My Fantasy Sports Writers Association 20-team, 15-round draft was last night. 350 picks in 68 minutes. For those keeping score at home, that’s 19 seconds per pick. If it all possible, tell your commissioner to limit turns to 30 seconds each. That’s the way the game should be played.
As expected, this was a brutally tough exercise. I came prepared with a little over 300 names, and fortunately didn’t find the need to dig deeper. But for those of you who’ve done 10-team drafts, imagine throwing out every other pick. It forces us to reach or to settle at times. My draft can be broken up into three segments: The good, the bad, and the acceptable.
Rounds 1 through 5 constituted the good. I was picking 18th in the first round, which didn’t make me happy. But yesterday a friend on this board, Pete Isaac, grilled me on various draft scenarios and how I’d respond. I learned during this process that my biggest concern in a 20-team draft was not getting two every-week-starting RBs. The rest could be dealt with in the mid-to-late rounds. But I needed RBs I could count on, since most teams would be settling for starting at least one timeshare RB each week.
I was getting ready to pick Aaron Rodgers in Round 1, but he was taken right before me. But Matt Forte was still available, so I grabbed him and felt fortunate. On the way down, with the 23rd pick, I reached a bit for my 27th ranked overall player, Lamar Miller. A.J. Green and Alshon Jeffery were the best WRs available, but since I wasn’t going to pick again for 34 turns, reaching for Miller made sense. I was the first person on the draft to lock in two starting RBs. I could relax a bit.
Swinging back up with the 57th pick, I went with Tony Romo. The top six or seven QBs were off the board. It was a question of whether I take an RB3, a WR2, or Romo. I had my eye on a Keenan Allen—an a high-upside WR2/3 who was falling through the cracks—but figured Romo would be gone if I let him go, forcing me to dig down into the next QB tier. Fortunately, Allen was still available five picks later, and I scooped him up in about two seconds.
In Round 5, with the 97th pick, I started the run on defenses by taking Seattle. I’m not quite as high on them as I was a month ago, but their fantasy playoff schedule is fantastic, and they should solidly help me more often than not. Coming back, I reached for Kendall Wright. 15 seconds into my decision, I didn’t know what to do, so Wright was a less-than-ideal pick. But still, I have little doubt he would have been grabbed before my next turn at pick #137. Got lucky with Marvin Jones in the seventh—a high-upside WR4 worth the risk at that point. And with every good TE off the board at #143, I pounced on Vernon Davis.
My next two picks (Jeremy Langford and James Starks) were a bit desperate, but I felt pressure to add some handcuff RBs. By the middle of Round 3, zero starting RBs remained. By the end of Round 5, zero timeshare RBs were left. So it was time to play defense instead of offense. Surely there were better handcuffs out there (though obviously guys like Knile Davis were long gone). Still, I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been at this stage.
Round 11 was strong: Jaelen Strong. He has the potential to be Houston’s #2 receiver at some point this season, so he was well worth the risk at pick #217. Juwan Thompson followed; I’d targeted Ronnie Hillman, but he went in the fourth round, so I felt a bit lucky Denver’s third-string RB—who’s likely to see time if C.J. Anderson or Hillman go down—was still around.
Next up: Corey Brown and Chris Conley—two WRs who, like Strong, have the potential to be their respective team’s #2 receiver.
In the final round I planned to take Josh Scobee as my kicker. When he was grabbed, I turned to Andrew Lambo. When he was taken, I settled for Brandon McManus. There are not many leagues where all three of these kickers are rostered. But that’s the beauty of playing with 20 teams.
Clearly this draft could have been played a number of ways. But with Romo, Forte, Miller, Allen, Wright, Jones, and Seattle’s D, I’m entering Week 1 with a starting lineup capable of competing. And with virtually no talent remaining on waivers, there’s no room for error.
Best of luck in your final draft(s).
As expected, this was a brutally tough exercise. I came prepared with a little over 300 names, and fortunately didn’t find the need to dig deeper. But for those of you who’ve done 10-team drafts, imagine throwing out every other pick. It forces us to reach or to settle at times. My draft can be broken up into three segments: The good, the bad, and the acceptable.
Rounds 1 through 5 constituted the good. I was picking 18th in the first round, which didn’t make me happy. But yesterday a friend on this board, Pete Isaac, grilled me on various draft scenarios and how I’d respond. I learned during this process that my biggest concern in a 20-team draft was not getting two every-week-starting RBs. The rest could be dealt with in the mid-to-late rounds. But I needed RBs I could count on, since most teams would be settling for starting at least one timeshare RB each week.
I was getting ready to pick Aaron Rodgers in Round 1, but he was taken right before me. But Matt Forte was still available, so I grabbed him and felt fortunate. On the way down, with the 23rd pick, I reached a bit for my 27th ranked overall player, Lamar Miller. A.J. Green and Alshon Jeffery were the best WRs available, but since I wasn’t going to pick again for 34 turns, reaching for Miller made sense. I was the first person on the draft to lock in two starting RBs. I could relax a bit.
Swinging back up with the 57th pick, I went with Tony Romo. The top six or seven QBs were off the board. It was a question of whether I take an RB3, a WR2, or Romo. I had my eye on a Keenan Allen—an a high-upside WR2/3 who was falling through the cracks—but figured Romo would be gone if I let him go, forcing me to dig down into the next QB tier. Fortunately, Allen was still available five picks later, and I scooped him up in about two seconds.
In Round 5, with the 97th pick, I started the run on defenses by taking Seattle. I’m not quite as high on them as I was a month ago, but their fantasy playoff schedule is fantastic, and they should solidly help me more often than not. Coming back, I reached for Kendall Wright. 15 seconds into my decision, I didn’t know what to do, so Wright was a less-than-ideal pick. But still, I have little doubt he would have been grabbed before my next turn at pick #137. Got lucky with Marvin Jones in the seventh—a high-upside WR4 worth the risk at that point. And with every good TE off the board at #143, I pounced on Vernon Davis.
My next two picks (Jeremy Langford and James Starks) were a bit desperate, but I felt pressure to add some handcuff RBs. By the middle of Round 3, zero starting RBs remained. By the end of Round 5, zero timeshare RBs were left. So it was time to play defense instead of offense. Surely there were better handcuffs out there (though obviously guys like Knile Davis were long gone). Still, I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been at this stage.
Round 11 was strong: Jaelen Strong. He has the potential to be Houston’s #2 receiver at some point this season, so he was well worth the risk at pick #217. Juwan Thompson followed; I’d targeted Ronnie Hillman, but he went in the fourth round, so I felt a bit lucky Denver’s third-string RB—who’s likely to see time if C.J. Anderson or Hillman go down—was still around.
Next up: Corey Brown and Chris Conley—two WRs who, like Strong, have the potential to be their respective team’s #2 receiver.
In the final round I planned to take Josh Scobee as my kicker. When he was grabbed, I turned to Andrew Lambo. When he was taken, I settled for Brandon McManus. There are not many leagues where all three of these kickers are rostered. But that’s the beauty of playing with 20 teams.
Clearly this draft could have been played a number of ways. But with Romo, Forte, Miller, Allen, Wright, Jones, and Seattle’s D, I’m entering Week 1 with a starting lineup capable of competing. And with virtually no talent remaining on waivers, there’s no room for error.
Best of luck in your final draft(s).