Mock Draft 2.0 – DSlatz Stat Attackz Version

D-Slatz takes his turn analysing team needs and picking the first 31 men off the board.

1. DynaHard – needs QB, RB3, WR2, TE, S.
Picks 1, 11, 22, 32, 42, 45, 55, 56, 66

DynaHard’s biggest need is at TE, where the current options are beyond uninspiring. Finding the right tight end might be tricky though with no particularly stand out options. The 32nd pick might be the right time to take a gamble on whichever tight end the Saints grab in the middle rounds. If the best tight-end lands in a decent situation, this would be a solid pick.
Similarly, a potential top 3 QB would upgrade the roster significantly, but QBs need time. Winston is the better pocket passer and better NFL QB, if he’s available at 11 then he’d be a great pick up. If not Mariota should be available and would be worth considering, particularly if someone like San Diego trades up to get him. Garret Grayson with a late pick may offer a nice risk/reward option if he lands somewhere he can play, such as Buffalo, and will probably be available with a late pick (50+).
Antonio Brown is a clear number one receiver, but after him Edelman and Watkins are below-average second receivers. Watkins showed flashes and definitely has room to improve, but he’s got a run-happy coach and a terrible QB, so there is no guarantee that improvement will come any time soon. Given the league’s increasingly pass-happy direction and the ability of rookie receivers to make an impact almost immediately, taking the best WR is the ideal use of the #1 pick. Cooper should land at the Raiders with a young QB who showed plenty of promise last year, but if White ends up with the Giants or Chicago, he’d surely be the better selection of the two.
The Running Back position is intriguing. Given the cap situation Charles could be a casualty if the right offer is made, if he is, that makes the RB position a definite need, but currently Charles and Morris represent a fine 1 / 2 combination and with Mathews, Randle/Dunbar and Sankey on the roster a solid RB3 option could easily develop. If the intention is to trade, Gurley would be another option with the top pick, however rookie RBs have generally struggled, and highly touted young RBs have struggled to make either an immediate or extended impact. In what looks like a deep and talented RB class, mid-round picks like TJ Yeldon and Tevin Coleman could easily land in good situations and have immediate impacts, and would offer great value if they can be got with the 32nd, 42nd or 45th picks.

2. Dynasty of Sadness – needs QB?, RB1, TE, DE, DT, LB2.
Picks 2, 12, 15, 23, 33, 43, 57, 67

If Carolina can do a better job of protecting Cam and letting him make plays he should turn back into a top 10 QB. In that situation, this is a lower need position that could be filled with a late round flier on Hundley, or possibly with Mariota at 15 if he’s still available.
The most pressing need is at RB, and going to the well twice for Gurley / Gordon in the first round and Jay Ajayi in the second is definitely an option. While wide receiver isn’t a need, there’s a definite temptation to pick the best WR available as they may well be the best and most reliable pick you could make in the first round.
There really isn’t a great tight end option, and a mid-round pick based on the situation a developmental TE finds themselves in might be a better option than spending a high pick on the ‘best’ Tight End.
Williams is not necessarily seen as a top, top tier talent at DE, but is the best defender in the draft and would represent a solid long-term option at DE, even if he ends up a Titan. He could be an option with the #2 pick, but it would probably be a bit of a reach given the need at RB. There is so much depth among the end position that potentially good options like Eli Harold, Preston Smith or Alvin Dupree will be available later in the draft and it may be better to look for a slightly worse player who lands in a great situation to play early and often. If Shane Ray or Dante Fowler is still around in the middle of the second round, they’d be great pick ups.
Danny Shelton at DT is also a potential second round option, but it’s a pretty deep draft for tackles, and someone like Arik Armistead who has all the physical tools to play the position if he can land with a coach, like Tomsula or Ryan, who can help him piece it together would represent great value in the late rounds.
It’s not a great draft for safeties, but that may not prevent the Dynasty spending their top pick on one.

3. East Flanders Dungeoneers – needs RB2, WR1/2, DE1, LB3, S.
Picks 3, 13, 21, 34, 47, 58, 68

The Dungeoneers have reloaded well in free agency, but there just aren’t the options to get a great receiver in free agency, and likely won’t be soon. That means that the draft is the best way to find an elite receiver. Ideally the Dungeoneers would look to trade everything to get back into the top of the first round and take both White and Cooper at 3 and 4 and expect one of them to become an elite receiver. However that seems unlikely to happen, so taking whichever one of White or Cooper is left at 3 seems like an obvious selection. DeVante Parker, Dorial Beckham-Green aren’t likely to be around by the second round, but if they are they represent good value. At least one of Jalen Strong, Breshad Perriman, Phillip Dorsett and Devin Smith will be though, and all have the potential to develop into a good second WR option in the right situation.
With Forsett in place, the need at RB is not as bad as it is at WR, but should both Cooper and White go in the first two picks, Gurley would be tough to pass up. Melvin Gordon will likely be available, but a later round pick such as Yeldon or Coleman probably represents better value.
Defensive End is a deep position to draft from, and with the needs on offence it would be a surprise to see Leonard Williams go this high. Similarly spending a second round pick on Gregory or Ray is a stretch unless the receiver options have been decimated. Better to look in the later rounds at a player with breakout potential. Nate Orchard had a great 2014, and has potential to be a late round steal and Markus Golden has bags of talent but will drop down the NFL draft due to injuries which slowed him down last year and should be available at 50+.
Safety is a need, but frankly the safety option in this year’s draft are poor with Landon Collins possibly the only safety to go in the first round. Byron Jones might be the best athlete, although he may end up an NFL corner. He should be available somewhere after the 30th pick.

