LOGIN

Friends, family, friends and family…draft time! You’ve seen Donkey Teeth and BDon show off their Friends and Family Drafts, and today, I want to kick off our heavy draft week with a look at how I drafted a .5 PPR Superflex team with the crew over at FTN. There are some notable names in this draft, and a lot of them come from betting backgrounds. In my opinion, betting approaches to fantasy tend to focus on value; you’ll hear a lot about “paying the price” for a player. Gamblers may like a player, but they won’t draft a player at too high of a value. For example, I hear many in the gambling community encouraging their audience to not draft Gus Edwards right now because previous drafters acquired Gus Edwards at a far more affordable draft cost. Of course, that advice applies more to Underdog drafts than Yahoo drafts. Meanwhile, I personally look at the team that I need to create — if I need a player to finish my vision, I’ll take that player regardless of where I am in the draft (within reason). So, without further ado, here’s my team that I drafted from the 5 spot, complete with commentary below. 

Pick Player Pick Player
1.05 Patrick Mahomes 10.08 James Conner
2.08 Lamar Jackson 11.05 Devin Singletary
3.05 James Robinson 12.08 Tyrod Taylor
4.08 Chris Godwin 13.05 Emmanuel Sanders
5.05 Diontae Johnson 14.08 Russell Gage
6.08 Jarvis Landry 15.05 Rob Gronkowski
7.05 Myles Gaskin 16.08 Anthony Miller
8.08 Noah Fant 17.05 Ty’Son Williams
9.05 Tyler Boyd 18.08 Wayne Gallman

Here are the quick takes from the fam: 

  • Yahoo Draft Grade: B-. Yahoo clearly doesn’t like Mahomes/Lamar. 
  • StevePaulo: “You have a bunch of good players…but I don’t see any A’s outside of Godwin…”
  • BDon: “It looks like one of my teams [but you horde too many RBs], I like it.” 
  • Son: “Mahomes/Lamar/Dionte is sexy.”

Patrick Mahomes and Lamar JacksonOK, I haven’t had the chance to draft either of these guys yet this year. So, nothing like starting a superflex draft with two top QBs. 

James Robinson, Chris Godwin, Diontae Johnson, Jarvis Landry, Myles Gaskin: Robinson became the de facto RB1 on the Jaguars this week when Travis Etienne underwent season-ending surgery. Yes, J-Rob is a risk given the new regime basically trying to replace him, but no pain, no gain, right? The Bucs are gonna be lit on offense, so Godwin is a fine WR1, followed closely by Dionte Johnson. Jarvis Landry is not my ideal WR 3, but my theme here was largely based on getting players I hadn’t drafted yet this year. The room was surprisingly soft on RBs, so I got Gaskin — who has been as high as my RB12 in times at my rankings — in the 7th round. Please and thank you. 

Noah FantPeople ask about my Noah Fant rankings. Simply put, he was third in the NFL among TE in yards after catch last year with an awful QB situation. Now he’s got TD Teddy at QB and a healthier team and is projected for elite targets. Please, yes, and thank you. 

Tyler Boyd, James Conner, Devin Singletary, Tyrod Taylor: Boyd still on the board at this point is a steal, and I took that value. Potential 100 receptions in .5 PPR in round 9? OK, thanks! Conner and Singletary are classic backups that could actually be the primary RB1 for their team by mid-season. I also like Conner’s reception upside. Tyrod Taylor was my backup QB — he’ll fill-in where needed, but he’s also not an awful fantasy QB. Keep in mind, I waited until Taylor was the last QB on the board. 

Emmanuel Sanders, Russell Gage, Rob Gronkowski, Anthony MillerSanders has huge yardage opportunities in Buffalo and we’re hearing that he and Josh Allen are clicking, so Sanders could be a huge steal at this value. Gage is a fine backup and will likely start in a few matchups. Gronk is getting more blocking duties than fantasy managers want, but playing with Brady made him elite at times last year and I’ll take that upside. Anthony Miller is basically the WR2 on a team that will pass a lot, and there’s nothing wrong with taking that upside. 

Ty’Son Williams, Wayne Gallman: I’ve been trying to finish my drafts with running backs recently, after noticing how many RBs flip duties in the first few weeks of the season. Would I rather have Donovan Peoples-Jones, or Wayne Gallman? Yeah, I’ll take the backup RB on a run-heavy team and see if he gets traction in the first few weeks. Ty’Son Williams won the RB2 spot on the Ravens, and the Ravens have been the top rushing team 2 years in a row. Gus Edwards cranked out 700 yards in limited usage last year. Williams is a flier that could be a great boon throughout the season. 

How’d I do? What do you think about a J-Rob and Myles Gaskin pairing as my top RBs? What about the Mahomes/Jackson combo — swipe right or left? Let me know where I can improve down in the comments, and have an awesome day!