Well, it’s that time of year again, Fantasy Football draft season. I’ve been evaluating players for two decades now, and I hope my experience will make a difference.
The type of league I specialize in is best ball, where you draft all your players at the start of the season, and hope that you end up covering all your bases for injuries and whatever nonsense that the NFL season brings.
The specific league I drafted for the article was DraftKings’ NFL Best Ball $15 Millionaire, which cost me $20 to enter, but due to a promotion, I earned a ticket for an additional entry to be used later before the season starts. I joined this league due to its large winners’ prize of $2,000,000 (about 65 years’ wages for me) and decent payout rate of 16.67% (minimum prize $30).
My man! (photo, Deseret News)
Considering this, I hoped for a good draft position, but ended up out of the draw with a mediocre one in 12th and last. My strategy was to select players with matching positions. On my first set of selections, I ended up going at running back with Derrick Henry (BAL) and De’Von Achane (MIA), as rookie Ashton Jeanty (LV) didn’t fall far enough.
This meant with my next four picks, I would need to go wideout, as you start three each week in this league, compared to two rushers. Thankfully, a trio of quarterbacks and tight ends came off the board before my second set, allowing me to get a couple of solid players in Mike Evans (TB) and Xavier Worthy (KC).
Unfortunately for me, the next two rounds went wide receiver-heavy, but I still managed to grab rookie Travis Hunter (JAX) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (WAS). If Hunter does end up playing both sides of the ball, it’s going to be a shame that I’m probably not going to get IDP points for him.
Patrick Mahomes (photo, 600 ESPN El Paso)
After a fifth QB and three more tight ends came off the board, I had a decision to make. Do I go with a flex player (RB/WR/TE) and a quarterback, or go double QB and try to manufacture a run? Ultimately, I decided to go the double QB route with Patrick Mahomes (KC) and Baker Mayfield (TB), creating a double stack with my top two wide receivers.
In my next set of picks, I had to take a tight end, as another three came off the board, and I ended up taking one, David Njoku, though somewhat of a risk with Cleveland being, well, Cleveland. The other player in that fifth set was rookie RB Cam Skattebo (NYG). After that, I shored up tight end with what would be my last selection at that position in the draft in Tucker Kraft (GB) and running back Rachaad White from Tampa Bay, embracing the stack around Baker Mayfield that fell to me.
With the main construction of the line-up complete, it was time to try and find some sleeper picks. This is the most challenging thing to do in Fantasy Football, and anyone who says otherwise probably won’t win their league this season. I began the sleeper hunt with WR Jalen McMillan (Tampa Bay, again) and RB Najee Harris (LAC). Following this, I drafted WR Xavier Legette from Carolina and the reliable QB Joe Flacco, hoping I wouldn’t get “Haslamed” by Cleveland ownership’s ability to lose football games.
Courtesy: onsidechick.com
With the final four picks, I went with three wide receivers and a running back, as a swathe of tight ends were picked, leaving me somewhat out of position to take one. I am still happy with Darius Slayton (NYG), Tyler Lockett (TEN), Jarquez Hunter (LAR), and rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith (LAC).
My expectations for the roster are to qualify out of the group stage and, therefore, win at least a minimum prize.
I do have concerns that I only took two tight ends, considering that is all I will get for the whole season, but the quality of players I selected is, in my opinion, good enough to progress. If it isn’t, well, at least this will be a good distraction from everything else going on, along with the cute, curvy, alternative girls, hunky, “can’t remember which lever does what” guys, and whatever one Burgh puts out to fill my social media feeds.