4. Tamworth Two – needs WR1, TE, DE1, LB1, CB1, S1.
Picks 4, 14, 25, 35, 48, 59, 69

Tamworth Two have a lot of almost players lurking at 10th to 15th at their positions, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see some of them improve next year.
The biggest need on the roster is an elite wide receiver, and if Cooper or White drops here they should be a nailed on selection. If they don’t things get a little murkier as there is no talent on the defensive side of the ball worthy of the 4th pick.
Dorial Green-Beckham is an option, he represents a risk with his disciplinary issues in college, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the three most talented athletes at his position in this draft. He could have a Beckham Jr. level of impact if he finds a good fit. DaVante Parker is another option. Slightly less talented, but he represents a safer bet than DGB and is clearly the next best safe selection at receiver after Cooper and White. He doesn’t necessarily project as a potential WR1 thought. A lot will depend on who lands where, as nobody wants to draft the talented receiver who the Browns are expected to draft high in the first and inevitably ruin.
The need at Defensive End is intriguing. Both Dante Fowler Jr and Leonard Williams are options. It seems high for a defensive player, but they fill a need for this team and could develop into great #1 options at either DE or LB. However Randy Gregory, Shane Ray should be available in the second round and represent better value.
This team doesn’t need running backs particularly, as long as Lesean McCoy does better in Buffalo than his last year in Philly. However if Gurley were to fall he may be a tough player to pass on.
If Trey Waynes is available at 25 it’d be tough to pass him up. Failing that the needs at CB and safety can be filled in the later rounds with someone like Jalen Collins or Marcus Peters. Talented players who’ll be taken relatively high in the NFL draft.

5. Champions of the Sun – needs QB?, RB2/3, WR3.
Picks 9, 26, 40, 46, 49, 60, 70

Champions of the Sun have used their draft capital aggressively to fill needs in trades and free agency, leaving only 1 pick in the top 20, but a shortage of clear needs.
If Gordon falls to 9 he’d be a solid pick, it’s almost certain Gurley won’t make it this far. A good depth receiver with potential is the most likely pick though with the #9 selection. Cooper, White, Parker and DGB will all be gone almost certainly, but there should be at worst a couple of Jalen Strong, Breshad Perriman, Phillip Dorsett and Devin Smith to select from. A late round flyer on Brandin Cooks-like diminutive flier Tyler Lockett might also be an option, and while there’s legitimate concerns over Devin Funchess’s ability to create separation with his complete lack of speed, there is no doubting the 6’4 receivers hands or ability to create mismatch nightmares with his size.
It would be a reach for a running back other than Gordon at this point, but given the next pick would be the 26th, a reach for Jay Ajayi might be an option. A later round selection, such as a David Johnson is also an option at running back. Unless he lands in a particularly good RB situation Johnson is at best going to compete for a spot in camp, but he has the talent to make a starting job his own with the right franchise and could be a real find in the later rounds of the Dynabowl draft.
One intriguing option for the inaccurately-named Champions is at QB. Mariota or Winston could be available at 9, and while there’s been a reasonable investment in Roethlisberger, last season was an outlier in terms of fantasy production. A potential franchise QB to replace an aging Big Ben would be hard to pass up given the relative health of the overall roster.

6. Dynablaster Bombermen – needs ‘elite’ players.
Picks 6, 16, 20, 37, 44, 50, 53, 61, 62, 71

There is no position that jumps out from the Bombermen’s roster as having gaps or needs. They’ve solid top ten options in most positions, and good solid depth behind those players. What does strike me when I look through their performance though is the lack of elite talent in most positions. Aside from AJ Green, who’s 2014 showing is likely a blip caused by injuries there’s no elite talent. That should be the main aim for the Bombermen in this draft. Three picks in the top 20 definitely helps, but Cooper, White and Gurley represent the best three options in the draft in terms of potential to become elite players. It’s unlikely any of them make it to the 6th selection.
With a lot of draft capital, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility for the Bombermen to trade up or into next year’s draft instead. However, assuming that doesn’t happen they’re best off looking for the risk/reward players who have the potential to provide them an elite pay-off. The best example of this is Dorial Green-Beckham, and it would be a surprise both if he didn’t make it to the 6th selection and if the Bombermen passed on him in that position.
One option for the Bombermen is at QB. Ryan is a good QB, reliable and effective. He’s also playing for a poor Falcons team and had two below average (with only 10 QBs, anything below 6th is below average) seasons. If the GMs at Bomberman HQ feel Mariota or Winston has elite potential they’d be an option at 6, and a real selection headache at 16.
David Cobb has been a productive runner in Minnesota, and answered some doubts with a good showing in the Senior Bowl, his ability to handle a big workload could make him a potential lead back somewhere in the NFL, and that makes him a tempting selection in the mid to late rounds.

