I wanted to look back at my Dynamo Dynasty League Startup Draft Grades and compare to where everyone is heading into the final 3 divisional games before playoffs and consolation bracket starts. 

Look back at grades and whether I saw teams as Win Now, Win Later, Balanced, or Win Never:

Draft Grades In Order (Highest to Lowest)

1. Mike B: A- (Balanced)
2. Adam: B+ (Balanced)
3. Colton: B+ (Balanced)
4. Ian: B- (Win Now)
5. Brad: C+ (Win Later)
6. Daniel: C+ (Win Now)
7. Oscar: C+ (Win Now)
8. Ollie: C (Win Now)
9. Cuz: C- (Win Never)
10. Andy: C- (Win Never)
11. Dom: D (Win Never)
12. Mike D: D (Win Never)

From <https://fantasyfootballbrad.com/2023/07/12/dynamo-dynasty-league-startup-draft-grades/>

Of course here are the standings after Week 11 before the last 3 regular season/divisional games:

1. Dom 8-3, 1291.16 PF
2. Ollie 8-3, 1278.56 PF
3. Adam 7-4, 1332.50 PF
4. Andy 6-5, 1204.68 PF
5. Cuz 6-5, 1184.48 PF
6. Oscar 5-6, 1254.86 PF
7. Mike D 5-6, 1254.32 PF
8. Mike B 5-6, 1191.18 PF
9. Ian 5-6, 1136.10 PF
10. Brad 4-7, 1179.04
11. Colton 4-7, 1054.02 PF
12. Dan 3-8, 1088.38

Now let’s talk about the teams prospects and where I was wrong and where I was right.

1. Dom. 

Dom was initially labeled “Win Never” and yet finds himself in 1st place with a playoff spot all but locked up due to his high Points For.  Despite Garret Wilson losing Aaron Rodgers early in the season Dom has been playing great led by #1 Fantasy Wide Receiver Tyreek Hill.  He also has James Cook, D’Andre Swift, and Jaylen Warren who are all Top 20 Running Backs.  Of course early in the season he traded Kyren Williams to Dan for Keenan Allen.  Allen is WR#2 in PPR on the season and Kyren got injured the week after the trade and went to IR.  Dom lost Justin Fields for four games but was able to make it work and finds himself with a chance to compete.  Dom was labeled as “Win Never”.  With aging assets at Wide Receiver (Keenan Allen is 31 and has a weird ass shoulder thing, Tyreek is 29, Boyd is 29, Hopkins is 31) this status can hold true still.  IF he doesn’t win it this year, it might not be pretty for the next couple of years.  He is younger at RB with his trio of studs being all 24-25 years old.  Warren is the 25 year old, but has the least amount of baggage. 

Status?  If he wins, he is Win Now, if he loses he stays in the Win Never column due to his aging assets.

PS: Dom is now on Fantasy Football Brad’s “Do Not Trade With” List. Dom and Brad were in negotiations late into the night on 11/20/2023 and Dom allowed a clerical error to cancel a trade that would help both teams. Due to this Brad is vowing to NEVER trade with Dom.  If there is a creative multiple team trade proposed and Dom is involved it will NOT be accepted.  Dom could offer me all his 1sts for peanuts and the answer is still NO.  Lifetime Ban.  Good luck on waiting for Arthur Smith to dial up plays for Kyle Pitts.  Hope that works out for ya.   

2. Ollie.

Ollie was labeled Win Now and it has held up.   Led by his insane Running Back Monopoly of #15 Derrick Henry, #9 Joe Mixon, #3 Travis Etienne Jr, and Johnathan Taylor who is averaging 13.33 ppr points per game Ollie sits at 8-3 and in 2nd place with 3 regular season weeks to go.  Despite his shallow Wide Receiver assets he’s had a sudden explosion from his Qb #1 Dak Prescott who now sits at Qb #6 on the season with Qb finishes of Qb1, Qb3, Qb2, Qb1, and Qb17 in his last five starts.  With rumors swirling of Travis Kelce’s impending retirement, aging running backs in Henry (29) and Mixon (27), Ollie remains in the Win Now category. 

Status?  Win Now still. 

3. Adam.

Adam was listed as balanced post startup draft and he has remained so.  Currently in 3rd place but leading the league in points scored, Adam sets up to be a consistent playoff team in the league over the next several seasons.  #1 Qb Josh Allen, young studs, #15 Brandon Auyik, #6 Amon-Ra St. Brown, #1 TE TJ Hockenson, and last night he obtained Zay Flowers in a package deal with Dan sending out stud rookie Tank Dell.  Adam’s weakness is Running Back with aging assets like Conner (28) and Dalvin Cook (28), he’ll need to get younger to be able to compete for multiple seasons. 

Status? Still balanced, but RB leans him closer to Win Now mode. 

4. Andy.

Defense wins championships I guess.  Andy was listed as a “Win Never” but here he sits as the 4 seed.  A big reason why is his young core that he established in Herbert-Gibbs-CeeDee have exploded over the past few weeks.  Justin Herbert is Qb #2, Gibbs is now RB #7, and CeeDee is WR #3.  Even aging asset Alvin Kamara is RB #8 on the season despite missing the first 3 weeks due to suspension.  In those 7 weeks he has 50 catches!  Andy has struggled to find consistent scoring from his WR2 Calvin Ridley and his flex positions, but his core has him competing this year. 

Status?  Still win-never, not deep enough to compete this season, not enough to rebuild in next season either. 

5. Cuz.

Cuz was originally labeled as Win Never.  He currently sits at 6-5 and on the fringe of making the playoffs.  The problem is he lost Joe Burrow.  Surprisingly he did not trade for a Quarterback before the trade deadline to try and make a run at this thing.  So one of two things will happen.  Either Cuz makes the playoffs and gets knocked out early or he misses the playoffs and has to try and retool next year.  His team is a bit of a mixed bag with young RBs in #4 Brian Robinson and #11 Breece Hall and a couple young wideouts in George Pickens and Romeo Doubs and #14 Michael Pittman, but his big assets are getting older with #4 WR Stefon Diggs being 29 and #3 TE George Kittle bing 30.  They could have a couple of years left, so Cuz could find himself around the same place next year.  But does he have enough?  Can he go the distance this year without Burrow?  Can he go the distance next year after adding a few younger assets? 

Status?  Closer to balanced then win-never due Brian Robinson and Michael Pittmans’ emergence. 

6. Oscar.

Oscar was Win-Now and this remains for me.  He has his franchise Qb in #3 Jalen Hurts and a interesting group of Running Backs: #5 Josh Jacobs(25), #24 Isaih Pacheco (24), #2 Raheem Mostert (31), #29 Najee Harris (25), and #21 Jerome Ford (24).  He has been getting great production from Mike Evans who sits at WR#11 in his age 30 season.  Amari Cooper is 29, but sits at WR#23.  Cooper takes a hit rest of the season due to Deshaun Watson going out due to karma and injury.  Maybe if he jerked off himself he’d have the shoulder dexterity needed to stay healthy and play the rest of the season.  Cooper Kupp has been on and off the injury report at age 30.  Same with Odell Beckham who is 31.  One nice surprise has been Colts rookie WR Josh Downs.  With Oscar’s middle aged running backs and aging wide receivers he remains in Win Now mode.  If he doesn’t win this year look for him to unload some aging assets to get younger and construct a minor rebuild to try and stay competitive.

Status? Win Now still.

7. Mike Dickinson.

Mike was listed as Win Never but he sits in a good position to either make the playoffs or get a first round bye in the consolation bracket.  The main reason is #1 RB Christian McCaffrey.  While Brad elected to go with 21 year Bijan, Dickinson traded up for CMC and it was been beautiful for him.  He has also had two huge breakout seasons by rookies QB#8 CJ Stroud and #28 Devon Achane who is averaging 20.64 ppr points per game.  Dickinson has also relied on aging veterans that have come on strong in 2023 including 33 year old WR#10 Adam Thielen and 28 year old Kareem Hunt who is averaging 9.66 ppr points per game.  Trevor Lawrence has played like shit, Trey Lance is still a backup, and Drake London still plays for an Arthur Smith team.  Does he have enough to make the playoffs this season?  Does he have enough to retool and rebuild next season?  His winning window is CMC.  How long does he have left?

Status? Despite his record he remains in the Win Never category.  For now.

8. Mike Bellocq.

Our fearless commissioner loves to wheel and deal and finds himself looking up towards the last three weeks of the season.  Mike was listed as Balanced and he remains there.  He has the depth to make a run at this thing either in the playoffs or the consolation bracket.  Lamar Jackson is Qb#5 and he seems to know exactly when to plug in Qb#9 Brock Purdy (which is insanely lucky) as evident of last week here he Started Purdy (26.72) over Jackson (23.96) and won by 0.92 points.  He has 26 year old Tony Pollard and 25 year old Rhamondre Stevenson as his top two running backs and a plethora of wide receiver talent.  Him trading for Trey McBride was bad news for the rest of the league.  Mike has a chance to win now and should compete for the next several seasons. 

Status? Balanced.  Will compete now and for next several seasons.

9. Ian.

Ian was listed as Win Now, but he has to be concerned sitting as the 9th seed with 3 weeks to go.  His season has been a bit all over the place.  He loses Justin Jefferson to an IR stint due to hamstring injury.  It has been lingering.  His Qb situation was a mess for a while, but he finally has Kyler Murray back and Josh Dobbs backing him up for depth.  30 year old Davante Adams has been up and down and got his coach fired.  28 year old Mark Andrews was just lost for the season.  26 year old David Montgomery has missed time due to injuries and may now be supplanted by Gibbs.  And now Kenneth Walker is injured.  I’m sorry Ian.  With JJ still out, Andrews out, Walker looking to miss a couple weeks… it’s not looking good brother. I see Ian missing the playoffs and if he can’t get healthy, possibly having a short exit in the consolation bracket as well.  

Status?  Injures and circumstance has moved Ian from Win Now into Win Never mode.

10. Brad.

Brad was listed as Win Later.  The only one who got this title suspiciously.  His prediction appears to be coming true despite fireworks mid-season when he traded for Patrick Mahomes.  Brad is set at Qb now and in the future with 28 year old Patrick Mahomes and 21 year old Anthony Richardson.  At Running Back he has 21 year old Bijan Robinson and then a hodge podge of terrible.  He’ll ride the hot hand of Alexander Mattison/Ty Chandler and look to waiver wire ROS.  Look for him to add RB in the offseason.  At Wide Receiver he has a young stud in 21 year old WR#13 Jordan Addison.  But he is surely disappointed in Tee Higgins disastrous 2023.  First Burrow was immobile and injured.  Then Tee Higgins was injured.  Then they played in two healthy games together and now Burrow injures his wrist and is out the rest of the season.  We’ll see in the offseason where the 24 year old stud winds up.  25 year old DK Metcalf has also disappointed, but boasts a favorable schedule rest of the season and could make up for the slow start if he’s able to bring Brad a Top 4 pick in next year’s rookie draft.  At Tight End he is deep and young despite trading away Sam LaPorta in the Mahomes deal.  24 year old #10 TE Jake Ferguson benefiting from Dak Prescott’s hot run, 24 year old #18 TE Cade Otton who plays almost every snap for the Bucs, and rookie freak 23 year old #21 TE Luke Musgrave who has shown flashes in his rookie campaign.  Brad also has aging Darren Waller. 

