10 After Draft Tips

1. Set your week 1 line-up. Your league may have auto-filled your line-up, or they may all be sitting on the bench. Go through and plug in who you want to be starting for you week 1 so you have a better picture of where you stand.

2. Review your team, and if you haven't already, edit it from the generic name and logo.
Take a look at your roster, how does it project out where are your strength and weaknesses, is there an ugly bye week situation or averse injury situations? Also, make the team your own! Find a new logo and by now you have no excuse to not have a player driven team name. 50 Shades of Gronk anyone?

3. Review players available on the waiver-wire, submit waiver requests. 
You might not even have a waiver-wire to deal with after the draft after all everyone just had an equal opportunity to snap up those players at the draft. Regardless take a look at who went un-drafted. There's a chance someone slipped through the cracks or that a weakness on your roster might find a stop-gap or possible diamond in the rough.

4. Update your trading block if you're looking to make a few roster moves. 
It's a rare draft that goes exactly as you planned, additionally after reviewing your roster you may have noticed some weaknesses or strengths. Go ahead and fill out that trading block if your willing to make moves. It signals that you're receptive to offers and will start a dialog with like-minded teams. Even if you're happy with your roster, there's no reason not to put out a few feelers to see what offers come your way. If you're happy chances are there's someone not happy who might offer a bit too much for one of your gems.

5. Review your season schedule and note the Rivalry Weeks.
If you haven't already it's time to look at your schedule, who are you facing week 1 and then if you've got the time for it check it out in its entirety. Lots of things will change including whose team appears to be the best, but a few key things wont. When players have bye-weeks, and when they have juicy or rough fantasy match-ups. You'll also get a look at who you're playing twice this fantasy season.

6. Review your Rivals.
Those teams you're playing twice, it's time to mess with them. Who are their players, what are their strengths and weaknesses? What might they try to do? Having a better team than these individuals means you'll have a better chance at stacking wins especially towards the end of the season when it could be make or break for your season.

7. Trash talk your Rivals or the rest of the league.
There's much more to being a part of a league than just having a group of anonymous opponents to try and beat each week. To make those other managers feel more like true opponents you have to talk to them. Even if the only thing you have in common is being in the same league, use that! I'm one for trash talking, so trash talk their line-ups their drafts, their team logo and name! If you're too nice for that then do the opposite. These leagues should be like mini-communities, build them!

8. Boast about your roster and draft acumen.
Almost the opposite of point 7, but 7 should likely come before. After you've talked down (or up) everyone else's drafts, it's time to brag about your own. Let them all know how well you've done and they may be inclined to tell you differently. It's also a good way to get eyes on your team if you're interested in making trades. People actively trying to nitpick your roster will be more aware of who you have that they might want.

9. Start a smear campaign against players you're eventually going to target or are on your rival's rosters.
This plays into points 2 and 6. Down the line you're probably going to need to pick up or trade for some players, and like wise for your opponent. A smear campaign is to make certain players look unfavorable throughout the season. Talk about how old Frank Gore is, how pass focused Indy is, and how ugly that line is. Play up his bad weeks and down play his good weeks. The goal of this? Lowering their trade value. This hurts your rivals and could help you.

10. Sit back and hope your players don't get injured in the final week of the preseason. 
If you've drafted by now, then you have one more week of preseason football to watch. Hopefully you haven't already suffered a roster loss due to an injury, but you've got one more week to make it through. While fantasy football is definitely at the whim of injuries, you hate to see players lost in meaningless games, even fantasy wise! 

Mock Draft 1: 0 RB Draft Strategy

This is the first Mock Draft in a series of Mock Drafts. If you've read my 5 Draft Tips you'll know that I've suggested going in with a plan and then be prepared to scrap it. Well I typically have the same plan, somethings I consider a 0-QB, 0-TE, 0-K, 0-DEF. Meaning my typical draft strategy is to spend my first 8 or 9 draft picks on RBs and WRs, loading up on top tier guys and possible break out stars. I'm happy to pick up the left overs at the other positions knowing they'll be scoring just a few points outside of a majority of the players I could've drafted earlier. Now like I've said, be prepared to scrap it, so I've done this on a few occasions and the First Mock draft I'm bringing you I've done just that.

This Mock Draft I had a pick 9 in a 12 team league. I knew I wasn't going to get an elite 5 RB, but I wanted a WR at the start of round 2 and was already targeting Cooks in round 3. I decided very soon into the draft I was going to implement a "0-RB" Draft strategy, and had planned on picking up a QB sooner than I did. You may want to refer back to my personal Top 150 PPR Draft Rankings while reading through this.

The Resulting Draft and Roster

Round 1	Robert Gronkowski (TE) NE	QB:	Ryan Tannehill (QB) MIA
Round 2	Randall Cobb (WR) GB	WR1:	Randall Cobb (WR) GB
Round 3	Brandin Cooks (WR) NO	WR2:	Brandin Cooks (WR) NO
Round 4	Emmanuel Sanders (WR) DEN	RB1:	C.J. Spiller (RB) NO
Round 5	Kennan Allen (WR) SD	RB2:	Chris Ivory (RB) NYJ
Round 6	C.J. Spiller (RB) NO	TE:	Robert Gronkowski (TE) NE
Round 7	Chris Ivory (RB) NYJ	FLEX:	Emmanuel Sanders (WR) DEN
Round 8	Arian Foster (RB) HOU	K:	Dustin Hopkins (K) NO
Round 9	Ryan Tannehill (QB) MIA	DEF:	Miami (DEF) MIA
Round 10	Joique Bell (RB) DET	BN:	Arian Foster (RB) HOU
Round 11	Kendall Wright (WR) TEN	BN:	Joique Bell (RB) DET
Round 12	Darren Sproles (RB) PHI	BN:	Kennan Allen (WR) SD
Round 13	David Johnson (RB) ARI	BN:	Kendall Wright (WR) TEN
Round 14	Miami (DEF) MIA	BN:	Darren Sproles (RB) PHI
Round 15	Dustin Hopkins (K) NO	BN:	David Johnson (RB) ARI

Round 1: So when I noticed my draft position I realized I would be missing out on the Elite RBs and since I subscribe to the bucking the trend philosphy, I knew I was going a different route at the end of the 1st. I was targeting either Julio Jones or Gronkowski, and as it turns out Julio was drafted the pick before me, with Brown and D. Thomas already off the board with my top 4 backs + Bell. So Gronkowski was a clear choice for me here. I thought I could probably land Anderson, Forsett or Hill on the back swing of this bend.

Round 2: So I had initially been targeting an RB, however all 3 of the ones I was looking at went around the bend and instead I was left with Cobb still being available at pick 16. Great value and I was happy to select him here. Trusting that I could find some RBs I'd be happy playing in later rounds.

Round 3: I was targeting Cooks with this pick from the moment I saw my place in the draft. By this point the run on RBs had taken McCoy, Murray, and Miller off the board, but left Cooks and Hilton available. I like Cooks a lot this year especially in PPR and was all over this pick.

Round 4: On the back swing I was going to consider Luck or Rodgers but the two of them went back to back, so instead I went for Emmanuel Sanders another great PPR option. The run on RBs was inflating their draft position and I was firmly against the grain at this point.

Round 5: While Justin Stewart was available here who I'm high on, Kennan Allen is my 31st rated player, and here he was at pick 57. He's really going too late. Despite having 3 WRs already, I went with the value of Allen at this pick. Giving me a great bye week option and furthering my positional advantage and strength.