7. Kelkowski Don’t Play by No Dyna Rules – needs QB, TE?, DT, LB1, CB2.
Picks 7, 17, 28, 38, 51, 72

The biggest needs for Kelkowski is easily the lack of a franchise QB. They could also use a tight end and options on defence.
With the tight end options slim, and neither DTs nor LBs offering value in the first round Kelkowski should definitely look to take one of the two top QBs in the draft. Maxx Williams is the best Tight End, and while not an outstanding talent, he might be around in the second round, and while that’s a reach, he might represent a reasonable gamble at that point, if Shelton and Brown have gone.
It’s not impossible, but it is unlikely that someone gets ahead of Kelkowski on the tackle front, and both Malcolm Brown and Danny Shelton project as first round tackles in the NFL draft. One of these, or possibly Dante Fowler, Shane Ray or Vic Beasley in the second round, and maybe even again in the third would definitely fill roster holes and have potential to develop into a great weapon on the defensive side of the ball.
In a reasonably deep and hard to call cornerback draft, Waynes might be available at 28, or a later selection in the last two or three rounds should pick up a good prospect at a tough position to predict.

8. DynaSore Losers – needs QB?, RB2, WR3, DT, CB.
Picks 8, 18, 29, 39, 52, 63, 73

The Losers needs are hard to call with a few question marks on positions. Dalton and Carr represent options if Manning falls apart, but neither looks likely to develop and replace Manning’s elite production. Mariota or Winston could therefore be an option with the 8th pick, and certainly with the 18th if they haven’t been taken.
The Running back position should be OK with Peterson and Forte, but they are aging. Gordon would be tough to pass over if he hasn’t been taken, otherwise a later round option would be better.
The biggest need on the roster is at tackle, and Danny Shelton is a definite option in the second round, with Malcolm Brown possibly available in the third.
Another option in the first round is to go with a wide receiver. Nelson is a stud, but Sanders may struggle if Manning does, and who knows how Torrey Smith will do in San Francisco. DaVante Parker and DGB may well be gone, if not they’d be good value here. The next tier of talent (Strong, Perriman, Dorsett, Smith) should be available, but they aren’t the easiest to separate. The best of them will probably be a good WR2 / 3, but knowing who that will be is the challenge and the gamble on making that call might not represent good value.
Leonard Williams may easily fall this far, and while DE is not a necessity, his talent makes him a great option at #8.
The need at corner can be addressed later in the draft, as there’s plenty of good options in the first few rounds.

9. Here Comes The Brees – needs RB, WR, DE, DT, LB, CB2?, S.
Picks 5, 19, 24, 30, 36, 64, 74

The Brees have a lot of holes on the roster, without an elite receiver, or running back after failing to tie down Forsett for the long-term. They lack talent across the whole defence, and Leonard Williams and Dante Fowler Jr will likely be available at 5. That would be a stretch though with the holes on offence.
With Gurley, Cooper and White likely gone by this point DeVante Parker and Melvin Gordon are the two most obvious picks at 5. The risk associated with DGB probably isn’t worthwhile for a team with so many holes, even if he is available. Parker might be the lesser talent and probably doesn’t project as a WR1, but he is the more reliable selection.
If any of Strong, Perriman, Dorsett, Smith or Ajayi make it to the depths of the second round, they’d be hard to pass up. However that seems unlikely, and the next tier of talent at the WR position is probably not worth the reach with so much defensive talent available. Picks 19, 24 and 30 provide an opportunity to net a couple of players from the pool of great defenders such as Brown, Shelton, Ray, Gregory and Beasley and that sort of solid rebuilding would be a great return for a roster with so many holes.

10. DynaForOne Firebirds – needs DE1, LB, CB, S.
Picks 10, 27, 31, 41, 54, 65, 75

No surprise to see the champions roster in relatively good shape, particularly offensively. The Firebirds could reload their offence with some good prospects to provide depth and trade bait, but they do have clear needs on defence. Leonard Williams may not survive the first round to be available, but the teams picking 1-5 will have better options for their picks and the teams picking 6-9 have less need for an elite DE. If he falls past to the Tamworth Two, it’s like Williams falls all the way to the Firebirds. Failing that, Dante Fowler Jr is the best player at a position of need, and the Jacksonville defence is not a place fantasy players go to die, as Senderrick Marks has demonstrated.
With no second round pick, the next pick is probably likely to miss out on Ray, Gregory, Beasley or one of the other potentially elite pass rushers. Lorenzo Mauldin is a bit of a project who needs to bulk up a little to succeed in the NFL, and he might make a decent mid-round pick for a Dynabowl team who have the opportunity to be patient.

1.01 1 Dyna Hard Amari Cooper, WR
1.02 2 The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness Todd Gurley, RB
1.03 3 East Flanders Dungeoneers Kevin White, WR
1.04 4 Tamworth Two Dorial Green-Beckham, WR
1.05 5 Here Comes The Brees DaVante Parker, WR
1.06 6 Dynablaster Bombermen Melvin Gordon, RB
1.07 7 Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules Jameis Winston, QB
1.08 8 Dynasore Losers Marcus Mariota, QB
1.09 9 Champions of the Sun Philip Dorsett, WR
1.10 10 DynaForOne Firebirds Leonard Williams, DE
2.01 11 Dyna Hard Jay Ajayi, RB
2.02 12 The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness Dante Fowler Jr, LB
2.03 13 East Flanders Dungeoneers Jalen Strong, WR
2.04 14 Tamworth Two Vic Beasley, LB
2.05 15 The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness Danny Shelton, DT
2.06 16 Dynablaster Bombermen Breshad Perriman, WR
2.07 17 Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules Maxx Williams, TE
2.08 18 Dynasore Losers Devin Smith, WR
2.09 19 Here Comes The Brees Shane Ray, DE
2.10 20 Dynablaster Bombermen Randy Gregory, LB
2.11 21 East Flanders Dungeoneers Telvin Coleman, RB
3.01 22 Dyna Hard Trey Waynes, CB
3.02 23 The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness Malcom Brown, DT
3.03 24 Here Comes The Brees AJ Yeldon, RB
3.04 25 Tamworth Two Alvin Dupree, LB
3.05 26 Champions of the Sun Brett Hundley, QB
3.06 27 DynaForOne Firebirds Bud Dupree, LB
3.07 28 Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules Eli Harold, LB
3.08 29 Dynasore Losers Arik Armistead, DT
3.09 30 Here Comes The Brees Duke Johnson, RB
3.10 31 DynaForOne Firebirds Marcus Peters, CB