One more thing to mention is Brad has Dan’s 2nd round pick meaning he’ll have 3 picks in the Top 16 picks in the 2024 rookie draft.  (pending Brad and Dan in fact missing the playoffs). 

Status? Win Later still.  It as an appropriate title and look for Brad to compete beginning in 2024.

11. Colton.

What happened?  Colton was balanced meaning he could compete this year but also could compete in years to come.  So what happened to this season?  Busts and Injuries.  Ekeler missed 3 weeks early in the season.  Aaron Jones has missed 3 games and was just injured again.  Zay Jones has missed 6 games.  Dameon Pierce has missed 3 weeks and has been supplanted by Devin Singletary’s emergence.  Treylon Burks has missed five games.  Christian Watson busted.  Skyy Moore busted.  JSN has had a typical rookie WR season, but is suffering by some slight performance regression by Geno Smith.  Colt does have #10 Qb Tua Tagovailoa (25) playing at a high level this season.  #5 WR AJ Brown (26) has been balling out.  And the Gus Bus has been keeping Colton in games as he is currently #10 RB and has scored 10 rushing touchdowns including 9 in the past 5 games?!?  Colton has aging RB’s in Jones, Ekeler, and Edwards.  All his young wideouts look bad right now. 

Status?  Win Later.  An argument can be made that Colton is a Win Never, but I believe his season has been extremely unlucky.  If his aging assets can hold for another season or two he might be able to compete and make the playoffs next season if his luck changes a bit.

12. Dan.

Post draft Dan was labeled as Win Now.  Then he started to lose.  Realizing this he began his rebuild early.  Sending away 28 year old Patrick Mahomes, 31 year old Darren Waller, and oft injured Jerry Jeudy, and his 2024 2nd for young studs Zay Flowers and Sam LaPorta.  He got Kirk Cousins and Kenneth Gainwell as well, but Cousins was lost for the season with an achilles injury and Gainwell is merely a high value handcuff.  Dan later shipped out aging wideout Tyler Lockett and 26 year old Tony Pollard to get slightly younger Rachad White.  But he also included Trey McBride, which I think is going to hurt him in the long run.  On trade deadline night he traded away James Conner and the young stud Zay Flowers for a different young stud in Tank Dell.  Looking at Dan now his build will be around Rachaad White (24), Kyren Williams (23), Chris Olave (23), Tank Dell (24), Sam LaPorta (22).  He’ll hope to get Nick Chubb back sometime next season and still has his 1st round pick which is looking like a Top 6 pick where he could potentially draft his QB of the future. 

Status?  Win Later.  At times his trades appear like he is losing and giving up too many assets.  But his young core is impressive.  Despite losing his 2nd pick in 2024 he does have the pieces to potentially compete in Year 3. 

I hope you enjoyed the write up and best of luck to all of you the rest of the inaugural season!  

-Fantasy Football Brad

Dynamo Startup Draft Grades by Fantasy Football Brad

Introduction:

For those of you who haven’t read any of my writings on fantasy football you can now see that I have a blog on www.fantasyfootballbrad.com.  On this blog I’ll post annual draft grades and sometimes throughout the season other tidbits.  In my Best Buy League of 15 years, I do a weekly write up for recaps and previews.  Each year in both my 23-year-old league and the 15-year-old Best Buy league I type up a long write-up giving each member a grade on how they drafted based on my opinions.  Obviously as our fearless Commissioner likes to say, “opinions are like assholes, everyone’s got one.”  That is what these grades are, my opinion.  Some of my league mates print out their draft grades and put it on their fridge as motivation throughout the season to prove me wrong.  I try to provide some background data and/or information on how I formulated my opinion, but obviously in football there is a good chance I am wrong.  I do these as a data dump to clear my mind after a draft and to (hopefully) provide a little bit of entertainment for my league mates.  Feel free to settle in for a hearty shit one morning and open this bad boy up and see what I think about your draft.  Just a couple of housekeeping items before you dive in, I looked at the draft and graded the teams based on how they drafted a Dynasty Startup team.  Because of the 21 round draft I provided detailed analysis of your first 12 picks and then summarized the rest in the following sections.  Some of you tended to favor redraft or “win-now” strategies, so I summarized my assessment of your team in the “Roster Build Type” section.  I clarify this type in the “Roster Construction Analysis” section.  Then I end with your overall draft grade.  Feel free to leave comments or to plot your revenge.  At the end of the write up I’ll list out the draft grades in order of draft position, highest to lowest grades, and highest to lowest grades in each division.  Enjoy!

1. Ian

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Ian was blessed with the keys to the Justin Jefferson train, and he didn’t botch his opportunity.  Jefferson led the NFL in both catches with 128 and receiving yards with 1,809 last season.  He was the youngest player in NFL history to lead the league in both.  He is 24.  He is an LSU guy.  And I’m bullish on the Vikings offense this season (as evident of my draft) making this the slam dunk pick to start the draft.  My only concern is Kirk Cousins being 35 and in a contract year, so a bit of unknown on who will be throwing him the ball after this season.  At the end of the 2^nd Ian had to take his time on this pick because of the pesky third round reversal.  The reversal meant Ian would have to wait 22 picks before his next selection.  He elected to go with 30-year-old Davante Adams with a new Qb and the 31^st worst strength of schedule this year (according to Warren Sharp).  Regardless, Adams proved last year he could be just as dominate without a hall of fame Qb throwing him the ball and he should continue to produce for the next 2-4 seasons.  He could’ve gone young gun Qb like Herbert or go stud running back like Barkley, but he elected the Top 5 WR and after seeing the rest of Ian’s build, I’m okay with this pick.  At the 3^rd/4^th turn he was gifted from the heavens with Mark Andrews or “Mandrews”.  Todd Monken will turn the Ravens into more of a passing team and they made their intentions evident with the additions of Zay Flowers and OBJ in the offseason.  Andrews is 27 and is coming off of an injury plagued year in 2022, but short-term memory folks may not remember that in 2021 he was the fantasy #1 tight end, scoring more than Travis Kelce.  Slam dunk pick for Ian getting a nasty JJ-Adams-Andrews combo, which is going to be a ppr nightmare for the rest of us.  In the 4^th he went Kenneth Walker.  Walker looked like Chris Carson’s clone last season, making me rub my eyes while watching him to make sure Carson truly did retire due to his neck injury or if the aliens that run the NFL were just playing a prank on us.  Walker looked great last year and is 22 years old.  This pick began the overall theme of Ian’s draft, which was veteran wide receivers and young running backs.  A great strategy for a dynasty startup draft.  Walker’s only concern is the high draft capital used on Zach Charbonnet.  Charbonnet has a little Kareem Hunt/Tevin Coleman to his comparable, so Walker should be fine, even if Zach takes the 1B role.  I personally liked Pollard, Stevenson, and Pierce more than Walker, but Walker is the youngest out of all of them and should last longer in the league.  In the 5^th round he was gifted yet again.  No one wanted Deebo Samuel.  His ADP was 43.8 according to Sleeper and yet he fell to Ian at pick #60.  He is 27 and was made famous by his “wide-back” role in 2021 that caused him to seek a new contract in the offseason prior to 2022.  But with Trey Lance getting injured, Brock Purdy taking over at Qb, and the midseason trade for Christian McCaffrey all of a sudden Deebo’s situation is looking a lot different.  Kudos to the rest of the league for picking up on the differences.  CMC eliminates the need of the “Wide-back” situation.  Purdy’s style of play favored Kittle and Auyik more than Deebo.  The two situations hit him down a few pegs, thus the fall in this draft.  Still, not a bad pick for Ian’s WR#3 and at this position.  I liked rookies Jordan Addison and Quentin Johnston better here, obviously, since I took Addison a few picks later.  But again, Ian went veteran WR and young RB as his strategy.  In the 6^th he started things off with Javonte Williams.  This dude’s knee was FUCKED UP.  He tore the ACL, but that wasn’t the worst of it.  He also had PCL and LCL injuries as well.  Players with this specific type of knee injury only make it back to the same playing level 18.5% of the time.  (According to totalorthosportsmed.com).  I’m not saying it can’t happen, but this fact did move Samaje Perine up my rankings quite a bit, leading me to draft him in Round 12.  Ian went back-to-back veterans in Rounds 7 and 8 with Chris Godwin and David Montgomery.  Montgomery takes over the Jamaal Williams role from last year that saw the new Saint score 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022.  Gibbs will take over the Swift role from last year and could cut into Montgomery’s production, but don’t sleep on Montgomery who is coming in with a chip on his shoulder after being upended by Khalil Herbert in the division rival Bears last season.  Godwin, I love as a player.  He is only 27 and is very talented.   Only concern is Qb in Tampa whether it’s Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask.  With that said the NFC South is hurting and wide open, so Godwin could be a steal at this pick and provide great flex appeal throughout the season if he builds rapport with whoever the new signal caller winds up being.  In Round 9 and 10 Ian went Kyler Murray and Gabe Davis.  Davis being the youngest wideout for Ian so far at 24.  Both players underwhelmed last year.   Murray getting injured and Davis being hampered by an ankle injury.  I’m not high on Murray at all at this point.  Work ethic concerns, the Cardinals are a bit of a dumpster fire roster wise, he is going to start off the year still rehabbing his knee, and he’s short at “5’10”-listed, but looks 5’6” while playing.  In Rounds 11 and 12 Ian went rookie Tajae Spears and veteran Qb Daniel Jones.  Jones will be Ian’s starter probably now and in the future and it helped put a band aid on the Kyler Murray pick for me.  I loved the Spears pick as well.  Derrick Henry is coming to the end of his shelf life and Spears could see passing down work right away.  Especially with the news of Hassan Haskins being arrested last week and was charged with strangling and assault with a deadly weapon on his girlfriend.  Spears should see the field early and often and take on the 3^rd down role, giving Ian RB depth and flex worthy appeal.  In Rounds 13 and 14 Ian broke my heart taking two players I really wanted.  Rookie Israel Abanikanda and John Metchie, newly returned from his battle with cancer that cost him his rookie season.  Metchie will battle to be rookie CJ Stroud’s darling and has Nico Collins and Robert Woods as his main competition.  Israel could start the year as the #2 role as he lists as more talented that Michael Carter.  This is significant news because if Breece Hall isn’t ready for a full workload to start the year Isreal could be a sneaky starting running back to start the year on the newly acquired Aaron Rodgers-led Jets.