Round 6: I probably should have gone RB-RB around the 5-6 bend at pick 57 and 64 and was initially planning to, Kennan's value lured me away. However at 64 C.J. Spiller was still available so I made that selection, a pick I'm very happy with in a PPR league.

Round 7: Now we're waiting, watching Gio, Gurley, and Agholor come off the board however Ivory is there when I'm drafting and I'm on board with the recent hype surrounding him. He's been running well and gaining coach confidence. He's also seen some passing down work so his value may not sink too badly in PPR formats. Regardless I could do worse than finding a 20 carry back in the 7th round. Ivory would be a second round pick if this was the Fantasy of last decade. He's the Bell Cow back for a run first and run dependent offense. I'm  confident in this pick.

Round 8: Arian Foster. This is a pick that you probably feel better about if you've drafted a running back in the first three rounds and then found your RB2 and 3 before here. However I like the upside of drafting Foster here. I've secured 2 running backs I'm comfortable starting, and 4 receivers to maneuver. Foster gives my team a second half boost, hopefully returning first round RB numbers once healthy. If your league has an IR spot this is a free bench spot, and makes this pick a no-brainer.

Round 9: So I missed out on a few of the QBs I'm bullish on earlier, while also needed to focus on RBs if Big Ben had been available round 5 I may have drafted him there, Eli in round 8 could have been a choice. However I'm happy with the selection of Ryan Tannehil in round 9, I believe he'll continue to progress if for no other reason than he's playing with second year Landry.

Round 10: I'd like to add a third RB (that's not going a chunk of opening games) to my roster and was targeting the pair of Woodhead and Bell. Woodhead went a couple picks before but Bell lasted. and we're comfortable with the pick. Ameer projects to see significant action but Bell has produced while in a committee backfield before and he's a solid catcher so he'll have some added value in PPR formats. His value in round 10 is enough that I can make this selection.

Round 11:  I settled on Kendall Wright. Adding a fifth option at WR and hoping Mariota improves that TEN offense. This the pick I'm least pleased with, but you won't get everyone you want. I had been looking at Tevin Coleman but he went a couple picks before this pick

Round 12: Headed towards my pick here I was looking at the pair of Matthews and Sproles, Matthews went before and I landed Sproles. I should probably like Sproles better in PPR leagues, but I have a sneaky feeling Matthews is going to have a much greater opportunity than we're all thinking.

Round 13: Out of all the young backs who are buried on their depth charts that act like late draft lottery tickets, David Johnson was the one who was available here. He's also got perhaps the most promising situation. Ellington hasn't looked good, doesn't have the frame for the bell cow role, and has been dealing with lingering injuries. I'm happy with landing Johnson here, and if the opportunity never develops there's no harm done.

Round 14: So I'm always practicing "0-DEF"/"0-K", yet I do still draft them. I'm looking to set myself up to stream the positions week 1 onward. I selected Miami's defense here due to their week 1 match-up against the Redkins which have looked lethargic with their "starter" RGIII on the field.

Round 15: Similar to the defense, I'm looking for a good week 1 K in the draft, however I did the opposite here as I was the last manager to nab a kicker (2 of the last 3 managers had drafted them late, another drafted one round 14) I went with NO's Hopkins. I have faith that NO will move the ball, however Arizona's defense is good and may cause NO to bog down towards the redzone resulting in a number or FG attempts for Hopkins.

So here's the first mock draft. I would have been happy with this team in my leagues, there are a lot of targets on this roster and guys I have faith to produce week to week. Going forward I'll look to share Mock Drafts where I utilized other strategies, or had the drafts end up taking a different route. Please, please, please, leave me some feedback. Let me know what I could be doing better, or what you'd like to see on future mock drafts. Thanks for reading,

GG

GGerrik's Top 150: PPR Draft Rankings

As a note these draft rankings as with most draft rankings are more than just a ranking of projected points scored for the 2015 season. Other factors will contribute to these rankings such as position scarcity, injury concerns, draft value, opportunity upside, and personal concerns. You could and should look at these as the order I would draft players, without taking into account who I'd already drafted. So without further adieu here are my top 200 PPR rankings.

