9. Ides of Martz - Omniscient (69.7)
A team I have a personal hatred for. You’ll see.
QB strength: 6th
Omni has a fascinating group, and how this goes will determine whether his team has a chance to sneak in the playoffs. If Luck comes fully back, he’s fine and this ranking is too low.
There’s Bortles! This was a funny moment in hindsight:
To be fair, that was a reasonable valuation at the time. At THIS time, Bortles is just a guy. I don’t think Trubisky is going to ever be a fantasy starter, but I recognize that his first season is the worst measure by which to make that judgment. He could be this season’s Goff.
WR Strength: 2nd
Lots of resources invested here, and this is a damned fine group. Golden Tate might be on the decline, and I think Thielen will regress without Keenum feeding him contested targets. Even if I’m right, Hogan will probably outperform his projection, and Woods or Golladay will both be fine starts.
RB Strength: 11th
And here we come to my least favorite moment of this league’s history.
…I cut him that season. I fucking hate Alex Collins so much, I can’t even. He’s a starter and very productive one, whatever. God damn it!
After Collins is mostly a load of shit. Of course this is the team that got a miracle gift in Alfred Morris, which makes me hate this team on a personal level. The lesson: take exactly 11 hours and 59 minutes for every draft pick from now, just in case.
Tarik Cohen is a startable asset, but if he’s such a potent receiving weapon from the backfield, how come the Bears try to force feed Jordan Howard targets every single preseason? What a weird situation. I think Cohen is an awesome player, but he’s not someone I want to rely on to start every week.
Omni made a good choice in loading up on RB depth. This ranking will change significantly next season as Michel gets healthy and Wilkins finds a stable role. Chase Edmonds late was a smart, smart pick. I HoPe YoU ReMeMbEr YoU HaVe To HoLd HiM FoR ThRee YeArS GOD DAMN IT
TE Strength: 11th
Kyle Rudolph might not have a ton of time left, but for the next few years he’s a fine option. I wish there was a more exciting option on the bench, but maybe Everett takes a leap. I doubt it.
Youth: 6th
Surprising amount of youth, even for a team with Julio, Tate, and Rudolph. Omni is in a decent place to build a contending team over the next couple season and then open a championship window sometime around 2020 or so.
8. Moridwon - Hamlet (69.9)
A well-balanced, well-constructed team that could easily move up in the rankings. Then again, half this team will be rehabbing a torn ACL by midseason, so it could also end up in the cellar. Of course he already has one IR slot filled.
QB strength: 7th
As for the QBs, Rivers is still underrated as a fantasy passer. He has a season or two left of relevance, so Mahomes waiting in the wings is excellent roster design.
WR Strength: 6th
I think this group is better than the rating. Michael Thomas and Keenan Allen are an outstanding top two. The rating falls because of the lack of startable depth for this season, but there’s some definite upside. This could be a top 3 group next season with Mike Williams and Gallup/Kirk. Well constructed here, as well.
RB Strength: 5th
From 2015:
Holy. Shit.
David Johnson will almost certainly finish in the top 3 this season, and he should keep doing so for another 4-5 years. I think what’s after him is very intriguing. Marlon Mack is someone I liked a lot when I drafted him, but he’s shown some troubling tendencies on the field. Peyton Barber is a serviceable starter for half of this season, affording Hamlet some flexibility. Adrian Peterson is still in the league! I think he’ll be a flex starter for a few weeks until he wears down like he did last season.
Chris Carson looks a lot better on film than people give him credit for. Rashaad Penny was a high pick and has a ton of upside, but if he actually turns out to be the next “fat Eddie Lacy,” Carson will be a good starter. Pretty strong group, top to bottom. I probably shouldn’t have traded Carson in scratch a homer itch.
TE Strength: 12th
Things aren’t great here, obviously. But at least Gesicki has a ton of upside. This could look a lot better next season if Seals-Jones is as good as I think he is, which is pretty good.
Youth: 10th
This is hurt a lot by Rivers maybe retiring in the next season or two. I think Pierre Garcon probably on his last season, as well. But this team isn’t old or vulnerable as it seems. Right now, it’s a middling team that can compete, but probably isn’t quite there. But Hamlet has show deft management and deliberateness in his roster construction, and I’m impressed how he has set his team up to smoothly transition into the next few years without having to make gigantic moves like I have.
7. Warner’s Brothers - Dalej42 (70.5)
NOT IN THE CELLAR ANY MORE
QB strength: 3rd
I feel a lot of pride for this ranking, since this team is half my players. Without a critical injury or two, Dale is definitely not finishing in the cellar.
Russell Wilson is probably the best dynasty QB right now, and Dak behind him is a fine balance. Case Keenum is probably only valuable as trade bait.
WR Strength: 12th
Getting Doug Baldwin back should save this team, but behind him is a hell of a lot of nothing. Mohamed Sanu is a starter, I guess. Calvin Ridley was my least favorite top WR prospect in this year’s draft, but he at least has a starting spot and could see a bunch of targets. He’ll be an interesting case study in whether his route running (excellent) can overcome his athleticism (terrible). I think John Brown shocks people this season and becomes Dale’s every week flex, but even so, that’s probably only a top 25-35 WR ceiling.
RB Strength: 3rd
Todd Gurley is carrying this ranking. I thought he was not only cooked when I traded him, but didn’t give a shit about it, either. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Jeff Fisher is Rich Kotite who can charm an owner.
Derrick Henry is an athletic freak, but there’s a lot of concern he isn’t the best back on the roster. Luckily, Dale also has that other back in Dion Lewis. That makes him matchup-vulnerable, but between the Wilson-Baldwin hookup and the Henry-Lewis pairing, Dale’s team is a time bomb that is randomly going to explode once or twice this season and crush anyone he’s playing. He’s the ultimate wild card this year, and I think someone is going to miss the playoffs because Dale crushed them at the worst time.
There is nothing interesting at all behind the top 3 at RB, to me. James White is maybe going to play, maybe not. Matt Breida is hurt and might be suddenly be a handcuff to Alfred Morris, who always runs effectively. James Conner is an interesting stash, but he might not pay dividends for a few years.
TE Strength: 5th
This is a high ranking, but even so, Dale is carrying way too many TEs. 4 TEs is insane.
Drafting Trey Burton in 2016 was a bizarre pick in the 2nd round of our draft. But Dale held firm, and the investment has matured. I think his hype is overrated because, while he’s athletically interesting, but I don’t see him returning every-week-starter fantasy production. He’s good, but not special on the field.
Vernon Davis is probably retiring after this year. Tyler Eifert is unreliable but a very interesting reserve. Higbee is another Burton-like stash that probably won’t be worth much for a few years. Dale might just be the TE whisperer of the league.
Youth: 2nd
Behind Wilson, Gurley and Henry, the foundation of Dale’s resurgence is set. He needs to start developing the depth of his roster so he has better matchup options week to week, but the hard work is done. Dale should be competitive for several years, starting now. You’re welcome.