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| Posted by: Guru
- [330592710] Sat, Aug 29, 2015, 10:42
We'll use the same process for collecting rationales as last year.
You have a choice. You may either post your rationale in the comment area next to the associated pick on the MFL draft page,
- or -
you may post each rationale in this thread. Anything posted here will "trump" anything posted on MFL.
Regardless, each rationale is due no later than two rounds in arrears. I understand that, especially when queues are used, staying within two rounds will be difficult. However, please try to stay relatively current.
I will set up a master thread for all Rationales that will be organized in the proper draft sequence. |
| | | 1 | TD
ID: 55540220
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 08:52
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1.05 Bell, Le'Veon PIT RB
Draft Position #5: Only slots 2,3,5 were available when I chose. I would have preferred a later pick to get QB Rodgers and top WR or two top WRs in first two rounds. With an earlier pick, I chose 5 because I thought there were 5 top RBs.
With a top 5 pick, I felt compelled to take a RB because I thought there would be a big dropoff in RBs available prior to my next pick. My top 5 RBs in no particular order were Bell, Peterson, Lacy, Charles, and Lynch. Bell and Lacy were available at my pick. Even though Bell will be suspended the first two games, I preferred him over Lynch because of his age.
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| | | 2 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 09:36
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[b] 1.09 C.J. Anderson RB DEN [/b]
Draft position #9: When it came time to select draft position 9 was available. It gets me a top 10 in the first round, and good positioning for rounds 2 thru 4.
In the first round I just lined up who I thought were the top 9 picks in my "queue" (I do wish it could be turned on and off). When my pick arrived CJ who I actually had at #7 fell to me, so I am happy with round 1.
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| | | 3 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 12:58
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1.10 Matt Forte. Wanted a running back as it looked like most of the first tier running backs I liked would be gone by return in second round. Took same first pick as last year and I think has highest floor but lowest ceiling of the remaining backs. It was hard to pass on Dez and Thomas and even Gronowski.
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| | | 4 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 13:05
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0.07 Draft Position #8
Like everybody else this year I preferred to be at the end of the first round, modified by my preference to be 2 or 3 slots away from the turn rather than right on it. Because I was going to be out of touch about the time I expected to come up I had to submit my winning list of preferences for all to see. And copy. (Joke).
And so I got my absolutely last preference of the seven listed, 7 slots away from the bottom.
1.08 Marshawn Lynch, RB, Sea
I knew my top 5 so the question here in planning was who to put 6-7-8.
I think I spent half of my pre-draft preparation deciding where to rank DeMarco Murray. He won’t be getting the humongous workload of last year but he could still be a top-six back if he lost 600 yards in rushing (but no touchdowns) . He’s said to be a runner more suited to Kelly’s system than McCoy was. In the end I was worried about his losing TDs as there are other options in the Red Zone. He was a question mark while Antonio Brown and Gronkowski were sure things.
That made the 6-7-8 Brown, Gronkowski and Murray.
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I wrote the above while waiting for pick 1.05 to be made, to be followed by 3 autopicks. Marshawn Lynch, #5 on my list, fell to me. All that ratiocination was wasted. Brown went at 1.06, Gronkowski was a steal for the defending champion at 1.13, and Murray was the potential steal of the draft at 1.14 for Guru. Oh how I wish I could have done better in the draft position selection lottery!
Marshawn is one of my least favourite players because of the way he loafed in Buffalo, complaining about the lack of night life, getting himself arrested, then having to be traded for almost nothing before deciding to exert himself with another team. But if he can help me win, I’ll take him.
He’s 29 but shown no signs of disintegration. 1500-1600 yards, 10 or more TDs are expected. Hopefully Seattle cops will give him a break if necessary.
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| | | 5 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 13:44
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0.06 - While doing my round 1 rankings, I ended up with a top 6 that I felt were a notch above the next group. I would have preferred to be towards the back end of the round, but when it came time to my pick I could only choose between 2-7, so selected the #6.
1.06 - Antonio Brown, WR, PIT
My top 6 rankings were Lacy, Peterson, Charles, Bell, Lynch, Brown. I had hoped for one of the top 4 RB's, and had a glimmer of hope when Bell made it all of the way to #5, but when my pick came up I was between Lynch and Brown. I went back and forth a few times, but settled in on Brown, opting for elite production at what I felt was a shallower position (especially given that we start 3 WR's vs. 2 RB's). I started last years draft with two elite WR's (Julio and AJ Green), which worked fairly well for me, hoping it works again.
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| | | 6 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 14:01
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1.03- Jamaal Charles, RB, KC
I had Lacy, Charles and Bown in my queue, fully expecting AP to be gone. I thought about Bell, but having only 14 games from my #1 pick without a sustained injury had me worried. Would have preferred Lacy as he's got less miles on the tires, but Charles should be just as good.
2.12- Randall Cobb, WR, GB
I was at the Foo Fighters concert last night at Wrigley. When I left the house we were still waiting at pick 1.13 and I thought "Oh I'll be fine until I get home. Wrong, half way through the show my phone buzzes and tells me I'm on the clock. "Ok, I'll make my pick when I get to the train station, no big deal"
I log on and see Cobb is still available. I also saw TY Hilton, but I have a rule against picking players on the Colts as I want to keep my real football rooting interest in tact. I've had years where I'd get mad about a TD the Colts scored because it wasn't my player. This rule gets broken frequently (Just see G24).
Cobb felt like a no brainer. #1 WR in a pass happy offense with the best QB in the game? What could go wrong.
Log on this morning and see the news in my e-mail "Randall Cobb, potential season ending injury". Oh that's why he fell. I may have blown this pick if his shoulder is worse than expected, or he could have a minor injury. All I know is if I had set a queue before the show, I'd still have Cobb because it was before his injury happened. If I had took 5 minutes to google Randall Cobb at the train station I'd have DeAndre Hopkins.
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| | | 7 | Donkey Hunter
ID: 467523014
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 15:53
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1.02 Eddie Lacy
Had my choice between 2 and 3 for draft spots so I went with 2 hoping that my #1 player would be on the board. Unfortunately it seems like AP was #1 on a lot of boards so I got my second choice which was Lacy. I was only choosing between him and Bell in my mind and I decided I didn't want to risk losing the first 2 weeks of the season due to Bell's suspension.
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| | | 8 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 16:41
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1.07 Beckham, Odell NYG WR
Wasn't thrilled to see myself so far down the list on picking where I was going to draft, but went with 7 vice lower to help on the swing side of the draft.
The group of RB I was interested in were long gone by the time it got to me. Not surprising.
Looking at value above mean, the top three on my queue were: 1) Antonio Brown, 2) Odell Beckham, 3) JJ Watt.
So, looking at the group of RBs versus Beckham, was relatively easy to make the choice and know I would take an RB at 2.08.
2.08 Hyde, Carlos SFO RB
Based on my earlier comment, felt I had to get an RB now based on feeling other positions were deeper. Really didn't want to go with an unknown here. Even though one could say it could be hard to guess how Hyde will perform this year. Based on running a lot of numbers and what I have seen so far, was a touch better than Forsett on my list and went with him.
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| | | 9 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 19:31
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2.07 A. J. Green, WR, Cin
By the time the 2nd round started it was apparent that I was going to get a top second-tier receiver as desired -- Green and Cobb (2.12) being the expected targets (unless QB Rodgers (2.06) was still there). They were indeed the 2 available when it came time to pick. I deliberated over the two for a while and eventually chose Green as the more predictable -- Cobb may be helped by [undrafted]’s being out for the season -- or maybe it’ll just bring him heavier coverage.
Green comes off a disappointing 2014 in which he was the 4th drafted WR, but the 26th WR in points. On a per play basis, however, he was as effective as in 2012-13. Injuries -- toe, arm, head -- deprived him of about 4 games. I’m hoping there’s no recurrence and he returns to that form.
If I had preferred Cobb, I would have checked before I picked (as I did with Green) and seen that he had been taken out of the game with a shoulder injury, so I would have avoided him anyway. It’s treacherous having to draft before Saturday’s week 3 preseason games are over.
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| | | 10 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 19:54
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Justin Forsett, RB, BAL
When I passed on taking Lynch in the first round, and grabbed Antonio Brown, I decided that I was either going to take a second top tier receiver with my second pick, or grab the best RB available. Had Dez, Julio, or AJ Green made it to me, I would have taken one of them, and almost grabbed Mike Evans, but decided to take my RB1. My rankings had Forsett in front of Miller and Ingram and was happy to take him here. I'm hoping last season is his floor, with still a bit of upside to grow given that he's entering the season as the clear cut #1 option in Baltimore.
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| | | 11 | ywk
ID: 497553019
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 20:55
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1.11 Jeremy Hill
Thought about McCoy, Forte, Murray, and Hill here (based on some preseason prediction); McCoy and Forte were gone before my turn; Murray probably would not duplicate his last season at Dallas with Mathews lurking; despite not an every-down back Hill could still be very valuable as a star on the rise.
2.04 Julio Jones
Debated drafting him or Calvin Johnson; the report from Detroit has been Johnson is fully recovered from last year's injury but it is also unquestionable that he is on some sort of decline (by his standard) after being heavily taxed in the past several seasons; yes, Jones may also be with some health concern but I like his status of being the primary target of Matt Ryan.
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| | | 12 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 21:05
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2.05 Calvin Johnson WR--I was looking at bryant, thomas and jones but they went quickly in front of me. Another oldie but goodie in C. Johnson--my first pick from 2 years ago. I had given thought to take A. Rodgers instead. Hoping he has a bounce back year from injuries rather than further decline.
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| | | 13 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 22:07
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2.06 Aaron Rodgers, QB GB
As the draft moved toward me my "queue" began to shrink, as was expected. With three picks to go I had Rodgers, Jones, and Johnson in that order. As Jones and then Johnson were drafted immediately ahead of me, Rodgers was left floating on top. Why these guys? Still looking for points and its too early to try to fill position. I felt Rodgers would equal or better last year (although I still hate him for my playoff loss...his worst game of the year). If he had been taken I felt Jones or Johnson had the next best value.
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| | | 14 | Donkey Hunter
ID: 27172016
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 22:17
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2.13 TY Hilton
Going into the draft I was hoping to grab Watt here but obviously he didn't make it anywhere near this pick. I didn't want to go RB RB so I looked through the available WR. I was glad Cobb went right before me as this pick came up just a few hours after his preseason injury. I decided on Hilton because I am expecting a big Luck season this year.
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| | | 15 | TD
ID: 55540220
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 23:14
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2.10 Mike Evans TBB WR
With the two QBs I liked early drafted, Rodgers and Luck, I decided try to find a top WR. Evans was able to accumulate over 1000 yards receiving and score 12 TDs during his rookie season despite having Glennon and McCown as his QB. I expect his numbers to improve with Winston throwing to him making Evans one of the most productive fantasy WRs. I also considered Cobb and Hilton, but I thought Evans' upside was much greater.
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| | | 16 | TD
ID: 55540220
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 23:23
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3.10 Amari Cooper OAK WR
No available QB stood out, and the RBs available with this pick didn't seem that much better than those that would be available in a round or two. There always seems to be a big dropoff in WR/TE quality after the first 3-4 rounds, so I wanted to get one here. As this pick was approaching, I was hoping to draft Jordan Matthews or Jimmy Graham. With neither available, I chose rookie WR Amari Cooper. Rookie WRs have been very productive the last few seasons, and Cooper will be the #1 WR for an improving Raiders offense.
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| | | 17 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Sun, Aug 30, 2015, 23:51
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3.08 Jordan Mathews, WR, Phi
The selections of Lamar Miller (3.02) and Mark Ingram (3.05) earlier in this round ended any interest I might have in taking a RB here.
The WRs considered here were Matthews, Andre Johnson (4.03) , and Jarvis Landry. I shied away from Johnson because I’ve had too many disappointments from older WRs, like 2 last year who are still undrafted now. Landry went right after Matthews.