1. Adrian Peterson -- Season low average carries a game is 17, in his rookie season
2. Eddie Lacy -- No Nelson likely means more Lacy
3. Jamaal Charles -- Consistent back and Smith likes to check down.
4. Antonio Brown -- Good chance to lead league in targets
5. Julio Jones -- Hearing good things about this new offense and Julio's targets
6. Robert Gronkowski -- No other TE will be targets as much, highest floor and ceiling.
7. Marshawn Lynch -- Ceiling not as high, Graham a risk to Redzone opportunities. 
8. Demaryius Thomas -- Departure of Julius may mean the emphasis on running game not as detrimental
9. Dez Bryant -- May be relied on more if running game takes a step down.
10. Le'Veon Bell -- I'd rather not be missing two weeks from my first round pick, if he makes it this far I'd take him.
11. Randall Cobb -- No Nelson may hurt Cobb's production, but he'll see more targets now, watch.
12. C.J. Anderson -- Anderson's second half of 2014 was amazing. I'm happy with him being next drafted back.
13. Odell Beckham Jr. -- His targets were absurd during the final 4 games of 2014, a healthy Cruz may eat into that.
14. A.J. Green -- Healthy and in a Contract Year, will likely compete for WR1, but emphasis on run may hurt him
15. Calvin Johnson Jr.-- Age and Injury concerns have Megatron dropping, I like his value here.
16. Justin Foresett -- Last season Marc Trestman's RB caught 102 balls on 130 targets.
17. Jeremy Hill -- Exploded onto the season last year, but Gio will be taking away PPR points.
18. Matt Forte -- Lost Marc Trestman, as well as turning 30 and being on a poor defense team. He's still Forte.
19. Alshon Jeffery -- No Marshall means Jeffery takes the WR1 and it's targets, but he'll be the sole focus of D's now.
20. LeSean McCoy -- I just don't like McCoy's situation, but he'll receive plenty of opportunities. 
21. Brandon Cooks -- Targets galore, and his Route Tree has been expanded to include deeper routes.
22. T.Y. HIilton -- Johnson might be able to pilfer more targets than Wayne did last season. Still a great option.
23. Mike Evans -- Evans may be WR1 in all but name going into this season, Winston should help offense.
24. DeMarco Murray -- New Situation, he's here because of the plethora of RBs and the Wild Card of Chip's Hurry Up.
25. Emmanuel Sanders -- Should see plenty of targets and is a great value at the end of the 2nd or early in the third.
26. Lamar Miller -- I like Miller, but the current hype for Ajayi means I'm not willing to rank him too much higher,
27. Mark Ingram -- Ingram had an amazing season in 2014 when healthy, but he'll lose PPR points to Spiller.
28. DeAndre Hopkins -- He's the big man in HOU this year, hopefully that will help his Boom or Bust even out.
29. Latavius Murray -- Was good in flashes last season, hopefully Carr and Co. will be able to keep defenses honest.
30. Julian Edelman -- Even without Brady Julian will still eclipse 100 reception if he's able to remain healthy
31. Keenan Allen -- Going far to low in most of my Mock Drafts, He's the #1 in a good offense. His value is great.
32. Andre Johnson -- Johnson will be surrounded by his best supporting cast of his career, but he is the #2 WR.
33. Frank Gore -- What I said for Johnson applies to Gore as well, except it's the run game being second to the pass.
34. Andre Ellington -- Ellington just can't stay healthy, he was ineffectual last season, but there's hope for a rebound. 
35. Carlos Hyde -- I'm not big on Hyde, I could see myself passing if I don't NEED an RB. Team could struggle.
36. Jordan Matthews -- Matthews will have a good chance for 100+ receptions in Kelly's Offense, I like his value.
37. Andrew Luck -- I'm against taking a QB in the first 3 rounds, so I'd pass on these next two until the fourth.
38. Aaron Rodgers -- Which means I have yet to draft either, but if they were there, I would draft them now.
39. Jimmy Graham -- Sure he moves from NO to SEA, but that worked for Gates and Gonzalez!
40. Allen Robinson -- He's underrated at the moment so I've been taking him later, but he will have 140 targets.
41. Amari Cooper -- All signs point to Cooper continuing the trend of rookie WRs making fantasy impacts.
42. Jonathan Stewart -- If it wasn't for injury concerns I'd take Stewart in the first round. That schedule is amazing!
43. Greg Olson -- No Benjamin, means unless Funchess is ready to start the season Olson is the #1 option, 100 targets
44. Jarvis Landry -- Great value here, he's another Julian Edelman but going a full round (or two!) later in drafts.
45. Alfred Moris -- The lack of work in the passing game hurts him in PPR, not to mention his team is awful.
46. Jeremy Maclin -- I don't like the move for him, but I do like Maclin. I'd take him here but I'd want other options.
47. Davanate Adams -- No Nelson moves Adams up, it's still unsure what his role will be, but has WR1 upside.
48. Golden Tate -- His targets and numbers with a healthy Megatron were disappointing last season. 
49. Travis Kelce -- Lots of hype, but there might not be the target volume for him as there are others.
50. Joseph Randle -- If Murray was the product of his line, Randle will have a great season and value here. 
51. Brandon Marshall -- He's the #1 in a poor offense, but he's also the best receiver that offense has had in a decade.
52. Vincent Jackson -- May slip to the #2 on his team, but last season he lead them in targets, just didn't nab the TDs.
53. Ameer Abdullah -- He's the Lions RB I want to own, expecially in PPR formats. Great Upside. 
54. Rusell Wilson -- This is the end of a few tiers for me. After Abdullah I'm comfortable with taking Wilson.
55. C.J. Spiller -- Payton like's to have a receiving back, and that back sees a lot of action. PPR only pick.
56. Melvin Gordon -- While being the lead back in SD, will be coming off the field on passing downs.
57. Giovani Bernard -- Gio will likely see more work than many expect, and he's the favored passing back. 
58. Todd Gurley -- He'll have a great opportunity for a run first team with a stout defense. No real competition in STL
59. Ben Roethlisberger -- I like the value Ben offers in the fifth round, I think he QB's the #1 offense this year.
60. Eric Decker -- I'm not a big Decker fan, I should probably drop him lower, but I can't see my self drafting him.
61. Sammy Watkins -- Similar to McCoy, except his opportunity is smaller. 
62. Martellus Bennet -- He should easily eclipse 100 targets, and may see more RZ targets with Marshall out of town.
63. T.J. Yeldon -- I just don't like JAX RBs, We all remember Gerhart right? That defense situation is also ugly.
64. Marques Colston -- He's falling too far, but is great value here. He should see over 9 targets a game.
65. Nelson Agholor -- The true inheritor of the Maclin/DeSean role in the C. Kelly offense. The Maclin of 2015.
66. Arian Foster -- I like Foster's value in the 6th round. By here I'm drafting for upside, his is great!
67. Drew Brees -- Lost some options and the team might be leaning on the run a bit more. Still 5K Drew Brees.
68. Anquan Bolden -- He's not an exciting player, but he's had consistent career and WR2 value.
69. John Brown -- He's an exciting player, with upside, his rising draft position will raise the risk in drafting him
70. Steve Smith Sr. -- Received 133 targets last season,  that's great opportunity for a team that lost it's #1
71. Peyton Manning -- DEN want's to lean on the run more, but someone has to throw to Thomas and Sanders.
72. Chris Ivory -- Good value pick, current word is Ivory will be in on passing downs. PPR +
73. Michael Floyd -- Michael Floyd currently has some broken fingers, I dislike hand injuries on receivers. 
74. DeSean Jackson -- Boom or bust player, with a circus of a QB situation. Still he'll win you weeks on his own.
75. Martavis Bryant -- I've clumped him right behind Jackson since he's essentially Jackson on less targets per a game
76. Pierre Garcon -- In 2013 he saw 184 targets for 113 receptions. 2014 D. Thomas saw 184 targets for 11 receptions.
77. Joique Bell -- Bell has produced when healthy, he's even saw work in the passing game. I'd still rather have Ameer
78. Danny Woodhead -- Woodhead is a PPR machine, this is probably too low for him. I like him more than Melvin
79. Tony Romo -- DAL will end up passing more this season, Murray wasn't just an average Joe.
80. LeGarrette Blount -- Great value  it is hard to trust Belichick with RBs, but he's been consistent with Blount
81. Charles Johnson -- The best receiving option out of MIN, not saying much. Though APs return should help.
82. Jason Witten -- Witten's targets have declined over the last two seasons, but he's good value if he's here.
83. Roddy White -- Hasn't played a full season since 2012, but his value here is absurd. If healthy 8+ targets a week.
84. Larry Fitzgerald -- 2 possibilities, last season was a fluke, or he's on the decline. Either way good value here. 
85. Shane Vereen -- All signs point to Vereen being a PPR monster, but we can't be sure of his role with the NYG. 
86. Victor Cruz -- I like Cruz a lot but he is a risk. He's going late and this is an area where his upside > risk.
87. Devin Funchess -- Kelvin Benjamin saw 146 targets despite having an abysmal 50% catch rate. I'm buying. 
88. Kevin White -- White's value is in flux, and he's the rookie I see struggling the most in their first season.
89. Matt Ryan -- If Brady is missing 4 games, I like Ryan more.
90. Julius Thomas -- If Bortles does progress, I could see Julius Thomas having top 3 TE value. I'm not betting on it
91. Tom Brady -- Missing 4 games hurts him a lot, however once he's back you know you're getting Angry Brady
92. Dorial Green-Beckham -- I think he's the best bet for a TEN WR producing, that said I don't like this run of WRs.
93. Tevin Coleman -- Probably the players I'm picking in this area of the draft. He'll eventually win that starting spot.
94. Torrey Smith -- A 9 Route receiver whose moved to a team with a wildly inaccurate QB. Poor Mans D. Jackson
95. Kendall Wright -- He's the receiver you probably should own in TEN, but I don't like upside as much. 
96. Breshad Perriman -- Being used to replace T. Smith, will be heavily overshadowed by S. Smith Sr. rookie year.
97. Cam Newton -- Injury to Benjamin hurts his value, but he's in the same spot as last year but healthy. Upside?!
98. Jordan Cameron -- Cameron is playing with the best QB of his career this season, Clay saw 100+ targets in 2013
99. Ryan Tannehill -- Argument to be made he's surrounded with the most talent in his career, hope to see progress.
100. Owen Daniels -- Daniels! Old but not forgotten playing with Peyton who loves to throw to his TEs. 
101. Eli Manning -- Manning is going is being severely undervalued. He went off with OBJ last season, now has Cruz
102. Zack Ertz -- There's a lot of hype around Ertz but Kelly just hasn't been utilizing him. He rarely makes it this far.
103. Delanie Walker -- Much better upside from Walker at this point, people seem to have forgotten about the guy!
104. Ryan Matthews - C. Kelly's offense means plenty of opportunities all around. He'll likely poach TDs and Recs. 
105. Darren Sproles -- PPR power house, this is FAR TO LOW for Sproles, but I fear the Matthews influence.
106. Terrance Williams -- Hands of stone and is practically invisible opposite Dez, Only saw 64 targets last year
107. Devonta Freeman -- The RB that's currently heading ATLs backfield. Chance he keeps his job.
108. David Cobb -- Sankey looked awful last season, and Cobb has looked like a Cow Bell back.
109. Duke Johnson -- Will likely see 3rd down work even if he doesn't steal the starting job at the start of the season.
110. Stevie Johnson -- Before his forgettable last season Johnson was a commodity now in receiver friendly SD. 
111. Isaiah Crowell -- Starting CLE RB has to be worth something right? I'd rather own Johnson. 
112. Philip Rivers -- Rivers being available here is half the reason I never seem to draft a QB.
113. Eddie Royal -- There's a good chance Royal produces better in a PPR setting then White does this season.
114. Malcom Floyd -- His draft position has bottomed out. He's a steal this late in the draft, but there's no WR1 here.
115. Cody Latimer -- There are going to be targets available, and the Broncos run 3 WR sets a lot. 
116. Darren McFadden -- McFadden could surprise everyone and be successful being that DAL OLine.
117. Allen Hurns -- Boom or Bust player, if offense does improve could smooth out his value.
118. Michael Crabtree -- Is Carr better than Kaep? That's essentially what you're banking on. He's going late regardless 
119. Brandon LaFell -- Brady being out 4 games hurts LaFell the most out of all the receivers. As does Wayne.
120. Percy Harvin -- I don't think I'll ever draft Harvin, but he fits this tier of WRs in my mind. Limited upside. 
121. David Johnson -- Another rookie being touted as a sleeper. Ellington has looked bad however.
122. Ronnie Hillman -- Lots of talk about Kubiak's 1 back system is keeping Hillman down, but who knows in DEN?
123. Doug Martin -- The first TB back off the board, maybe Winston's presence helps the run game out.
124. Jeff Janis -- No Nelson means the offense has a new Devante Adams. Or perhaps Janis ends up in the Nelson role.
125. Marvin Jones -- Missed all of last season so he's being drafted like he's not a factor, however 2013 he saw 80 tgts
126. Sam Bradford -- Health is the largest concern, but this Philly Offense GOES. He's also great to pair with Brady,
127. Tyler Eifert -- Lots of hype around Eifert, but can he live up to it? 
128. Kyle Rudolph -- This is what Eifert will likely become. 
129. Dwayne Bowe -- Bowe is confident in the CLE Offense, I won't be until I see more out of Johnny. He is WR1 tho
130. Cole Beasely -- He didn't drop a single catch-able pass. Considering Terrance Williams is in front of him... 
131. Austin Seferian-Jenkins -- There is growing hype here, OC has track record of making start TEs. 
132. Carson Palmer -- Palmer is an older version of Bradford, but he was playing well last year before the injury.
133. Andre Williams -- We all know Jennings isn't going to stay healthy. 
134. Doug Baldwin -- J. Graham is going to steal what few targets there were to be had in SEA. Is a WR1 though. 
135. Heath Miller -- He's been consistent, and has done it before. There are worse TE Options. 
136. Roy Helu -- PPR value, we'll have to see how the OAK backfield shakes out, but Helu will likely have great value.
137. Cameron Artis-Payne -- We know Stewart isn't going to stay healthy, and their schedule is juicy. Hand-Cuff?
138. Charles Sims -- Doug Martin has looked awful, so there's a chance Sims takes over before too long. 
139. Tre Mason -- If Gurley isn't healthy at the start of the season, maybe Mason can do enough to keep his job?
140. Reggie Wayne -- The Pats have a history of allowing their players to achieve their contract's incentives.
141. Ruben Randle -- Sure he cant catch, but he saw 127 targets anyways. If Cruz is done, Rueben will see just as many
142. Antonio Gates -- He's missing four games, and you typically don't want to roster a second TE, but Gates produces.
143. Jay Ajayi -- This is the time of year where almost every rookie is being hyped. Word is Ajayi might bump Miller
144. Fred Jackson -- Fred! He's always been involved when healthy, and he's typically produced.
145. Bishop Sankey -- While I'd rather have Cobb, and will probably miss out on Sankey, if he's here I'm taking him
146. Knile Davis -- Davis found ways to contribute even when Charles was healthy, a great handcuff
147. Brandon Coleman -- Toon's already injured, and with Stills and Graham out of town there are extra targets.
148. Brandon Oliver -- Is Melvin Gordon the next Trent Richardson?!?! 
149. Donte Moncrief -- The Colts love to pass, despite only seeing 49 targets in his rookie season there's value here.
150. Travis Cadet -- The last player on my board? I'm taking a flyer on the Patriot's likely Shane Vereen replacement.