 

Mock Draft 1.0

So we’re only 2 weeks and 3 days away from the beginning of the draft. The NFL draft that is. We’re still over 2 months from the DynaBowl draft or, as we like to call it, the main event.

Anyway, given we have no idea where the rookies are going – something that will have a large impact on the desirability of some players, I mean, do you want to draft a Cleveland Brown? – it seems like the ideal time to have some wild stabs in the dark as to who will select which player when.

First up to the plate (nothing like mixing our American sports, it’s Dyna Hard.

FIRST ROUND

1. Dyna Hard – Todd Gurley – RB

The consensus top prospect and Dyna Hard doesn’t buck the trend. Sure, Jamaal Charles and Alfred Morris are already in town, but Charles won’t last forever – rumour has it Hard are willing to trade him and given his cap hit that’s not surprising – and depth at RB is always good. It’s a limited position and Gurley is a great prospect. That said, don’t rule out Hard moving down in the draft to cut a precious few dollars from the rookie cap hit, perhaps storing up picks for 2016.

2. The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness – Melvin Gordon – RB

This was a difficult call. DoS are weak all over the pitch, barring a couple of big stars at WR in Bryant and OBJ. Perhaps the thought will be trying to find a third big star at WR to possibly create the most fearsome receiving corps in the league, but with such little talent at RB, Gordon seems too good an option to pass up. Again, moving back to try and accumulate picks isn’t out of the question if DoS see the right offer coming in.

3. East Flanders Dungeoneers – Kevin White – WR

The Dungeoneers have quietly built an impressive running back stable so would most likely pass on the top two prospects even if one of them fell this low. No, WR is where the need is, a position where ‘underperformance’ was the new ‘performance’ in 2014. White did himself plenty of favours with the watching public at the combine and leapt up plenty of draft boards, and I’m willing to bet that the Dungeoneers’ was one of them.

4. Tamworth Two – Devante Parker – WR

Tamworth may like the idea of jumping up a couple of slots to pick up a RB now that McCoy and Jackson are in the same town, but with Jeffrey, Landry and Wallace as the top 3 WRs, they may fancy staying put and taking their favoured player. If only one WR is off the board, Tamworth should be happy. The conventional move would be to go for Cooper, but he’s been slipping on boards recently and with the DynaBowl being a non-PPR league he loses further shine. Add to that the possibility of Cooper landing in Cleveland and you have a perfect storm for a player dropping like a stone. Parker is a great prospect, don’t get me wrong, and Tamworth will be delighted to get their man.

5. Her Comes The Brees – Leonard Williams – DE

Having sold defensive playmaker Marcell Dareus to move up to this position (along with gaining DeSean Jackson and a swap up in the 4th too), the Brees take Williams who they hope will prove to be a JJ Watt-style outlier. People have called Williams the best player in the draft, but he’s been taking some knocks recently. This is a gamble but if it pays off it could help the Brees back to the Bowl.

6. Dynablaster Bombermen – Amari Cooper – WR

A relative no-brainer for the Bombermen, Cooper is the best prospect left on the board and one the Bombermen will be surprised is still available. Given the depth of young WR talent on the Bombermen roster, this may be a case of reluctantly taking a player though. If Cooper falls this low, don’t be surprised if they try to move down, cashing in the pick to a more WR-needy team.

7. Kelkowski… – Jameis Winston – QB

With only QBs of either questionable health or questionable talent on the books, Kelkowski decide to take a chance on one with questionable character instead. Having missed out on the top tier of talent and with good depth at both RB and WR, they see this as a great spot to lock up a franchise QB who might live through a season without being terrible.

8. Dynasore Losers – Dorial Green-Beckham – WR

This was a tough call. The Losers are a candidate to move up to grab a player of their choice – a RB might be desirable but with AP surely coming back and Matt Forte still going strong, depth at WR seems more important. After Jordy Nelson things are shaky – Peyton fell away and points dried up for Sanders, Gordon may not play again, Torrey Smith is going to try to catch balls from Colin Kaepernick. DGB is a risk but with the right landing spot could turn out to be a beast.

9. Champions of the Sun – Breshad Perriman – WR

On a name basis, this was a candidate for Kelkowski. The fastest WR at the combine has caught the eye of the Champions (not to be confused with the champions, who pick at 10). The Champions will also be tempted by the backs but with McKinnon and Spiller both looking to build in newly won positions or at new teams, the depth should be enough.

10. DynaForOne Firebirds – Dante Fowler – DE

Some people think he’ll go before Williams and could be just as disruptive a defensive player. The Firebirds are stacked at WR and with Lynch and Anderson at RB take the risk at getting a 10-year, top 10 player at his position. Or that’s what they hope. The offence was a beast last year, this pick could give the defense the same kick.

