Tag: James Goodson

Guest Mock Draft by James ‘Goody’ Goodson of the Tamworth Two

MOCK DRAFT! Get your MOCK DRAFT here! Roll up, roll up, ladies and gentlemen, see the astounding sights of the mock draft up close and personal (don’t worry, he won’t bite, but do keep your hands out of his cage…). Drum roll please, if you will, and introducing for your pleasure and delight, the mock draft stylings of Mr James ‘Goody’ Goodson.

Pick 1.01 and… The Sadness choose…
Ezekiel Elliot, RB.
Elliot will be the handcuff to Darren McFadden so taking the most pro-bowl likely RB makes sense. This means they’ll look at a franchise RB, and with Elliot they have a RB who does everything well. He’s in a tier on his own above everyone else on my board so he’s the 1st overall pick in this mock. They just hope DMC avoids getting injured so Elliot can secure RB1.

With pick 1.02 the Firebirds choose…
Corey Coleman, WR.
Another tough one as I think the Firebirds have better strength at WR than RB, but there is a real limited quality in long term value in RB, especially in this year’s draft. A dynasty franchise is set up around WR talent and Coleman pips Doctson. The latter being a better dynasty target as both Racist’s receivers are are expected to be FAs in 2017

With pick 1.03 the Dungeoneers pick..
Josh Doctson, WR.
As above, and if Doctson can bulk up I think he’ll be a very good solid receiver. He has good height and will offer good long term value offer excellent value

With pick 1.04 the Losers choose
Laquon Treadwell, WR.
Treadwell is my number 4 receiver, and I think David loves Treadwell. He’s a very good receiver. His tape shows off some fantastic competitive plays, from blocks to contested catches but, I just don’t think he is quite as good as Michael Thomas. While the Losers RB and WR depth is weighted towards the latter, a potential WR1 is too good to turn down in a dynasty league. He’s a good fit for the WR1 at the Vikings, usurping last year’s surprise package, Diggs as the season goes on. His lower speed won’t be an issue with Teddy’s noodle arm and short passes.

With pick 1.05 the Champions pick…
Michael Thomas, WR.
I love Thomas. I think Thomas could be better than Coleman, but he I think initially, he won’t be a viable fantasy option. He is great with contested catches and will be a nice addition to the Champions’ roster.

With pick 1.06 the Sadness choose…
Sterling Shepard, WR.
I love Sterling Shepard. He will be a legitimate WR 2 for the Giants and will be the perfect foil for OBJ. With the ability to play in the slot but underestimated outside, the best route runner in the draft will likely have a very high floor. The Sadness improve on their 2016 monopoly with an excellent safe pick.

With pick 1.07 Kelkowski pick…
Derrick Henry RB
While the landing spot of Henry won’t result in Kelkowski doing flips, the ability for him to take a lot of the possible red zone touches will be gratefully received at the Mahoney Memorial Stadium. While they haven’t replaced megatron, there is a clear dearth or top tier rookie relievers so this pick is a case of BPA. Don’t be surprised to see Kelkowski attempt to trade up a few spots.

With pick 1.08 The Sadness choose…
Kenneth Dixon, RB.
With Dixon joining Booker in, arguably, one of the best two landing spots, the Sadness make a sensible pick and choose my no. 2 RB.

With 1.09 The Firebirds select…
Devontae Booker, RB.
It’s a bit of a tough pick for the Firebirds. Booker allows them to secure the Denver running game, but doesn’t add much to their depleted RB personnel. They’ve already nabbed the best receiver on the ball and a great landing spot helps them take this pick with little fuss.

With 1.10 the Champions of the Sun pick…
CJ Prosise, RB.
This pick was to be either Prosise or Kenyan Drake of Miami. However I’m going for the upside that Prosise offers as Rawls may not be as fancied as previously thought. Procise can play all 3 downs, is a bit of a freak athlete and can be the receiver Rawls isn’t. 6th round Rawls can be cut with no cost next year at Seattle. 3rd Round Prosise makes sense here. Will Kenyan Drake hang around long enough for the Champions next pick?