Fantasy Football: 5 Fantasy Risers RBs

So yesterday I put out my five rising Wide Receivers. Five guys I'm moving up my draft rankings due to insights gleaned from the preseason. You can find the notes on those five guys here. As I mentioned yesterday we have to take the preseason with a grain of salt and try to discern some helpful notes from these past weeks of football. Today's article about RBs will see a lot of risers due to Hype and leading the positional battles.

Riser 1: Ameer Abudallah

The Lions RB has burst onto the scene and has drummed up excitement from his coach, the media, and our experts which is helping to buoy his ADP. Abdullah is passing the eye test ad has produced so far with the lions in Bells absence. While the Lion's coaching staff remains firm in the stance that the job is Bells and that it will be a time share, they can only drag their feet for so long with the success Abudallah is having. Even if this is a time share expect Abudallah to produced much in the way the two Lions RBs produced in 2013. If we knew that Abudallah was going to get 20 touches a game he's go in the second round, so he's a high upside player, he's a good value in round 5. 

Riser 2: Duke Johnson

This Browns rookie started training camp as the fourth RB on the Browns depth chart and ff most experts radar. However the Browns RBs have looked lethargic except for Johnson. The Brown's staff have been given Johnson more and more opportunities and he's starting to creep up Experts' boards. Expect Johnson to be a later round flyer with expectation that he'll eventually get the starting job. As it stands it's worth paying attention to this position battle to see if Johnson doesn't work himself into the starting role. 

Riser 3: David Cobb

Another depth option that's gaining hype through the preseason after week 1 it was thought to be almost a sure thing that Cobb would supplant Sankey as TEN's lead back. However week 2 Sankey went out and competed so now the picture is a bit more muted. Never the less he's probably worth a late round flyer and definitely worth watching the rest of the preseason. 

Riser 4: Jonathan Stewart

A product of the Kelvin Benjamin injury, Stewart is likely going to be leaned on a bit more in Benjamin's absence. He was already slated for a larger role with the departure of D. Williams, but Carolina will likely lbe forced to rely on the run just a bit more than they had been planning. This isn't a large rise for Stewart as he was already going in the 4-5 round range, but this definitely secures his fourth round value. Stewart's had some health issues but the Carolina's offense projects to have the easiest fantasy schedule this season (in terms of fantasy points scored against defenses they'll be playing). This is of course a projection and those always change, but they're going to have a plethora of prime fantasy match ups.