SECOND ROUND

1. Dyna Hard – Danny Shelton – DT

Hard would really like a WR here but the value has gone from that market and having gone RB early they’re not looking to take another. Instead they look to the top tackle in the draft to pair with JJ Watt. If this scenario were to happen, expect the Hards to be very keen to trade back for a WR.

2. DoS – Ameer Abdullah – RB

The Sadness, on the other hand, are happy to take a second RB, bolstering their numbers. It’s a case of BPA from here on in.

3. East Flanders Dungeoneers – Marcus Mariota – QB

The Dungeoneers might be keen to trade up to make sure they get their man, should Winston go as early as projected here. Brees, Foles and Osweiler are not a happy group and Mariota would certainly put a smile on coach Conaghan’s face.

4. Tamworth Two – Jay Ajayi – RB

They got their WR in the first round and they’re happy to pick up a player who many projected to go in the first round here to fill up their RB corps.

5. DoS – Devin Funchess – WR

Having gorged himself on two RBs, GM Geoffrey Manboob has Funchess for dessert, and very happy with his first two rounds he is too.

6. Bombermen – Shane Ray – DE

Having taken a WR they didn’t really need, now they take a defensive end they really could use. Cameron Wake isn’t getting any younger and Mario Williams will be expensive to extend. Ray might soothe the blow.

7. Kelkowski – Vic Beasley – LB

They may have about 15 men on the roster competing for 3 or 4 starting LB spots, but only one, maybe two, are up to Beasley’s standard – if that. Beasley can be a difference maker and sack machine in the right landing spot. Will Kelkowski be that spot?

8. Losers – Tevin Coleman – RB

They got a receiver in the first round so are happy to go the other way and take a back here. Coleman is the best man left on the board. But not for long.

9. Here Comes The Brees – Nelson Agholor – WR

The player I want to call Agbonlahor is the best receiver on the board and the man the Brees were targeting from the beginning. They’ve met with Nelson several times and have been rumoured to have been paying him through his college years. This is a lock, if nothing else on this board is.

10. Bombermen – TJ Yeldon – RB

The Bombermen end up with a receiver, a defender and a back from their first three picks and are pretty happy about it.

Grading Free Agency

A quick look at the state of the nation after the major free agency first round moves have been made from our Irish correspondent and East Flanders Dungeoneers GM, Pete Conaghan

Champions of the Sun

Needs: QB, DT, RB, S
In a gutsy move, the CotS addressed a glaring need at DT by giving up DeSean Jackson for Marcell Dareus. The GM moved swiftly in Free Agency to tie up Repeat Offender – in throwing touchdowns – Ben Rothlisberger, in a strangely uncontested move to get a cheap quality QB.
Top ten TE Delanie Walker was added for minimal guaranteed money, and Buster Skrine should contribute across from Darelle Revis, as one of three cornerbacks signed. $9 for safety Barry Church seems steep, but fills a gap.

Overall grade: A-

Dyna Hard

Needs: TE, DE, S
If we assume JJ Watt will play both DE positions this coming year, then Dyna Hard looks a strong team with few needs. Just as well, because a Jerry Jones-like approach to cap management means that Dyna Hard were restricted in FA, adding RB (Joe Randle, Lance Dunbar) and LB (Sean Weatherspoon) depth for the league minimum. The expected trade activity has yet to materialise.

Grade: D

Dynablaster Bombermen

Needs: RB, DE
The Bombermen added depth by signing the ageing Cameron Wake at DE, and the San Diego pairing of Oliver and Brown at RB. Long term, the Bombermen have a stable of up and coming young WRs, but perhaps could benefit from a steady veteran with immediate impact, such as Andre Johnson.
Joe Flacco is the latest signing at QB to join the ranks of the Failed, Fickle and Flimsy (Hoyer, Manziel and RGIII) and should slot in as a reliable backup to Matt Ryan.

Grade: C

DynaForOne Firebirds

Needs: DE, LB, Secondary
The reigning Champions have a high powered offense and a mediocre defense, and a quiet free agency indicates that coach Hawke is comfortable with that (or else forgot about Free Agency).
Replacement-level replacements have been signed for the secondary, though it’s not unreasonable to see up-years for Antonio Cromartie and Devin McCourty after quiet 2014s.

Grade: E

Dynasore Losers

Needs: DT, Depth
In what could mistakenly be seen as a win-now roster, in which Peter Manning overshadows the team like an Easter Island Head, the Losers identified Punter and Kicker as their positions of need, signing Marquette King and Stephen Gostkowski for over the minimum. That could be significant.
The remaining need, DT, may be filled by last year’s youngsters, but surely the selection of Leonard Williams in the first round of the draft is imminent.

Grade: D

East Flanders Dungeoneers

Needs: Everywhere
East Flanders moved to address an offensive situation where they were forced to play two tight ends in every game last year, by signing Justin Forsett on a major 2-year deal. Frank Gore and Danny Woodhead join Forsett in an veteran (old) RB cadre which is hoping to produce for one more year.
DeAndre Levy was the only other significant signing, and should bolster a D where four weakish linebackers were played in most games in 2014.
Grade: C

Here Come the Brees

Needs: RB, WR, TE, DE, LB
The WR group took an immediate upgrade with the addition of DeSean Jackson via trade, and adding Pernell McPhee and Nigel Bradham should bolster the linebackers, but more needs to be done in the draft by The Brees management.
Owen Daniels at TE should provide an immediate ROI, but it is curious that a team with such a lot of cap space didn’t make any major moves in FA. Obviously the management team believe in being prudent and building through the draft. Will the fans be happy though?