With 2.01 The Sadness choose…
Tyler Boyd, WR.
Another freak athlete. With Sanu’s target to go around, the Sadness show can continue.

With 2.02 the Sadness pick…
Hunter Henry, TE.
The best Tight End in the draft who has been compared to Jason Witten. With this pick, the Sadness stockpile depth and take advantage of an ageing Walker on their roster and the expected slow break outs of Tight Ends. Don’t be surprised if the Sadness try to trade down to snag Jaded Goff as Qb is a need.

With 2.03 the Dungeoneers choose…
Paul Perkins, RB.
With a menagerie of backs in New York, Perkins is well suited to take the main carries off an ageing Jennings and a sub par back up committee. Music to the Dungeoneers ears as they have Jennings on their books.

With pick 2.04 The Losers choose…
Malcolm Mitchell, WR.
With superb character and a good landing spot to take on LaFells targets, the Losers pick up one of the safer rookie receivers in this draft who excels at route running, just what Brady likes.

With pick 2.05 the Firebirds choose…
Will Fuller, WR.
Surprised that Fuller fell so low in this draft, the Firebirds snag Houston’s deep ball threat. Fuller had one of the best yards after catch in college and could be a steal at 2.05

With pick 2.06 the Bombermen rock the boat and pick…
Jordan Howard, RB.
Strategically this may be a perfect pick. Langford was not impressive in Chicago with only 3.6 yards per carry and only forcing 7 missed tackles over the entire season. Now with a legitimate powerful back, the Bombermen stop their divisional rival getting stronger and improve upon their only decent RBs of Hill and David Johnson. Another option I was looking at, was Dynaharder trading up to 2.05 to grab Howard to avoid this situation.

At 2.07 Kelkowski pick…
Mike Thomas, WR
This is a great pick for Kelkowski. With very little competition in LA, and the natural ability for a spectacular catch, Thomas (the better Thomas in some people’s eyes) offers superb upside. With only gadget play specialist Tavon Austin to really offer any threat to targets, expect Thomas to perform above his expected pick to be a standout receiver.

At 2.08 Dyna Harder choose…
Wendall Smallwood, RB
With an ADP of 2.09 Wendall Smallwood is moving up boards. A natural runner with a lot of power, Dynaharder pick the Eagles’ Running back and trade with the Firebirds for Mathews to move down later in the draft. This is the best of a bad situation for Dynahard as they were relying on Howard hanging around until 2.08.

At 2.09 the TT choose…
Rashard Higgins, WR
The Cleveland WR graded out as one of the top receivers in 2014 by PFF and this fills a need of arguably the best team in the league who have no weaknesses.

At 2.10 Dynaharder pick…
Tajae Sharpe, WR.
Another well thought of receiver, Sharpe provides Dynaharder with some good depth in a great situation. With Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter only in front of him, Sharpe should get a good amount of targets as the year progresses.

On the Matter of the Trade of Demaryius Thomas

Facts:

Demaryius Thomas was traded from the DynaForOne Firebirds to the Tamworth Two on deadline day for Willie Snead, a 2016 1st, a 2017 2nd and a conditional 2018 3rd. The trade was processed at 7:54pm. The deadline is 8pm. The commissioner was otherwise indisposed at this time.

Iit was noted in the main NFL huddle that, according to the rules, picks may not be traded more than 2 drafts in advance. The commissioner, upon being notified of the issue at 10pm, stated to the two teams involved that he was happy for the final detail to be worked out and the trade to stand.

Formal complaints have been raised by two GMs who consider that the trade should not stand as an agreed legal deal was not in place by the deadline. Other GMs have a more ‘shades of grey’ opinion. Given the formal complaints raised, the Commissioner agreed to review the situation.

Review:

I came to a decision on my ruling yesterday and wrote up a formal response. Much more formal than this. I wanted to sit on it and weigh up whether I was making the correct decision or not before I posted it though. Upon reviewing what I had written, I felt I couldn’t stick with it and changed my mind. My words here might not be as thought through as in that original decision, and they come from a slightly different place. Please bear with me. I hope I can explain myself and the ruling adequately.