Roster Build Type: Win-Now

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Solid core with veteran WRs and young running backs.  Danny Dimes at Qb with Kyler Murray as backup.  Kenneth Walker and David Montgomery to provide solid floors.  JJ and Adams and Andrews for the big-time playmakers at WR1, WR2, TE.  Might have best flex combo in league with Deebo and Godwin depending on Qb situations for both.  Bench is extremely lacking for me hurting Ian’s overall draft grade.  His starters are an A, his bench is a D.  If he can stay healthy, he can make the playoffs, but as we all know that’s a big if in football.

Overall Grade: B-.

2. Oscar

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Oscar’s grade is an F automatically for letting the snake of a commissioner Michael Gilligan Bellocq jump me for Ja’Marr Chase.  My pity party aside, I don’t blame Oscar for the trade back when you consider his desired strategy.  He wanted a top Qb.  With the 2^nd pick he was able to trade back, move up in the 2^nd round, get his top Qb, and acquire a pair of 3^rd round picks in the 2024 rookie draft.  Obviously, 3^rd round rookie picks aren’t that big of a deal, but it does give him ammunition if he wanted to move up in a draft class that includes Qb Phenom Caleb Williams and Legacy Stud Marvin Harrison Jr.  After moving back Oscar was up at 7 and took Jalen Hurts.  The Eagles are loaded, and I have no reason to believe Hurts will regress.  The Eagles did lose all their coordinators to head coaching positions, but I believe they’ll pick up where they left off and compete late in the season for a Super Bowl.  In the 2^nd round Oscar went Cooper Kupp, over younger studs like Chris Olave, Tee Higgins, and Devonta Smith.  Kupp is 30 and the Rams are a bit of a mess right now, but he was playing at an insane level to start the year last year.  If Stafford and him are back to where they were then Oscar could have a Top 3 Qb and Wr locked in to start the draft.  But how long does Kupp have left on the tires?  In the 3^rd round Oscar picked his first running back with Josh Jacobs.  Jacobs isn’t happy about being franchise tagged and is threatening to sit out if a long-term deal isn’t reached.  I don’t blame the guy he set career highs last year in attempts (340), rushing yards (1653), receiving yards (400), average rush (4.9) and tied his high rushing touchdown number (12).  Jacobs is a victim of the running back market.  They have a short career and are highly replaceable.  Jacobs put it all out there last season.  Played hurt.  Overcame adversity and put on dazzling performances including that 33 rush, 229-yard, 2 touchdown performance against the Seahawks in November.  Once running backs get paid it’s not pretty.  (See Le’Veon Bell, Ezekiel Elliot, Todd Gurley, etc.)  We’ll see if the two sides can come to an agreement soon.  In the 4^th round pick 4.2 Oscar took Najee Harris.  Harris has underwhelmed so far in his NFL career.  His rookie year he had a dinosaur at Qb in Big Ben.  Last year his offensive line was atrocious, and he was battling a Lisfranc injury that he suffered in Day 1 of training camp.  He did perform a lot better after the bye week last year and still has time to turn his career around.  All he needs his Kenny Pickett to play better and to not withstand any injuries that could linger.  In the 5^th and 6^th round Oscar continued his no-rookies strategy with Dallas Goedert and Amari Cooper.  Both are great selections and will contribute early and often for Oscar this season.  Goedert is a Top 5 Tight End in one of the best offenses in football.  Oscar gets the Hurts-Goedert stack which could win him some weeks.  Cooper will be in his first full season with Deshaun Watson at Qb and I’m bullish on the Browns passing attack this season.  This of course gives Oscar Cooper Kupp and Amari Cooper and thus, some valuable team name ammunition.  Cooper Trooper?  In Round 7 he went aggressive runner Isaiah Pacheco.  Pacheco helped me win a title in my home league last year, so I’m a big fan of his.  I loved the pick and hope the sophomore performs well this season.  In the 8^th Oscar went Mike Evans.  The 29-year-old has had 9-1000 yard seasons to begin his career, which is incredible.  Last season he looked like dust and his Qb situation has gotten worse.  Can he do it again for Oscar and provide flex worthy weeks in 2023?  In Round 9 Oscar finally took his first rookie in Carolina Panthers Wide Receiver Jonathan Mingo.  Mingo has a path to be Bryce Young’s go-to receiver, but must first stave off veterans like Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, and Terrance Marshall.  He may start off slow, but I like the investment for the 22-year-old here and provided a dash of youth on Oscar’s above average aged team.  In Round 10 he went with JuJu Smith-Schuster.  He got a ring with the Chiefs and then bounced to join Mac Jones in New England.  Bill O’Brien takes over at OC and we’ll see if he can get the offense going for the Pats.  Rumors are swirling about Patriots being favored to land DeAndre Hopkins, but we’ll take a wait and see approach to see if JuJu will be a value pick or a bit of a bust here.  In Round 11 Oscar took another rookie receiver…from the 2015 draft class in Odell Beckham Jr.  OBJ signed with Todd Monken’s Ravens and I liked the pick.  He is 30 and has been injured a lot in his career, so we’ll see what he has left in the tank.  In round 12 Oscar went rookie Josh Downs out of North Carolina.  Downs lands in Indy with physical freak Anthony Richardson.  Downs posted an 86.7% Z-Prospect score according to Late-Round Fantasy Football: 2023 Prospect Guide and drew comparisons to Elijah Moore and Tyler Lockett.  He’ll have to beat out veteran WR Isaiah McKenzie for the starting slot role in the offense this season.

Roster Build Type: Win-Now

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Like Ian, Oscar went veteran wide receivers and younger running backs.  His starting lineup of Hurts-Jacobs-Harris-Kupp-Cooper-Goedert-Pacheco-Evans is very impressive.  Again looking at his bench it looks like a Oscar is a couple of injuries or potential hold outs away from preparing for the 2024 season.  If he can stay healthy with Hurts-Geodert he can make the playoffs in Year 1, but a lot of things need to go right.  The risk of getting aged WRs like this is it shortens your winning window.  Oscar must win now or he could be at the bottom of the dynasty league for many years to come.

Overall Draft Grade: C+

3. Brad

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Brad loses a draft grade for letting the snake Michael Bellocq jump him and take Ja’Marr Chase.  This reminds me of the episode of The Office when Dwight purchases Andy’s Nissan X-Terra after driving down the price and then flips it for a quick profit.  Mikey B’s heartless and dickless move aside, Brad had the 3^rd pick in the draft, not the second, and elected to go with the best running back prospect to enter the NFL since Barkley in 2018.  Why on Earth would a veteran fantasy football player like Brad (who recently got retweeted by Matthew Berry) go running back on the dynasty startup draft when he knows full well that running backs only last 4-6 years while wide receivers last 10-12 years.  He sacrificed long term value for short term value.  All the accountants in the group know that this is a mistake.  I took Bijan because it provided me flexibility in my next several picks.  By having a player that could help me win now (next 4-5 years) I could build for the future OR construct a “win-now” lineup.  Couple Bijan’s talent with Atlanta’s run first mentality, #2 easiest strength of schedule according to Warren Sharp, the wide-open NFC South, and their offseason additions on their defense and offensive line, I’m bullish on Bijan to waste no time in being a fantasy superstar.  CMC was going in the 3^rd round of redraft his rookie season and he didn’t disappoint.  (More on the Falcons run game later).  In the 2^nd round Brad got the guy he really wanted in Tee Higgins.  Tee is entering his contract year at 24.5 years old.  This season he has Burrow throwing it to him.  Next season he could get tagged (since Bengals are about to pay Burrow a billion dollars) or he can find a new home.  He would be the #1 Wide Receiver on half of the teams in the league, so it’s a good pick in the short term (1-2 years with Burrow) and the long term (could increase target share % on new team after this year).  Was very pleased to pick him in the 2^nd.  In the 3^rd round I actually didn’t follow my own strategy.  I had running backs I liked then DK then a note that said “unless someone falls who shouldn’t like Mark Andrews”.  I literally named Andrews and he fell to me, but I passed on him.  Lucky for Ian.  DK Metcalf is 25.6 years old and coming off his career high in receptions (90) and is Establish the Run co-founder, Evan Silva’s Wr#12 for this season.  Seattle’s passing attack has a very favorable schedule.  He fits the definition of a “Manimal” with his physique.  In the 4^th round Brad was torn.  All the analysts had Trevor Lawrence ranked higher than Anthony Richardson because he’s entering his third year and has a ton of firepower around him (Ridley, Kirk, Jones, Engram).  Rhamondre Stevenson and Tony Pollard, two huge workload and prime of their career running backs were available.  But no.  Brad got his guy.  Ian Hartitz sent out this tweet and it influenced my decision:

Worth a shot.  In the 5^th round Mike continued his sniping assault on me by taking Rachaad White, so I went with Alexander Mattison as my RB2.  Evan Silva placed a large bet on Mattison to win the rushing title with 40:1 odds.  To quote the big dog himself, “Alexander Mattison inherits Dalvin Cook’s workhorse role after re-signing a two-year, $7 million deal, 91% of which is guaranteed.  Mattison possesses prototypical feature back size (5-foot-11/ 221) and has been treated commensurately by Vikings coaches in past opportunities to spell Cook; Mattison’s touch counts in his past five starts were 24, 32, 32, 25, and 16.  Last year, Mattison outplayed Cook on a one-to-one basis, finishing 16^th in PFF rushing grade compared to Cook’s 64^th overall placement… I’m willing to draft Mattison aggressively above his ADP this season.”  Did Brad draft a win-now team disguised as a young team?  In the 6^th round Brad took rookie Jordan Addison who takes over Adam Thielen’s old spot on the Vikings.  Warren Sharp and Evan Silva are in agreement that the Vikings defense sucks and this team is going to throw the ball a ton.  Shoot-outs equal opportunities for the Vikings offense so Brad goes back-to-back Vikings.  In the 7^th round Brad had taken Jahan Dotson is every single mock draft at this position, so he wasn’t surprised when Mike snagged him, but he was pissed.  Having to pivot he decided to get Zay Flowers to see what Todd Monken’s offense looks like this year and to get a slice of the pie.  In the 8th round Brad took bulging eyed Kadarious Toney.  Toney is only 24 and has shown ridiculous flashes of athleticism.  But he is awkward and always injured.  If he can stay on the field can he take over as the #1 wideout for the Chiefs?  He’ll obviously play second fiddle to Kelce, but can Toney keep together for a season?  If so, what does that look like?  In the 9^th Brad reached a bit to acquire Bijan’s backup, Tyler Allgeier.  Allgeier rushed admirably last season, breaking Atlanta’s rookie rushing record while ranking #2 in the NFL in EPA/attempt among all RBs with 100+ carries.  Excerpt from Warren Sharps NFL Preview book, “Arthur Smith’s scheme last year allowed his Falcons RBs to rank: #1 in rushing yards, #1 yards per carry, #1 rushing first downs, #2 in EPA/rush, #3 in success rate.”  They also drafted Matthew Bergeron in the 2^nd round who will most likely move to guard and was a much better run blocker than pass blocker at Syracuse.  Brad locked up Bijan and doubled down with Allgeier with a chance of being able to start both in a bind.  In Round 10 Brad snagged his 5^th rookie in Sam LaPorta.  The Lions drafted LaPorta to replace TJ Hockenson.  LaPorta could get looks early in the season with Jameson Williams suspended the first 6 games, but it’s best to limit rookie tight end expectations as it typically takes them awhile to acclimate to the NFL.  In the 11^th round Brad went Elijah Mitchell.  Mitchell is 25.2 years old and backs up Christian McCaffrey for the Niners.  McCaffrey had a few years of injuries but was able to stay on the field for most of last season.  Mitchell was not and is more injury prone than McCaffrey.  Whoever holds the keys to the Niners run game is going to compete week in and week out, so worth a shot.  In the 12th round Brad traded back with his brother Andy.  Andy approached Brad with a trade to swap 12th and 13th round picks in exchange for Andy’s 2024 4^th round pick.  Brad obliged and took Samaje Perine and Kirk Cousins.  We know Brad is bearish on Javonte Williams knee and recovery.  We also know Brad is bullish on the Vikings passing attack.  Here he secures the Cousins-Mattison-Addison stack on the Vikings.  Perine was a priority add for Sean Peyton and should contribute as they work Javonte back from that devastating knee injury.  Perine’s pass blocking will get him more snaps than people realize.  Cousins is 35 and in a contract year.  Brad drafted Cousins for a 1-year rental in case Richardson needs time to develop and win the starting role over Gardner Minshew in Indy.