Riser 5: Tevin Coleman

This rookie is going undrafted or being picked up as a late round flyer. He's gaining momentum in the preseason and if Coleman shows to be capable in Kyle Shanahan's zone blocking offense, Coleman will be a steal. This is the player whose moved the least on my board but definitely needs paying attention to as the position battle works itself out over the last two weeks. His value is tied to opportunity and the ability of Shanahan to fix the Run Blocking of that ATL OLine. It's received some help in recent years, but the reason ATL backs are going so late is that they're an unsure commodity. Coleman has the higher upside, and he makes the better late round flyer. It will be interesting to see how the position battle shakes out. 

Fantasy Football: 5 Rising WRs.

Week 2 of the preseason is about to be wrapped up which means us discerning managers should be taking the time to reevaluate our Rankings. If you're following the advice of my Draft Tips you've been paying close attention to the Preseason this far trying to puzzle out an advantage on your fellow managers. The preseason is a great opportunity for the discerning manager, certainly injuries will play a part in the changing Ranking landscape but there are other nuggets of information out there if you're willing to spend the time sifting their the filler. The eye test is a great mover of fantasy hype, and if you don't trust your own eyes then just tune in to the media. They'll quickly tell you which players are making waves in the preseason and that can help you narrow down you focus. Why are these players making waves? Are they passing the eye test, are they taking full advantage of the opportunities given to them, are they winning their position battles? We can also see which players are being used in ways we might not have expected back in June, glimpse at who might be playing a larger role in the offense than we expected or who might be playing a smaller role. I did warn you about filtering out the silt, so you will need to be aware of fools gold, players whose opportunity in the preseason won't turn into an opportunity during the season. That said, here are 5 players I'll be rising up on my draft rankings, and paying a closer attention to over the next two weeks.


Riser 1: Brandin Cooks

In PPR Cooks is currently coming off the board in round 3-4. This is a steal for what he offers. We can all agree he looked good against that porous New England secondary, but can we also agree he looked healthy? That should sure up some confidence issues you might have had when Cooks lost a chunk of last season due to issues with his thumb. Lets talk more about his opportunity, something that's currently planted him mid 30s in ADP. We all know the Saints are without J. Graham and K. Stills, but the two combined for 148 receptions last season, let alone their 208 targets. That's quite a bit that need to be spread around and Cooks has been far and away the bright spot of the Saints receiving group so far in the preseason. Josh Hill isn't taking the leap most are predicting, and Benjamin Watson is... well Benjamin Watson. M. Colston has been on the decline these past few seasons and while I'd expect a bump in targets you'd have to expect Cooks to receive the largest boost, how large a boost? Well Cooks was on pace for 110 targets last season before the injury to his Thumb. His role in the offense was also expanding as the rookie grew into the offense. He could easily eclipse 9 targets a game which would put him over 144 for the season. We can likely expect the Rookie catch rate to decline slightly as the Saints allow him to stretch the field further and further, but even with a 10% drop (moving Cooks to a 66% catch rate) He'd manage 95 receptions. That's exactly what you're looking for in an elite PPR receiver. Combine that possibility with the explosive playmaking Cooks has been showing off in the preseason and you have an easy case for a top 10 PPR WR.


Riser 2: Davante Adams    

I felt that Adams was going too late in drafts already, as the WR3 in GB he was going to offer WR2 fantasy numbers with upside. Now due to Nelson's injury Adams is going to become the defacto #2 Wide Out in GB and look to assist Cobbs in replacing Nelson's 151 targets from 2014. Now the biggest mover in this Injury is Adams, Cobbs was already seeing 127 targets last season and on the field every snap. Now he'll see a slight rise in value but he was already going in the second round in many drafts and has probably secured himself that position now. Adams however is going to see a large usage increase, becoming the #2 option in Green Bays passing offense regardless of where he ends up lining up. That means the sophomore receiver 66 targets from last season are likely going to double, and he'll have a real chance of securing 100 receptions of his own. Adams should be moved into the low 20s in the WR Rankings, maybe even higher for as high as Cobb was ranked as the #2 in this offense. However Adams is still an unknown commodity, but he has a great opportunity this season and that means it's a great opportunity for Fantasy Managers. If you're landing Adams after the fifth round now you're securing yourself a steal.


Riser 3: Devin Funchess

Another mover due to Injury, Funchess is going to be thrust into the #1 role, much like Kelvin last year. The Panthers aren't likely to bring in another receiver and it will be trial by fire. Kelvin certainly had opportunity last season being targeted 145 times despite struggling at times (his catch rate was an abysmal 50%). What this says to me is that even if Funchess struggles as the #1 in this offense, he'll retain that position and continue to see targets each week (Kelvin averaged 9 a week). Funchess has a lot of ranks to rise, being outside the top 50 at his position. He now has a good chance to be seeing more than 9 targets a week. That's the sort of opportunity you look for in your fantasy players, they can't produce if never given the opportunity. This also says nothing for what Funchess might make of the opportunity. Funchess is a BIG wide receiver, at 6-4, and while his 4.5 40 time drooped him to the second round. Did you happen to know that A.J. green is 6'4 and ran a 4.5 40 time? Or that Dez Bryant runs a 4.5 40 time? So while you might hear a lot of noise about Funchess being a slow receiver, you shouldn't let that dissuade you from thinking that he has the potential to explode onto the scene like those two did. He's certainly being presented with the opportunity to. You'll have to raise Funchess a bit on your board, but he should be around after the 6th round. When your buddy goes ahead and grabs Seattle in the 7th round, you can land a 9+ target 6'4 monster of a receiver to your lineup.


Riser 4: Nelson Agholor

This Riser may be more in my confidence of his draft position than a posturing of moving him higher. His ADP has already been rising and his recent success in the preseason will likely move him forward a bit more. Agholor started Rankings behind the likes of guys like T. Smith, P. Garcon, Charles Johnson, R. White, and E. Decker. He should be going ahead of these individuals. He's demonstrated in the preseason that he can be trusted in the role that we knew he was going to be placed into. That role? the vacated X position of Jeremy Maclin and all 144 targets (If you couldn't tell I'm a big targets fan). As I noted above that's an average of 9 targets a game and that's what you're looking for from WR1s. Agholor is being drafted with the WR2s! Sure Jordan Matthews is listed as the top dog in Philly, but his role isn't changing this season, he's maintaining what he did last season while Agholor is stepping into Maclin's shoes just as Maclin stepped into Jackson's shoes last season. This role that Agholor is stepping into in Chip Kelly's offense, produced Jackon's career season in 2013, and Maclin's career season in 2014 (it should be noted it's guaranteed to produce career high's for Agholor in 2015... no?). His current draft position seems to be due to unfamiliarity of the product and Experts and Managers being unsure of the role he'll be given in Kelly's offense. However! After two weeks in the preseason Agholor currently has 9 receptions for 106 yards and a TD while lining up in that role we've been talking about, add one that the Eagles are already firing on all cylinders and you can explain the why Nelson has been picking up some hype as the preseason playing out so as I mentioned his ADP should be rising on its own, just be sure to not miss out on this year's Maclin!


