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Week 5: the National Football League embarks on the month of October. Spooky Szn. May your fantasy football matchup be filled with ghosts of Aaron Rodgers’ past and freshly carved Jack-Buck-o-Lanterns. This week, we’ll be diving into some particularly scary decisions, such as whether to throw Jonathan Taylor immediately into your lineup and whether or not you should wear fishnets as part of your Halloween costume this year. We’ll also run through crucial decisions regarding Jahmyr Gibbs and Romeo Doubs: are they starts or sits this week? Is it finally time to believe in Darren Waller? I’m no warlock or witch, but all the analysis and insight you need can be found in the words to follow. Week 5 Start vs. Sit begins right now.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Early yesterday morning, the Titans and L.A. Rams completed a massive trade in which both teams acquired a slew of draft picks, and in return, sent a slew of draft picks.

No players were traded, although it felt like Case Keenum was cut immediately. Here’s the full trade…

Titans Receive – 1st round pick no. 15, 2 second-round picks, 1 third-round pick, 2017 first round pick, and 2017 third round pick.

Rams Receive – 1st round pick no. 1, round 4 and 6 picks.

Well, if there is any indication that the Titans want Goff/Wentz, it is now confirmed, as the Rams are giving up an arm and a leg to select a quarterback. Remember, no matter where they finish in their 2017 campaign, the Rams are giving up their first round draft pick. That decision could blow up in their face.

But is it definite that they would select a QB with their first round pick? It is likely, but not set in stone. Carson Wentz and Jared Goff are definitely one of the top options in the draft, but what are the team needs of the Rams? Their biggest team need is definitely QB, as Case Keenum doesn’t really get the job done, and Nick Foles was downright awful. Yet are there any other positions they could address at the first spot? Wide Receiver is another position for the Rams to target in the draft, however top prospects Will Fuller and Laquon Treadwell at the Wide Receiver position are the best in College Football, yet they aren’t Top-5 material. They are definitely 1st-Round material, as there are a few teams that need to address the Wide Receiver position. However, their next team need is where it could get interesting.

As you remember, I had the Titans selecting Cornerback Jalen Ramsey from Florida State in the previous mock draft, yet the Titans no longer have the pick, so where could Ramsey fall to? The third, and next big team need for the Rams is at the Cornerback or Safety position, as their secondary was one to improve last year. So could the Rams select Ramsey, who up until the trade, was one of the top prospects? No.

The Rams were busy in the offseason, and managed to slap a Franchise Tag on Trumaine Johnson, and went out and got Coty Sensabaugh. Their secondary will be a group to fix during the draft, yet during rounds 4, 5, or 6. In the first round, they’ll manage to snag the QB coming out of North Dakota State in one of the biggest blockbuster (draft) trades in the NFL.

I’ll make sure to touch on the Fantasy Impact of Wentz going to Cleveland, and I’ll fix my Mock Draft to accommodate the trade, with new selections for the teams who pick after the Rams.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Welcome to the start of the NFL Season, the Draft!

Believe it or not, the process leading up to the NFL Draft started last preseason, when all of the team scouts gathered to share the plan for collegiate scouting all across the country. They looked at offensive tackles, inside linebackers, and each and every special teams player to formulate an idea for how their team should attack the draft based only on a big board, an entire list of the top prospects of the country. Next, back at their headquarters, teams missed the playoffs, won the Super Bowl, had injuries, lacked certain depth at certain positions, players performed great, players failed to live up to potential, and everything else happened during the course of the regular season. Scouts, the front office, and the coaching staff have met before the pro days, scouting combines, and other individual training sessions, and have fully formulated a answer to the most crucial question: “team needs or individual talent?”.

Teams always approach the draft differently. However, specific positions have to be addressed in the draft, but sometimes, a player might just have so much sheer talent you can’t afford to let them pass. One example could be what the Patriots did a couple years ago. They drafted Jimmy Garoppolo. One might think to themselves “Oh yeah, quarterback is a pressing need in the first few rounds when you have a such lack of talent at the position”. However, Belichick and company saw something in the young thrower and decided that individual talent trumped team needs, and they could address it in the later rounds.

Below, I will make the decision in a mock draft of what teams I believe will take picks based on team needs, and then individual talent. Let’s get to it!

Please, blog, may I have some more?