I had to spend more time away from a computer this August so I bought more FF mags this year to while away the time. Rotowire says “Mathews might be the most obvious breakout season in this year’s player pool." Fantasy Football Index says “a big stat jump looks unlikely.” Don’t look for me to be buying whichever one is wrong next year.
Obviously I’m hoping for the former, something like 80 catches, 1100 yards, 9 TDs.
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| | | 18 | ywk
ID: 497553019
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 05:13
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3.04 Frank Gore
Tried to get my second back with this pick; the best available to me was either Mark Ingram and Gore; Gore may have find a very desired landing spot with Andrew Luck throwing to him; he might not run over 1000 yards again (if so I would be super-happy though) but his ability to catch (and not drop) the football undoubtedly increases his value; time would tell if I reached here.
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| | | 19 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 07:20
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3.06 Alshon Jeffery WR CHI
Still too early to be concerned with filling position, with one exception, this would have been JJ Watt except he went in round one.
Jeffery is the highest projected player left on the board, I would have taken a 2nd RB (not a 2nd QB though, so I guess that does indicate a tiny bit of thinking of position) here if that was the top player left. At this stage so far I have just built a queue of perceived value and let the computer do the work of making the pick. Soon it will be time to think of position, but not yet.
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| | | 20 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 08:19
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3.05 Mark Ingram. Debated second RB or WR and although Jeffrey rated higher and was really tempting decided on second RB suuspecting more to leave the board before next pick than WR. Ingram had good season last year and hopefully will build on it this season.
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| | | 21 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 09:48
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3.09 - Jimmy Graham, TE, SEA
I was planning on grabbing my second RB (Ingram) or my 2nd WR (Matthews or Jeffery), but alas, they went three in a row at 3.05, 3.06, and 3.07. This left me a bit at a loss with what to do. I considered Golden Tate, but felt it was a bit early (I was able to get him at 4.09). I also considered Andre Ellington or Joseph Randle, but felt there was still a good bit of depth left in that tier of RB. I settled on Jimmy Graham, who wasn't a guy I had targeted when the draft started, but seemed like the best value at this point. There seems to be depth in the "Non Gronk" tier of TE's, but few of those guys (Olsen, Bennett, etc...) have the upside of Graham. Experts seem to think his upside is a bit capped in the Seattle offense, but I recall Wilson throwing a lot to the TE last season, just having several mediocre options to throw too. Now with Graham hopefully on the field every down, he should be Wilson's top target.
I really struggled at TE last season, mixing and matching everyone from Larry Donnell, to Heath Miller, to Jordan Reed, so hoping that taking Graham this early provides me some stability to focus the later round picks on depth at other positions.
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| | | 22 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 10:22
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3.12- Alfred Morris, RB, WAS
Last season he had 1200 total yards and 8 TDs. The year before that he got 1300 total yards and 7 TDs. He's about as consistent a RB2 as you get in this format and in the preseason he's seemed to separate himself from any potential challengers to his #1 status on the team. Give me 10 points a week and we're set Alfred.
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| | | 23 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 12:39
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4.12- Brandon Marshall, WR, NYJ
I needed another WR and needed one quick if Cobb was going to miss extended time. Why not go with a WR who missed extended time at the end of last season? (c'mon Kyle pull it together!) Ok so Marshall is with a lesser QB (or QBs, who knows?!?) this season but he's still a big target who can get open on short routes and catch passes. He should crack 1000 yards and 10 TDs this year after missing it for the first time in 7 years. Who else is going to catch passes in that offense? And those QBs have to be able to go for 2000 yards right? RIGHT?!
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| | | 24 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 13:13
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4.09 - Golden Tate, WR, DET
When I passed on Tate in the 3rd round, I didn't think he would make it back to me, but was very happy when he did. His numbers were slightly inflated by Calvin Johnson missing a few games last year, but given Calvin's injury history, it wouldn't shock me be in a similar situation this year. Tate provided fairly consistent production, and in his 2nd year in the offense wouldn't be shocked to see him take a step forward. He's had a very good preseason too, which gave me a bit more confidence to grab him as my WR 2. I would have taken Russell Wilson or Davonte Adams had they made it to me.
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| | | 25 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 13:50
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5.02- Jeremy Maclin, WR, KC
Did you know that Chiefs WRs had 0 TDs last season? Did you know Maclin had 10 TDs last year? I don't think Maclin will see 143 targets last season but he should be good for 800-900 yards and 5-6 TDs. If he's able to come close to last seasons numbers he'll be a steal, but for a WR3 (potential for WR2) he'll be more than adequate. He's gotten a great report with the KC QB this season and had a great preseason. Let's hope some of that carries over to the regular season.
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| | | 26 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 14:01
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4.07 Matt Ryan, QB, Atl
Here’s one that skeptics will term a reach. Ryan is going as 7th QB by ADP. But I like him better than 3 higher ranked QBs. He’s not in his dotage, nor on the verge of it, nor was his 2014 performance a fluke. He’s been a consistent producer for the past 3 years. New OC Kyle Shanahan has something of a running reputation, but that’s because he hasn’t had good QBs in recent years. Earlier, when he did, his offences produced passing yardage among the top in the league.
From the beginning I had Ryan targetted for the fifth round, with [undrafted] in the 6th round as a fallback position.
But as the 4th round began I had to ask whether Ryan would make it back to me for the 5th round. He had made it to 5.08 in only one of the three other RIBC leagues. And my backup was no sure thing to make it to the 6th round either.
Eventually I wrote my intentions out in specifics:
If between 4.02 and 4.06,
--0 or 1 QBs were taken, I would pick an RB, Jonathan Stewart (4.14) if available.;
--3 or 4 QBs were taken, I would take Ryan if still there;
--2 QBs were taken -- ?
When I came up I saw the ambivalent result had come; 2 QBs had been taken. I decided I had to take a position and grabbed Ryan. I hap to hope that some decent RB would be available on my next pick -- C. J. Spiller was the guy I really coveted, but he would have been a reach here too.
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| | | 27 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 14:18
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4.06 Davante Adams WR GB I had moved him up in my consideration after the injury to his teammate, and the more I read the more I liked him. Maybe it was my subconscious self telling me to like him since I now owned Rodgers...anyway, he's an unproven talent with the opportunity to play and the guy throwing to him is not too shabby either. What will I get out of him? I'm hopeing for 4 digit yards and 8+ TDs. If he reaches double digits its a win.
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| | | 28 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 16:06
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5.06 - Doug Martin, RB, TB
Having only 1 RB on my roster, I started to panic seeing the options I liked starting to dry up. I felt there was enough depth in this "tier" of RB's to wait until round 5, drafting Tate in round 4 instead of a RB. With this pick, I'd have been happy with any of Stewart, Martin, or Spiller. Once Stewart went off the board, I settled on Martin over Spiller, but it was close. Spiller is more explosive, and may get some return yardage, which would boost his value, but Martin had less competition for carries, is healthier, and has looked very good this preseason. It's not lost on me that Martin has had a few very poor years in a row, but he's also still relatively young, healthy, and in an offense that should run the ball a lot.
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| | | 29 | twolves
Dude
ID: 811161317
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 16:37
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4.05 Russell Wilson QB--Wanted QB but just not sure which one at this point. Decided on Wilson over Brees but not sure why except maybe the running aspect of Wilson and more hopefully more TD throws with Graham there.
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| | | 30 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 16:39
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4.10 Allen, Keenan SDC WR
I wanted to add some additional WR depth with this pick. Still didn't think any of the QBs or RBs stood out. Allen's production went down in his 2nd NFL season. According to reports, he has had a good camp and is showing some chemistry with Phillip Rivers. He is the Chargers #1 WR, and I expect his numbers to be better than his rookie season.
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| | | 31 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 16:40
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5.05 Olsen, Greg CAR TE
After choosing 1 RB and 3 WRs in the first 4 rounds, I was looking for a TE or QB. There were a few QBs that I liked that I thought would be available in later rounds, but I thought there would be a dropoff in TEs soon. Unlike many TEs, Olsen always seems to produce some fantasy points each week as one of Newton's primary targets. With Benjamin out for the season, he may score a few more TDs this season.
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| | | 32 | twilson
ID: 37573115
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 16:57
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0.01 Draft Slot #13
When the order was set and I received first priority in the draft order draft, I was left with a wealth of options and no clear preference. I played out various scenarios through the first four rounds to see which was most likely to give me the best end result. The biggest wildcard in my decision-making was where JJ Watt would go. I consider him a clear first round performer in this format. I eventually decided that early- to mid-2nd round was his most likely destination. I focused my forecasting on slots 5, 9, 11, and 13.
5 would allow me to draft Antonio Brown, but made Watt very unlikely in the 2nd. I also didn’t love where that put me in the 3rd and 4th. 11 offered a meaningful chance at a dream opening of CJ Anderson and Watt, but it required too much to go right to happen. Slot 9 would basically ensure Anderson, but put Watt into very questionable territory.
I settled on Slot 13, which made me extremely likely to get JJ Watt and still allowed an outside shot at CJ Anderson or Forte. An extreme opening of Gronkowski/Watt is also on the table, which would certainly be a unique drafting experience. If all of my non-WR targets are gone, I will likely grab Watt at 13 and choose from the remaining WRs after the turn.
1.13 Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE
After all of that work determining the best draft slot for drafting JJ Watt, Fugazi went and ruined it by snagging the otherworldly DE at #12. The best laid plans… Anyway, it was back to the drawing board. All the RBs I would’ve taken here were gone, given the heavy emphasis on that position thus far. That left Gronkowski, Luck, and a bevy of elite WRs.
Rob Gronkowski is basically the offensive version of JJ Watt, though with an injury-prone label attached. Actually, that might make Troy Tulowitzki a better comp. And since I took the plunge and drafted him at #9 in RIBC AAA this year, it’s obviously a profile that appeals to me. A big negative is that I have later TEs I like a lot and see as likely values, and a pick of Gronk limits my ability to take advantage of that in later rounds.
Andrew Luck would represent a little bit safer version of the non-traditional start. I am not normally a proponent of taking QBs this early, but I don’t like the way the quarterback position is shaping up this year for 14-team leagues. In the past, I have always had one or two targets that I felt were being solidly undervalued by the marketplace. Russell Wilson has been one of those guys for the past two years. This year, I just don’t see it. Thus, Andrew Luck at the appropriate draft slot is much more interesting than usual. I am a strong believer in the Indianapolis offense this year, though I wish he had a longer track record of elite performance.
I considered going every combination of Gronk/Luck/WR/WR here, but the Watt-like potential of Gronkowski won out. I’ll take the biggest difference maker now and worry about the middle and late rounds later on.
2.02 Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN
I had been expecting Guru to take a WR on the turn, but that didn’t happen. Thus, all my options remain on the table. He did take Luck, but WR was my preference anyway. I looked at four players in particular: Dez, Demaryius, Calvin Johnson, and Julio Jones.
All are special talents with strong track records and are being touted by various analysts. Jones was dropped fairly quickly due to his lack of a prior superelite (top 5 WR) season. I don’t doubt that he’s capable of such a year, but I don’t need to bet on improvement with alternatives like the other three guys.
Calvin Johnson is magnificent and currently healthy, but his playing style does leave him vulnerable to injury. I hope I get to own him in a league this year, but RIFC will not be the one.
Dez Bryant is my favorite of the three, as he is the only one of the three with elite results and health in 2014 having further upside. The RB situation in Dallas could easily mean a return to his 2013 target levels, and I still believe in the Cowboys offense due to their stellar O-line. If it weren’t for the hamstring strain he’s currently dealing with, he would’ve been the pick, but I prefer to avoid soft tissue injuries whenever another good option presents itself.