Grade: D

The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness

Needs: RB, TE, DL
Stack ‘em high, buy ‘em cheap is the offseason mantra of the Sadness, whose main intention seems to have been to add camp bodies in advance of the terrible toll exacted by injuries in the coming months. Who would be an NFL starter?
The 4th Dynmension added 21 journeymen, plus Darrelle Revis and Brandon LaFell. With a high pick in the draft, the Sadness will be looking to add quality over quantity. It remains to be seen whether they will draft for need, or go BPA.

Grade: D

Tamworth Two

Needs: RB, TE, DT, LB
Cap restrictions made sure of a quiet free agency for Los Hermanos Tamworth, who mostly signed cheap depth players at positions of need. The exception was a $15 contract for Johnathon Stewart, who is the feature back in Carolina at long last, if he can stay healthy. Fred Jackson provides depth.
Rolando McClain comes back and the Two are hoping Jon Bostic will thrive in Chicago’s new 3-4 scheme. DE is still a worry and may be addressed in the draft.
Grade: D

Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules

Needs: TE, DT, LB
Dangerous mavericks Kelkowski bid early and often, and seemingly on every single viable Free Agent. They seem to have actually added more players than the Sadness.
Major proponents of the Chip Kelly School, they’ve followed his lead in signing Sam Bradford, albeit to a much more favourable deal. This may indicate a lack of faith in their current backup to the undroppable Kaep, Tony Romo, for whom age and injury could be catching up. A Kaep-Bradford 1-2 has the league salivating.
The TE situation has been ‘addressed’ by signing 6 of them, and RB Denard Robinson has been added for depth purposes.

Grade: C

2014 DynaBowl Post Season Raw Data

That’s right, the raw data I used for my analysis is available. And it’s available here.

Just download that file and you can do your own analysis. The file gives you raw data for every team for every week, with the players who started and those who didn’t indicated (no IR or Taxi Squad players are included), along with their rank overall, by position and by team each week. There’s loads of stuff you could do. I’ll probably do some more, but I might not share it. Or I might.

If you do some and want to share it, let me know, and I will publish it.

2014 DynaBowl Post Season Performance Analysis – Part 3

So we were about to look at some positional statistics. Let’s start with a nice, simple split, total points by position, starting with the defence:

DT DE LB CB  S  Def Total
Champions of the Sun 40.000 306.500 527.500 157.300 231.300 1262.600
Dyna Hard 88.750 370.150 473.200 153.600 156.800 1242.500
Dynablaster Bombermen 123.450 254.600 418.250 177.300 217.700 1191.300
DynaForOne Firebirds 270.000 172.200 295.600 188.600 134.450 1060.850
Dynasore Losers 63.250 220.250 557.550 115.750 224.900 1181.700
East Flanders Flahutes 177.000 176.000 342.000 174.450 171.950 1041.400
Here Comes The Brees 254.750 123.350 322.000 212.250 257.600 1169.950
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 74.500 278.550 326.500 168.500 241.650 1089.700
Tamworth Two 172.250 195.000 390.500 239.950 183.450 1181.150
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 80.000 151.550 447.000 157.575 160.500 996.625
Grand Total 1343.950 2248.150 4100.100 1745.275 1980.300 11417.775

Now, when looking at these stats, you need to remember the flex options – teams did have the option of starting 1 or 2 DTs and 3 or 4 LBs. For example, in 8 of the 16 weeks, Here Comes The Brees started 2 DTs, while DFO did so in 12 of the 16 weeks, hence these two teams had by far the greatest number of points from this position.

Four teams, Champions of the Sun, Dyna Hard, Dynablaster Bombermen and Dynasore Losers only ever started 1 DT, while two more teams – Kelkowski and Dynasty of Sadness – only started 2 DTs once. We’ll get into the points per starter stats shortly, that was just to put the above numbers in a bit of context. What it does mean, though, is that only Dynablaster managed to get at least 100 points out of starting a solo DT.

So, as a percentage of all points gained by the team, how do the defensive positions break down?

DT DE LB CB  S Def Total
Champions of the Sun 1.34% 10.25% 17.64% 5.26% 7.74% 42.23%
Dyna Hard 3.04% 12.67% 16.19% 5.26% 5.37% 42.52%
Dynablaster Bombermen 4.34% 8.95% 14.70% 6.23% 7.65% 41.87%
DynaForOne Firebirds 8.69% 5.54% 9.52% 6.07% 4.33% 34.15%
Dynasore Losers 2.10% 7.31% 18.51% 3.84% 7.46% 39.22%
East Flanders Flahutes 6.99% 6.95% 13.51% 6.89% 6.79% 41.15%
Here Comes The Brees 9.50% 4.60% 12.01% 7.92% 9.61% 43.63%
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 2.47% 9.23% 10.82% 5.58% 8.01% 36.10%
Tamworth Two 6.13% 6.94% 13.91% 8.55% 6.53% 42.06%
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 3.14% 5.96% 17.57% 6.19% 6.31% 39.17%
Grand Total 4.72% 7.90% 14.41% 6.13% 6.96% 40.12%

It’s pretty clear which teams had the star DEs – Dyna Hard having JJ Watt gave a massive boost at that position. Watt scored 275 points in 16 weeks of the season, leaving 95 to be scored by the second choice DE. There were 4 teams which didn’t average 95 points per DE, so this was good going for the second string player at the position.

