I just bet $40 on a UFC fighter named Song Yadong. Never bet against Yadong. Gotta think if the UFC can operate during a pandemic then the NFL can too, right? It better, one donkey can only rosterbate, mock draft and rosterbate to mock drafts for so long! Fortunately I stocked up on lotion back in February when others were foolishly hoarding masks, toilet paper and hand sanitizer, so I’m good for at least another six months. Update: Yadong just won. Give me more Yadong! Anyway, we gathered some big names together—not too close— for another dynasty rookie mock draft. If you missed it, check out our 1QB PPR dynasty rookie mock from the week before. This time we mocked a superflex PPR rookie draft, here’s our industry participants and results:
The Participants
Heath Cummings– CBS Sports
Danny Kelly – The Ringer
Pat Fitzmaurice – The Football Girl
Michael Salfino – The Athletic
Bob Harris – Football Diehards
Howard Bender – Fantasy Alarm
Gregsauce – 4for4
Joe Pisapia – Fantasy Black Book
Donkey Teeth– Razzball
MB – Razzball
B_Don – Razzball
Boof – Razzball
The Results
1.01 J.K. Dobbins RB – MB
1.02 Joe Burrow QB – B_Don
1.03 Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB – Danny Kelly
1.04 Jerry Jeudy WR – Joe Pisapia
1.05 Jonathan Taylor RB – Heath Cummings
1.06 Tua Tagovailoa QB – Michael Salfino
1.07 Justin Herbert QB – Howard Bender
1.08 Cam Akers RB – Pat Fitzmaurice
1.09 CeeDee Lamb WR – Boof
1.10 Jalen Reagor WR – Gregsauce
1.11 Tee Higgins WR – Bob Harris
1.12 D’Andre Swift RB – Donkey Teeth
2.01 Justin Jefferson WR – MB
2.02 Ke’Shawn Vaughn RB – B_Don
2.03 Henry Ruggs III WR – Danny Kelly
2.04 Brandon Aiyuk WR – Joe Pisapia
2.05 Laviska Shenault Jr. WR – Heath Cummings
2.06 Denzel Mims WR – Michael Salfino
2.07 Antonio Gibson RB – Howard Bender
2.08 Michael Pittman Jr. WR – Pat Fitzmaurice
2.09 A.J. Dillon RB – Boof
2.10 Darrynton Evans RB – Gregsauce
2.11 Jordan Love QB – Bob Harris
2.12 Zack Moss RB – Donkey Teeth
3.01 Jalen Hurts QB – MB
3.02 Jacob Eason QB – B_Don
3.03 Chase Claypool WR – Danny Kelly
3.04 Anthony McFarland RB – Joe Pisapia
3.05 K.J. Hamler WR – Heath Cummings
3.06 La’Mical Perine RB – Michael Salfino
3.07 Lynn Bowden Jr. RB – Howard Bender
3.08 Joshua Kelley RB – Pat Fitzmaurice
3.09 Bryan Edwards WR – Boof
3.10 Devin Duvernay WR – Gregsauce
3.11 Eno Benjamin RB – Bob Harris
3.12 Van Jefferson WR – Donkey Teeth
4.01 Tyler Johnson WR – MB
4.02 Antonio Gandy-Golden WR – B_Don
4.03 Cole Kmet TE – Danny Kelly
4.04 DeeJay Dallas RB – Joe Pisapia
4.05 Jake Fromm QB – Heath Cummings
4.06 Adam Trautman TE – Michael Salfino
4.07 Quintez Cephus WR – Howard Bender
4.08 Joe Reed WR – Pat Fitzmaurice
4.09 Cole McDonald QB – Boof
4.10 John Hightower WR – Gregsauce
4.11 Donovan Peoples-Jones WR – Pat Fitzmaurice
4.12 Devin Asiasi TE – Donkey Teeth
Donkey Picks
1.12 D’Andre Swift – D-Swift has no business falling to pick 12, even in superflex leagues. I get it, Detroit is a worse landing spot than a New York City emergency room right now. It’s just not fair to expect anyone to stand a chance in a competition against Kerryon Johnson. Still, Kerryon is probably leaving town after 2021 and Swift is super talented in his own right. He’ll be a useful PPR asset even if it’s a full out Lions committee the next two seasons. Listen to Yadong!