In reviewing this case I have to concede that the complainants are correct. The trade is not valid according to the rules on the website. The trade was not 100% completed by 8pm on the deadline day as the final, smallest element of the package was technically illegal. That said, the rules for trades are out of date. They allude to commissioner review of all trades before they are put through – a function which was removed after the first season. The rules suggest that all trades are signed off on the forums, and insist that all trades with conditional picks are signed off in this manner by both teams. In the past, teams have not been held to these standards. In addition, in the course of this discussion we all agreed that the rule for preventing picks from being traded more than 2 drafts away was a bad rule and should be removed.

I don’t think any league member would deny that the published rules on the website are out of date. They do not reflect rule changes agreed by the league and they are certainly not strictly followed. They rules were written prior to the league starting and have, on numerous occasions, been found wanting. I take responsibility for this, but I think we can all acknowledge that to get the rules spot on the first time, with no experience of dynasty, let alone salary cap dynasty, was nigh on impossible.

At no point during the League’s existence have we viewed the rules as black and white due to their inadequacies and our ongoing development of understanding of how our league works and how the rules relate to it. There have been countless times when rules have been bent because it was common sense. Nonetheless, I have to come back to the fact that the complainants are correct, allowing the trade is technically a breach of the rules.

However, there are other issues at stake here that need to be factored into the decision. As has been pointed out in the hangouts, where does the leniency end? Somebody stop the leniency! The League has been very lenient over myriad issues, and thus far I am positive everyone has benefitted at some point. And being lenient in this or other cases doesn’t mean people can get away with anything. That’s getting a little too close to a “if you allow gay marriage then that means beastiality is OK” kind of nonsense. I think we can all apply a degree of common sense and agree that one example of leniency doesn’t mean anything goes.

What is the alternative? When I initially wrote up my decision I decided to revoke the trade because, by the letter of the law, it was in breach. My decision went into the consequences of this and I did not like what I saw. The League becoming a police state. Every rule having to be adhered to precisely and my role of Commissioner having to come down hard on all minor breaches. Of course, this is as ridiculous as the anarchy vision of the future presented by leniency. And yet, it allowed for any minor breach to be pointed out and argued over and require a ruling. This process genuinely makes me miserable. I have not enjoyed having to make a decision on this or any other matter. I have not enjoyed the discussion. And I completely acknowledge that in that past I have been a ring leader in this kind of stuff. After a previous ‘discussion’ I looked into the mirror, I looked over the precipice, I didn’t like what I saw. If that leaves me inadequate to run a fantasy dynasty league, then so be it.

So what this ultimately came down to to me is what do I want this league to be? I have said previously that I believe my role as commissioner is to sit back and interfere as little as possible. I should just make sure the league runs by the rules. Theoretically this means that I should revoke the trade. However, my view has changed a little recently. This is a complex league and will need a guiding hand and it is the commissioner’s role to be that guiding hand. By my hand, I shape the league. The league is, in some respects, a reflection of me, or what I want to see in the world.

So how do I see the world? I don’t agree with every rule that’s out there, and I want people to see and evaluate all the circumstances that surround events and apply common sense. And I want people to generally be cheerful and have fun. I want our league to be fun, and if our league stops being fun, then I’m out. There are times when that point comes close. Some of those points I have entirely been at fault for. Probably more often than any other league member. Sometimes I get worked up about issues merely because I care about the league and want it to work. I want it to be perfect. But it can’t be perfect, nothing can. But it can be fun.

So I want to apply common sense to the league in matters of dispute. I want to take a step back and evaluate what is sensible, not what is “legal”. I want everyone to obey the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law. So, if we’re applying common sense here, what is the common sense ruling?

Let’s say the trade gets processed at 6:54, not 7:54. The issue is flagged and Neil and James resolve it, amending the terms of the deal by 7:45. Here is my question for you – what is different from this happening slightly after the 8pm deadline? Literally what is different in the league? Nothing.