Thus, my choice was Demaryius Thomas. I am aware that everyone is predicting a drop in productivity from the Denver passing offense, but Thomas led the league in targets last year with 184. He can afford to lose a few of those as long as he keeps up his strong TD pace. Plus he hasn’t missed a game in three years. That’s the combination of health, talent, and opportunity that I like to get in a second round pick.
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| | | 33 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 18:45
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5.08 C. J. Spiller, RB, NO
When Spiller was sent right up the middle on his first carry in 2014, I thought “Great. A real change of pace. Marrone’s showing that Spiller can come at you from anywhere.” But it turned out that for unfathomable reasons, Spiller between the tackles was part of Marrone’s game plan, when he needs to get loose on the periphery. Hence the decline in rushing average to 3.8. The season ended ignominiously when he was caught from behind on what should have been a TD, fell awkwardly on top of the football, and broke his collarbone.
Sean Payton is treating his plans for Spiller like a vital state secret. I sure hope this isn’t a deception like the dummy airplanes and airfields England built during the 2nd World War. But he’ll take the departed [undrafted]’s role on third downs, put in a decent amount of time on earlier downs, and although he’s not a kick returner on the depth charts I have to think we’ll see him in that role along the way. I’d like to see him pick up 500-600 yards both rushing and receiving.
Note: Spiller was the 64th pick. When I went to make a due-diligence check on Spiller’s health. Pat Daugherty had posted an ADP analysis. Spiller’s position -- 64th. And that’s not factoring in kick returns.
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| | | 34 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 18:54
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5.09 Arian Foster RB HOU
This pick was for one purpose only, The Playoffs. If my team makes the playoffs Foster should be fully healthy by then and ready to roll, giving me two top ten RBs (in avg) which should help me win a few close ones. My job now is to reach the playoffs.
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| | | 35 | Donkey Hunter
ID: 467523014
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 19:34
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3.13 Melvin Gordon
For this pick I wanted to get a 2nd Rb. I know how quickly they get picked in the RIFC leagues so I wanted RB at at least 2 of my first 3 picks. As it was approaching me I set up a 3 man queue of Morris, Murray, and then Gordon. I wanted a proven veteran over the rookie and had Joseph Randle right behind Gordon due to my thinking of a timeshare in Dallas. Gordon was the only one of the 3 that slipped through so I am hoping he is the primary back all season.
4.13 Julian Edelman
I was targeting Edelman in this spot as the draft approached me. I was planning on going WR and a defensive player with my first wraparound choices. I had Edelman and Maclin as my two targets here but I am not quite ready to get back into KC WRs after last seasons touchdownless performance.
5.02 Drew Brees
I had planned on drafting Lavonte David here. As a Buccaneer fan it is fun watching him rack up the tackles. I thought Brees had slipped further than I expected and while I am usually against taking QBs high in these drafts, I decided to take the chance this year so I am not scouring the waiver wire all year like I did last year with Kaep and Locker as my guys. I hope there is not too big of a run on defenders in the next two rounds so I don't regret this choice.
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| | | 36 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 20:41
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5.10 DeSean Jackson WR--felt needed receiver(s) and he appeared to be the best on the board except for recent injury but supposedly will be ready for week 1. Only concern is who Wash QB would be but I heard Cousins will be it--so hopefully will work out.
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| | | 37 | fugazi
ID: 327471223
Mon, Aug 31, 2015, 23:20
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1.12 J.J. Watt DE HOU
Took pick 12 because I wanted Watt. Felt like he was more reliable for a large number of points than the RB's available. Pick 12 also gives better selections in rd 2 and 3. Banzai. Considered trying to get Watt in rd 2 but it was too risky. The dropoff between Watt and the #2 DL is probably larger than the #1 to 2 gap for any other position.
2.3 Dez Bryant WR DAL
I thought he should have gone as high as pick 7 or 8. Was ecstatic that he was available. The pick made itself.
3.3 Emmanuel Sanders WR DEN
Thought he was better than some WR's that went earlier like Evans or Hopkins. Fits in with the strategy of taking only receivers from elite passing teams.
4.3 Andre Johnson WR IND
Andrew Luck at QB instead his prior Houston QB's, guys like Undrafted, Undrafted, and Undrafted. He should see plenty of single coverage and end zone targets.
5.12 Lavonte David LB TB
1st LB off the board. Better to start a run than end one. Compliments the early JJ Watt pick well. Still don't have any RB's at this point but David will outscore any RB I would have taken here anyway. There are still plenty of RB's left to take a shot on. Felt David was a bit better than Keuchly overall.
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| | | 38 | ywk
ID: 497553019
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 00:03
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4.04 Ben Roethlisberger (re-post here kind of messed up in MFL comment column)
Had to admit that his style of play increases his injury risk but he is probably the strongest quarterback I have ever seen during my very limited history of watching the football; could have chosen Russell Wilson but bypassed him because of intending to have a stereotypical play-caller on my time (not sure if such choice would backfire!!!); that said, I still fully anticipate that Big Ben would remain producing in big way with Brown and Bell in the lineup.
5.11 Vincent Jackson
Picked him among the group including Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson; he is not the number one target anymore, which may be some blessing in disguise as Mike Evans could draw much of the attention; could repeat another 1000-yard season with few more scores (his 2 touchdowns last year should the considered as "floor").
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| | | 39 | fugazi
ID: 327471223
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 02:30
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6.03 LeGarrette Blount RB NEP
Guess it's time to take my first running back. LeGarrette Blount Is exactly who you end up with when you wait until the sixth round to draft your first RB. He seemed like the safest pick among the other running backs available.
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| | | 40 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 08:27
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6.07 Robert Quinn, DE, StL
Once David (5.12) and Kuechly (6.01) were gone there were question marks around the next few candidates, and by my calculations the difference in value between projected first and last dreg selections (I ignore Watt of course) was greater at DE than at LB.
Quinn is the best non-Wattian DE on the board, able to produce stats defending against both the run and pass.
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| | | 41 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 08:43
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6.09 - CJ Mosely, LB, BAL
I was "that" close to taking Keuchly or David with my 5th round pick, but the panic of only having 1 RB took over. When both of them made it a few more picks, I had my fingers crossed that one would make it to me in the 6th round. Not only did neither survive, a run of LB's insued, forcing my hand a bit to take Mosely. Over the years I've relied on three down linebackers to pad stats, and Mosely fits. He was fantastic last year, and his main competition for tackles (*undrafted) is getting a bit long in the tooth, so it's not unrealistic to expect a bump in his stats.
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| | | 42 | TD
ID: 8737711
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 10:02
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6.10 Jennings, Rashad NYG RB
With only one RB, Le'Veon Bell, on my roster, and Bell being suspended for the first two weeks, I felt I needed to draft another RB who would be available and score some points in week 1. That ruled out drafting Gurley. Jennings will have a significant role in the Giants offense, and I think he will be their top fantasy RB.
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| | | 43 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 10:21
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6.12- Alec Ogletree, LB, STL
I have one rule for IDPs. They must make tackles. While some get more points for their sacks, INTs, PDs, etc. I like the consistency that a 100 tackle guy gets you week in and week out. 111 for Ogletree last season fits that bill and he get the added bonus of being able to run free behind one of the best DLines in the game. He's basically a current day Derrick Brooks or Lance Briggs. Rack up the tackles Alec. Rack 'em up!
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| | | 44 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 10:42
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7.03- Matt Stafford, QB, DET
I intentionally waited on QB last round knowing that Stafford would get around the turn with Promize and Donkey Hunters drafting their QBs already and I didn't trust Ogletree to make it around the turn.
Now my plan wasn't to wait until the 6th or 7th round for a QB, but with the Cobb injury I felt it was more pressing to fill my WRs up before getting a QB. Odds are I would have gone QB in round 4 picking between Romo, Brees and Stafford. Well one of my 3 made it all the way to round 7 and I kind of feel like this is a steal. With a healthy Megatron, another year to gel with Golden Tate, his TE gaining a year of experience and two RBs who can catch a pass Stafford could see a return to 2011 levels. I definitely think he'll be at 4500 yards and at least 30 TDs. It's tough to get that much value out of a round 7 pick most years, but I might have me a gem this draft.
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| | | 45 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 11:18
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4.06 Martavis Bryant WR PIT
I picked up Bryant off the waiver wire last year and he performed well, actually the top WR for points per snap. Problem is he won't be getting any snaps for four games.....BUSTED!!!! This now makes my effort to make the playoffs a bit more difficult, but still doable.
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| | | 46 | twilson
ID: 37573115
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 13:33
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3.02 Lamar Miller, RB, MIA
When I selected my draft slot, I was expecting to draft a RB in round three. I thought there were a few names that would offer good value, which made me quite comfortable skipping RB at the first turn. Unlike with JJ Watt, this assumption was entirely correct. I had my pick of the tier after Forsett.
The two names that stood out most to me were Frank Gore and Lamar Miller. I also considered Ingram and Morris, but found them wanting in comparison. I really like Gore this year, as Indianapolis is a big step up for him in surrounding talent. For the most part, Colts RBs have scored very highly with Andrew Luck under center, and I consider Gore to be more talented than his predecessors.
Lamar Miller also offers strong expected performance. The Miami offense should continue to improve in their OC’s second year, putting Miller in a nice situation. The knock on Lamar Miller has always been that the coaching staff is hesitant to embrace him as a workhorse back, but I don’t see a lot of competition for snaps coming from his backups.
In the end, I went with RIFC and industry consensus as the tiebreaker. It helps that I expect to own Gore in other leagues.
4.02 Andre Ellington, RB, ARI
Ah, time for the pick I dreaded most in this draft. My first long turn, and the most impactful. I tried to trade down to minimize the gap, but nobody responded to my proposal. I would’ve been willing to do a straight swap of 4ths and 5ths.
My loose pre-draft plan was to take my RB2 here, with Ellington as the likely target. There was also potential for me to go WR or TE. Once the pick actually arrived, the enticing WRs had left the board and owning Gronkowski ruled out TE. Too early for non-Watt IDPs, so that left RB and QB. Based on other RIFC drafts, I expected a number of quarterbacks to go in the 24 pick gap before my next selection, so going in that direction would allow me to get in at the top of the tier. If I don’t, then I will be one of the last to fill the position.
My top QB at this point is Russell Wilson. After a couple of years where he was nice and cheap, he is now being valued properly. I still see passing upside, especially if the Jimmy Graham addition pays dividends, but there is also clear rushing downside. In my mind, it roughly balances out.
As for RB, Ameer Abdullah has risen up the ADP charts to challenge Ellington. Arian Foster is another name worth contemplating, but I think he would be a better fit at the 5/6 turn. Again, might as well avoid soft tissue injuries if other good options are present.
Abdullah is my favorite of the rookie backs this year, and his preseason performance has added fuel to the fire. Also, Joique Bell remains on the PUP list with a mystery injury which could very well affect his play even after he finally makes his return. Picking Abdullah would be a bet that he will continue to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him and force the Detroit’s hand.
As much as Abdullah is climbing in ADP, Andre Ellington seems to be dropping down of late. I don’t really understand why, as he is healthy and the primary backup is dealing with injury concerns. I know that Arizona recently signed [undrafted], but I don’t view him as a threat to Ellington at this point in his career.
Ellington’s RIFC ADP last year was 29, so this pick would represent a one round discount. 2014 was an up and down year for him; he scored at a borderline RB1 level for the 12 games he played, but only put up 3.3 YPC and dealt with injuries all season long. Some believe that his body cannot withstand the grind of a full workload, but I’m not yet ready to pass judgment on that. Also, his line should be improved from 2014, which can only help. One year is a small sample size. What can a healthy Ellington do as a clear starter? I hope we find out this year.
I weighed the options, especially whether or not Ellington might stick around until 5.13, but I ultimately felt that I needed to be true to my draft board. Ellington it is!
5.13 Ameer Abdullah, RB, DET
I almost took Abdullah at 4.02, so this was an easy selection. See my 4.02 rationale for further details.
