible and, potentially, very sorry if things break in unforeseen ways (like, a WR going No.1). Be open to anything, have a clear idea of player values going in, and stick to your convictions. That's my MO. What could possibly go wrong?

My best pick: Well, lots, but hopefully not with the guy I picked in the 2nd round. Seven RBs got selected before the versatile DeMarco Murray. Seven. There aren't seven better RBs in the league right now and there were precisely NONE last year. The change of scenery will make him better even if his touches ultimately decline.

Final thought: I've participated in countless drafts and I don't remember one that featured a WR as the first pick. This tells me everything I need to know about how the game has changed this past decade or so. Receivers are the new running backs, especially in PPR leagues.

 Jason Mitchell - Pick No. 11
WR Demaryius Thomas, DEN 1.11
WR Calvin Johnson, DET 2.02
RB Lamar Miller, MIA 3.11
RB Mark Ingram, NO 4.02
WR Allen Robinson, JAC 5.11
RB Giovani Bernard, CIN 6.02
RB Joique Bell, DET 7.11
WR Larry Fitzgerald, ARI 8.02
WR Brandon LaFell, NE 9.11
WR Eric Decker, NYJ 10.02
RB Bishop Sankey, TEN 11.11
QB Colin Kaepernick, SF 12.02
WR Brian Quick, STL 13.11
TE Josh Hill, NO 14.02
TE Jordan Reed, WAS 15.11
K Stephen Gostkowski, NE 16.02
WR Dorial Green-Beckham ®, TEN 17.11
WR Brandon Coleman, NO 18.02
Pick #11 - Jason Mitchell

Strategy: I didn’t start the draft with any specific strategy, but it became “take what the draft gives me.” My stretch of Joique Bell in the 7th and Brandon LaFell, Eric Decker and Bishop Sankey in the 9th through 11th rounds were all made because I felt they were values too great to pass up. I also fell into a “late-round QB” strategy simply because I couldn’t resist the running backs and wide receivers that were available to me in any of the previous 11 rounds.

My best pick: I loved each of my first three picks, but anyone who doesn’t love their first three picks is doing something horribly wrong. I’m going with Joique Bell in the 7th round. I find it very hard to believe that the Lions are going to forget about him just because Ameer Abdullah is in town. Bell finished as the No.13 running back in PPR last year, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t be a fantasy RB2 again, even with Abdullah around.

Final thought: I have to give two: 1) Expect the unexpected in a live draft environment. I’ve been doing drafts all summer, so you’d think I had seen it all, yet round after round I witnessed players going many, many rounds earlier than I was used to. 2) I very much regret passing on Arian Foster in round 8. I love, LOVE, Larry Fitzgerald as an 8th rounder in general, but now that the draft is over and I can reflect on my team, I’d much rather have RB5 Arian Foster than WR4 Larry Fitzgerald.

 Mike Krueger - Pick No. 12
RB C.J. Anderson, DEN 1.12
WR A.J. Green, CIN 2.01
WR DeAndre Hopkins, HOU 3.12
WR Andre Johnson, IND 4.01
RB T.J. Yeldon ®, JAC 5.12
WR Brandon Marshall, NYJ 6.01
QB Matthew Stafford, DET 7.12
RB Ryan Mathews, PHI 8.01
RB Devonta Freeman, ATL 9.12
TE Jason Witten, DAL 10.01
RB Montee Ball, DEN 11.12
WR Phillip Dorsett ®, IND 12.01
QB Jay Cutler, CHI 13.12
RB Jerick McKinnon, MIN 14.01
WR Danny Amendola, NE 15.12
DEF Kansas City Chiefs, 16.01
TE Charles Clay, BUF 17.12
K Garrett Hartley, PIT 18.01
Pick #12 - Mike Krueger

Strategy: Picking last in the first round, I was prepared to take two receivers at the turn depending on what running backs were available although more likely than not, I would like to pair a WR with DeMarco Murray who I feel comfortable with as my RB1. As it turned out C.J. Anderson and Murray were both available at the end of Round 1 and I briefly considered shifting to a RB-RB strategy before deciding that securing one of my top WRs (A.J. Green) was more important, given the lack of safe receiving options that surely would be waiting for me at the end of Round 3.

My best pick: As the draft unfolded, I found myself in position to stockpile at the WR position, which is never a bad thing to do in a PPR league. That left me needing a quarterback in the middle rounds and while Matthew Stafford doesn’t scream value at the end of the 7th round, it does to me. His weapons are better than ever this season and I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t outperform his 8th-round ADP by a wide margin.

Final thought: If you know your draft spot ahead of time, it’s a good idea to have some kind of strategy and get a feel for what players will be available when it’s your turn to pick in Round 1, but you have to be flexible. Given the way the first round played out, I easily could’ve shifted to a RB-heavy approach and started with Murray and Anderson after two rounds but I had reconciled this scenario ahead of time and decided to stick with what I believe is more sensible approach (RB/WR), given the depth at the WR position and the lack of it at the top of the RB class. Get prepared, practice… you'll be prepared for the most likely scenarios and it will make your draft experience a breeze.





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