Does that mean I should be allowed to do a trade now? No – the deadline was on Thursday.
But the deadline was 8pm and this was sorted out just after 8pm… Well, the deal went through before 8pm and they two teams made an honest mistake.
But a mistake nonetheless – one that means the trade isn’t valid… Was there an effort made to cheat the league? Was there ill intent in this deal? Aren’t all of us friends trying to have some fun before the sweet release of death?
Come on! OK – you want to go with the rules… for a trade to be reviewed by the commissioner, at least 3 league members need to protest the trade and only 2 have made formal protests, so none of this post exists and the trade can go through with the original terms (including the 2018 conditional pick).

Look – I get where the complaints come from, but nothing was done maliciously and the difference between them doing things correctly in time and making a minor corrective arrangement outside of the time limit is literally nothing. The results on the website are the same, the line-ups are the same, it changes nothing.

The common sense ruling is the one I made initially – the trade goes through and the amended conditional term is:

If DT finishes in the top 10 in 2016 across 16 weeks TT will give their 2017 3rd and 6th round picks and DFO will give their 5th.
If DT finishes outside the top 25 in 2016 DFO will give their 2017 6th
If DT finishes between 11 and 25 no further picks will change hands.

MAX’S STAT BLATS! – Week Two

The spreadsheet has been fed this week and my dot matrix printer has finally finished churning out the data for me to pore through.  This week I’ll take a look at the first two weeks performance from 2015 and compare it to the first two weeks from 2014 to see if we can build a picture of where each team’s fortunes will go from here.

Reality Bites

Below are comparisons of performance through week 2 of the 2015 and 2015 seasons, ordered by finishing order in the 2014 season.

2014 Week 2 2014 Standing 2015 Week 2 POA Diff
Dynaforone Firebirds 1-1 (137 poa) 7-6 1-1 (181 poa) +44
Here Comes the Brees 1-1 (146 poa) 8-5 0-2 (152 poa) +6
Dynasore Losers 2-0 (175 poa) 8-5 2-0 (172 poa) -3
Kelkowski 2-0 (212 poa) 8-5 0-2 (153 poa) -59
Dynablinker Obamamen 0-2 (168 poa) 7-6 0-2 (156 poa) -12
Champions of the Sun 1-1 (181 poa) 6-7 2-0 (192 poa) +11
Tamworth Two 2-0 (185 poa) 6-7 1-1 (167 poa) -18
East Flanders Dungeoneers 1-1 (161 poa) 5-8 2-0 (158 poa) -3
Dynasty of Sadness 0-2 (129 poa) 5-8 0-2 (154 poa) +25
DynaHarder 0-2 (168 poa) 5-8 2-0 (223 poa) +55

So let’s get the good news out of the way.  DynaHarder have gone from an 0-2 start last season to a 2-0 start this season, having the highest average points in the process.  The attendant 55 point jump in average score shows that the team has improved hugely over last season’s average start and there is still the return of Martivis Bryant and abhorrent human being Greg Hardy to come.

The other two significant improvements over last season can be seen at the Dynasty of Sadness and, worryingly, 2014 Superb Owl winners the Firebirds. The Sadness were a flimsy excuse for a fantasy football team last year and anything less than a big jump from 2014’s 129 average points would have been a disaster. Whilst the team are still at the bottom end of the points scorers they are not cut adrift like last season and can expect to be competitive. How the Firebirds improved from 2014’s disastrous start to claim the Owl may warrant an article on its own but the team has started strongly this year, being unfortunate to lose with the 3rd highest score in week 1.

On the other side of the ball it would be remiss not to start with Kelkowski’s 59 point plummet from the first two games of last season. Last week I highlighted some of the reasons Jay and Ian might not be surprised by this but the extent of the drop off is alarming. Despite the poor start of the Breeses this year it’s worth noting that they’ve actually started better in terms of their weekly output this year, suggesting all may not be as bleak as first appeared. Could another unlikely playoff run emerge? Another team I believed to have regressed have proved me wrong through two weeks as the Dynasore Losers are still scoring at the same level as the opening of last season. Whether they can power up to the heights of 2014 as they go along remains to be seen.