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| | | 47 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 15:07
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7.06 - Tom Brady, QB, NE
There were a few times earlier in the draft I was a bit tempted to take a QB, but decided in each time to wait. There were still a few QB's left that I liked, and had Stafford not been taken at 7.03 I may have decided to wait one more round, but with Stafford off the board, I jumped on Brady. Comparing Brady to the options left, Brady seemed to be a more reliable option (especially after his suspension ends) with about as much upside, and not quite so much downside. That being said:
I've drafted Brady twice before, arguably his two worst years as a starter:
1) In 2008 when he blew out his ACL in the first game of the season.
2) In 2013 when he was mediocre all season, only throwing 25 TD's to 11 INT's.
In both situations however I drafted him much earlier than the 7th round so his 2013 performance would be a bit easier to stomach this season.
One more bullet... I am a huge Buffalo Bills fan, and am optimistic that despite the fact that the Bills have no real option at QB, they have a very good team otherwise, and may have a shot at contending in the AFC East. With that in mind, I figure Brady as my QB can go one of two ways...
1) His suspension is reduced, and even if it isn't, he comes back in game 5 with a chip on his shoulder and terrorizes the league, thus helping my fantasy team in the process.
2) His suspension is not reduced, and/or his play is mediocre, and/or he gets hurt again, as was the case the last two times he was my fantasy QB, in which case my fantasy team would suffer, however it would help the Bills out...
I guess they call that a win-win?
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| | | 48 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 16:17
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7.09 Julius Thomas TE JAC
Finally I have to start focusing on position, happily the way the draft has unfolded thus far I am in fairly good position. (Pun Intended) I decided to stay on the offensive side of the ball and finish out my roster there. While Thomas is not in the pass happy situation he had last year, he's still a good option for the JAC offense and a solid pick. He should have one or two really good games (hopefully more) and several nice ones.
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| | | 49 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 16:54
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3.08 Jarvis Landry MIA WR
He was at the top of my list at this point in time and fit in just fine with my feeling I wanted a WR or RB at this point in time. And, I had him rated as the #3 WR, so I now have from my ratings the #2 and #3 WRs. Anything can happen, but hope this gives me a good basis on this position.
4.08 TJ Yeldon JAC RB
I'm really not sure how comfortable I am with this pick, did have him as my #22 RB and its strictly a guess, but hoping to see him somewhere around 4.2 yards per rush. Not necessarily real happy with my first and second RBs, but hopefully the first two WRs can make up for it.
5.07 Ryan Tannehill MIA QB
Well, this was the QB I was targeting all along. Didn't feel comfortable with waiting another round to get him. This also pairs him up with Jarvis Landry. Could be a bust or a good move. Only time will tell. Had him as the #7 QB. Had a 69% completion rate last year, and am hoping to see him improve on it.
6.08 Deandre Levy DET LB
I probably had him ranked a little higher than most (#2), and know that the Defensive line play could really impact his overall numbers, but wanted to use this pick all along to pick up the best defensive player off of my charts and did just that. Hopefully it will work out, but generally somewhat easy to work things out oon the defensive side and find unexpected gems.
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| | | 50 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 19:17
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6.05 Bobby Wagner LB Had him last season and seems poised for big season if can stay healthy. Guru taking LB seemed to tip need to take LB at this point. Usually do not like to take Def this early.
7.11 Chandler Jones DE Decided to go for difficult position to pick for. With Watt and Quinn off the board already, thought he could be next best if he can be more like 2013 than 2014.
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| | | 51 | TD
ID: 55540220
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 22:08
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7.05 Bradford, Sam PHI QB
After not being in position to draft Luck or Rodgers, Bradford was the QB I targeted. Considered taking an IDP, but I was concerned Bradford might be gone prior to my next pick. I think Bradford will have a very productive fantasy season running the Eagles offense. Sanchez was a top 15 fantasy QB during the 2nd half of 2014 when he was a starter in this offense. I think Bradford is a big improvement and will perform significantly better.
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| | | 52 | fugazi
ID: 327471223
Tue, Sep 01, 2015, 22:28
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7.12 Ivory, Chris NYJ RB
Scary pick here but that's what you get when you wait until round seven to grab RB2. The jets will always be playing from behind and yeah it's Chris Ivory but I still had to take a chance on him. I've read a bunch of blah blah great camp and all that stuff but I'm not expecting much. If he stays healthy and remains the starter that would be a bonus.
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| | | 53 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 05:52
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8.07 Jelani Jenkins, LB, Mia
Sorely tempted to go for an RB or TE here, but in recent years I’ve done better when I attempt make at least one of every two picks after round 5 or so an IDP as long as top class ones are on the board..
There were a few old-time LBs who projected a little better than Jenkins here, but Jenkins is young and thus has more upside and, perhaps, a lesser injury risk.
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| | | 54 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 06:55
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8.05 Joique Bell RB Debated LB here but he just came off PUP list and still may be starting week one--so high risk/possible high reward. If Abdullah seizes starting role anytime soon it will make this a bad pick.
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| | | 55 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 07:56
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8.09 - Sean Lee, LB, DAL
I debated going a few different directions with this pick and settled on Lee. I was looking at a few different IDP's and decided that Lee had the best potential to be a difference maker for me. Lee does not come without risk:
Injury: He's had significant injuries the past two seasons
Position: Dallas is moving him to weak side linebacker to try and preserve his health which may take a way a few tackle opportunities, but hopefully keep him on the field
Despite these risks, when healthy he's been a top 5 linebacker, and he's still playing on a Dallas defense without much competition for tackles.
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| | | 56 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 11:58
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9.07 Everson Griffen, DE, MIN
I've gone into my last few drafts wanting to make sure I grab at least one top tier LB and DE, since it seems the drop off after that top tier seems so dramatic, both in upside and consistency. When I tier'ed out my DL, Griffen was my last option in my "non Watt" top tier of DL. He doesn't have the tackle consistency as some of the other DL, but if he can give me close to (or better than) the 12 sacks he had last year with a fair number of QB hits, he'll be well worth the selection. Would have liked to wait one more round on a DL, but when Dunlap and Campbell went earlier in the 9th, it forced my hand a bit.
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| | | 57 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 12:00
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8.12- Delanie Walker, TE, TEN
So this is the point in the draft where I look at my positional needs, look to see what the turn has and figure out what won't come back to me. I needed a TE, the folks drafting behind me didn't have a TE, so I assume that at least 1 TE will be off the board with the possibility of 2. I look at the available option and say "I want Walker" and I pick him.
A rookie QB's best friend is an experienced TE. Walker fits that bill and should be targeted a lot, especially in the redzone. He got over 100 targets last year and that should only go up. He's also averaged 4 TDs the last 4 seasons, so I'm hoping for a small tic upwards. Get me 50 yards a week, sprinkle in a TD every other week or so and we've got a winner.
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| | | 58 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 12:13
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9.03- Calais Campbell, DE, ARI
In all my years of RIFC I've never drafted a DL this early. I have Campbell as my DL4 on my board and 5 of them had come off so I figured he gave me good value. Last season he finished 11th among DL inspite missing 2 games. He was 6th in PPG. He was 4th last year among DL in tackles, 5th in TFL and a top 25 sacker. He's the rare DL to get a ton of consistent tackles and that's what I like in my IDPs. When I made the pick I had slight buyers remorse, but 24 hours later, I definitely like the pick and think I got good value. If he's a 120+ point DL then I might have gotten a steal.
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| | | 59 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 12:17
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9.08 Tevin Coleman, RB , Atl
The rookie has speed and explosiveness. He’s no sure thing to prevail over his competition for the lead back position, but I hope his qualities will help him prevail as the season moves on.
A straw of hope: new OC Kyle Shanahan produced 1,000 yard runners Steve Slaton and Alfred Morris out of nowhere as rookies.
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| | | 60 | twolves
ID: 37391813
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 15:30
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9.11 Steve Smith WR Needed 3rd WR to round out starting lineup and even at his age looks to be the best receiver in Balt potentially.
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| | | 61 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 16:02
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8.06 Adam Jones CB CIN
A stellar performer on D last year. If he can stay on the field and avoid the night clubs he should be solid again this year.
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| | | 62 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 16:07
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9.09 Brandon Marshall LB DEN
Steady as they come. Week in and week out he shows up and does his job. He may not "win" many games for me, but more importantly he won't be the reason for a loss either.
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| | | 63 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 16:34
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10.06 Clay Matthews LB GB
Another solid workman like linebacker. Defenses generally don't win games (unless you have WATT) but they can lose them if you don't get steady performances. These last two picks are just that Rock Solid
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| | | 64 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 16:43
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10.07 Eric Weddle, DB, SD
Weddle returns to the Wheatfarmers for another tour of duty. The safety constantly rings up the tackles, being 2nd in solo tackles among DBs last year.
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| | | 65 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 17:57
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10.09 - Bishop Sankey, RB, TEN
I drafted Sankey in the 5th round of last years draft, hoping that the explosive rookie would take over the starting job from the aging and terrible Shonn Greene. Despite the big swing and miss at that pick, I find myself drafting him again, albeit in the much more palatable 10th round. He should go into the year as a starter, and his pass catching skills should keep him relevant even if he finds himself in a time share. Hoping that Marriota opens up the offense, which should fit Sankey's skillset well. I like Sankey as a decent upside flier, with a lower floor than most given the lack of options in TEN.
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| | | 66 | twilson
ID: 37573115
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 17:59
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6.02 NaVorro Bowman, LB, SFO
Okay, back to the board for 6.02 after a quick pick at 5.13. I still don’t have a quarterback, but I continue to think that my best option is to wait. Three RBs is enough to get me through the first 8 rounds at least. I could use a WR if I like one, or I can take a plunge into the IDP pool.
Nelson Agholor stands out to me at WR. Though Jordan Matthews is getting all the buzz, Agholor is the one stepping into the flanker role vacated by Jeremy Maclin. There’s a real chance that Chip Kelly’s offense is structured to favor the flanker in the passing game, which would augur well for Agholor’s fantasy outlook. It’s also possible that the buzz is correct and Matthews will be the guy. Spending a 6th round pick to find out seems like a reasonable price to pay.
For IDPs, defensive backs are obviously off the table for a while. DL is interesting. I went into the draft wanting a pair of top DL highlighted by JJ Watt, but that plan went out the window very quickly. If I want to stick to that approach, grabbing Quinn or Chandler Jones here would make sense. I like them about equally. Quinn will be taken by the time 7.13 rolls around, so it’s now or never for him. There’s a meaningful chance that Jones will survive the turn.
The top two LBs went off the board right before this pick to Fugazi and Guru, so I’m left looking at the rest. There’s a big dropoff from Lavonte David to everyone else, even Kuechly. I’m normally a proponent of waiting on LB, as there is inevitably value throughout the draft and the regular season, but the true elites are a real difference maker. The question, however, is if anyone besides David and Kuechly qualify. I strongly suspect that a run on linebackers will occur over the next 25 picks, so picking something else means passing on the top tier.
I looked at a number of names, but only one stood out as having the upside necessary to invest such a high pick in my best dumpster diving category: NaVorro Bowman. There’s substantial risk in taking a player that missed an entire year with an ACL tear, but Bowman put up 12 ppg in 2013 and is now in a much better situation. The retirements of Willis and Borland mean that he has very little competition for tackles, and the 49ers should be a lot worse this year than they were back then. Given the same opportunity last year, Borland managed an incredible 16 ppg after Willis got hurt! I’m certainly not projecting Bowman to maintain that pace, but the fact that it is even possible is a huge point in his favor.
Ultimately, Bowman’s stellar preseason performance in week 3 (14 fpts in one half of play) made me confident enough in his health to pull the trigger on that fantastic upside. Agholor was my second choice, as I decided to skip Quinn and hope that Jones makes it back around.
