How many IR slots are we going with?
With Mr. Irrelevant taken, I have finalized the league results and started the new season. Be sure to update your rosters before Thursday! Waivers will be starting right away for claims, and I will update the FAAB per our current rules shortly.
Yahoo messed up the divisions somehow, so I will correct that and double check our schedule meets the correct format, too. That might be done later tonight after I am off work
Nice touch of NFL-style scheduling with me and you facing off in week 1. You’re a 16 point favorite, with an impressive 150 projected compared to my respectable 134.
If our starting rosters stay as-is – unlikely as Saquon is iffy at best – then six of the players we traded to each other will be starting against each other this week. Four for me (Saquon, Mixon, Moore and Davis) and two for you (CMC and Hockenson.)
Here are our preseason Power Rankings, because I always find them so fascinating for some reason? I wonder what reason it is.
- HungryHungryHaruspex 2373.60
- Moridwon (Hamlet) 2223.03
- Warner’s Brothers 2155.90
- New York Fanboys 2152.93
- Nine Inch Neils 2101.33
- Exploding Pancakes 2097.54
- No Use For A Name 2095.48
- The Great Old Ones 2042.00
- Ides of Martz 2036.97
- Overly Sentimental 1983.87
- Peteys 1979.95
- JB’s Gusterrhoids 1970.44
And 2020 for reference:
Moridwon (Hamlet) 2228.13
HungryHungryHaruspex 2205.08
New York Fanboys 2080.70
Exploding Pancakes 2019.11
Ides of Martz 2015.26
No Use For A Name 1964.66
Warner’s Brothers 1960.22
Isotopes 1933.85
JB’s Gusterrhoids 1866.96
Nine Inch Neils 1845.73
Overly Sentimental 1839.37
The Great Old Ones 1822.15
I was going to say that the 2020 power ranking for the New York Fanboys was wildly optimistic, but then I remembered CMC missed most of the season. If he started every game, that projection might not have been insane.
Just weird to see me in win now mode, came so close last year. Let’s see what this year brings.
Quick draft recap for No Use For A Name:
1.03 Ja’Marr Chase - as I said up-thread I would have taken him third because of scarcity, but I do think Chase is the top talent in the draft so happy to get him. I think it was the top 3 players and then a significant drop to the next tier. Chase absolutely tore it up in school but than took a year off, and did not have a good preseason so we’ll have to see.
2.03 Michael Carter - needed to replace some RB depth here with this pick, and Carter had everything expect for the team situation with the Jets. Just a matter of time until an injury gives him the touches, so hopefully he doesn’t fuck it up.
3.03 Chuba Hubbard - had a very good college career at Okie State and was probably on a lot of watch lists to start last season. He just doesn’t have the top end speed /shiftiness or hands to be an everydown back in the NFL, buuutttt he might be the handcuff to the #1 player in fantasy this year so it was worth a 3rd round flyer for a lottery ticket.
I’m last? Really?
See!! It isn’t just my team rankings! Which I will be posting in the next day or so.
Draft Self Review:
TLDR: You guys are so fucked.
1.04 - Devonta Smith
For the record, if Ja’Marr had fallen I would have taken him. But Smith is the most polished and technically sound rookie WR I have ever seen. He reminds me of Calvin Ridley, except with above-average athleticism and just… better. Just better in every way. There’s a homer aspect here, I’ll admit, but Smith has a 96th percentile grade in my rating system which goes back to 2005. There are actually four receivers this year which have 92nd+ percentile grades. I thought it would be cool if I could maneuver around and get one of the four since I started the draft with no better than a 3rd round pick. I got three of four.
I am extremely confident he will succeed in the NFL and should be a flex start for me this year with the lack of weapons in Philly. He’ll be a yearly pro bowl/all-pro candidate starting next year, I’m certain of it. I don’t even feel like I am going to regret this being on my permanent record. Even now, still. There’s no way this goes wrong for me after the edit window closes and I can’t ever take it back.