What Might Have Been

Looking at what the teams actually scored in the first two weeks is all very well and good but to get a full picture of improvement and regression we should also look at their potential points. What do their best line-ups look like compared to last season? This will also highlight where GMs are more directly responsible for good or poor performance with their team selection.

  2014 Week 2 2015 Week 2 PPOA Diff
Dynaforone Firebirds 188 ppoa 228 (79% eff) +40
Here Comes the Brees 210 ppoa 228 (67% eff) +18
Dynasore Losers 212 ppoa 244 (70% eff) +32
Kelkowski 265 ppoa 206 (74% eff) -59
Dynablaster Bombermen 233 ppoa 232 (67% eff) -1
Champions of the Sun 204 ppoa 258 (74% eff) +54
Tamworth Two 261 ppoa 216 (77% eff) -45
East Flanders Dungeoneers 212 ppoa 208 (76% eff) -4
Dynasty of Sadness 206 ppoa 211 (73% eff) +5
DynaHarder 250 ppoa 282 (79% eff) +32

The numbers here back up the findings for the Firebirds and DynaHarder, showing an overall squad improvement to match their gameday improvement. The other big improvers are the Losers and the Champions, both of whom seem to have added a lot of depth between the start of last season and now, whether it was during the season last year, in the off-season or in the draft. The Breeses too can be happy that, whilst they’re squad still has holes, the actions Dan and Ben have taken have strengthened and added depth.

For the other 5 teams the story is either one of maintaining the status quo or of regression. Despite some strong additions, the Sadness seem to only have a squad as good as the start of last season, suggesting inefficient squad selection contributed to the team’s woes at the start of last year. The Bombermen and, surprisingly, the Dungeoneers also seem to have remained on par with the start of last season. The Dungeoneers are a strange one. To the naked eye, the team seems stronger than last season yet the stats don’t back that up so far. It’s early days, and GM Pete is building for the future, but if the team finishes the season not having outperformed last year’s iteration it should go down as a disappointment.

Kelkowski’s woes have been dwelt on enough but they can at least take solace that a 74% squad efficiency is not horrible and they are doing a good enough job of team selection. The Tamworth Two’s drop in potential points isn’t far short of Kelkowski’s however and that should be a cause of concern. The struggles of Alshon Jeffrey and Jonathan Stewart have certainly contributed to this but the defence has taken the biggest hit with Olivier Vernon and the linebacking unit firing blanks so far. It’s early days yet, of course, and defensive scoring is notoriously streaky but this is a situation worth keeping an eye on. The good news is that the Hogs’ 77% efficiency rating is second best in the league so they, at least, making the most of what they have.

In the efficiency stakes both Bens and both Dans will hope to improve their team selection in the coming weeks as the hot hands become clear and depth chart fog starts to dissipate. Both teams are at sub-70% efficiency which is a major barrier to success. David is, of course, PLOBbing the shit out of himself but what else would you expect? The Losers are still 2-0 so maybe his carefree team selection is motivating the troops.

Join me next time on Stat Blats where I’ll be doing something else with stats, probably, unless I’m not.

2015 Commish Preview: Tamworth Two

Team: Tamworth Two – James Goodson/Mat Ward

2014 Record: 6-7, 4th pick based on head to head.

Significant Additions:

Draft – Duke Johnson (RB), DeVante Parker (WR), DeAndre Smelter (WR), Vic Beasley (DE)

Free Agency – Jonathan Stewart (RB), Darren McFadden (RB), Heath Miller (TE)

Trade – Andre Williams (RB)

Significant Losses:

Free Agency – Coby Fleener (TE)

Trade – John Brown (WR), Markus Wheaton (WR), Vernon Davis (TE), Orlando Scandrick (CB), Darren Sproles (RB), Jurrell Casey (DE)

Preview:

8th in points scored, 6th in potential points and 8th in selection efficiency. These are not pretty stats to be starting from. An AWE of 6.43 against their 6 wins says they slightly underperformed as does the 75% chance of hitting 6 wins minimum, but ultimately they were part of the middle morass, the teams who could have finished anywhere from 4th to 7th. The question is do they have players on the books who can be expected to perform significantly better this year, and have they improved their roster enough in order to make that leap up into the top 3, or will they remain reliant on luck in the middle section to make it through?