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| | | 67 | twilson
ID: 37573115
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 17:59
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7.13 John Brown, WR, ARI
As this pick approached, I put together an interest list of six players: Charles Johnson, John Brown, Chandler Jones, Chris Ivory, Cam Newton, and Paul Posluszny. The first there were considerations at 6.02 and represented my pick preferences due to perceived positional need. When Toral and twolves snatched two of the three, John Brown became an easy pick. He played very well last year as a rookie from a small school despite the poor QBs he had to work with. I think his reasonable upside is higher than anyone else still available, and that’s what I’m looking for out of WRs here in the draft. I would’ve preferred Charles Johnson to him.
8.02 Cam Newton, QB, CAR
After Guru’s pick of Posluszny on the turn, only one name is remaining from my original six-man queue. I’m surprised to see Cam Newton still on the board; I had no expectations of having to debate his merits this year, but the season-ending injury to Kelvin Benjamin continues to depress his draft stock. I concur with the consensus opinion that Newton is working with his worst receiving corps ever in 2014, but I still see some reasons why his numbers may not crater. In his four professional seasons, Newton has ranked 4th/4th/3rd/17th among QBs. Last year’s outlier rank is somewhat deceptive, as he jumps into a virtual tie for 7th-12th if you look at it from a ppg perspective. If I take him, he will be the QB#13. That to me represents a real profit potential.
If I don’t take Newton, I could go with my WR3 or DL1. With Chandler Jones out of play, no lineman stand out, but I’m sure there will be attrition before my next pick. My WR preference is Steve Smith, whose biggest competition for targets is an injured rookie. He may be far from his elite peak, but I think he’s got enough left in the tank to go out with a bang.
There’s a chance Smith will still be there at my next pick, as his RIFC ADP has been variable this year, but I don’t think it’s likely. Fugazi is the only other person to be without a QB, which means it could be a little while before the next one is taken. Unless I think Newton presents meaningful value above the other remaining QBs, I should wait. In the end, I decided that his top 5 positional ceiling was worth the opportunity cost of skipping the final established high target receiver.
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| | | 68 | twilson
ID: 37573115
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 18:32
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9.13 Eric Decker, WR, NYJ
Darn, I almost got Steve Smith here. Queue affected by twolves for the second straight time. Beyond that, DL attrition occurred as expected along with a mixed bag of linebackers. I took a step back and evaluated the positional groups.
I still like a pair of QBs, Eli and Rivers. The best RBs are Sproles for guaranteed production and Freeman/Duke Johnson from the committee ranks. All the traditional elite DBs remain available. DL is kind of a mess; I like Ninkovich best, but there are a few guys likely to be taken before him. LB offers Derrick Johnson, Clay Matthews, and Khalil Mack. I think Johnson will be taken soon, but the other two are likely to be around for a little while longer. WR is mostly old stalwarts (White, Boldon, [undrafted]) with Eric Decker and Markus Wheaton mixed in.
LB is too much of a luxury pick given the likely value later on. I want to like a defensive lineman enough to take one, but Ninkovich just doesn’t separate enough from the others to make it worth my while right now. I like Sproles here a lot, but I’ve already got three nice early round RBs. DB probably makes a lot of sense, but I just can’t bring myself to spend a top 10 pick on such a volatile position(Terrence McGee in his glory days excluded).
I decided against the old guys at WR, instead favoring Decker and Wheaton. Decker is a proven talent, but Brandon Marshall has historically been quite a target hog. His stats were depressed a bit last year by a recurring hamstring injury, so I’m hopeful a return to health can offset the lost targets. I really do like the Pittsburgh offense this year, and Wheaton is going to have four games to establish a role before Martavis Bryant returns from suspension. Looking back now, I probably should’ve stuck to my planned WR draft philosophy and taken Wheaton, but in the moment I sided with the more proven performer.
10.02 Eli Manning, QB, NYG
I discussed most of my thought process for this pick in my 9.13 rationale. This pick came down to Ninkovich vs. a backup QB. Once I ruled out the veteran lineman, I had to choose between Eli and Rivers. Rivers offers a very consistent low QB1 profile, while Eli has a weaker performance history but the upside of throwing to Odell Beckham, Jr. and company.
I went with upside over proven performance. Hopefully, one of Newton and Eli steps up and becomes my established starter; more likely, I’ll play matchups week to week. Given the minimal resources I've invested, I’m okay with either outcome.
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| | | 70 | TD
ID: 55540220
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 20:40
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8.10 Mathews, Ryan PHI RB
I wanted to add some depth to RB. Considered drafting a DL but decided to wait another round. May have been a mistake because I thought either Carlos Dunlap or Calais Campell would be available at 9.05. Mathews has looked strong this preseason. I think he will be used more than most people expect in the Eagles offense.
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| | | 71 | TD
ID: 55540220
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 20:46
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9.05 Jackson, D'Qwell IND LB
I felt I needed to picked my first IDP here as most managers already picked a least one. I picked my first IDP late because I think there is a bigger dropoff in fantasy value towards the middle of the draft in offensive positions. Really wanted to pick a DL because there are few good fantasy performers at DL, but the two I liked were picked earlier this round. Jackson has consistently put up strong fantasy numbers for a LB.
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| | | 72 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 21:55
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10.05 TE Tyler Eifert--This was probably a big reach and frustration pick. I had targeted H. Smith and S. Smtih with the 9th and tenth picks but took the wrong Smith first. I really wanted H. Smith since have had him the last two years. I would have settled for Burnet but he got taken right in front of me. Since Jace Amaro was my best tight end last year after ignoring the position too long, I decided would sleep better with a tight end in fold although he feels like a big risk with his injury history.
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| | | 73 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 22:55
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10.12 - Shane Vereen, RB, NYG
I think the 10th round was too long to wait for a RB3. I might be right but Vereen will be the main pass catching threat out of the Giant backfield. I feel like he will get 50 catches to go along with 650 rushing yards and 5 TDs. If he can get a bunch of those during my starters bye weeks that'd be great.
11.03 - Devin Funchess, WR, CAR
So he's got the same bye as Marshall but hopefully my WR5 or TE2 will be able to fill in that week.
Funchess isn't nearly as skilled as Benjamin, but it looks like he'll be Cam's WR target. I'm hoping 80 catches for 800 yards and a handful of TDs.
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| | | 74 | Donkey Hunter
ID: 467523014
Wed, Sep 02, 2015, 22:57
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6.13 WR Mike Wallace
Unfortunately it looks like the IDP run that I was hoping wouldn't happen happened. 9 defensive players went in between my 5th and 6th round pick which makes me regret taking Brees. I would have rather waited to grab a QB in this spot so I could secure a top LB here. As is I wanted to grab another starting offensive player here in the 6th and then grab a LB in the 7th. I considered Julius and Witten at TE but decided I wasn't very excited about either one, so I looked at the WRs and decided Wallace was the top available. I think Wallace is going to be THE deep threat for a good offense this season. I like him much more than Johnson going into the year and think he is a good value at this point if that comes true.
7.02 LB Paul Worrilow
I wanted to get a high tackle LB here and was choosing between Worrilow and Posluszny. I had Worrilow last year and decided to take him again.
8.13 TE Zach Ertz
I'm not 100% convinced that Ertz is going to be a good TE this year but anyone in that Eagles offense will have some decent upside. I can always go to an old reliable type tight end on the waiver wire if he doesnt work out, but there is a decent chance he can be a difference maker at the position.
9.02 DE Carlos Dunlap
We are at the stage where I want to grab at least one defensive player every time around. I was between Dunlap and Calais Campbell here and went with Dunlap because Go Gators.
10.13 RB Reggie Bush
I'm not convinced that Carlos Hyde will be an every down back this season. Bush may get a lot of time on 3rd down and hopefully add some return yardage each week. I'm hoping he will be able to average 5-8 points per week with some upside if Hyde isn't as good as expected.
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| | | 75 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 06:03
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11.08 Alfred Blue, RB, Hou
Still can use someone guaranteed to start in week one.
Blue never showed all the talent he had last year, and Foster’s injury gives him one more opportunity. Houston's best stretch against run defences all year is its first six weeks. Blue gets to take advantage of that.
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| | | 76 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 07:48
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11.06 - Kendall Wright, WR, TN
Lots of talent, young with upside potential, and should be the #1 option on TN. Production will definitely hinge on whether Mariota can get him the ball, but the talk in camp is that they've developed a nice chemistry, and he's had a good preseason, so worth the mid round pick as a solid WR3.
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| | | 77 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 09:12
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11.10 TJ McDonald S--after missing on safeties last round--had to rethink them and had both Rashed Jones and TJ McDonald last year and felt they were might be next options for me so felt had better grab TJ here before he went elsewhere.
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| | | 78 | TD
ID: 8737711
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 09:24
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10.10 Montgomery, Ty GBP WR
It looks like rookie Ty Montgomery will be the Packers 3rd WR because of the Nelson injury. He has had a strong preseason, and it is also likely he will be be doing some returning on special teams. The Packers with Rodgers as QB have a history of quickly giving young WRs sigmificant roles in their offense.
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| | | 79 | TD
ID: 8737711
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 09:28
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11.05 Hughes, Jerry BUF DE
Because of the scarcity of fantasy producers at DL, I wanted to pick one here. Hughes has put up good tackle and sack numbers the last two seasons. I expect him to excel in the Rex Ryan defense.
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| | | 80 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 15:52
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11.09 James Laurinatis LB STL
Three LB picks in three rounds and all have the same characteristic...Consistency. What am I expecting from all three, including James. Lots of tackles, some sacks, a few passes defended, and the occasional FF/FR/Int. It all adds up.
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| | | 81 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 18:48
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12.07 Joe Flacco, QB, Bal
2 backup quarterbacks left who I feel comfortable with so I’d better grab one of them. Has what should be a favourable matchup in Ryan’s bye week. If Ryan injured, won’t have to throw up my hands and give up on season.
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| | | 82 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 19:03
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12.05 Aaron Donald DT I felt needed defensive lineman and prefer not to take tackles but Donald had a good rookie year and with St. Louis Def line he should get good opportunities. Also considered Suh but he is with a new team and Ansah who does not have Suh with him but still think he will be very good.
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| | | 83 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Thu, Sep 03, 2015, 22:35
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13.11 Barry Church S--I had hoped Cyprien would fall to me to fill second safety position as round out defense. He seems to be pretty consistent game points over the past couple of years although per game average dropped last year.
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| | | 84 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 07:13
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12.06 Ndamukong Suh DT MIA
My first DL, a pretty solid choice although I too had Aaron Donald on top of the queue (thanks twolves) based on what I perceived to be more upside. However you have to choose from who is left not who was taken. I am in hopes that a new team with a tradition of defense will be a positive change for Suh, and of course I hope to benefit as well.
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| | | 85 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 07:19
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13.09 Leonard Hankerson WR ATL
With all the buzz about this guy and how he runs routes and has soft hands and Roddy's shaky injury record I was surprised he was still available. I was actually hoping to grab my 2nd DL here but with M.B.'s suspension and this guy still available I opted to go for the potential.
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| | | 86 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 07:26
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13.08 Cameron Jordan, DE, N.O.
Jordan had an off year in sacks in 2014 but reportedly a main goal of their revamped defensive scheme is to find ways to allow Jordan to rush the passer off the edge.
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| | | 87 | TD
ID: 8737711
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 10:29
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12.10 Williams, DeAngelo PIT RB
With Le'Veon on my roster and suspended the first two games, I wanted to also have his backup. Williams has had a good and injury free preseason. From looking at other drafts, I felt this was the right time to pick him.
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| | | 88 | TD
ID: 8737711
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 10:30
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13.05 Johnson, Rashad ARI S
My stategy toward the middle of the draft is to take IDPs every other round. Johnson was a top 10 fantasy DB last season as an every down player with a high number of tackles.