1.11 - Elijah Moore
The way the prospects settled out, I knew I needed to pick up a couple late 1st round picks to get my guys. Elijah Moore was the second guy I had to have based on his grade. Everyone who sees him play loves him, and the hype is, frankly, out of control. I read reports of beat writers who went to practice specifically to watch other players and ended up with a page of notes praising Elijah Moore anyway. It’s just hard to find holes in his game. His route running is superb (second to Devonta in this class), but he has elite athleticism to go with it. He’s a touch smaller than typical WR1s, but his game is too good for that to be a big drawback. He’s the rare slot guy who can easily play outside and not miss a step. I think Zach Wilson is legit, but part of what will help him capitalize on that is that Elijah Moore and Corey Davis get open effortlessly and often. I am very excited to watch Jets games?? What even is this
1.12 - Travis Etienne
Etienne was someone I really wanted but figured I couldn’t afford without breaking down a quality roster, and it wouldn’t be worth it. When he got hurt, he slipped and the opportunity was too good to pass up. Unlike Cam Akers, there’s no threat of lingering damage or worry about his recovery. I’m in the rare position where I can afford to stash upside picks without needing to rely on them this season because my starting lineup was set before the draft started. I don’t think Etienne is an excellent runner, but there’s no denying he was successful at the highest level of college ball, and his receiving chops make him extremely valuable in a PPR league. I think he’s Kareem Hunt with better athleticism, but not quite as skilled of a pure runner. I was on the fence about trading away Hopkins while he had 2-4 elite seasons left in him, but Etienne falling and getting the chance to take 2 of the top 5 guys of this class made it a no-brainer, to me.
2.04 - Terrace Marshall Jr.
This was always going to be Kenneth Gainwell, but I didn’t expect Marshall to still be here. Grabbing Etienne gave me a chance to be less aggressive on RB in this round, so I took the 4th of 4 elite graded WRs in this class. What I love about Marshall is that he fits what a prototype alpha WR should be. He has great size, outstanding athleticism, and the way he uses his hands is fantastic. I didn’t see a single body catch from him in the games I watched. His situation is crowded, which is I think why he fell, but he does things that the other receivers in Carolina can’t duplicate. I think there is a clear role for him, and it turns out that Darnold has always, going back as far as college, favored his slot receivers. Marshall earned the big slot role in Carolina, and the fit there is great even if he won’t see the volume right away. He won’t help me for a year or two, but I can’t wait to see how he grows over that time.
2.08 - Cam Akers
I missed out on Gainwell, but the strategy to stash elite upside picks for next season made sense to me, so why not double down? The history of RBs coming back from Achilles injuries is daunting and discouraging. I doubt he’ll ever be a RB1 again. But if he comes back to be a quality runner in a committee, like say, a 150 touch guy like Latavius Murray or Jamaal Williams recently, that is worth a pick in round two. Total luxury pick, and a fortunate one as this was the last spot before a big dropoff in talent in the draft. And if he somehow miraculously comes back to full strength? lol
2.11 - Pat Freiermuth
I’ve heard a lot about how Freiermuth would be the best TE in this class if there wasn’t a demigod coming down from on high to declare in this year’s class. I didn’t like the options here, and I nearly reached (a lot, it turns out) for Tony Jones Jr. here. Instead, I took the guy who had potential to be starter level in the future. Not a pick for need, but I like his game and his landing spot.
4.11 - Tony Jones Jr.
I talked enough about him up thread. He pops off the screen in his preseason games, and he now has the opportunity to get enough work to be a startable flex. It helps that he is also the direct handcuff to one of my stars. Very fortunate result here, and I was as excited by drafting him as I was for Etienne, which is absurd. I’m an idiot.
6.08 - Le’Veon Bell
There were two other players I wanted here, and I debated between each. In the end, the chance to make a joke about getting the guy who will probably take over for the guy Omni drafted won out. It’s a 6th round pick, who cares. I can get the other guys when the waivers clear.
In the end, I really love how this draft turned out. With the exception of Kenneth Gainwell, everyone on my pre-draft list that I wanted I ended up getting. I haven’t been this excited for a fantasy season in a long, long time.
RNATB/Nine Inch Neils self-draft review
1.01 RNATB - Najee Harris, RB, Pit
Kind of a no-brainer here, since I didn’t have a need at WR. He’s 23 and for some reason writers seem to think he won’t have a long career. But virtually no RB has a long career (and you’d never predict the ones that do, like Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson who both played for a decade after ACL tears). If he gives me six RB1 seasons I’ll be just fine with that. In any case, he only touched the ball 700 times in four years at Alabama; there are plenty of college players who do that in two years. Really, my only worry is defenses keying on him early because Big Ben’s arm is gone, and Pittsburgh’s apparent lack of interest in upgrading their line.