Truth be told, the team still looks like an also-ran. Two have become one at RB where the top two runners from last year, LeSean McCoy and Fred Jackson, are now both on the same roster, limiting the points potential. The other options at RB are either not guaranteed to be the starting back or, based on recent history, not likely to last the season. Besides which, the O-line in Buffalo is not the kind that to inspire predictions of dominant running performances, even if that’s what the Bills need given the lack of an NFL-quality QB.

The story is similar at wide receiver where Alshon Jeffrey stands out as the only option close to elite. This could be the year he pushes himself up into the top 6 or 8 receivers in the league, but if he doesn’t this could turn into a miserable year for the Two as Landry, Parker, Crabtree and Wallace are all developing or in new pastures and none of them represent anything close to a guarantee. The Miami offence promises a lot and could offer nice boost but equally the large number of mouths to feed in the new system could limit production.

Quarterback is sorted with Aaron Rodgers, assuming he stays injury free, otherwise there are risks around Carson Palmer, returning from injury, and Brett Hundley, a 5th round draft pick for the Packers who can be described as raw at best.

One of the strongest DT pairings in the league isn’t the gateway to a strong defence, with talent further down the roster patchy at best but a smattering of rookies bode well for the future.

Verdict:

Goodson has previously intimated the team has a 3 year plan so going into year 2 with a number of players with the potential for growth lines up with that. The risk is that the team will need to hit more often than they miss for this to turn into a playoff team in 2016. If the GMs have as good an eye for talent as they think they do they won’t have a problem, but either way they don’t look to have the strength to make a playoff run in 2015.

Prediction:

6-7. 2014 all over again. They’d better hope they can push on after this year, becoming the Jason Garrett of consistent middling seasons rather than the Joe Philbin.

Mock Draft 3.0 – James ‘Goody’ Goodson of the Tamworth Two

1.1 Dynahard pick Todd Gurley.

Dynahard’s draft will most likely be focused on improving depth initially at RB and then WR to compliment Antonio Brown. An ageing Jamaal Charles on a hefty salary, will be compensated by going for the next best dynasty RB in Gurley. You may not see the early production with his torn ACL and where he’s landed meaning splitting carries, but Gurley will be a long term pick and provide franchise value in a position that is often a lottery. Dynahard may also go with Gordon to get his early level production, however, slightly lower on long term value, I see Gurley as much more complementary to having Charles on the roster.

1.2 Dynasty of Sadness pick Melvin Gordon

The Sadness have 2 studs at WR, with very little need in this position over the next couple of years, as long as they stay healthy. This makes their pick relatively straight forward with Gordon filling a need as The Sadness have no RB1 on their books.

1.3 Dungeoneers chose Kevin White

EFD have little depth at RB or WR so it wouldn’t be unusual to see them freeing up some salary space and trading up in the top 15 picks for some potential studs. They’ll need someone with a high ceiling and not many players have that combined with a landing spot as good as White. I wouldn’t be surprised to see EFD try to trade up to snag Gordon or Gurley based on the depth on offer at WR.

1.4 Tamworth Two pick Amari Cooper

While the main need for the TT is at punter or kicker, choosing this position on the 4th pick may arguably be considered reaching by some. Strengthening at RB during free agency with Stewart provides a little cushion in this position. TT would probably be happy at this stage with Cooper, although would also be derided with him making 3 Oakland receivers being on their books.