Riser 5: Allen Robinson

Allen Robinson exploded onto the fantasy scene last season! However his would be memorable season ended early when he broke his right foot in November. In 9 games last season (leaving out week 1 when he was invisible to the Jaguars) Robinson managed 48 receptions for 548 yards and 2 TDs on 80 targets. In his first game starting for the Jaguars (week 3) he was targeted 10 times. Indeed after week 2 Robinson averaged 9 targets a week until his injury (now you should know how I feel about guys receiving 9 targets a game!). His fantasy production with those 9 targets was even worse than Kelvin's but the two were rookies and Bortles was terrible himself last year. We, and the Jaguars, have faith that the two will be better this year and that will result in better production from Robinson's given opportunity this up coming season. To those of you who are worried that Robinson might not receive the same opportunity as he did last year now that Julius Thomas is in town and Hurns and Lee had a chance to establish themselves, WalterFootball.com has kept track of Preseason Targets so far and has shown that Allen Robinson continues to be far and away Blake Bortles favorite target. Robinson's been targeted 9 times from Bortles in the limited time the two have shared the field during these two weeks of preseason football. Julius Thomas? 1 target in two weeks from Bortles. Now, Robinson isn't so far down the rankings as Agholor, but he's still being drafted later than the fourth round with guys like Watkins, Tate, Cooper, and Maclin. While I could see a case based on upside and hype for Cooper to go before Robinson, the other 3 in my mind have far less promising situations for opportunity. Marshall, Waktins and Maclin are in heavy run first schemes while Tate's targets and production fell off a cliff once Megatron returned healthy last season. I'll tell you this, if I was drafting between the five of them, Robinson would be my pick.

So there you have it, my 5 Risers, guys I'll be paying closer attention to over the next two weeks of preseason football and be judging their spot in my rankings. I like the upside of all 5 a bit more than the players currently graded around them and if they're not moving a full round up they're definitely my first option off the board in those rounds. You'll have to move those two injury risers up your board if you want a chance at them however, don't be caught sleeping on your rankings. Preseason football may be the light beer of football, but it's still beer! 

Fantasy Football: 5 Players I'm Avoiding

Fantasy Football

5 Players I'm Avoiding

If you missed it here are 5 players I like more than you.

I've got my friends and family league offline-draft coming up and to prepare I've been doing a number of mock drafts. I think it's important to actively draft before your leagues that way you'll have a sense of where clusters of players are going and where you might need to reach or where you might be able to wait depending on where you're drafting. I've also noticed that I'm avoiding certain players, players I've no interest in drafting even if they're the "best options" left on the board. Here are 5 players that I'm avoiding in this year's draft.


First Round: Andrew Luck

Luck's ADP has been creeping to the first round, but even in the second round I'm avoiding Luck and really any QB. This isn't to say I don't believe Luck will be the best fantasy QB (it's possible) but rather I don't like the value of taking a QB in the first or even second round. The first three rounds are really where you should be drafting a solid core of consistent performers for your fantasy team where they'll be getting 20+ touches as an RB, or 10+ touches as a WR. There's actually a very limited number of these despite potential upside candidates or "sleepers", there are perhaps 5 first round graded RBs these days? Another handful are going in the second where they might have previously gone in the first? If you want to get yourself a pair of bell-cow backs you're going to have to invest early. I actually like the value you can find at RB late, but most of that is potential and I prefer to have some solid choice up top to lock in my weekly fantasy scores. Alternatively there are plenty of other fantasy options at QB that will offer the weekly boom potential that Luck will without the cost of a first or second round choice. Big Ben for instance can be had in the fourth or fifth round and he'll be working in an offense that's a very close proximity to the Colts in terms of passing volume and surrounding talent, while also having perhaps a worse Def. I'm avoiding Luck, and if you're looking for top tier QB talent I'd say look for Big Ben in rounds 4-5.


Second Round: LeSean McCoy
Previously my avoid in the first round, McCoy's ADP has been dropping likely due to a combination of "expert" pessimism and injury woes. Even in the second round I'm still avoiding McCoy, I just don't like his situation. Certainly Rex Ryan likes to run the ball, the Bills will HAVE to run the ball, and the Bills have a defense that makes relying on the run feasible, yet I do not trust that offensive line to allow McCoy room to run. Sure the Bills have more weapons than Rex had during his time with the Jets, however the Jets have had a much better line than the one the Bills are working with this season. Did you watch last night's preseason game? The Bills struggled getting anything going on the ground against the Browns line, didn't manage to score until the final minutes of the game against the Browns 3s and 4s. McCoy is a talent, and he's certainly going to be given an opportunity, I just don't like his chance at producing like an RB1 when I have choices like Jeremy Hill, Matt Forte going just before and C.J. Anderson, Justin Forsett, or Melvin Gordon going just after. I believe there are "more sure" options around McCoy's ADP that I'd rather go with.


Third Round: Frank Gore

I'm just not high on Gore, I haven't been in a while and it's more to do with me than to do with the player. I won't be trying to convince you to skip on Gore as well, but I just like others around him more. The Colts have been very pass oriented due to their "inability" to run the ball despite the only RB whose appeared to have struggled for them being Richardson. Gore is the most talented RB they've had in a long while but Gore is also 32 and going to a new system with Indy. The 49ers used Gore as their bell-cow and while Indy will lean more on their running game now that Gore's in town, they're still likely to end up around 40:50 in the Run:Pass split. He does have a few positives going for him, You can't put 8 in the box against him like they did in SF, he'll have plenty of chances to score, and he'll likely have a lot of garbage time carries as the Colts try to hold onto a lead. So perhaps you shouldn't be avoiding this back whose going on the back end of the third round and is likely going to see 20 touches a game (He'll likely see ~5 targets in the passing game ea. week), but I am. Preferring the receiving options in the third round such as Hopkins, Matthews, and Cooks each of which are set to be the primary target on their offenses.


Fourth Round: Carlos Hyde

Perhaps I just don't like running backs? The fourth round is my least favorite round to be drafting in right now. I just don't like the talent that's being slotted into it so I find myself increasingly likely to draft a QB here (which punts the QB Streaming Strat) or "reaching" a bit on a chance like Abdullah or Stewart, neither sure things but both looking primed for great seasons. Carlos Hyde is perhaps my least favorite back slotted in this season and it's due to the team he's on. It's increasingly likely that the 49ers are going to be much worse than what I've been hearing. They've lost a ton of talent this past offseason yet apparently they're still going to be competitive despite also having lost their HC. I'm passing on this team, I don't believe they have the defense to keep them in games and thus allow them to pound the rock 20+ times. Nor do we know if Hyde can handle a full season as a Bell-Cow or that the Smith-Kaep connection is going to force that 8th man out of the box. I'm staying away from Hyde and I like talent available in the 5th and 6th more than I do this RB.


Fifth Round: DeSean Jackson

He'll produce like a fifth round, it's essentially guaranteed, but in my PPR league's I'm avoiding this individual at all costs. He's got a crap shoot of a QB throwing him the ball behind perhaps the worst line in football. Additionally that team wants to pound the rock, which will likely end up in a lot of third and longs and 3&Outs. He just doesn't receive the targets to justify the pick, despite his Fantasy Points per a Target being relatively high compared to other options. Jackson is exactly what he's been for a while, and he's probably good value for you in the fifth round in a standard league. However even in a .5 PPR league I'm avoiding Jackson even if he's slipping the fifth round, the targets just aren't there and you'll find options like Marshall, Cooper, and Edelman just a few spots later.


So there you have it, my 5 players I'm avoiding this year. Not a one has been drafted in any of my Mocks, nor will they find themselves on my league rosters once those drafts happen. Let me know in the comments what your opinions are on these players and perhaps try to convince me different on the likes of Luck, McCoy, or Gore. 

Fantasy Football: 5 Players I Like More Than You.

So a few days ago I submitted my 5 Draft Tips for your viewing. This update I'm going to present to you 5 players that I like more than you do and will let you know why you should be valuing these players higher than you are. That doesn't necessarily mean you should select them higher, or reach for them, but it does mean that you might want to reconsider them as options and adjust your draft plan accordingly.