Roster Build Type: Win-Later

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Brad called all-in on the 2023 draft class, which will determine whether this team is good or dogshit.  It’s a bold move with a sprinkle of win-now by building around the Falcons and Vikings.  Brad doesn’t have a RB#1 from previous years.  He doesn’t have a WR#1.  Nor a TE#1.  Kirk Cousins was Qb #7 last year, meaning he is a Qb#1.  Brad drafted based on potential.  Bijan’s potential is in the Barkley-CMC range.  Anthony Richardson’s potential is in the rookie Cam Newton-RGIII range.  Tee Higgins is a WR#2 and so is DK Metcalf.   Toney is an unknown.  His bench is handcuff running backs and rookie wide receivers.  If Brad can get lucky at the beginning of the season with some wins he could make a run late in the season, but how many things have to go right in order for him to win now?  Too many for my liking.

Overall Grade: C+ (Could be an A, could be an F, life’s more fun when we are left guessing)

4. Mike B.

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Scheming, back-stabbing, pick-stealing, no-good mother trucker picks right next to me and systematically and methodically snipes me on every odd numbered pick in the first ten rounds.  Enough venting let’s focus on the draft and not our now shaky friendship.  Mike made a move and snagged Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s Butt Buddy and long-term friend.  I agree with the decision and have no quarrels.  He’s a stud, he’s 23, money pick.  Let’s just hope he doesn’t celebrate a touchdown and break his hip…again.  In the 2^nd round after Mike swapped and drafted after me, he took Devonta Smith.  I like this pick a lot.  Smith was my next best player after Tee Higgins.  Smith had 5 weeks as a Wide Receiver #1 in 2022 including week 3 where he was the WR #1 that week.  He only had 4 dud weeks giving Mike a solid WR#2 to start his draft.  In the 3^rd round he had Lamar Jackson fall into his lap.  Lamar just got paid, is 26, adds Todd Monken as OC, and the Ravens added Zay Flowers, OBJ, and Rashad Bateman should be returning as well.  Add all these factors with Lamar Jackson’s hot start in 2022 where he averaged 34.8 fantasy points per game in the first 3 weeks and you’ve got a solid QB to lead this dynasty team.  He has been injured the past several seasons, but if he can stay on the field, look out.  In the 4^th round Mike went Rhamondre Stevenson.  I was torn on Pollard, Stevenson, or Pierce here, but I understand Rhamonster’s allure.  He’s 25 and Damien Harris is a Buffalo Bill.  There are a lot of rumors of the Patriots wanting to sign a veteran like Fournette or Dalvin Cook, but as of right now this looks like a solid RB#1 for the next couple of years for Mike.  In Round 5 he took Rashad White (who I’ve drafted in 5/5 best ball leagues so far).  White is 24 heading into his sophomore campaign and Lenny Fournette is gone.  He was serviceable last season when Fournette was out due to injury but regressed late in the season when Brady started peppering Fournette 20 times per game for reasons we’ll never understand.  White doesn’t really have any backfield competition.  Chase Edmonds was signed, but there’s a reason Arizona, Miami, and Denver all said, “no thanks”.  Dude kind of sucks.  Whether the Bucs are good or God awful, Mike chased the backfield ownership and volume opportunity for his RB#2.  In Round 6 Mike snagged rookie Quentin Johnston.  Johnston scored out as a 93.4% Z-Prospect Score according to Late-Round Fantasy Football: 2023 Prospect guide and drew comparisons to Tee Higgins, Alec Pierce, and Breshad Perriman.  He’ll have to get past two aging and oft injured wideouts in LA with Keenan Allen being 31 and Big Mike Williams being 29.  Overall, I like the pick.  In Round 7 he really pissed me off by taking Jahan Dotson.  Dotson caught 7 touchdowns as a rookie and showed flashes of stardom with 14.94 yards per catch.  I didn’t particularly care for the Kendre Miller pick in Round 8.  I’m not high on Miller because I’m very high on Jamaal Williams this season.  Kamara is still around, so I don’t think Miller will be fantasy relevant this season unless there is an injury to Williams or Kamara.  Perhaps the Saints move on from Kamara after this season, Miller would still be sharing the backfield with Jamaal Williams who signed a 3-year deal.  In Round 9 I didn’t particularly care for Mike’s pick of AJ Dillon either.  Dillon was supposed to be 1B last season for Green Bay and he was more 2A.  It was a lot more Aaron Jones than most people anticipated I think.  Dillon’s saving grace was 7 touchdowns, which could easily regress this year.  His yards per carry have gone down each year since his rookie season (5.26-4.29-4.14).  If Love can be average and Green Bay decides to split the carries a bit more evenly than last year, then maybe this will be a good value pick.  I’m just glad Mike picked him so I could get 1000-yard rusher and 4.93 yards per carry Tyler Allgeier with the next pick.  In the 10^th round I loved Mike’s pick of Chig Okonkwo.  Extremely talented, young tight end with not much competition for targets.  In Round 11 he snagged rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims.  Mims comparable WR is Jerry Jeudy, so I thought when they drafted him, Jeudy would be traded.  Alas, Jeudy is still there and the more I hear out of Broncos camp it’s more Courtland Sutton is the odd man out having performed poorly in relation to his opportunities last season.  Regardless, Mims has a chance to get some work in as a rookie and look for him to replace one of the big two next season.  In Round 12 Mike drafted Damien Harris.  Harris has a chance to be the early down and goal line back for the Bills high scoring offense.  A sneaky add by Mike gives him potential RB depth and might make Dom look like an idiot for drafting James Cook 3 rounds earlier.  Mike then traded back into Round 12 just to pick next to me in an ill-fated attempt to fuck with Brad.  It was quite humorous, but his pick was even funnier.  Jakobi Meyers will go from Mac Jones to Jimmy G and face the second toughest schedule this season.  He’ll play second fiddle to Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and whichever tight end gets the most action out of Mayer, Howard, and Hooper.  He had a few weeks of relevancy last season, but not consistent enough to bank on starting him this season.  We’ll see how his rapport with Jimmy G goes and whether he can build on his career high 6 touchdown catches from last season.  But I’m not banking on it.

Roster Build Type: Balanced.

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Mike has a great mix of young studs and veteran contributors.  This team looks built to compete early and often in this league.  Mike hit the sweet spot.  There’s a chance his RBs blow up in his face this season, but with Mike’s fantasy management dedication and skillset I have no doubt he’ll be in the playoffs competing late into this inaugural season.

Overall Draft Grade: A-

5. Daniel

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Dirty Dan has the 5^th pick and locks up his stud Qb in Patrick Mahomes.  Mahomes secures him a Qb1 for this season and many more to come.  One less position to worry about and I’m A-Okay with the pick.  I projected all 4 of the top Qbs to go within the first round, so someone had to get the ball rolling.  In the 2^nd round I also loved the Chris Olave pick.  The 23-year-old had a solid rookie campaign and now gets a slight upgrade at Qb in Derek Carr.  The Saints have the easiest schedule in the league this season.  Michael Thomas can’t stay healthy.  Olave is gonna smash this year and many years to come.  And you get to root for the hometown Saints.  Win-Win-Win.  One could argue that Waddle should’ve been taken prior to Olave, but I won’t knock you on the Saint over the Bama product in Miami.  In Round 3 you secured your RB #1 in Nick Chubb.  Chubb has been a monster and word on the street is he’s getting more work in the passing game now that Kareem Hunt is gone.  He’s averaged over 5 yards per carry every season in his career and has scored at least 8 touchdowns every year of his career.  Last season he was RB#6 on the season in PPR.  The concern for Chubb is longevity.  He’s now 27 and has 1,210 career rushing attempts.  That’s a lot of usage for a running back.  I like him as an RB#1 this season and maybe for next season, but how long can the Chubster perform at this level?  In the 4^th round Daniel took Tony Pollard, which I loved.  This game him a solid RB duo for this season in Chubb and Pollard.  Pollard was RB#8 in ppr last season and now Zeke is gone.  Reminder that Zeke ran 231 times for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.  Mike McCarthy is also taking over play calling duties with Kellen Moore gone to LA and McCarthy has been vocal in his plans to run the ball more.  All these factors spells “smash spot” for Tony Pollard.  Only concern is the fact that he’s coming off of fractured left fibula.  These injuries can take 3-6 months to heal.  The injury occurred in January in the NFC Divisional playoff game against the 49ers.  He was also a free agent heading into the offseason, but the Cowboys invested in a 1 year $10 million dollar deal to keep Pollard on.  We’ll see what happens after this year.  In Round 5 Daniel locked in his win-now style draft with Jerry Jeudy over rookies Addison and Johnston.  Jeudy has had a few injuries, but when he’s on the field he plays great.  In the final 6 weeks last season he finished as a WR 1 or 2 in 4/6 weeks.  That includes his Week 14 Wide Receiver #1 ranking when he caught 3 touchdowns against the Chiefs.  We’ll see what he can do this season and if Sean Peyton can squeeze blood out of the Russel Wilson turnip or not.  In Round 6 I wasn’t a fan of the Keenan Allen pick.  Allen is the third best WR option for the Chargers and might be done after this season.  He’s 31, often injured.  This was a win-now move, but not the good kind.  I would have much rathered an RB #3 in Aaron Jones or Joe Mixon, or a young wide receiver like George Pickens, Marquise Brown or Terry McLaurin here.  In Round 7 you went James Conner.  Love the volume, hate the team he’s on.  Rebuilding and dumpster fire of a roster.  Kyler is going to be MIA to start the year and they play the Niners twice.  There is a lot worse RB 3’s out there in the league, but I liked Pacheco and some of the young wide receivers here better (Dotson, Flowers, Godwin, Toney).  In Round 8 Daniel continued his assault on youth with 30-year-old Tyler Lockett.  But if there is a 30-year-old receiver to be able to do it then why not Lockett?  Geno Mahomes is gonna be slinging it again this year.   JSN will be involved, but I can see Lockett staying a WR2 or 3 this season.  I don’t see him repeating his #13 WR overall PPR finish from a year ago though.  No chance.  In Round 9 you took Darren Waller the Baller.  I liked this pick.  After Njoku was off the board you get Waller who Danny Dimes is going to love.  In Round 10 you finally went young with Rashee Rice, the Chiefs 2^nd round pick.  Rice was graded as 78.1% in the LRFF: 2023 Prospect Guide with comparisons to Cecil Shorts and Mohammed Sanu.  Not great.  What was great was the capital used on him (2^nd round pick) and his location (the Chiefs).  Toney is always hurt and JuJu is a patriot.  Mecole Hardman is a Jet.  Kelce is 32.  Someone has to catch the balls from Mahomes.  I doubt it’s MVS, so not a bad shot from the hip pick to see what happens.  In Round 11 you got Rashad Penny.  Penny looked great on the Seahawks before he got hurt.  But getting hurt was the story of his time in Seattle.  We’ll see if he can stay healthy being part of a running back rotation in Philadelphia between D’Andre Swift, Kenny Gainwell, and Boston Scott.  (Trivia note, I lost a parlay bet during the Super Bowl because Scott couldn’t rush for one more fucking yard after the first quarter, so fuck that guy).