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| | | 89 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 11:10
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12.09 - Ezekiel Ansah, DE, DET
One of my goals of the last several drafts is to try and draft two upper tier DL. There seem to be fairly few DL every year that are projected for 10+ sacks, and given that DL production is so heavily dependent on sacks, having two of them gives me a significant leg up. Last season, Ansah was the 12th leading DL in our scoring system, playing in only about 2/3 of the snaps. It's reported that he should see a higher snap count this year, and will have less competition for sacks with Suh gone. Wouldn't shock me to have him threaten the top 5. Partnering Ziggy with Griffen will hopefully average me 15-20 pts a week from my DL, which will help to cover up some flaws in other positions.
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| | | 90 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 11:14
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13.06 - Jonathan Cyprien, S, JAX
Weighed a bunch of different options with this pick, and settled on the boring, but productive Cyprien. DB was the only position I hadn't drafted yet, and the upper tier options were starting to dry up. In past years, I've tried to target safeties on bad teams as my DB options and Cyprien fits the bill. The Jags should be better, but will still be bad, leading to lots of teams running the ball in the second half. Cyprien doesn't seem to deliver many big plays, but if he can get me 6-8 tackles a game, he'd be a very valuable player.
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| | | 91 | twolves
Dude
ID: 811161317
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 11:32
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14.05 Jerrell Freeman LB-- I had hoped Keenan Robinson would fall to me (and had considered taking him a round earlier) as I have been a little late in getting a second LB.
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| | | 92 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 12:10
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14.09 Dwayne Allen, TE, IND
I needed some depth at WR, and had Brian Quick and Eddie Royal queued up for this pick. Quick went at 14.07. I was all set to grab Royal and Dwayne Allen popped up on my radar. Since I already have Jimmy Graham at TE, I wasn't planning on taking a backup, but I then remembered that we can start two TE's if we want to. While Allen has had several injury problems, when healthy he's been one of Luck's favorite targets, especially in the red zone. He had 7 TD's through week 9 last year, when an injury cut his season short. I've seen him consistently ranked in the top 10 TE's, and some rankings have him as high as 6, which as a backup TE, and possible WR/TE3 in my lineup, is about as good as you can ask for.
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| | | 93 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 13:35
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15.06 - Charles Simms, RB, TB
Killed two birds with one pick. I felt that Simms was the best RB on the board, and is the clear handcuff to Doug Martin. Worst thing that can happen now is that the two of them split carries.
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| | | 94 | twilson
ID: 37573115
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 15:03
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11.13 Derrick Johnson, LB, KC
Four of the players I looked at on the 9/10 turn are still available. Surprisingly, the LB I expected to go did not and the other two left the board. Derrick Johnson was a 10 ppg player in both 2012 and 2013 before his Achilles injury in week 1 last year. Coming back healthy after a torn Achilles is far from a sure thing, but reports out of camp have generally been positive. There is still plenty of opportunity in Kansas City to put up good numbers, so taking a risk on Derrick Johnson is something I might want to do.
Duke Johnson is definitely the most intriguing RB. The coaches in Cleveland have been disappointed with the performance of Crowell and [undrafted] in camp, leaving the door open for the rookie to establish himself as the man. Unfortunately, he sustained a concussion in his first game back from a hamstring tear, leaving his status in limbo. As appealing as his opportunity is, I have trouble picking a rookie that doesn’t get to participate in training camp. Not that there haven’t been success stories (ODB last year in particular), but most players require at least something of a learning curve to get involved in an NFL offense.
Markus Wheaton was overshadowed last year by Martavis Bryant, but he wasn’t a total zero. Now Bryant is suspended for the first four games of the season, and none other than Ben Roethlisberger is singing his praises during camp. Plus, he still will likely return some kicks, depending on the usage of [undrafted]. At the same time, Roethlisberger set a career high by 600 yards last year, and the Steelers had almost no turnover in their receiving corps, so an increase in targets and yardage is far from guaranteed.
I’ll talk about the fourth player in my 12.02 rationale.
I decided that Derrick Johnson was too appealing to pass up. Looking back now (17th round), I probably was underestimating his downside risk, so Wheaton or Duke would’ve been a more prudent pick. That said, Derrick Johnson is a player that I’ve always liked, and I certainly don’t mind having him on my team.
12.02 Rob Ninkovich, DL, NE
Guru took both Wheaton and Duke Johnson (good picks, Guru!), so the fourth man on my original list was squarely in my target here. Ninkovich is Mr. Consistent when it comes to fantasy. He is a perennial low end DL1, putting up 7 or so ppg. There’s more competition for playing time than usual in the New England front seven this year, which could dampen his tackle numbers. At the same time, he has also played some OLB in preseason.
I also considered Ezekiel Ansah here as more of an upside play. As Jaydog notes in his 12.09 rationale, Ansah could be positioned to play more this year. I view the absence of Suh as a negative, but [undrafted] is not a terrible replacement. His recent injury also gives me pause even though he returned to practice the other day. That proved to be the tiebreaker.
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| | | 96 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 17:49
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15.05 M. Colston WR I was short on receivers and he seemed to be best one left. With NO/Brees throwing should still do okay even if he is third receiver this year. My receivers are older so injury will be a big worry.
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| | | 97 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 17:51
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That last note should be for 15.10 pick
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| | | 98 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Fri, Sep 04, 2015, 18:27
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14.07 Brian Quick, Wr StL
I was really hoping that Pierre Garcon (13.11) was flying under the radar and would make it back to me here. No such luck.
As the probable #1 target on the Rams, Quick was the only WR left in my queue here. He was heading toward a breakout season last year before being felled by injuries.
15.08 Larry Donnell, TE, NYG
In 2 of his first 3 weeks Donnell plays a team in the bottom 5 in points given up to tight ends last year. So there is the opportunity of a good start and I should know quickly if I am going to need to stream in the position.
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| | | 99 | fugazi
ID: 327471223
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 04:25
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9.12 Miller, Von DEN, LB
Miller will have some big gems and if he can stay healthy this pick should be worth it. The LBs started to go, I felt like I could do much worse than Von Miller as my LB2.
10.03 Smith, Harrison MIN, S
The Dbs were sure to start going this round So I thought I would take a chance at drafting one of the better ones. Smith is young with plenty of tackling fuel, Good combo for a safety.
11.12 Kaepernick, Colin SFO, QB
After the top five QBs I really didn't care who I drafted at QB. Colin isn't always the most consistent passer but his rushing yards usually make up the difference.
12.03 Wake, Cameron MIA, DE
Made this pick from my phone in a hurry. Just drafted him because he gets pretty good tackle for loss numbers and should see his fare share of sacks.
13.12 Hill, Josh NOS, TE
Just throwing darts here, Looks like he should see some end zone targets but who knows. As long as I waited to draft my TE I deserve it if he's a bust.
14.03 Loften, Curtis OAK, LB
Rounding out my LBs here and I have always liked Loften. With pick I also solidify my all BIG12 LB core. not on purpose...
15.12 Searcy, DaNorris TEN, S
Read some things and some stuff about a good camp and all that. If he performs like last year hes probobly gone already but I feel okay about this pick.
16.03 Gray, Jonas NEP, RB
I drafted Gray in fear of him having a great week one and surpassing Blount in the depth chart. I'm silly for getting involved in the Patriots run game at all. but here I am again, did almost the exact same thing last season. Maybe it will work out this year.
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| | | 100 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 07:27
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16.07 Danny Trevathan, LB, Den
A return to health hopefully means a return to his 125-tackle 2013 breakout level of ability.
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| | | 101 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 12:06
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12.12 Dansby, Karlos CLE LB
The run on LBs started to go, so I didn't want to be left too far behind. Dansby is a consistent tackler on a bad defense and for the 23rd LB off the board he should produce like a LB2
13.03 Bethea, Antoine SFO S
Bethea has been about as steady as it comes with DB production. With the mass exodus from San Fran I think he'll be one player who will still produce fantasy numbers.
14.12 Davis, Knile KCC RB
Handcuff.
15.03 Cutler, Jay CHI QB
If you can't have Aaron Rodgers why not take the next 2 NFC North QBs? Since Stafford needs a backup I thought Cutler would be an all right one.
Save Comments
16.12 Bradham, Nigel BUF LB
I'll be honest, I didn't know who this before looking up some stats. Well he's a really good LB in a defense who will get plenty of time on the field. Good enough at LB3 and his bye week lines up perfectly with my other LBs
17.03 Chancellor, Kam SEA S
I like this pick a lot, Chancellor is a playmaker and a solid fantasy performer. DB1 kind of material from a 17th round pick
18.12 Gostkowski, Stephen NEP PK
I really thought the kicker run would happen before round 18. I queued up 8 guys and thought, OK let's see who makes it to me. Needless to say I was surprised I took the first one. It might be too early for this but it's a starter that will play every week in an offense who should put up a lot of points. Not much downside to having the best player at a position.
19.03 Baldwin, Doug SEA WR
I need a WR5, Baldwin will be the second target for Wilson I believe, and he doesn't drop the chances he gets. At this point I'm happy to get a player who will stick on the roster all season
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| | | 102 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 13:04
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17.08 Brandon Coleman, WR, N.O.
Originally I had Daryl Smith (who Guru took at 17.14) teed up here, but then I decided I had a sleeper or two at LB I could get later.
Then I was going to go for Rueben Randle (who Guru took at 18.01) but I expect no immediate need for an WR5, and some of Randle’s appeal is in Cruz’s injury. I decided that I preferred someone who might get better as the season wore on. Reports are making Colston sound more of a WR3 every day, so I took a flier on Coleman.
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| | | 103 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 14:11
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16.05 David Johnson RB Needed another running back and as higher draft pick hopefully will get some play during regular season with decent preseason play. Not much left but backup/injury hopefuls.
17.10 Deone Buchanon S In 20/20 this was a big mistake. Just before making this pick I realized my first two safeties I took have same bye week which I did not notice. I figure maybe I should take a safety/CB. I had had him as my possible 3rd safety but to take very late in the draft (20s) I had thought I had read he would probably be starting this year-He had had a good first year. After making the pick, I looked at depth charts and realize that will not be the case. I also had LB Daryl Smith who I would have taken if not Deone.
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| | | 104 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 14:28
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7.07 Smith, Telvin JAC LB
Hadn't really meant to go back to back on LBs, but after not having any really top LBs last season, that was one of the things I told myself I wanted to take a hard look at and work on it if the impact seemed lower on other positions.
Getting what I saw as the #2 and #5 LBs could help in the long run on the IDP side.
Sorry for the delay on my Rationales, but being on the road at work wasn't as easy to keep up as I though it would be.
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| | | 105 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 14:34
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8.08 Cameron, Jordan MIA TE
With the chance to play a Flex TE in the league, I generally do not want to wait too long to get that first TE in place. Were a solid group that I saw all fitting in the same range.
Miami generally heavily uses their TE, and think it could be even more than usual.
Had a plan going in, but as always, things end up getting fluid.
Being on the road and only able to look early morning(very short window) and then after work, have made this a much more challenging draft than I already knew it would be.
Could be a top 5 TE if he see 100+ targets.
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| | | 106 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 18:38
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18.07 Landon Collins, DB, NYG
The second-round draft choice steps in at strong safety and should be a 100-tackle guy right off the bat.
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| | | 107 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Sat, Sep 05, 2015, 20:52
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18.05 Jerod Mayo LB I felt needed 3rd linebacker which should have taken last round but hopefully he can have a bounce back year from injury and get high number of tackles as in past. Would have liked to have gotten Daryl Smith but obviously had no chance for that.
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| | | 109 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 02:25
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9.07 Jones, Matt WAS RB
Well, I'm sitting in a fairly tough place on the RB side. So, figured I'd go with another big potential guy that can either produce, or do nothing at all.
Even though he is a big guy, if you look at his college games, he can move laterally pretty darn good.
So, a roll of the dice, and only my 3rd RB.