1.10 Peteys - Trey Lance, QB, SF
This was originally my pick and I traded it for Noah Fant, so I’m “grading” that trade. TEs seem to come into their own around year 3 like WRs did historically, and Fant has been on an upward track through his first two seasons. I instantly regretted trading him away during last year’s offseason. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Denver but Teddy Bridgewater is a checkdown machine, and that will work out just fine. In reality, the plan is for Fant to be my #2 TE behind Tyler Higbee anyway.
2.01 RNATB - Rondale Moore, WR, Ari
I didn’t need a WR, but Moore was clearly the BPA at this point and he’s the kind of player I’ve done well with in this format in the past; because we get points for punt returns and kickoffs I have been able to start little fast WRs with marginal target share (like Tyreek Hill in his first couple of years). He has huge injury concerns, but he’ll never draw double coverage with Hopkins on the field and the Cardinals seem intent on feeding him the ball (he had multiple carries on sweeps in preseason).
5.08 RNATB - Jacob Harris, TE, LAR
This was a perfect time to make a homer pick and I am probably not going to keep Jordan Akins for much longer, so I needed another UCF player for the roster. I watched all of Harris’ college games and always thought he should convert to TE. He was as fast as pretty much anyone on the field (on one of the fastest teams in the country), but he doesn’t have great change-of-direction ability so he didn’t separate well. Given his size, he could have done much better matching up with linebackers and safeties. He’s fourth on the depth chart right now but the Rams will probably run packages for him, and if he can learn to block well he could take over for Tyler Higbee as the #1 when Higbee’s contract is up. I may not have the roster space to keep him on for that long, but we’ll see.
Overall I’m pretty psyched about my current roster. I have the best young quarterback not named Patrick Mahomes and two veterans who could easily finish top-12, a deep and strong WR corps headlined by Stefon Diggs, a good stable of running backs (albeit lacking a true #1 beyond Harris), two top-10 TEs now that Higbee isn’t sharing targets, and the best defense. I also have a kicker.
If Mecole Hardman or Zack Moss can take a step forward, or if Nick Chubb gets hurt, this team can win a championship.
Some random draft thoughts:
The top 3 picks were pre-ordained (I prefer Chase over Pitts, but it’s so close). I would have been happy with either Smith or Williams, but my need for a young 3 down back made me happier to have Javonte. I was surprised Sermon, the 88th pick in the real draft, went before Waddle, the 6th pick in the real draft. Of course I took #35 over #6, so maybe it’s who am I to talk, but I like Williams a ton more than Sermon (or Carter). Seems the positional desperation at RB matters.
Getting QBs who run also apparently matters, because Lance and Fields went well before Wilson and Jones. It will be interesting to see how Lamar Jackson’s career goes, because I think he’s the blueprint for this new age of Vick-ian QBs.
I was also a bit surprised Cam Akers went so highly. I was prepared to grab him later in the year off waivers (if my IR spots weren’t filled, which they usually are), but a) evidence says he’s done and b) to most coaches mind, RBs are replaceable, so I’m not convinced Akers would be a starter even if he comes back. Etienne at 12 was interesting. But, again, even if he comes back, he’s not going to be a team’s workhorse.
Since we’re not done with week 1 waivers, I won’t say who I liked, but I was really hoping Larry Rountree and/or Nico Collins would fall to waivers. Screw you guys.
And don’t tell him, but I liked Omni’s draft. I’d worry that he’ll not be able to process the NFL game fast enough to be an elite QB, but Field’s accuracy and running ability should help him keep the starting job for awhile. Toney in the second is great value (but what the fuck is going on with him in NY? Something weird is up there). Herbert and Williams are good lottery tickets at RB and Fitz is a solid backup QB for a year. Well done.
Finally, I keep wanting to cut more guys, to be more active, and to not wait so long for results (Jesus Christ, Buffalo, give Gabe Davis the #2 job already! And screw you Jerry Jones for ruining Michael Gallups’ value and your own team’s defense by drafting a third excellent WR last year. And while I’m at it, why is Mike Gesicki not seeing a massive amount of playing time?). I have no idea why I’m holding onto guys like Marlon Mack (other than, like Gallup, I think both will be on new teams with big upsides next year) and David Johnson (Oh for the days of yore).