Roster Build Type: Win-Now

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Daniel’s starting lineup is solid.  He’s going to compete in 2023.  I love the Mahomes-Goff combo at Qb.  His running backs are just awesome…for this season.  His Wide receivers and flex plays are solid…for this season.  But if Allen, Lockett, Conner and Chubb are dust after this season then Daniel might be hurting next year and beyond.  Also, I don’t understand why anyone would draft Ronald Jones the guy is absolute garbage.  Loved the AT Perry and Foster Moreau picks late and I will probably be attempting to trade for your tight ends at some point this season.

Overall Draft Grade: C+.  This is a great redraft team.  Not a great dynasty startup team.

6. Colton

First 12 Picks Analysis:

A-Okay with AJ Brown here at 6.  I probably would have drafted him at 4 if I was there and JJ- Chase-Bijan were all gone.  Brown is a stud, has a crazy high ceiling each week and plays on one of the best rosters in the NFL.  He’s only 26 and in the prime of his career.  Slam dunk pick.  In Round 2 you secured Austin Ekeler.  Ekeler is 28 years old but is coming off his #1 Rb PPR season with the exact same backfield make up and an improvement at Offensive Coordinator.  Ekeler should smash this season and hopefully you can get a couple seasons out of him before he fades into the sunset.  In Round 3 you got Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the #1 Wide Receiver prospect in the 2023 draft.  He went to the Seahawks, which is exciting as he could make an impact right away on a pass heavy team.  Will JSN take Tyler Lockett targets this year or next?  In Round 4 you took Dameon Pierce which I loved.  He was awesome last season.  The Texans sucked, but his running style was fun to watch.  If I wasn’t obsessed with Anthony Richardson’s athleticism it was a tough choice between Pollard, Stevenson, and Pierce in the fourth round.  If CJ Stroud can take some of the pressure off of Pierce, look out.  In Round 5 and 6 you went Packers.  First you went Christian Watson continuing your youth streak.  Watson kind of exploded for those 7 touchdowns last season.  Then you went to Aaron Jones.  Jones is almost aged out at 28 years old, but he looked great last season.  He out touched AJ Dillon 272 to 214 and averaged more per rush (5.26 vs. 4.14).   The obvious concern for both these players is the change at Qb.  Jordan Love is not Aaron Rodgers.  He is one of the biggest questions marks this offseason.  What do the Packers look like in the post-Aaron Rodgers era.  In Round 7 Colton got Treylon Burks.  Burks is a bit slower than many of the young studs, but he flashed some razzle dazzle in the middle of last season.  Establish the Run has Treylon Burks as their dynasty player #22 overall!  I’m not that high on him, but I think you got great value here in round 7.  In Round 8 you got Tua to lead the helm.  It’s just unfortunate he can’t wear a helm-et that can protect his weak ass head.  All eyes continue to be on the Dolphins franchise to see how they deal with Tua’s recent bout with concussions.  My opinion is you either play the game or don’t, but once you make that decision you live with that decision.  Or die with that decision.  Or whatever.  Tua has a lot going for him with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to throw to.  Miami can also compete in the AFC North with Buffalo.  They also have a trio of talented running backs in Mostert, Wilson, and rookie Devon Achane.  You might remember Achane as the bitch that ran all over LSU last year.  In Round 9 Colton took David Njoku.  LOVE this pick.  Was depressed when it happened.  Browns are going to throw more this season.  Watson will be more comfortable on this team (not as comfortable as forcing women to jerk him off during massage sessions apparently) and may set career highs in passing yardage and touchdowns.  How much of that love is going to come the way of 27-year-old 6’4” 246-pound David Njoku is the question.  He was TE #10 in PPR last year.  In the 10^th round you went to Cole Kmet.  I don’t like it.  He’s young, but the Bears signed Robert Tonyan for a reason.  You also drafted him over Greg Dulcich which you will regret for years to come.  In Round 11 you took Sky Moore.  He didn’t do anything last year, but maybe the second time is the charm.  Then you snagged Pierce’s backup in Devin Singletary.  I personally had Khalil Herbert and Perine ranked higher than Singletary in terms of value here, but I understand wanting to get your backups (see me taking Algeier early and then taking both backup Vikings backs later).

Roster Build Type: Balanced.

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Colton did a great job creating a formidable team for this season and loaded up on young wide receivers to keep the party going for multiple seasons.  I loved the late round stashes of Latu and Levis.  He used his taxi squad well.  I didn’t care for his mid round picks like Kmet, Moore, and Singletary, but he started and ended the draft very well.

Overall Draft Grade: B+

7. Mike D.

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Dickinson traded up from pick 1.07 to pick 1.04 and was the mastermind behind the 3-way trade that rocked the draft before it even began.  He wanted to ensure he got his guy, Christian McCaffrey and was willing to part with a 2024 3^rd round pick and moving back 4 picks in the 2^nd round to do it.  CMC had a few rough seasons in Carolina after being a stud in his first three NFL seasons.  The slump ended when he was traded from the hapless Panthers to the Kyle Shanahan led San Francisco 49ers.  Shanahan’s running game is legendary and runs in his blood.  (That’s a Mike Shanahan reference for you old hats out there).  CMC finished last season as a PPR monster and finished the season as PPR RB#2 overall.  He does have a lot of usage under his belt and is 27 years old, but I know Mike D is a 49ers fan and this was a good pick to lock in a stud RB for the dynasty startup draft.  If we aren’t having fun, then what the hell are we doing?  In Round 2 Dickinson was blessed with a gift from the heavens in Jaylen Waddle.  I don’t think people understand how good Waddle is and how great of a fit he is in Mike McDaniels offense.  He was PPR WR#8 last year in his sophomore season.  He’s 24 years old.  And he had some monster plays last year.  Slam dunk 2^nd round pick at 2.9 after the trade back.  In Round 3 you took Drake London another monster.  Establish the Run has Drake London as their Dynasty Player #8 Overall.  Not wide receiver, like the 8^th best player in their dynasty rankings which is absurd.  London is on a run first team that added Bijan Robinson and has Desmond Ridder as their starting Qb.  But here’s the thing.  When Ridder started playing at the end of last season London kind of exploded.  Over the last four games he averaged 9 targets, 6.25 receptions, and 83.25 yards receiving.  He was at least a WR3 each of those last four weeks and he didn’t catch a single touchdown during that span.  I liked DK Metcalf, Lamar Jackson, and Mark Andrews better here, but London does have some sex appeal on his potential.  In Round 4 Mike made the prudent choice that I couldn’t make.  I passed on T-Law for A-Rich.  But Trevor Lawrence really turned the corner in the second half of last season.  Entering Year 3 and his weapons have gotten ever better with the addition of Calvin Ridley.  Lawrence is only 23 and will provide valuable QB play for Mike’s fantasy team for years to come.  This is where Dickinson’s draft went down hill for me.  I didn’t agree with any of his next 10 picks.  He started with a great core and then just came crashing down my rankings and my draft grades.  JK Dobbins’ knee is not okay.  I don’t know if you’ve seen that thing, but my God.  It has bolts sticking out of it.  When he returned last year and was deemed “healthy” he broke off a long run and his knee looked like it had two extra bones sticking out of it and he ran with a noticeable limp.  He looked like he should be in a wheelchair and not anywhere near a football field.  You drafted him over Rashad White, Alexander Mattison, and Dallas Goedert and I just hated the pick.  I could be putting too much into what I saw with my own eyes, but I’m not touching the guy with a 10-foot pole.  In the 6^th round you took DJ Moore.  I like DJ Moore.  I don’t like DJ Moore on the Bears.  It could work, but even if you factor in an uptick for passing opportunities, his projected target share percentage, Fields making a jump as a passer, and their offensive line getting better I don’t see how Moore outperforms what he did as a Panther.  He had three straight seasons of 1100+ yards receiving prior to last year, but last year was a bust.  Despite his down year he was PPR WR#24 because he scored 7 touchdowns.  If he sees a ridiculous 30% target share and all those things happen, I could be eating my words, but for me I didn’t like it.  In Round 7 you took Cam Akers.  Akers and the Rams were just gross last year.  Their offensive line hasn’t improved much.  Maybe Stafford and Kupp will come back and they can stay somewhat competitive, but Akers looked slow and not like his former self prior to his Achilles injury.  Achilles injuries in running backs have historically been the kiss of death (see Marlon Mack, Tarik Cohen, James Robinson, etc).  Maybe Akers can be the exception, but I wasn’t drafting him.  In Round 8 you took a flier on Devon Achane.  Wilson and Mostert get hurt a lot and are older, so I get the appeal.  This pick wasn’t your worst.  Next round you took Michael Mayer the phenom tight end out of Notre Dame.  The 6’4” catch machine landed on the Raiders who seemed to freak out after trading away Waller in the offseason.  After trading Waller they signed OJ Howard, Austin Hooper, and drafted Michael Mayer in the 2^nd round.  Mayer might take a while to get going, but I love him as a future tight end prospect.  I would just dial back expectations for him this season as rookie tight ends don’t typically pop off like you would think.  In Round 10 you took CJ Stroud.  Stroud looked great against Georgia.  Just not great while taking the S2 Cognitive test which he bombed, badly.  His quote was hilarious prior to the draft when he said, “I’m not a test-taker, I play football.”  The test was about football for God’s sake, and he bombed it.  Big red flag for me, but those Georgia highlights…  In Round 11 you took Courtland Sutton.  Sutton went 6 rounds after Jerry Jeudy which was mind blowing.  Sutton finished as PPR Wide Receiver #43 last season.  Jeudy was #22.  He also missed a few games.  Is that gap worth the 6-round gap in drafting position?  Is Sutton salvageable with Sean Peyton in town or will they trade him either midseason or after this season?  In Round 12 you took a flier on Jalin Hyatt, rookie for the Giants.  Hyatt looked like DeSean Jackson for Tennessee last season.  Torched Alabama.  I’m talking en fuego.  6 catches for 207 yards and 5 touchdowns torched.  It was beautiful.  Buck Fama.  He also caught a couple of touchdowns against LSU but we don’t need to talk about that.  I like the prospect, but I don’t like the Giants depth chart.  Hyatt will be competing with Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Jamison Crowder and David Sills.  They’ll have to cut some of them, but I feel like Hyatt’s game is similar to Slaytons.  Could be stashed on Taxi until this pecking order becomes clearer.