1.5 Here Comes the Brees pick Tevin Coleman

Relatively controversial, the Brees lack an elite option at both RB and WR, and were most affected by the draft with Brees’ players falling down the depth charts. Most notably, the Rams option on Gurley to share carries with Tre Mason and Falcons picking Coleman, resulted in two fantasy RB1s rapidly turn in to RB2s Gurley would have gone by now, so logically, to make the most of their situation, Coleman offers a safer pick and guarantees Brees get the majority of the points from the Falcons running game. Another option here, could be DGB who undoubtedly offer a higher long term ceiling. Unfortunately that’s a far higher risk for the 5th pick. I doubt they’ll trust TJ Yeldon at Jacksonville, as although a 3 down back, the blocking scheme there isn’t as proven. Don’t be surprised again to see Brees trade up if Gurley or Gordon are available.

1.6 Bombermen choose Breshad Perriman

The Bombermen have done an excellent job of using cap room to fill significant weaknesses across the board, resulting in their roster being misleadingly better then their draft pick suggests. At this stage, they may not be after top talent but the attractiveness of Perriman’s landing spot at the Ravens may be too hard to pass over. While trading down is a legitimate option for them, a Torrey Smith replacement and possible WR1 is a relative no brainer. Combined with the potential to pair with Flacco on their roster, his deep ball threat and Perriman’s ability to stretch the field, this could result in a some big fantasy weeks.

1.7 KDPBNDR choose Nelson Agholor

Apart from having an awful team name KDPBNDRs also struggle with some negative impact from the draft across their roster. The move of Maclin to Kansas seriously curtails his fantasy value, with his deep threat off set by Alex Smith’ inability to throw more than 7 yards. Agholor fills this need and could be a steal at 7 considering his upside and relative early points potential in Chip Kelly’s offence. The Eagles lose and gain a deep level threat and KDPBNDRs should seek to take advantage.

While a RB may be on the cards too due to the movement of Matthews and Murray to the Eagles, they still have depth at this position, especially as Zac Stacy’s value increases now he is at the Jets.

Winston and Mariota may fill a long term need at QB but questions on Winston’s character, and Mariota’s lack of experience in a pro style offence and his fit at Titans mean too much risk is with them for a first round pick.

1.8 The Losers pick Dorial Green-Beckham

A contentious pick because the Losers have a serious dearth of RB talent, however, D Slatz gushing of the big receiver can’t go unheard and I am sure he will look for a player like David Cobb from a deep RB class, in round 2 to fulfil his RB needs. DGB will be a high risk/reward feature and goes straight in to being a WR1 on the Titans roster. It may not be the most straight forward pick but negates some future issues with Larry Fitzgerald being on the roster for only 1 more season. I doubt TJ Yeldon will be available at 2.8 and DGB will be too good to turn down here.

1.9 Champions of the Sun choose TJ Yeldon

This pick is motivated by the Vikings decision to retain Adrian Peterson and the Browns drafting yet another RB early on. The roster remains relatively strong with some nice depth on defence but as much as the 2015 RB class is a deep one, it doesn’t cover the fact that Yeldon lands as a 3 down back in a Jags offence that possesses a more varied attack and an experienced QB than before. This will adequately cover the loss of points. While Duke Johnson could be an option with the , you would really have to be glutton for punishment to suggest he will outscore Yeldon and rely on the entire Brown’s run game to get you to the next level of Dynasty football.

1.10 Firebirds choose Leonard Williams

I was tempted to go with Ameer Abdullah but the real value in round 1 dynasty picks lies with players you know will produce for the entire length of their contract considering they are 3 or 4 year commitments. While Abdullah was the third best RB on many experts boards, according to pro football focus’ analysis, he’s one of the worst blockers so he’ll be splitting carries with Joique Bell until he improves.

Williams will improve on the already adequate DE cover in the roster but will provide an immediate upgrade in production and long term stability in that position over his contract. This pick won’t be as glamorous as the rest but we will see the Champions improve on an already good roster.