Player Number 1: Cam Newton 
Cam Newton is currently floating around the back half of fantasy starting QBs from #7-#10 though he appears to be on the upswing as experts start to overlook his #14 finish last season and remember just what healthy Cam Newton has accomplished in the past for us Fantasy Managers.This past season Newton dealt with not only the loss of his entire receiving corps and a terrible O-Line, but also had a couple of injuries he was dealing with throughout the season. Prior to this past outlier of a season Newton had never finished worse than #5. Newton played through his injuries and has the body to absorb the punishment and looks 100% headed into this season. Additionally he's had a year with Kelvin Benjamin and the Panthers add Funchess to play opposite him, while still having Greg Olsen my pick for the #3 TE this season. While I can't promise you that they've solved their OLine woes the Panthers have certainly looked towards shoring that up bringing in Michael Oher and Jonathan Martin, while also returning Nate Chandler from a season ending knee injury and drafting Daryl Williams. However my #1 reason for liking Cam Newton more than you? His team faces only 2 projected top 10 fantasy defenses this season, and only 3 top 15 defenses. Better yet? They face #1 Def Seattle, then #10 Def Houston, and #15 Def Dallas. There is not an easier fantasy schedule out there at the moment, Newton is someone you'll be able to start with confidence week in and week out and it won't cost you a draft pick in the first three rounds to secure him.

Player Number 2: Mark Ingram

Mark Ingram isn't being given the credit he deserves this season. While fellow rushers Anderson and Hill sneak into the top 10 at the position, Ingram is slipping into the second or third round. ESPN has him in the late 20s on their 200 cheat sheets, and you'd be hard pressed to find him much higher. Ingram plays for NO and no one has ever been too sure what Payton was going to do with his committee, however if you were an Ingram owner last year you might be as high on him this season as I, and the Saints with their 4yr/16m extension, are. Ingram was another player who dealt with injuries last season and because of this his scoring was inconsistent and he felt well outside the top 10 at his position. Yet when Ingram saw the field, he averaged over 15 points a game. Payton chucked the committee approach out New Orleans and treated Ingram like the bell cow they drafted him to be. Ingram was firing on all cylinders early last season and when he came back at the end of the season he didn't miss a beat. I expect Ingram to see 20+ touches a game and to produce with those touches, you can't put 8 in the box against Brees and anyone hedging their bets against that areal offense is going to be giving easy fantasy points for Ingram owners. If the committee and specifically Spiller is still causing you to drop Ingram's stock, consider this, Payton has stated that the Saints need to be more balanced this season and the departure of Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills strips away a good deal of the targets Brees had last season. Compound those facts with their acquisitions on the OLine, The Saints drafted Andrus Peat in the first round with pick 13 while adding Max Unger in the trade that sent Graham to SEA, and I think you can put faith that NO is looking to use their new found running game more next season. Ingram is currently being had in the third round and I have full confidence he'll produce as an RB1.

Player Number 3: Jordan Matthews

Last season Jeremy Maclin was being drafted in a similar position to where Jordan Matthews is currently being drafted (to be fair, Maclin and Matthews are being drafted in a similar position this year as well, which should be a sign if you ask me). Maclin was coming off an injury and Chip Kelly's offense still wasn't fully understood. Maclin finished in the top 10 for WRs last season after posting a 85/143 - 1318 - 10 line. In Matthews rookie campaign playing across from Maclin, Matthews posted a 67/105 - 872 - 8 line. Matthews projects to be the primary target for Bradford going into next season and I believe will see a 40 target increase in workload over last season. Even if Matthews catch rate of about 64% and YPC of 13 didn't increase his line would like 92/145 - 1197 - 11 which is a significant jump from the projections you're seeing from experts. Sure Nelson Agholor will be starting but that bodes worse for Josh Huff or Riley Cooper than it does for Matthews. We're also assuming that the Eagles offense doesn't progress further with another year of Chip tutelage and with Sam Bradford under center. I'm very high on Matthews and I believe his floor and ceiling are both higher than being suggested. I'm drafting him before guys like Andre Johnson, Keenan Allen, Vincent Jackson, and DeSean Jackson. If your in a PPR league this guys value is a steal.

Player Number 4: Andre Ellington

Ellington seems to be receiving some backlash for health issues from last season and perhaps a few too many experts having him on their teams after touting him as a first round back and finding him available in the second. This season Ellington has gone from overhyped to underhyped. I'll admit part of the reason I'm so high on Ellington is due to added value he brings in PPR leagues, but even outside of those he's perhaps being looked at a bit too late. He's currently being drafted behind guys such as T.J. Yeldon, Carlos Hyde, C.J. Spiller, Lagarrette Blount, Joige Bell, and Charles Sims... That's Criminal. Even if you were high on these untested RBs their situations are still a far cry from Ellington whose coming off an injury laden campaign that actually wasn't too horrific all things considered, such as injury woes to their QBs and those 8 man boxes. Ellington took his number of bumps last season being undersized for a feature back role where he carried the ball 200 times despite injuries. He's put on some muscle this season and still has bell cow duties while having an improved OLine and his starting QB back. Speaking of that improved Oline, Jared Veldheer's arrival last year sparked a turnaround for that maligned line, however the Cardinals weren't done yet adding rookie D.J. Humphries in the first round of the draft and 3x Pro-Bowl guard Mike Iupata in free agency. Ellington is poised to break onto the fantasy scene this season, looking more like his 5.5 YPC rookie self than his injury laden 3.3 sophomore campaign.

Player Number 5: Austin Seferian-Jenkins 

Sefarian-Jenkins could be a player not on many of your radars, and that's probably due to the fact that he's outside the top 12 TE of almost every expert's cheat sheet for the position. Austin plays for Tampa Bay if you weren't aware, I most certainly wasn't before this past off season, and if you hadn't they've had a bit of a changing of guard. Two important changes are happening that are going to help this sophomore make a leap in production this season. First, the Bucs drafted Winston who should be an instant improvement over McCown and Glennon. Second, the Bucs have a new OC one Dirk Koetter who has a history of successful TEs in his scheme including the likes of Todd Heap, Zack Miller, Marcedes Lewis, and Tony Gonzalez most recently. At the very least, we know that Koetter will feature Austin much more consistently than the Bucs did last year where he saw action in only 9 games with two games over 5 targets and four games with 3 or less. Koetter likes to involve his TEs and that bodes well for rookie QB Winston and doubly so for Sefarian-Jenkins. This isn't a player you're going to have to change your draft plans for or even reach for, he's just someone to have an eye on late when you're looking to fill your roster with sleepers/high up-side talent. I'd definitely suggest tagging him if you're unsure of your starter at TE, Austin should have every opportunity for breaking out this season assuming he beats out Tim Wright for the starting spot. If Austin fails to do such and Wright secures the starting position, his flashes in NE last season warrants a roster spot in all formats.

There you have it, my 5 players that I like more than you. Comment below with players you like more than me, or perhaps you've a bone to pick about a certain mention that you're not nearly as high on as I am. I'll be bringing you 5 players that I dislike a whole lot more than you next so keep an eye out for it. 