Roster Build Type: Win-Never.

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Dickinson got the dreaded Win-Never build type.  It is neither a competitor for this season nor did it build for the future.  His core of T-Law, Waddle, and Drake London will be needed during his inevitable rebuilds in 2024 and 2025.  I don’t think he can rely on the likes of CMC, Dobbins, Moore, Akers, or Sutton in the near future.    Making matters worse was his questionable pick of Trey Lance in the 13^th round, drafting 5 quarterbacks overall, and the fact that he already is down a 3^rd round pick in next year’s rookie draft.  Dickinson likes to wheel and deal in fantasy football, so maybe he can manage this team, but this draft was not it for me.

Overall Draft Grade: D is for Dickinson.  I hope you prove me wrong.

8. Ollie

Analyse des 12 premiers choix:

Je ne sais pas si je devrais noter le brouillon d’Ollie ou les classements de repêchage automatique prédéfinis de Sleepers, mais c’est parti.  Ollie est allé JT dans le premier et j’aime vraiment ce choix.  JT a été gêné par un mauvais jeu de ligne offensive, un mauvais jeu QB et une blessure persistante à la cheville la saison dernière.  Cette année, c’est complètement différent.  Anthony Richardson pourrait réduire le nombre de sacs qui ont fait partie de Matt Ryan ou qui ne devraient pas faire partie de la formation de la NFL Sam Ehlinger la saison dernière.  Taylor a 24 ans et entame sa 4e saison dans la NFL.  Lors de la saison 1, il a couru pour plus de 1000 yards et 11 touchdowns.  Dans la saison 2, il était RB#1 au total.  Et dans la saison 3, il a terminé en tant que PPR #33 Rb manquant 7+ jeux.  Il est toujours le même RB qui a couru pour 1811 verges en 2021.  Anthony Richardson va aider JT et je pense qu’il lui reste quelques bonnes saisons.  Au 2e round, Ollie est allé à Travis Kelce.  Kelce est généralement Tight End #1 et est un tel avantage à avoir sur votre liste de football Fantasy.  Alors que les gens jettent Dawson Knox le dimanche en espérant qu’il tombe dans la endzone, Kelce affiche des numéros RB # 5 à la position.  Le delta entre lui et les gens qui jouent au jeu td au tight end est un tel facteur de différence.  La seule préoccupation est le temps du père.  Kelce a 33 ans.  Combien de temps peut-il durer?  Tony Gonzalez, qui a joué 17 saisons, a pris sa retraite après sa saison de 37 ans.  Cela donnerait à Kelce 4 saisons de plus si elle peut égaler l’incroyable parcours de Tony Gonzalez.  Je ne sais pas, mais laissons les bons moments rouler.  Au 3e tour, Ollie a commencé le dessin automatique, je crois.  Il était en panne.  Etienne dans le 3ème était un autopick après 4 heures de temps coché.  Je ne l’aurais pas repêché avant Chubb si j’avais gagné maintenant et je ne l’aurais pas repêché au-dessus de Walker ou Jacobs si je construisais pour l’avenir.  Je n’ai donc pas aimé le choix d’Etienne.  Au 4e tour, vous êtes allé avec Derrick Henry.  The Big Dog a terminé en tant que PPR RB#4 l’année dernière.  Il a couru pour 1538 yards et 13 touchdowns.  Établir des sommets en carrière au chapitre des cibles (41), des réceptions (33) et des verges de réception (398).  Il a 29 ans et les Titans sont un peu nuls.  Que va-t-il se passer ?  Une saison de plus pour la route ?  Les titans roulent avec Tannehill et Henry une année de plus puis reconstruisent complètement?  Je me rends au tournoi de golf caritatif à Lake Tahoe ce week-end et Mike Vrabel est censé être là, alors je vais lui demander pour toi Ollie.  Deshaun Watson a été le choix de 5e ronde d’Ollie.  J’ai aimé le choix.  Watson devrait très bien faire cette saison.  Cela s’annonce comme une grosse année qui passe pour les Browns.  Et il est logique qu’Ollie l’ait emmené alors qu’il était en France, car je suis sûr qu’une masseuse française n’aurait aucun problème avec certaines des « demandes » de Watson.  Au 6e tour, Ollie a ajouté Joe Mixon.  Il y avait des rumeurs pendant la saison morte selon lesquelles les Bengals laisseraient partir Mixon en raison de sa performance, mais ils restent avec lui cette saison.  Au 7e tour, Ollie est allé avec son premier WR!  Christian Kirk!

Type de construction de la liste : Win-Now.

Analyse de la construction de l’effectif: Ollie est chargé de running backs et très faible au poste de wide receiver.  Son jeune noyau est Watson (27 ans), JT (24 ans), Etienne (24 ans) et Christian Kirk (26 ans).  Ollie est à égalité avec Oscar pour le roster le plus âgé de la ligue avec une moyenne d’âge de 27,1 ans.  Il a le meilleur tight end et le meilleur groupe de running back de la ligue, mais son manque de wide receivers dans une ligue PPR complète est très préoccupant.  Avec Henry et Mixon au bord du précipice de poussière, Ollie doit gagner maintenant, sinon il sera bientôt en mode reconstruction.  Attendez-vous à ce qu’Ollie essaie d’échanger l’un de ses vétérans running backs contre un receveur plus jeune plus tard dans la saison si les choses ne semblent pas être en mesure de rivaliser dans la dernière ligne droite.

Note globale du repêchage : C

9. Adam

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Josh Allen has finished as the Fantasy Football Qb#2, Qb#1, Qb#1 in the past three seasons.  There are rumors going around that the Bills are committed to running Allen less, but until I see it with my eyes I’m going to go ahead and assume Allen is going to continue to ball the hell out.  He has been incredibly consistent in terms of fantasy football production.  In 2022 he scored 409.24 fantasy points and in 2021 he scored 409.58 fantasy points.  My prediction for this season is for him to score 409.4 fantasy points.  Great pick to lock down the 27-year-old fantasy stud at Qb.  In the 2^nd round you were handed a gift from Dom, Andy, and Cuz as they all managed to pass on the Sun God, Amon-Ra St. Brown.  Brown is 23 years old, finished as the #7 ppr WR last year and that was in 16 games, not 17.  He had 146 targets last season and caught 106 of them.  This season the Lions open with 3 teams that finished below average in pass protection and in potential shootout games with the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Falcons.  Quentez Cephus is no longer a Lion.  Jameson Williams is suspended for the first 6 weeks.  TJ Hockenson is a Viking.  Sam LaPorta is a rookie.  The only target competition might be Marvin Jones Jr.  Last season Amon-Ra started the year with games of 20.4 and 39.4 fantasy points.  He was targeted 12 times in both games.  I think he starts the same this year.  Slam dunk of a pick.  Establish the Run has Amon-Ra as their 7^th best player in dynasty overall.  You got him at pick #16.  In the 3^rd round you had Saquon Barkley fall to you.  This provides you with a solid trio of Allen-Barkley-Amon-Ra.  Barkley is also not happy about his contract situation.  The Giants paid Daniel Jones, but tagged Barkley.  Barkley hasn’t threatened to sit out the season like Josh Jacobs, but there is definitely something brewing amongst the running back position.  (Update: As of today (7/12/2023), Barkley IS threatening to sit out this season).  Barkley is 26 and was finally able to stay on the field last season.  He wind up as the #5 PPR RB.  Great pick.  Brian Daboll was fantastic in his first year as the Giants head coach and looks to build on that momentum in Year 2.  In Round 4 you went Brandon Auyik for your WR#2.  The 25-year-old Auyik wind up as the WR#15 in PPR last year and is hoping to build on his career highs in targets (114), receptions (78), receiving yards (1015), and touchdowns (8) heading into Season #4.  The glaring question mark is the Qb position.  Will Purdy be ready?  Will Lance go away?  One of the things that impressed me most about Auyik’s year last year was his fantasy consistency.  In the last 9 weeks of the season Auyik had at least 9.6 fantasy points in 8/9 games.  He had one dud week (3.9) and one boom week (26.7), but other than that he was just a solid WR3/4/Flex play.  In a full ppr double flex league I like this pick.  In Round 5 you got an incredible steal in TJ Hockenson.  He’s only 26 and last year was peppered with targets once he was traded to the Vikings.  Dom and Cuz are going to get reamed in their draft grades for drafting Bust Kyle Pitts and oft-injured George Kittle over Hockenson.  Dumb.  But Adam gets to benefit.  Hockenson was Tight End #2 in PPR last year and that was with a terrible start to the year in Detroit.  He finished with 129 targets.  Now Jordan Addison comes in to replace aging Adam Thielen, but still.  Kirk Cousins is turning 35 and his arm strength isn’t what it used to be, which wasn’t all that strong to begin with in NFL Qb standards.  Look for Cousins to check down to his Tight End and Running Backs a good bit this year.  Just a slam dunk pick and I’m jealous.  In Round 6 you took a risk with Dalvin Cook.  He’s a free agent, so it’s tough to gauge his worth.  Since I don’t know where he’ll play, I’ll focus on what I know.  He didn’t play great last year.  As I mentioned in my draft grade about Alexander Mattison, Cook finished ranked #64 rushing grade last season.  His shoulder is constantly hurt.  How much does he have left in the tank?  He’s 27 and on the outside looking in right now.  For picks like this you must also look at opportunity cost.  By drafting Cook, Adam passed on George Pickens (22) and Marquise Brown (26).  We’ll see what happens, but I didn’t like this pick.  In Round 7 and 8 you went with a pair of veteran wide receivers which I really liked.  Terry McLaurin is underrated year in and year out.  He just needs some decent QB play.  But what he has been able to do with the Qb dumpster fire in Washington is nothing short of miraculous.  He’s 27, so he’s got another 4-5 years in him too.  In Round 8 you went with Big Mike Williams.  Williams is 29, so he too can have a couple years left in him.  I loved this pick because of Kellen Moore calling plays for the Chargers this year.  Thought he was great value and I liked him more than Diontae Johnson and Tyler Lockett who went before him in this round.  In the 9^th you drafted Dalton Kincaid, rookie tight end on Buffalo to create the Allen-Kincaid stack.  Word on the Twitter streets is that Kincaid is going to have a more Mike Gesicki type of role and line up out wide and in the slot more.  That’s good news considering the Bills no longer have Isaiah McKenzie or Cole Beasley and only have Trent Sherfield as their WR#3/slot guy.  Hockenson and Kincaid give Adam my favorite Tight End group in the league.  In Round 10 you went Roschon Johnson.  Johnson will serve as your RB#2 as of right now until Dalvin Cook signs somewhere (if he signs somewhere).  Roschon has a great opportunity, but it’s going to be tough to supplant veterans Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman.  If he can, then he has great potential at the end of this season.  To finish the year the Bears have a VERY favorable rushing schedule including games against Detroit (27^th), Cleveland (29^th), Arizona (23), Atlanta (25) and Green Bay (31).  (Numbers reflect rank of 2023 defensive rush efficiency).  So, whoever gets the largest slice of pie out of the Chicago backfield can be a league winner.  The question is, will it be Roschon?  In Round 11 you went Darnell Mooney.  I don’t really care for the pick.  He seems like nothing to me.  He was super hyped last season and he wind up having 3 double digit fantasy performances before being hurt and finished as the #71 ppr wide receiver.  In Round 12 you drafted Zach Evans.  A late 6^th round pick doesn’t provide the draft capital to believe he’ll be a factor this season, but the Rams running backs were awful and awkward last season and Akers is coming off that achilles injury, so anything can happen.