But then I check the draft and see two of my three cuts getting re-drafted by different teams. Maybe I have enough lottery tickets (c’mon Boston Scott!!!) to not feel bad I couldn’t draft Ty’Son Williams.
For reference:
1.01 RNATB - Najee Harris, RB, Pit
1.02 Beef - Kyle Pitts, TE, Atl
1.03 Retro - Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cin
1.04 Jules - DeVonta Smith, WR, Phi
1.05 Hamlet - Javonte Williams, RB, Den
1.06 Gaffer - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jac
1.07 Overly - Trey Sermon, RB, SF
1.08 Peteys - Jaylen Waddle, WR, Mia
1.09 Omni - Justin Fields, QB, Chi
1.10 Peteys - Trey Lance, QB, SF
1.11 Jules - Elijah Moore, WR, NYJ
1.12 Jules - Travis Etienne, RB, Jac
2.01 RNATB - Rondale Moore, WR, Ari
2.02 Beef - Rashod Bateman, WR, Bal
2.03 Retro - Michael Carter, WR, NYJ
2.04 Jules - Terrace Marshall, WR, Car
2.05 Hamlet - Zach Wilson, QB, NYJ
2.06 Gaffer - Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Phi
2.07 Overly - Mac Jones, QB, NE
2.08 Jules - Cam Akers, RB, LAR
2.09 Omni - Kadarius Toney, WR, NYG
2.10 Justin - Josh Palmer, WR, LAC
2.11 Jules - Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pit
2.12 dale - Dyami Brown, WR, Was
3.01 Justin - Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Det
3.02 Beef - Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, NE
3.03 Retro - Chuba Hubbard, RB, Car
3.04 Ellis - Nico Collins, WR, Hou
3.06 Gaffer - D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Sea
3.07 Overly - Tyrell Williams, WR, Det
3.08 Peteys - Tutu Atwell, WR, LAR
3.09 Omni - Khalil Herbert, RB, Chi
3.10 Justin - Larry Rountree, RB, LAC
3.11 dale - Kellen Mond, QB, Min
3.12 dale - Hunter Long, TE, Mia
4.02 Beef - Darrel Williams, RB, KC
4.06 Gaffer - Brevin Jordan, TE, Hou
4.08 Peteys - Vikings, D/ST, Min
4.09 Omni - Ty’Son Williams, RB, Bal
4.10 Justin - Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pit
4.11 Jules - Tony Jones Jr., RB, NO
4.12 Ellis - Gerald Everett, TE, Sea
5.08 RNATB - Jacob Harris, TE, LAR
5.09 Omni - Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, WFT
6.08 Jules - LeVeon Bell, RB, HisOwnMind
FWIW, I thought Everett was the best pick of the draft. I had no idea he was available or I would have taken him with 1.10.
I tend to agree. Seattle’s OC brought Everett over from the Rams when he came for a reason. But the Seahawks still like, and use, Will Dissly, and drafted Dee Eskridge to be their #3 receiver, all of which could mean Everett has his value capped like he did with the Rams.
Gus Bus out for season. That’s the third rat RB out. Jules’ Mr. Irrelevant may have just paid off, and Omni is gonna get some of that action with Ty’Son Williams, who I guess I could’ve taken instead of Darrel Williams but it wasn’t clear at all that he was going to get much opportunity with Gus there.
I think Ty’Son Williams is fine, but if he ends up being the lead back I would be surprised. I have to believe that the Ravens were looking at opening the season with Edwards (who is good! Like, pretty good!) and Williams and felt they needed more. Which is why they signed Le’Veon. Bell looked like he still had something left last season in very limited work, so I felt he was worth the upside if Edwards was hurt. And lo, the joke 6th round pick might be gold! At worst, Bell splits carries, right? And at best, he’s the top guy on a high-powered running offense.
I like it much better when lottery tickets pay off because of talent, not a series of torn up knees in other guys ahead on the depth chart
I guess it is too much to expect Le’Veon Bell to ever show something resembling talent in the NFL. What has that guy ever done??
Got beat out by Darrel Williams last year? Averaged under 4.0 ypc the two years prior to that with the Jets? Had 32 teams find it not worth signing him until the top two runningbacks on their roster blew out their knees?