2.1 Dynahard choose Devante Parker.

Overlooking the pressing need to fill the DT position, Dynahard go for the best long term offensive position still on the board and will gladly snap him up. A lot of talk suggests Parker will initially be the WR4 on Miami’s books with Landry (slot), Jennings and Stills all ahead of him on the depth chart. This is not to say he won’t end up being a WR1 one day, even 10 games in, especially with an ageing Jennings. But with Tannehill’s dubious deep threat skills (highlighted by Wallace’s frustrating season last year) and a playbook in the redzone more suited to slot receivers (such as Landry’s target count) there are doubts on whether Parker’s high draft pedigree reflects his fantasy potential. Dynahard should snap this pick up.

2.2 The Sadness choose Ameer Abdullah

Trent Richardson is as useful as a chocolate fireguard so expect the sadness to take advantage of the deep RB class and their poor depth in that position. Abdullah may split carries with Joique Bell, but he is on The Sadness’ roster making this a smart handcuff. They’ll be able to make the most out of the decisions with who will get the majority of the carries in the Lions’ backfield making this a low risk option in a position offset by insecurities. It may be a risk to hedge your bets, but replacing Reggie Bush’s touches will see a nice upside in Detroit, plus none of the other available RBs (Cobb, Ajayi, both Johnsons) offer as much upside as Abdullah, with the handcuff potential.

2.3 The Dungeoneers pick Jamais Winston.

The first QB pick off the board goes to the team with the highest risk at the position. Brees, one of the most reliable in the league now sees his main weapon and red zone threat gone, with more emphasis and investment in the Saints running game. Foles won’t have the same available receiver group in St Louis, who will be setting their game around their newly acquired RB. I choose Winston over Mariota based on his pro ready collegiate career over the Titans signalcaller. Mike Evans is a top 16 receiver, and even if he suffers a sophomore slump, V Jacks is still there.

2.4 Tamworth Two choose David Cobb

Resisting the urge to choose a punter, the TT stupidly choose to balance things out with an RB. I’m convinced that David Johnson, Duke Johnson and Jay Ajayi offer much more upside. Duke falls in a Brown’s that just don’t know when to stop running. Ajayi was ranked as a top RB prior to some knee concerns. And David looks set to be a feature back at the Cardinals, a team who often split loads with Ellington. It may be a lower risk, but with some RB depth, TT may see this as a sensible pick.

2.5 The Sadness pick Shane Ray

Another pick for the Sadness sees them improve their terrible DE depth. Ray is a sensible pick in a dynamic Broncos defense. With attention on their other pass rushers and line backers, Ray may see a productive start, assuming he gets over any turf toe injury.

2.6 The Bombermen choose Danny Shelton.

The acquisition of Cameron Wake in FA helped stop a gap for a year or two and cover one of the two largest flaws in the Bombermen’s roster. Danny Shelton, the highest ranked DT will immediately slot in a Brown’s defence who were ranked 32nd last year against the run. He’ll have plenty of opportunity to rack up tackles in Cleveland.

2.7 KDPBNDR choose Maxx Williams

Lacking any significant tight end, KDPBNDR nab the top ranked TE in a relatively shallow class. Notoriously low scorers in their first seasons as the rookie TEs get to grips with both the throwing game and the blocking responsibilities, Williams could be a massive risk, however, in a relative strong roster it may be worth taking, especially if they can acquire more experienced TE at a later date to cover the immediate season.

2.8 The Losers pick Duke Johnson.

Again, the RBs in this tier appear to be evenly spread, but Duke will enter a offence set up for the run rather than the pass. His Florida college, have a great reputation in producing pro ready RBs so don’t be surprised if the rookie ousts Crowell and West (who both offered less than 4ypc) to be their feature back. Johnson will the choice of DGB previously picked.

2.9 Here Comes the Brees pick Dante Fowler Junior.

While it’s tempting to take a shot at another WR, Brees don’t have an elite option as an edge rusher. Fowler slots in nicely.

2.10 The Bombermen chose David Johnson.

To take advantage of having Ellington, the Bombermen conveniently pick up Johnson. Although they don’t need another RB, or any other position for that matter, taking a gamble on a deep WR class is a gamble worth taking.