Roster Build Type: Balanced.

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Adam put on a clinic in the first 5 rounds and then continued in rounds 7,8, and 9.  He built a solid core that will help him compete this year and in the future.  Allen-Barkley-Amon-Ra, Aiyuk, Hockenson with plenty of wide receiver options in the flex and a few rookie running backs.  The glaring hole for Adam this season is running back #2 and his depth.  In the later rounds he was drafting role playing wide receivers when he should have been continuing to add running back assets to see who can hit.  Unfortunately, his running back situation knocked him down from an A- to a B+ for me.

Overall Draft Grade: B+.  Great draft overall.

10. Dom

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Dom was looking at something when he was drafting, but it certainly wasn’t the same things I was looking at.  Pretty much picked different players at every pick than I would have taken.  Buckle your seatbelts because this is going to be a bumpy ride.  Diddling Dom began his draft waiting until he was on the clock to put his pick on the trade block.  He did have some offers as our drunk asses were stumbling onto the 10^th hole after doing double tequila shots, but he elected to pass on the trade and take his guy Garret Wilson.  Wilson has been hyped to ridiculous levels this offseason.  Aaron Rodgers!  Moore is gone!  I get it.  Wilson is 22 and finished as PPR WR#21 last year with some piss poor QB play.  He also won rookie of the year honors.  Mike White looked alright at one point and then got injured.  Zach Wilson was just terrible (in Charles Barkley’s voice).  Establish the Run agrees with Dom’s choice here, but I don’t.  I’d rather CeeDee Lamb or Amon-Ra St. Brown here.  Rodgers might play a season or two so we’ll have to see if it truly elevates Wilson’s game to another level from last year.  But let’s be honest.  Rodgers didn’t look great last season.  He was Qb#28 in points per game (14.1) and averaged 13.4 passing points per game, the fewest in his career.  I’m sure he’ll be motivated and improve dramatically this season and maybe he can do what Tom Brady and Brett Favre did at the end of their careers and make a late postseason run, but we’ll have to wait and see.  In addition, the Jets added Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman in free agency, so we’ll have to see if that impacts Wilson’s target share.  In Round 2 Dom solidified his win-now strategy by taking Tyreek Hill over younger wideouts like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Chris Olave, and Jaylen Waddle.  Tyreek is 29 years old and was in the news for another offseason incident where someone is pressing charges against him.  But the Cheetah is a freak and speed demon and is just so much fun to watch.  I thought about taking him if he fell to me in the 2^nd, but I don’t think I could’ve taken him over some of the younger studs out there.  Tyreek has said that he plans to retire after this contract is up.  His contract is over after the 2026 season given Dom the Cheetah for 4 years.  A lot can happen between now and then, but this wasn’t the move I would have made.  In Round 3 he had another head scratcher going Justin Fields.  Don’t get me wrong I love running quarterbacks and it’s true that if he wanted him, he needed to take him here because I was licking my lips hoping he would fall to me.  But I did still have Lamar Jackson ranked higher than him.  Lamar is 26 compared to Fields 24, already has an MVP under his belt and now gets paid, huge upgrades with Zay Flowers, OBJ, and healthy teammates coming back in Andrews and Bateman and then they also added Todd Monken as OC.  I do believe Fields leaps this year and does better than last year.  But does he finish higher than Lamar Jackson?  No, I don’t think so.  In Round 4, Dom took Kyle Pitts.  Pitts was so hyped last year only to bust so fucking hard the Earth shook.  Dom took him over TJ Hockenson.  Pitts is only 22.8 and already has two seasons under his belt.  I get that.  But he’s on a run first team with an unproven QB.  I just don’t know.  If you were in win now mode, I think Hockenson or Goedert would have been the play here.  In Round 5 you took your first running back in D’Andre Swift.  Swift should be motivated after a frustrating year where the Lions limited his touches and snaps tremendously as he worked his was back from yet another injury.  I don’t see the Eagles giving him a big workload.  I think they continue their running back rotation with Swift-Penny-Gainwell-Scott.  Swift is the most talented out of that group, but can he stay on the field?  Maybe it’s plug and play and he takes Miles Sanders exact production from a year ago and finishes as RB #15 in PPR, but I don’t know.  In Round 6 you took DeAndre Hopkins.  Hopkins will sign somewhere, so this a typical offseason risk/reward type of pick.  You took him over George Pickens, Marquise Brown, Terry McLaurin, Christian Kirk, Treylon Burks, and Jahan Dotson.  Going back to win-now mode with this decision.  In Rounds 7-9 you took three consecutive running backs.  Zach Charbonnet, Antonio Gipson, and James Cook.  I liked these picks and provided you with some running backs to work with.  Charbonnet was drafted as if he’s going to see work despite Walker being the 1A RB in Seattle.  Gipson might be the guy?  He should catch passes, which is valuable in PPR.  James Cook is also more likely to take snaps in the two-minute offense and on third downs as opposed to Damien Harris or Latavius Murray for Buffalo.  Overall, I like the trio.  In Round 10 you took Rashad Bateman.  Bateman looked great until he got hurt.  He opened the year with back-to-back weeks with a touchdown.  We’ll see how things shake out with Zay Flowers and OBJ entering the mix, but I like the value for the 23-year-old here in Round 10.  In Round 11 you reached for Jerick McKinnon.  He went off at the end of last season.  Over the last 6 weeks of the regular season, he had 2 weeks as the #1 RB, and 3 weeks as a RB1, 2 weeks as a RB2, and his worse finish was RB30 but it was in Week 18 when fantasy didn’t matter.  During the last 7 weeks he had 8 receiving touchdowns and 1 rushing touchdown.  All that gave him a ppr rb finish of #20.  We all know he’s 31 and he has gotten injured a lot in his career.  But shit man.  If Dom throws him in the flex and he has a little stretch like that it’s worth the pick.  In Round 12 I loved his Jaylen Warren pick.  Warren carved out a little role for himself even when Najee Harris had come back to full health.  He handled 40% or more snaps post bye week in 4/9 weeks.  (two of those weeks shouldn’t count because he got injured).  He’ll mostly serve as a handcuff in case Najee gets hurt, but I liked the pick.  Also wanted to add I loved the Geno Smith pick in Round 13.  Geno Mahomes is going to ball out again this season and it gives him a solid backup to Fields.

Roster Build Type: Win-Never.

Roster Construction Analysis: 

Ranking Dom’s team was rough for me.  I made it obvious I was going young and potential.  Oscar made is obvious he was going for win now.  Dom was a bit all over.  It’s more on the balanced side than Win-now I would say, but then I just don’t like his team.  If I was drafting at pick 10 my team would probably have started with Lamb-Waddle-Jackson.  I looked at KeepTradeCut to see if I was missing something, but they agreed ranking Dom as the 11^th team out of our 12-team league in terms of dynasty values.  They have him ranked 8/12 at Qb, 9/12 at Rb, 8/12 at WR, and 2/12 at Tight End.  I don’t think he has the RB firepower or wide receiver depth to make a run this season.  His Fields-Wilson-Pitts core is the balanced part, and he can build around those guys, but I didn’t like the team he constructed around the core for this year.  Maybe he can rebuild it in 2024 or 2025 and turn this from a win never to a win later type of situation.

Overall Draft Grade: D is for Dom.