2.12 Zack Moss – On the latest episode of the Razzball Fantasy Football Podcast, B-underscore-Don questioned my ranking of Moss at #32 in my top 40 dynasty running backs update. I told him I wouldn’t be surprised if Moss is the most valuable running back in Buffalo this season as the bruiser steals the goal line work out of the gates. Look for him in the middle second round in superflex leagues and early second round in 1-QB leagues.
3.12 Van Jefferson – Full disclosure, I missed that Antonio Gandy-Golden was still available when I made this pick. I was distracted by Yadong. Kidding, I wasn’t familiar with Yadong yet. But had I noticed AGG, I would’ve jumped into the Golden shower with our without Yadong. Jefferson is a nice consolation prize and maybe the more well polished prospect—touted as one of the best route runners in this class. Only downside is he’s landed with the Rams where Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Josh Reynolds are all established to some degree. There’s a chance V-Jeff quickly jumps Reynolds on the depth chart though.
4.12 Devin Asiasi – I’ve said it before, if Belichick’s dog likes this tight end enough to spend a 3rd round draft pick on him, then who am I to argue? There’s no established tight end in the Pats offense right now, so it’s possible Asiasi contributes immediately. He’s the type of raw receiving first TE prospect you should keep your eye on.
The Steals
1.06 Tua Tagovailoa – Say what you want about Tua vs. Burrow, there’s no way Tua should fall all the way to pick 6 in a superflex rookie draft. I guess maybe if it’s an 8 team league and there’s starting quarterbacks on the wire and you’re caught up watching Yadong, then I can give it a pass. And you should find a deeper league.
3.08 Joshua Kelley – I’m a big Austin Ekeler fan, but I don’t foresee him in a bellcow role. My money’s on Kelley as the change of pace back rather than Justin Jackson. Note Jackson didn’t do much during the Melvin Gordon holdout. Depending on training camp and preseason, I could see Joshua Kelley as a late draft stock riser a la Justice Hill or Darwin Thompson from last year’s class. Let’s hope the end result is a little better than those two.
3.09 Bryan Edwards – This one’s for Boof. He was upset I didn’t highlight Edwards as a steal in our 1QB dynasty rookie mock where he snagged him at pick 25. While I liked that value, Boof was disqualified from the “steals” segment because he passed on my boy A.J. Dillon in order to make the Edwards pick. I love the talent and upside Edwards brings to the table, but wish he would’ve landed on a different team which hadn’t just spent a first rounder on Henry Ruggs III. Still it’s not like anyone would be too surprised if Edwards quickly surpassed Agholor, Renfrow and Williams on the depth chart. Nice pick, Boof! That reminds me, check out Boof and I on the debut episode of our new YouTube show, Fantasy Football Malpractice, where we just so happen to discuss a little dynasty rookie draft strategy:
The Reaches
1.01 J.K. Dobbins – It’s a reach, but it’s a reach I’m alright with. Mocking a dynasty superflex rookie draft is tough because there’s no context as to what other players you have on your fake fake teams. If my superflex dynasty team is loaded at quarterback then I have no issues grabbing a top running back at #1. For me, that’s Jonathan Taylor, but Dobbins could easily end up being the prize of this draft class in the exciting Ravens offense.
1.04 Jerry Jeudy – What I said for Dobbins applies here too, and Jeudy’s my top ranked receiver. But if you’re set on taking a receiver and you have a top 5 rookie pick in a superflex league, then I’d strongly suggest trading down. Taylor, Dobbins, Edwards-Helaire, Burrow and Tagovailoa at the very least should go off the board before the first wide receiver. That said, if there’s no trades in your bizarre league (there weren’t any trades allowed in this mock) then you have to take your guy when you can. Alright, I gotta get back to some pressing business with Yadong!