All in all, there wasn’t a huge variation in the proportion of points scored by defenses. The low of 34.15% scored by DFO was more a result of the massively high offensive scoring done by the team, likewise the 36.10% put up by Kelkowski. On total defensive points, these teams finished 8th and 7th in the league, 80 and 50 points below the league average (respectively).

So flipping it around then and looking at it on an average points per starter basis, how does it look? First of all, it’s important to remember that regularly starting fewer players at a position *should* lead to a higher average points per game on the basis that the additional flex player who has been overlooked in theory should be less likely to score a high number of points. Should be.

Row Labels DT DE LB CB  S  Def Ave  Overall Ave
Champions of the Sun 2.500 9.578 8.242 4.916 7.228 7.174 8.494
Dyna Hard 5.547 11.567 7.394 4.800 4.900 7.060 8.302
Dynablaster Bombermen 7.716 7.956 6.535 5.541 6.803 6.769 8.083
DynaForOne Firebirds 9.643 5.381 5.796 5.894 4.202 6.062 8.849
Dynasore Losers 3.953 6.883 8.712 3.617 7.028 6.714 8.559
East Flanders Flahutes 9.316 5.500 5.607 5.452 5.373 5.917 7.190
Here Comes The Brees 10.615 3.855 5.750 6.633 8.050 6.647 7.617
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 4.382 8.705 5.183 5.266 7.552 6.191 8.599
Tamworth Two 9.066 6.094 6.402 7.498 5.733 6.711 7.977
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 4.706 4.736 7.095 4.924 5.016 5.663 7.228
Grand Total 7.149 7.025 6.710 5.454 6.188 6.491 8.090

So I’ve included the overall average for some context – that tells you what the aveage player on the 22 man starting line-up scored. As we’d expect, in the vast majority of cases, defensive players score less than average. Watt, Dareus, Suh, McCoy, Quinn, Pierre-Paul and Sen’Derrick Marks are the ones that tip the balance, while Dynasore Losers have an exceptionally strong selection of LBs.

We can look at this as a ratio. In the table below, 100% represents the average score at a position being equal to the average score for the team overall. Over 100% means that position scored above average while below 100% means below average.

DT DE LB CB  S Def Total
Champions of the Sun 29.43% 112.77% 97.04% 57.87% 85.10% 84.46%
Dyna Hard 66.81% 139.33% 89.06% 57.82% 59.02% 85.03%
Dynablaster Bombermen 95.45% 98.43% 80.85% 68.54% 84.16% 83.74%
DynaForOne Firebirds 108.97% 60.81% 65.50% 66.60% 47.48% 68.50%
Dynasore Losers 46.19% 80.41% 101.78% 42.26% 82.11% 78.45%
East Flanders Flahutes 129.57% 76.50% 77.98% 75.83% 74.74% 82.30%
Here Comes The Brees 139.35% 50.60% 75.49% 87.08% 105.68% 87.27%
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 50.96% 101.22% 60.27% 61.23% 87.82% 72.00%
Tamworth Two 113.65% 76.39% 80.25% 94.00% 71.86% 84.13%
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 65.11% 65.52% 98.16% 68.13% 69.39% 78.34%
Grand Total 88.37% 86.85% 82.95% 67.42% 76.50% 80.24%

I didn’t spot before that the Brees safeties also scored over the team average points. Impressive given that no one else’s safeties manage to average more than 88% of an average player’s contribution. Harrison Smith seems to be the main (sole?) reason for that.

This might flag up key areas of weakness. I would not be surprised if Champions of the Sun were chasing a DT in the off-season. To be honest, Max might be better of fielding himself rather than whatever potato was taking the field for him this year. 2.5 points per player per game is by a fair distance the lowest average points per game of any psoition group for any team.

So what about the offensive side of the ball? It tells you to fuck off, it’s that offensive.

QB RB WR TE Off Total 
Champions of the Sun 272.280 569.175 614.850 84.500 1540.805
Dyna Hard 240.440 557.475 611.510 44.925 1454.350
Dynablaster Bombermen 290.420 488.250 540.500 135.700 1454.870
DynaForOne Firebirds 344.500 541.700 646.700 313.900 1846.800
Dynasore Losers 329.640 456.300 644.300 203.300 1633.540
East Flanders Flahutes 308.260 370.175 437.575 170.100 1286.110
Here Comes The Brees 350.560 428.400 333.500 158.400 1270.860
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 273.700 615.300 608.250 237.900 1735.150
Tamworth Two 349.460 438.600 561.850 91.900 1441.810
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 179.240 388.100 681.700 83.800 1332.840
Grand Total 2938.500 4853.475 5680.735 1524.425 14997.135

Lots more flex options available to teams here, with 2 flex positions spread across RB, WR and TE. 3 teams opted for only 1 TE in every game, with the 2 flexes used at the other positions – Dyna Hard, Dynablaster and the Dynasty of Sadness. Two of these teams accounted for the two lowest scores at TE, while the Bombermen were 6th in TE scoring despite only ever fielding one.

Only Kelkowski and DFO didn’t start 4 WR in at least 10 games. Despite this, both managed over 600 points at the position. The points per player information which is to follow will get into this a little more.

At RB, East Flanders started 3 in only 1 of the 16 games, Dynasore in 9 and DFO in 10. Despite this, East FLanders scored more RB points than 5 other teams while Dynasore and DFO clocked in at 4th and 3rd respectively in total RB points.