11. Cuz

First 12 Picks Analysis:

Breece Hall over CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown was egregious in my opinion.  Hall is great.  He will be great.  But he’s coming off a torn ACL and will start the season slow.  Maybe Aaron Rodgers gets this offense clicking and the Jets make a run this season and Hall tears it up, but the 1^st pick in a dynasty startup draft, taking a player you are going to build your franchise around and you take the guy coming off the ACL tear?!  Over CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown?  Thank God Andy had his sites on Gibbs and Joe Burrow came back around to you in the 2^nd.  Burrow will be nestled in your Qb1 spot for the next 8 seasons and the joy of watching the LSU God ball out each year will be very joyful for you.  I predicted he would go in Round 1, so I’m not surprised he went within the first 14 picks of the draft.  In Round 3 with the third round reversal, you had pick #26.  You took Stefon Diggs.  Pretty good.  Pretty good.   29 years old coming off ppr wr finishes of #4, #7 and #3.  As Allen goes, Diggs goes.  Of course, I’ll never forgive him for the Minnesota Miracle.  Fuck that guy.  In Round 4 you took George Kittle over TJ Hockenson.  (insert loud buzzer noise here).  Swing and a miss!  Kittle is 29 and has played in every game in a season once in his career, back in 2018.  He plays super aggressive, which is fun to watch as a football fan, but not as a fantasy football manager.  You always must worry about him coming up limping.  Now he wears a ridiculous looking helmet too.  Hockenson is younger and will get more targets this season.  Kittle finished as TE#3 last year in PPR but was carried by his career high 11 touchdowns.  Purdy looked at him in the redzone, so maybe that can continue, but I’m banking on some touchdown regression back to where he normally gets in the 5-6 touchdown range.  In Round 5 you made a good pick in Miles Sanders.  He gets the keys to the Panthers kingdom with a whole new offense and coaching staff.  He’s out to prove he was buried in the stupid Eagles running back rotation and he is looking to break out.  Foreman looked great at times last season rushing for the Panthers, so we’ll see if the rushing attack can provide Sanders with the opportunity to match his top 15 running back finish from a year ago.  The NFC South has favorable schedules this season so this could be a great value pick.  In Round 6 you took George Pickens.  Love the talent and the pick here.  I know for a fact Andy wanted him badly at this pick and you sniped him.  In the 7^th round you took Michael Pittman.  Pittman might be okay, but I worry about his role in the offense.  I think Richardson is going to improve his dynasty value for sure, but I wind up taking Alec Pierce later because I thought he might be a bit more consistent than Pittman.   I liked McLaurin, Burks, and Dotson more than Pittman here.  In Round 8 you took Brian Robinson.  Robinson could have the early down running back role locked up in Washington.  Gipson hasn’t proven he can be the every down guy.  Washington has kind of sucked, but maybe Sam Howell can bring the wolfpack up from the ashes and deliver more scoring opportunities.  Let’s just hope Robinson doesn’t get shot.  Again.  In Round 9 you took a flier on Michael Thomas.  Thomas came back last year and looked like a monster until getting hurt. Yet again.  He scored 3 touchdowns in the first two weeks then hurt his foot and he was done.  Maybe he can come back, and the Saints can ride the slot boy train to victory land, so I’m okay with the pick here.  He is aged 30 so it’s more of a win now move.  In Round 10 you broke my heart by taking Greg Dulcich.  I tried to trade up with Dickinson here but instead he wanted to stay put and take one of his five mediocre Qbs instead.  His loss.  And my loss.  But Cuz’s gain.  I like Dulcich a lot.  Watching him at UCLA he was just floating out there in the middle of the field and no one could guard him.  It translated into his rookie campaign where he was able to tease his potential with 3 games of at least 8 targets over his final four.  He is 23 and will be ready to rock when Kittle inevitably misses time.  In Round 11 you took Aaron Rodgers.  This gives you some flexibility if Burrow hits a rough patch, but A-Rod only has a year or two left.  In Round 12 you let Mike trade with you to jump me.  You wind up taking Deuce Vaughn in the 13^th with the pick and you swapped your 5^th round pick with a 4^th round pick.  It was fun and I won’t dock you for the move.

Roster Build Type: Win-Never.

Roster Construction Analysis: 

The young core of Burrow-Hall-Pickens-Dulcich does give you future potential and the veterans of Rodgers-Sanders-Diggs-Kittle gives you balance.  But is it enough?  Is the roster enough to compete this season and is the young core enough to compete in the seasons to come?  The Jets schedule isn’t very favorable, and I expect a very slow start for Hall this season.  Maybe Sanders and Diggs can carry the roster early and then Hall can come on late and make a playoff run, but looking at this team do I see a true competitor for the inaugural season?  No.  Looking at the young guns do I think it’s enough to compete in the near future?  Also no.

Overall Draft Grade: C-.

12. Andy

First 12 Picks Analysis:

As the rest of us Bozos were drafting our first player Andy patiently waited his turn to take his first and second player.  His patience paid off as CeeDee Lamb, Establish the Run’s #6 overall dynasty player, FantasyPros #4 overall dynasty player and KeepTradeCut’s #5 overall dynasty player dropped to him.  I think his drop came down to people in this league not wanting to root for the Cowgirls and because of McCarthy’s promise to score less points and slow the offense down by running more.  Lamb finished as PPR WR#5 last season.  He is 24.  I think it’s a slam dunk pick for Andy.  In the 2^nd round Andy reached for Jahmyr Gibbs.  The Bama product was a monster in college and now gets to replace D’Andre Swift in Detroit.  Gibbs was ranked as 98% Z-Prospect Score and drew comparisons to Alvin Kamara and Giovani Bernanrd.  (Reminder that Bijan’s prospect score was 98.6% meaning Gibbs is closer than many people give him credit for).  The Lions did sign David Montgomery to a three-year deal and Montgomery is 26 implying he still has meat on the bones for his NFL career.  I think this move most likely stemmed from a couple of factors.  1. Andy wanted a Qb after the 3^rd round reversal and had his sites on Herbert.  And 2. Andy realized that running backs dried up extremely quickly before he picked again at the 4/5 turn.  This information then led Andy to decide WHICH running back to take rather than which player to pick.  Then his choices came down to Ekeler, Gibbs, or Barkley.  Out of that group I can see Andy going Gibbs due to age in a dynasty startup draft.  I would have probably gone Amon-Ra St. Brown here getting the deadly CeeDee-Amon-Ra combo at WR and patching together the RB situation later, but to each their own.  In Round 3 Andy got his beloved Justin Herbert.  I think this is a great pick.  Kellen Moore and the addition of Quentin Johnston has me bullish on the Chargers passing attack this season.  Herbert was Qb#11 last year and was down across the board statistically recording fewer yards, touchdowns, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and completion percentage than his 2021 sophomore campaign.  He did, however, improve on his interception total and I like his chances to bounce back and finish higher in the rankings this season.  He’s also 25, so he has another 7-8 years locking Andy’s Qb position up and giving him one less thing to stress about.  In Round 4 and 5 Andy lost me.  I loved the Herbert-Gibbs-Lamb start, but then he reached on 27-year-old RB Alvin Kamara who will most likely be suspended for the first 6 weeks of the regular season.  Andy also took 28-year-old Calvin Ridley who will be playing his first ball in almost two years after having an injured riddled fourth season then being suspended all last season for betting on games.  Ridley did finish as PPR WR #5 back in 2020 in his third season/breakout year.  My concern is the crowded weaponry in Jacksonville as much as the rust that may need to be shaken off.  Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram all had career seasons last year for Jacksonville.  I don’t know how the target share and production is going to be sliced up this year which has me avoiding the situation.  I have a couple of T-Law and Zay Jones exposures in best ball, I think.  The slam dunk pick would be T-Law, but I even passed on him for some reason.  Andy took Ridley over TJ Hockenson and several other players I would have considered.  These two picks really deflated my grade for Andy.  In Round 6 and 7 it was okay.  Marquise Brown is a good pick.  He flashed signs.  Andy needs Kyler Murray to come back in a hurry to get Brown up to production.  Jameson Williams also showed flashes but is also suspended the first 6 weeks of the regular season.  Andy will have weaponry coming in midseason but might start off slow.  In Round 8 he got his boy Pat Freiermuth.  Pat F. did very well last year and managed a top 10 fantasy tight end finish in ppr (#8) despite only catching 2 touchdowns.  I’m not sure if the addition of Georgia freak Darnell Washington will impact his positive td regression or not, but if Pickett can play at a higher level, then this could be a sneaky good pick for Andy here.  In Round 9 Andy got one of my favorite players in the NFL in Jamaal Williams.  Fresh off his crazy 17 touchdown season the former Packer and Lion joins the Saints who will need him during Kamara’s suspension and beyond.  This gives Andy his RB#2 to start the year as long as Kendre Miller doesn’t do something stupid like win the starting rb job.  Andy had great selections in Rounds 10 and 11.  Bryce Young and Elijah Moore.  Moore will be flex worthy right away in a revamped Browns passing attack.  Young is a stash for the future since Andy can rely on Herbert now.  In Round 12 Andy approached me to move up, so I told him I would for his 2024 4^th rounder, and he obliged.  The reason he moved up?  Rookie RB Chase Brown out of Illinois.  Drafted in the 5^th round he’ll compete with Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans for the coveted Samaje Perine role behind starter Joe Mixon.  There were a couple rumors that Mixon might be cut this offseason, but the Bengals stayed put.  Brown graded out as a 59.1% on the Z-Prospect Score and drew comparisons to Lamar Miller and Jerick McKinnon.  He is a little older for a rookie running back at 23 but did run a 4.43 at the combine.  Was he worth the 4^th round pick and being drafted over Damien Harris, Khalil Herbert, and Samaje Perine?  We’ll see, but I like the trade up to get your guy.

Roster Build Type: Win-Never.

Roster Construction Analysis: 

His roster construction is interesting.  I like the core of Herbert-Gibbs-Lamb.  I like the WR depth with Ridley-Moore-Brown-Jameson Williams.  In PPR he should be able to build a decent lineup each week.  But worried at RB.  Drafting Gibbs with Kamara puts too much need for Gibbs to get a ton of volume.  With Montgomery there I don’t see the Lions just going straight bellcow right away.  If Montgomery gets hurt and Jamaal Williams can replicate last year’s success, then maybe Andy can make the playoffs.  For me the lack of running back depth paints this team as a mid-level team that I could see finishing as a 6^th-9^th seed this year.  Might sneak into playoffs, but don’t seem him competing in year 1.  Needs some running backs to hit in order to be competitive next season.

Overall Draft Grade: C-

Draft Grades By Draft Position:

1. Ian: B-
2. Oscar: C+
3. Brad: C+
4. Mike B: A-
5. Daniel: C+
6. Colton: B+
7. Mike D: D
8. Ollie: C
9. Adam: B+
10. Dom: D
11. Cuz: C-
12. Andy: C-

Draft Grades In Order (Highest to Lowest)

1. Mike B: A-
2. Adam: B+
3. Colton: B+
4. Ian: B-
5. Brad: C+
6. Daniel: C+
7. Oscar: C+
8. Ollie: C
9. Cuz: C-
10. Andy: C-
11. Dom: D
12. Mike D: D

Draft Grades By Division (Still Highest to Lowest)

Division 1:

1. Mike B: A-
2. Ian: B-
3. Ollie: C
4. Cuz: C-

Division 2:

1. Colton: B+
2. Brad: C+
3. Dom: D
4. Mike D: D

Division 3:

1. Adam: B+
2. Daniel: C+
3. Oscar: C+
4. Andy: C-

KeepTradeCut’s Dynasty Value Score for Each Team (Highest to Lowest)

1. Mike: 99
2. Ian: 95
3. Brad: 92
4. Mike D: 91
5. Adam: 90
6. Andy: 86
7. Daniel: 84
8. Oscar: 83
9. Colton: 83
10. Dom: 83
11. Ollie: 82
12. Cuz: 78

(Link to KeepTradeCut power rankings: https://keeptradecut.com/dynasty/power-rankings/league?leagueId=962791406014083072&platform=Sleeper)

Thank you for reading I look forward to everyone proving me wrong and increasing their hatred/directed shit talking my way as a result of these grades.

Sincerely,

Fantasy Football Brad