Fantasy Football: Draft Tips

Fantasy Football
5 Draft Tips

So Football Season is finally upon us! The first game of the season, the Hall of Fame Game, was played this past Sunday. This means it's time for Fantasy Football! Which, if you hadn't noticed, combined two of my favorite things, Fantasy and Football. If you haven't been paying close attention during the off-season like many of my friends then you have quite a bit of catching up to do (one of them wasn't even aware Jimmy Graham had been shipped up to Seattle). The other over eager sorts may have already participated in their drafts, we'll go over why that's bad in a bit. So it's time to start getting ready, perhaps a bit late but better now than the day before your draft. Never be the manager who shows up to his draft and takes a look at the cheatsheet for the first time as the draft begins!

Here are my Five Draft Tips for you managers, whether your picking it up for the first time or a twenty year vet. 

I. Don't draft too early.
I understand, we're all excited that football is back and it's fantasy football season however if you draft too soon your missing out on an entire month full of fantasy football developments. Draft too early and you could wind up being the manager who spent their first round draft pick on Adrian Peterson before he was suspended for the year, or this season might have invested a top pick on Arian Foster whose now going close to the fourth round. 

It's about more than just avoiding injuries as doubtlessly you cannot avoid them all, injuries happen all season. In addition to avoiding these training camp/preseason injuries though you'll get to watch all these preseason positional battles shape up. You'll know whose coming out ahead in these committee backfields or whose edging up into WR2 territory instead of WR3/4/5. Alternatively if you're paying close enough attention you might be able to prize a few signals from behind the seasonal smoke screen teams produce this time of year. You'll hear about which players are really surprising coaches, which players are ready to make the jump, the typical noise out of training camp. Yet if you pay closer attention, you'll see developing plot lines and might be able to prize out which players are poised for bigger roles on their teams which leads to better opportunity for fantasy production. Take note. 

II. Create your own cheat sheet and rankings
This is could be tedious process for some, but even if you're simply copy and pasting your preferred experts rankings down you're doing yourself a favor. Once you have this down in your own google doc or excel program you're able to make whatever edits you feel are necessary. Sure they're your favorite expert but perhaps you've been burned by a certain player one too many times you can strike them right off your rankings or move them further down. All that attention you've been paying to preseason, maybe you're liking a certain player more than others move them on up. Additionally you'll be able to adjust on the fly to injures and put your own comfort into the rankings, this means less confusion when the draft clock is ticking down and you need to decide on who to draft. 


Another benefit of creating your own rankings and cheat sheet is you'll get more familiar with the names and rankings, while also allowing you more freedom for moving around your targets in the later rounds. There's no point in waiting until round 10 on a player you really like just because of their Average Draft Position (ADP), go ahead and rank them above all those other players your favorite expert has above them. This relates back to the comfort mentioned above, if you've got your target player ranked around the 8th round on your own rankings you'll feel more comfortable and thus inclined to go ahead and draft them there and make sure you get your guy rather than waiting and risk losing them while drafting guys you feel less sure about. 

III. Go in with a plan then be prepared to scrap it.
When you head into your draft you want to have some sort of vision for your team, so sort of plan that you'd like to execute. This should be specific to you as a manager and tuned to your league specifically. Things like how large, scoring, and the level of skill of your other managers go into it along with things such as how active you are on the waiver wire, do you make trades, do you want steady scoring from each of your players or are you okay with boom or bust players . A lot of things can go into creating this plan, but you should have one. Some idea of what you want and who you're targeting in each round. It helps you narrow down the field of 200+ players you could be looking at and allows you to focus on your objectives. Some players still attune to RB/RB in the first round, others look for RB/WR, others are adamant Best Pick Available (BPA), whatever suits you plan it out, the entire draft as impossible as that sounds. If you're nabbing a workhorse in round one and then a high ceiling WR in round two, who are you looking at in round 3, where are you picking up another RB at what range are you going to look for a QB. Thinking about these things allows you to preemptively see which players might be around when you're thinking about certain positions and give you goals for players which allows you to create a cheat sheet for your draft. Just be prepared to throw it all out the window.

No draft is ever going to go the way you planned, but hopefully with the pre-planning that you've done and the cheat sheets you've crafted you'll be able to maneuver when things go to hell. If you try to stick too rigidly to your original plan you'll end up with players you're really not all that high on and unhappy with your draft. Be prepared to throw out what you had planned and start forming a new plan ahead. You prepared for this, what players would you be happy with having on your team and where are they if you know you'll have plenty of WRs you're high on available in round 4, don't panic when your round 2 WRs of choice aren't there and adapt. Be prepared to be unprepared. 

IV. Buck the Trend.
We just talked about having a plan and then being prepared to chuck it. When do you chuck the plan? Well if you had specific players involved having them be unavailable forces you to adapt. However, if you're just looking at positions in general at certain points in the draft bucking the trend is an important thing to remember. You should never be towards the end of the run at a position, a run will suck talent out of one group while leaving talent available at another. This used to be very apparent when the RB/RB start of the draft was king of fantasy, In a 10 man fantasy draft you'd see 10 RBs drafted in the first round and then the second round would largely be comprised of further RBs being drafted. As the 10th man in that league's snake draft you're getting the 10th and 11th best RBs, if you were the 8th man you would be getting the 8th and 13th best RBs in the league. If the trend continued too far someone could end up having the 4th best RB and the 1st best WR! Would you rather be 4 and 1 or 8 and 13th? Runs benefit the player starting and ending them. Buck the trend, even if it's going against your plan. 


This isn't to say you should not draft a player you're high on just because there's been a run on his position. If the five players before you have all drafted a running back, but one you're confident about is still there then go ahead and take him. Just be aware of runs and the value that could be left on the board because of them. Additionally never panic just because there is a run happening. This is where it helps to be prepared, what other players are you comfortable with at this position and when are they supposed to go? Wait until closer to then, perhaps nudging them up a bit if the position has thinned out, but see what value has been left on the board. 
V. The Draft doesn't end at its conclusion.
Sure the draft has officially ended, teams are filled and draft results are in. However just like the NFL has a frenzy over UDFAs, your team should look through the UDFAs (typically on waivers) after a draft. See which players didn't end up on rosters and note which ones have a chance to have an impact immediately or as a depth option. The season is long and there are always players that explode onto the fantasy scene within the first couple of the weeks that went undrafted in all but the most diehard leagues. So take note and measure who you might move if the opportunity presents itself for those players. There is caution to this tale, fantasy football managers tend to be fickle and the week 1 sky is falling is an annual tradition. Try not to bite too hard on week 1 results tempered expectations for your own team and be wary of the flash in the pan UDFAs. Keep an eye on their development over the first few weeks and see whose moved up the depth charts, who's getting bigger opportunities than expecting, and who's making the most of their opportunities. 
Additionally after the draft you should analyze your roster and then the rosters of the rest of your leagues. Not particularly any user who was auto-drafted they're likely going to be unhappy with their team and looking to make moves. Now that you've drafted your team where are  your strengths and weaknesses. Do you have glaring weaknesses, is your depth shallow anywhere, do you have TOO much talent somewhere (I for one abhor having too much talent, it drives me more crazy than being weak somewhere). If you can puzzle out some possible moves among other teams that might fix some holes, or get you a player you were high on for a reasonable price go ahead and send out some offers. It never hurts to ask! Trading is an entire other beast that I'll touch upon soon, but just don't oversell your interest in a player and you don't want to overpay just because you're high on a player. Once it's all said and done, analyze your roster for week 1 and take note of whose still available and what moves might become necessary as the year progresses.

There you have it, my five draft tips for you. I hope these help you at least review your pre-draft routine and maybe give you a a few ideas for implementing for your own draft day. Good luck! Thanks for the read. It's a good day for writing.

Andrew