As a percentage, by position, these split down as follows:

QB RB WR TE Off Total
Champions of the Sun 9.11% 19.04% 20.57% 2.83% 51.54%
Dyna Hard 8.23% 19.08% 20.93% 1.54% 49.77%
Dynablaster Bombermen 10.21% 17.16% 19.00% 4.77% 51.13%
DynaForOne Firebirds 11.09% 17.44% 20.82% 10.11% 59.46%
Dynasore Losers 10.94% 15.15% 21.39% 6.75% 54.22%
East Flanders Flahutes 12.18% 14.63% 17.29% 6.72% 50.82%
Here Comes The Brees 13.07% 15.98% 12.44% 5.91% 47.40%
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 9.07% 20.39% 20.15% 7.88% 57.49%
Tamworth Two 12.45% 15.62% 20.01% 3.27% 51.35%
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 7.04% 15.25% 26.79% 3.29% 52.39%
Grand Total 10.33% 17.05% 19.96% 5.36% 52.70%

You can tell which team had Gronkowski – the one which had TE accounting for over 10% of the team’s total points. He may have started slowly but he clocked up a total of 184 points across the 16 week season, 36 more than Anotonio Gates in second. Oh, and DFO had Gates as well, just for good measure.

Looking at the average points per game per player for offensive players then…

Row Labels QB RB WR TE Off Ave  Overall Ave 
Champions of the Sun 17.018 12.110 9.917 4.447 10.700 8.494
Dyna Hard 15.028 11.614 9.555 2.808 10.100 8.302
Dynablaster Bombermen 18.151 10.172 8.445 8.481 10.103 8.083
DynaForOne Firebirds 21.531 12.898 11.346 10.824 12.825 8.849
Dynasore Losers 20.603 11.129 10.738 7.530 11.344 8.559
East Flanders Flahutes 19.266 11.217 6.837 5.487 8.931 7.190
Here Comes The Brees 21.910 9.313 5.558 7.200 8.825 7.617
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 17.106 13.984 10.862 8.496 12.050 8.599
Tamworth Two 21.841 9.332 8.779 5.406 10.013 7.977
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 11.203 8.085 10.652 5.238 9.256 7.228
Grand Total 18.366 10.931 9.237 6.898 10.415 8.090

Naturally, we’d expect offensive scoring to be much higher. There aren’t many positional groups which end up scoring below the team average. Only two teams manage higher than average with their TEs – the Bombermen and DFO, otherwise it’s the WRs of East Flanders and the Brees that show themselves up as below average.

The other big highlight is the underperformance of the Dynasty of Sadness’ QB, clocking in a full 7 points below the league average QB. To put that in context, 7 points per game equates to 112 points across the year. If you add 112 points on to the 2,544 the Dynasty scored in the 16 weeks of the season, they’d move from 9th top scorers to… oh… 9th. But now only 25 points behind league runners-up Here Comes The Brees in 8th.

QB RB WR TE Off Total
Champions of the Sun 200.35% 142.58% 116.76% 52.36% 125.98%
Dyna Hard 181.01% 139.89% 115.09% 33.82% 121.65%
Dynablaster Bombermen 224.55% 125.84% 104.48% 104.92% 124.99%
DynaForOne Firebirds 243.31% 145.75% 128.21% 122.32% 144.93%
Dynasore Losers 240.71% 130.03% 125.46% 87.97% 132.54%
East Flanders Flahutes 267.97% 156.02% 95.10% 76.32% 124.22%
Here Comes The Brees 287.64% 122.26% 72.97% 94.52% 115.86%
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 198.92% 162.62% 126.31% 98.80% 140.12%
Tamworth Two 273.80% 116.98% 110.05% 67.77% 125.51%
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 154.99% 111.86% 147.36% 72.46% 128.05%
Grand Total 227.03% 135.13% 114.18% 85.27% 128.74%

Those percentages then… they say basically the same kind of thing I was saying above. Dyna Hard and, to a lesser extent, Champions of the Sun may want to look at their TE options going forward.

Special Teams then?

PK PN  ST Total
Champions of the Sun 86.850 99.525 186.375
Dyna Hard 100.100 125.400 225.500
Dynablaster Bombermen 95.150 104.025 199.175
DynaForOne Firebirds 108.150 90.325 198.475
Dynasore Losers 104.250 93.320 197.570
East Flanders Flahutes 124.500 78.750 203.250
Here Comes The Brees 136.500 103.975 240.475
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 107.050 86.475 193.525
Tamworth Two 90.150 94.865 185.015
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 120.450 94.375 214.825
Grand Total 1073.150 971.035 2044.185

I have nothing really to say here.

PK PN ST Total
Champions of the Sun 2.90% 3.33% 6.23%
Dyna Hard 3.43% 4.29% 7.72%
Dynablaster Bombermen 3.34% 3.66% 7.00%
DynaForOne Firebirds 3.48% 2.91% 6.39%
Dynasore Losers 3.46% 3.10% 6.56%
East Flanders Flahutes 4.92% 3.11% 8.03%
Here Comes The Brees 5.09% 3.88% 8.97%
Kelkowski Don’t Play By No Dyna Rules 3.55% 2.86% 6.41%
Tamworth Two 3.21% 3.38% 6.59%
The 4th Dynmension: Dynasty of Sadness 4.73% 3.71% 8.44%
Grand Total 3.77% 3.41% 7.18%

But now… I still have nothing really to say.

Yeah. That’s all you’re getting this time.