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| | | 110 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 07:33
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19.08 Steven Hauschka, Pk, Sea
Vinatieri (19.01) and then Hauschka were my targets if I got in early on the PKs. If I pick a good PK I don’t want him to have more than one week in the playoffs kicking in a harsh winter venue.
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| | | 111 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 08:54
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19.10 Cameron Artis-Payne RB It appears he is #2 RB behind J. Stewart as a rookie and should get some regular work. He has had a decent preaeason but never know until next week. Last year I had Stewart who proved very durable but at this stage probably just rolling the dice on RB in case of injury.
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| | | 112 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 09:18
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16.09 - Eddie Royal, WR, CHI
Royal was on my list of late round WR's to target when the draft set out. I almost grabbed him a few rounds earlier, but had more pressing holes to fill, so figured the time was about right. He'll be the 2nd receiving option in Chicago, while Kevin White is on the PUP list, and we know Cutler likes to air it out. Coverages will certainly be focused on Jeffrey and Bennett, opening up the field for Royal.
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| | | 113 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 09:21
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17.06 - Demario Davis, LB, NYJ
Three down LB's on bad teams... always a target of mine, and Davis fits the bill. He's seen steady improvement in his first few years in the league, and no reason to think that won't continue. I've also read some articles that rave about how well Todd Boles works with linebackers of Davis's skillset, so think there's some upside. I've seen several sites listing Davis as a LB2 with LB1 upside, so as my LB3, think there's considerable value here.
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| | | 114 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 09:23
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18.09 - Brandon LaFell, WR, NE
My first blown pick of the draft. I had my finger over the "draft" button about to pick Gostowski, just couldn't pull the trigger so early on a kicker. I had completely talked myself into it, but when it came time to draft, I wimped out. So who do I take instead, a talented WR in a pass happy offense, who when healthy last season put up very good numbers with Brady. Only a few hours later would I find that LaFell would start the season on the PUP list and miss at least the first 6 weeks... ugh... Gostowski would look pretty good on my team right now, oh well.
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| | | 115 | Jaydog
ID: 57443012
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 09:28
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19.06 - Travis Carrie, CB, Oak
Carrie was someone I had been targeting all draft, and decided the time was about right to pull the trigger. Carrie was in the top 50 DB's last year, on his return yardage alone, and is slated to open the season as a starting corner for Oakland. I'm sure teams will throw on Oakland a lot, and will try and feast on a first year starter. Adding a number of tackle opportunities, to his return yardage could make Carrie a difference maker for me!
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| | | 116 | Donkey Hunter
ID: 467523014
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 10:47
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11.02 S Reshad Jones
I'm trying to continue my trend of drafting one IDP per swing by my picks. Jones has been a decent starting S in the past few seasons. I like the Dolphins defense with the addition of Suh, so I am expecting him to have another string year. I also looked at Laurenitis with this pick but had Jones rated slightly higher and wanted to get a DB/S instead of a 2nd LB.
12.13 RB Tre Mason
Mason fell this far due to some injury concerns and playing time concerns with Gurley being brought in. At this point in the draft I thought he was well worth the upside as you can never really rely on a rookie RB like Gurley anyway.
13.02 LB Lawrence Timmons
I needed a second LB at this spot and orignally had targetted Kendricks, but his injury concern bothered me more than Timmons did so I swapped them and grabbed Timmons.
14.13 RB Ronnie Hillman
Hillman seems to have emerged over Ball as the backup to CJ Anderson in Denver. CJ Anderson came out of nowhere last year so if he takes a step back this year and loses his starting job, I am glad to have the backup. I was also looking at Charles Sims and Marques Colston for this pick.
15.02 S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
I was looking through the DBs and DLs for this pick. I like getting second year players in hopes that they take a step forward so Clinton-Dix was the choice. He had a solid but not spectacular rookie season so should be a reliable starter week to week.
16.13 LB Ryan Shazier
This is another 2nd year player that I expect to improve on last season. Unlike Clinton-Dix, he did not put up decent stats due to injury last year so he is more of a flyer. If he can stay healthy, he may end up being the stud LB on Pittsburgh but between him and Timmons I should be getting a lot of tackles each week.
17.02 RB James Starks
Just wanted to grab the Lacy handcuff in case of an injury this season. One of the reasons I like Lacy/Starks is that Starks seems to be a well defined handcuff as opposed to many teams that have a running back by committee approach in case of an injury to the starter.
18.13 DE Jason Pierre-Paul
Obviously a total flyer here in case JPP comes back to the Giants. He is planning to come back soon according to the reports I read at the time of the pick. There aren't many DEs available in the draft total, let alone this late, that can consistently pout up double digit points, so he is worth the shot.
19.02 WR Percy Harvin
Another long shot choice. I think he is one of the most talented runners in the league so I am hoping Rex Ryan has some plays for him. If he can get a consistent number of touches each week he should be productive. Also should be able to get some return yardage which can help swing a week in this league.
20.13 S Micah Hyde
I started looking around the league for IDP who return kicks. Hyde is a backup to my other safety in GB and should get some return work, especially if the Packers shy away from letting Cobb return kicks. He did get injured in the preseason but he is saying he will play week 1.
21.02 RB Jarryd Haynes
Another backup that will return kicks. He is my Reggie Bush handcuff I guess, if a handcuff to a handcuff is a real thing.
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| | | 117 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 10:54
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20.05 Blake Bortles QB Debated whether or not to even take second QB but would probably write off season if injury. I think as second year hopefully he can make a jump forward. I would have probably taken C. Palmer but he has same bye week as my starter.
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| | | 118 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 11:20
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10.08 Sproles, Darren PHI RB
Hard to know exactly what his role is going to be, but the highest I still had sitting out there on my RB list. Will just have to see what happens. Boom or bust right now.
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| | | 119 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 11:25
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11.07 Dorsett, Phillip IND WR
His 4.31 at the combine was impressive. Question is going to be if I can sort through the routes and get a good feel with Luck. Probably another boom or bust guy, but you never know.
Was sitting near the top of my WR list when I took him.
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| | | 120 | Goldcoach
ID: 387581822
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 12:19
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21.09 Carson Palmer QB ARI
Wow. I never thought he would drop all the way to here. Many of the fantasy pundits are predicting he will be top ten with the weapons he has. I already have two QBs so why grab a third? There is good potential here. An early injury to Rodgers and he may be my main guy or things go well and he then has good trade value.
ps to Guru, the comments under Palmer on the MFL draft page were intended for Conner Barwin LB PHI my previous pick
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| | | 121 | Kyle
Leader
ID: 052753312
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 12:27
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20.12 Long, Chris STL DE
I think I took Long more for name recognition than actual production. He gets 8 sacks a year when healthy but the tackles aren't really there. But at DL2 I'm hoping for some upside.
21.03 Riley, Perry WAS LB
He was the best IDP on my list who's bye week lines up with my starters. Good enough for me.
22.12 Miller, Heath PIT TE
For my back up tight end I wanted someone who was reliably on the field. Miller is an ever down pass catching TE so he fits that bill.
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| | | 122 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 13:33
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20.07 Fred Jackson, RB, Sea
Finally signed, and thus confirmed as a handcuff, with [undrafted] being placed on the block and [undrafted] apparently headed to the PUP list.
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| | | 123 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Sun, Sep 06, 2015, 18:52
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21.10 Devin Hester WR He may be the third receiver in Atlanta and gets return yardage. He did well last year when he got playing time as a receiver. I needed another receiver since have 2 with same bye date.
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| | | 124 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 01:42
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12.08 Miles Austin, PHI WR
Really unsure how any of the PHI WRs will do, and might be going out on a limb here, but had him high on my list and took the leap.
We shall see.
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| | | 125 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 01:47
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13.07 Floyd, Michael ARI WR
My after thought was that I should have taken Floyd in the 12th and Austin in the 13th, but still managed to work out. Depending on where you look, he lists out 1 or 2 or 3 on the depth chart. Will just have to see where he fits in or how he does. My gut instinct is that he fits in as #1 or #2.
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| | | 126 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 09:29
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22.05 Sen Derrick Marks DT Decided needed another DE/DT since mine have early bye weeks. He had a good year for DT and seemed better than the DE on the board currently. He is coming off injury but was apparently not put on PUP/reserve, so hopefully will be getting up to speed by time bye week happens.
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| | | 128 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 09:46
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14.08 Dalton, Andy CIN QB
Probably could have waited a little longer on my backup QB. Works on the Bye side and also has a lot of weapons. Is playing Seattle though that week, so might not work out as well as I would like.
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| | | 129 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 09:49
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15.07 Woodson, Charles OAK S
Had him ranked as the second DB on my list and probably could have waited, but he really did a good job for me last year. Trying to fill holes now and this helped toward that end.
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| | | 131 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 10:00
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16.08 Wolfe, Derek DEN DE
Well, we all have to have one of those picks. So here I am on the plane landing at LAX. Take the phone out of Airplane Mode and a courtesy text telling me I am about to timeout. Knew the plan had been a DL here. Queue was empty. First choice in my mind was gone. Gone the second Choice, but (duh) suspended for the first 4 games. Oh well, those things we deal with later.
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| | | 132 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 10:17
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17.07 Liuget, Corey SDC DE
Really should have been the pick a round earlier, but already explained that. One of many that will be solid without spectacular numbers, but only one of those. Then a group of two and then the rest. Hopefully he'll have a few games where he really helps.
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| | | 133 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 10:27
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18.08 Clay, Charles BUF TE
Gives me the bye week backup and BUF is playing TEN that week.
Still questions on the QB situation, but he's in line for more targets. His 77% completion rate and 67% Red Zone success rate should see him around 90-100 targets.
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| | | 134 | GoatLocker
ID: 404291221
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 10:51
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19.07 Johnson, Charles CAR DE
Needed one more due to Wolfe Suspension.
His tackle numbers have taken a slight dip but you can can feel comfortable about his sack totals. He has averaged 10-plus sacks for the last five seasons.
20.08 Lambo, Josh SDC PK
Had a queue set full of kickers in the order I had them for the final round. Then suddenly San Diego drops Novack giving Lambo the job. He has a cannon for a leg and a good chance of those extra few points because of that. Shifted him to the top in this round and only time will tell.
21.07 Whitner, Dante CLE S
Needed to add the second DB and this is almost a mirror of what I had to say earlier about Woodson.
22.08 Anthony, Stephone NOS LB
Knew I didn't like what I had now to cover my IDP Flex spot, and wanted to take an LB here. Originally was looking at earlier, but took Lambo in round 20.
Had him as the #27 IDP in my rankings, so was a no brainer to take him here.
23.07 Michael, Christine DAL RB
This became more of an opportunity pick. When the trade was announced I was close to picking and added him to the top of the queue. Not 100% sure what his PT will look like, but he could have a shot at having a lot more PT than he would have got and that is a great O-Line to run behind.
24.08 Taylor, Tyrod BUF QB
This is probably a real flyer and imagine I will not keep 3 QBs for very long. Decision on whether he goes or Dalton goes will probably be answered in the first two weeks.
This was another case of seeing he was still there and not feeling really impressed with any other moves, decided to go this route.
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| | | 135 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 12:03
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20.09 Matt Bryant, PK, ATL
More of a commentary on not having any better options, than wanting a kicker, or targeting Bryant. Couldn't pull the trigger on anyone else, so figured I'd go with a stable, solid kicker, on an above average offense, that kicks in a dome.
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| | | 136 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 12:04
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21.06 - Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, BAL
Nothing but a handcuff to Forsett. Hope he never see's the field, but will likely camp out on my bench unless he's needed, or another more interesting option appears.
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| | | 137 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 12:06
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22.09 - DaVonte Parker, WR, MIA
After learning that LaFell is going to miss the first 6 weeks (at least), I decided to take another WR. Parker seemed to have the most upside of the group of WR's left. Considered Janis or Malcom Floyd, I I decided that Parker has the most upside, with the clearest shot at playing time. Also figure that there's some very good run defenses in the AFC East, so Miami will have some nice passing matchups. Probably overthinking it, but we'll see.
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| | | 138 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 12:10
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23.06 - Terrance West, RB, TEN
Timing was on my side for this pick. In the same article that I learned about LaFell being PUP'ed, I also learned that Terrance West and Christine Michel were traded to much more favorable situations. With only one pick between the news coming out, and my selection, I put them 1,2 in my queue. I think Michael probably has the most upside/talent, but is also in a more crowded situation in Dallas with Randle, Dunbar, and McFadden to deal with (and leap in the depth chart). West has much less talent to deal with in Sankey (terrible) and Cobb (hurt), and given that Sankey is currently my RB3, he'll serve as a bit of a handcuff for me. West had some good weeks last season for Cleveland, so hoping for some 23rd round magic this season.
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| | | 139 | Jaydog
ID: 32747318
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 12:12
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24.09 - Sam Barrington, LB, GB
Was going to take Sam Barrington in the 23rd round, before I heard of the West/Michael news, so was happy to take him in the 24th. He'll provide me with some LB depth, and as a 3 down linebacker in GB should see plenty of tackle opportunities. I've seen him show up on a few IDP sleeper lists, and if he's good enough to push Clay Matthews back to his OLB/Rush role, there will be plenty of points/tackles for him in the middle.
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| | | 140 | twolves
ID: 57491413
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 15:53
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23.10 Chandler Catanzaro PK Needed one of these but not excited about any. Althugh he had a good year last year, his presesason has not been very good. I think the Aizona offense will be better this year so he should have opportunities if he can convert.
24.05 Benny Cunningham RB Another flyer at RB and will see how the first week shakes out as there are injury questions for Tre Mason and Gurley. He was certainly okay last year when playing regularly. I also learned "cannot have too many running backs" to start with as a competitor mentioned the first year I played Rotoguru. That year, I played the first 5 weeks with a dreadful M. Drew jones, Jac. rogers, Stephan Taylor, and denard Robinson as my main running backs until LeVeon Bell came back from his rookie injury. Needless to say I started 0-10 that year.
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| | | 142 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 17:42
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14.10 Casey, Jurrell TEN DE
I currently had on of each IDP position. Decided on 2nd DL because of the few number of good fantasy producers at this position compared to other IDP positions. Casey has been one of the top producers of tackles for DL the last 3 years, and also contributes some sacks.
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| | | 143 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 17:43
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15.05 Carr, Derek OAK QB
Looking for a backup QB who would be available if Bradford gets injured. Carr played in every game as a rookie and was the 20th ranked fantasy QB. I think his numbers will improve in his 2nd season because he has more experience and a better surrounding cast.
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| | | 144 | Toral
ID: 1753514
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 17:48
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23.08 Dion Lewis, RB, NE
In the interests of keeping the draft moving I selflessly queued up before leaving for Church, even knowing that it would be in my selfish interests to wait until after NFL waivers went through to pick.
Hence I missed out on Christine Michael. I hope he bombs.
Lewis seems to be the third-down back in New England. Could lead the team in touches in Week One they say.
24.07 Kenny Britt, WR, StL
Well, at least when I timed out I still had my top guy at the top of My Draft List. If Quick isn't the #1 receiver in St Louie, likely Britt will be. Who knows who Foles will connect with?
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| | | 145 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 18:02
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16.10 Oliver, Branden SDC RB
I wanted to add some more depth at RB. Oliver is a amall back who had 447 total yards and 3 TDs during a 4 week span when Mathews was injured last season. I think if he will have a bigger role in the offense this season, and has a chance to become the Chargers #1 back if Gordon does not produce or is injured.
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| | | 146 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 18:02
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17.05 Griffin, Michael TEN S
Looking for a 2nd DB with this pick. Griffin was the 7th ranked DB in fantasy points last season. Over the last five seasons he has missed only 2 games and has consistently put up good fantasy numbers.
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| | | 147 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 18:11
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18.10 Sanu, Mohamed CIN WR
Sanu's numbers have improved in each of his 3 NFL seasons. He was the Bengal's #2 WR last season because Marvin Jones was injured. Sunu is an intelligent hard-working player with good hands and size. I expect to see more improvement this season.
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| | | 148 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 18:24
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19.05 Harris, David NYJ LB
Wanted to get my 2nd LB with this pick. Harris is an every down LB who signed a new 3 year contract with the Jets this offseason. He has put up good tackle numbers since he came into the league and has not missed a game in the last six seasons.
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| | | 149 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 18:27
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20.10 Wright, K.J. SEA LB
Having filled my IDP stating positions, I wanted to add a little depth. Wright was a young every down LB with the Seahawks last season producing 96 tackles and 2 sacks. I think he has a chance to improve his numbers this season.
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| | | 150 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 18:35
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21.05 Tucker, Justin BAL PK
Tucker is one of the best young kickers in the NFL. In his 3 NFL seasons he has been very accurate under 50 yards (94%) and has the leg to make field goals over 60 yards. I decided to get my kicker early because I did not see much differentiation at other positions..
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| | | 151 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 20:24
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22.10 Sanchez, Mark PHI QB
With Bradford's injury history, I wanted to have his backup on my team. I targeted picking Sanchez in Round 22, was glad Bradford did not get injured in a preseason practice, and Sanchez was still available.
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| | | 152 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 20:32
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23.05 Nelson, Reggie CIN S
I picked Nelson as bye week/injury fill in at IDP. He been mostly injury free and has put up good tackle numbers the last few seasons.
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| | | 153 | TD
ID: 55540220
Mon, Sep 07, 2015, 20:36
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24.10 Floyd, Malcom SDC WR
Floyd had 856 receiving yards and 6 TDs last season. I am looking for the same this season which will be good enough to fill in as a bye week WR.
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| | | 154 | Kyle
ID: 5483388
Tue, Sep 08, 2015, 09:41
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23.03 Vaccaro, Kenny NOS S
I set this queue up before the news of cuts and trades came out Saturday night. This would have been Christine Michael if I had known he was traded when I set it up.
That said I need a backup safety just in case Chancellor's holdout goes into the regular season. Vaccaro only had 52 solo tackles last season, but he's supposed to spend more time in the box this season and he even saw some time playing a "slot corner-linebacker" hybrid in training camp. That should lead to more tackles.
24.12 Perriman, Breshad BAL WR
This pick is a total flyer and I mean that in both connotations of the word. Perriman is crazy fast. Had he not sprained his MCL in camp he'd be getting great press. Right now I'm hoping he comes back in October and starts making big plays for me in November as the stretch run comes. If he doesn't, it's the 24th round, what else would I have gotten a back up DL?
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| | | 155 | Donkey Hunter
ID: 53812814
Tue, Sep 08, 2015, 15:12
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22.13 QB Nick Foles
I wasn't sure I absolutely needed a backup QB here. With Brees not on bye until week 1 I originally figured I could wait until closer to that time to grab someone off of the waiver wire. I ended up chickening out on that because I know the waivers are so competitive in this league and there won't be a good opportunity to grab a real sleeper. Foles was a top 5 fantasy QB just two years ago. I know a lot has changed since then, but hopefully he has a good year.
23.02 K Blair Walsh
I grabbed a kicker one round earlier than normal just because I didn't want to forget to draft one. I like the Vikings offense this season with AD back so I will hope they are high scoring.
24.13 TE Brent Celek
I needed a backup TE because Ertz is such a question mark, and I figured if Ertz is out for any stretch then Celek will be the one getting the snaps so might as well grab him.
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| | | 156 | twilson
ID: 37573115
Fri, Sep 11, 2015, 13:01
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13.13 Kyle Rudolph – TE, MIN
I wasn’t really sure what I wanted at this pair of picks. I’ve filled all of the starting and key bench slots that need to be taken care of early in the draft, other than DL2, and at this point all the linemen worth taking early are gone. The same is kind of true at DB. Thus, I should probably continue to add depth at the key positions.
We are firmly into the backup RB lottery part of the draft, so I will wait a few turns and give others first dibs, cleaning up the leftovers at the end. WR makes sense since I only have three at the moment, but the current tier is very deep. I will likely get an equally good player at the 15/16 turn.
Though I don’t really need a backup TE, I really like two of the guys that have been dropping. Kyle Rudolph is a former high draft pick with a good performance record when healthy. Dwayne Allen was a touchdown magnet in 2014, and he has playing time upside given the likely increase of 3WR sets in Indianapolis this year. I would’ve been happy with either player, but I chose Rudolph due to his clearer role.
14.02 Keenan Robinson – LB, WAS
WR was the obvious pick, but I couldn’t resist the siren song of my third linebacker. Though adding quality linebackers via free agency has long been a strength of mine, my lack of pressing needs and obvious other board values allowed me to splurge on Keenan Robinson. I drafted him last year in the 22nd round and he was a lineup mainstay. When healthy, he was a very consistent scorer. 9 ppg ‘backers don’t grow on trees! Not that it is easy to do in this league, but I will be very open to trading LBs during the season.
15.13 Tyler Lockett – WR, SEA
WR attrition was very low over the past two rounds, with only three leaving the board between 13.13 and now. My decision to wait on the position last turn was validated. Still, I knew that waiting any longer would be silly despite the continued presence of many viable choices.
Most players I considered fell into one of two groups: veterans on new teams and return men with reception upside. Tyler Lockett was the big dropper by RIFC ADP standards. He went 160/127/148 in the other three leagues. Eddie Royal was not far off from that himself. The Dolphins duo of Stills and Parker were possibilities, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in that offense. Percy Harvin’s name came up, but he’s dealing with hip troubles yet again. I looked at [undrafted] and [undrafted]. Marvin Jones was quite appealing in his return from a lost 2014 season, but his ADP is a bit lower than some of the others.
Though I didn’t know much about him previously, talking about him with a friend convinced me to take Lockett. He is already established as the primary return man for the Seahawks, and there is upside in the passing game. It’s not like anyone else is firmly established as top producers in that receiving corps.
16.02 Stevie Johnson – WR, SD
My favorite cheap veteran on a new team this year is Stevie Johnson. He is a proven performer from his time in Buffalo, and he has dealt with poor QB play for his entire career. Colin Kaepernick was a particularly bad fit for his strengths as a receiver. The departure of Eddie Royal and suspension of Antonio Gates create room for Johnson to carve out a role. I probably have a mild preference for Marvin Jones here, but I’m hoping to get him at the next turn.
The only non-WR I considered here was the running back David Johnson of Arizona. He has gotten some good buzz in camp and would’ve served as something of a handcuff to Andre Ellington. Concerns about sharing the workload with Chris Johnson dimished my expectations enough to stick with the WR pick that I liked.
17.13 Marvin Jones – WR, CIN
As I had hoped, Marvin Jones was still available when this pick arrived. He was WR#24 in 2013 and then missed last season due to injury. I drafted him here as WR#58.
His prior success was largely driven by an abundance of TD catches, it is true, but that hasn’t stopped a suspended Martavis Bryant from being a top 100 pick. The upside with Jones is obvious, and the downside at this point is extremely minimal. This is one of my favorite picks of the draft.
18.02 Dan Herron – RB, IND
Time to buy a lottery ticket. As much as I like Frank Gore this year, he is also quite old by RB standards. Herron produced well last year down the stretch when injuries gave him the starting role. He’s part of an elite offense and is the clear backup. Herron ticks all the boxes of the lottery ticket checklist, so he gets to join my team. Cameron Artis-Payne was my other option. He’s in a much weaker offense, but Stewart is as injury-prone as they come, giving him improved opportunity.
19.13 Fletcher Cox – DL, PHI
Artis-Payne got taken at 19.10. Otherwise, he would’ve been the pick. The only other backup RB to really interest me is Damien Williams as the handcuff for Lamar Miller, and I’m quite confident I can get him later.
I had trouble finding a player I wanted to take here. DB would make sense, but I haven’t really done my flier DB research yet. Fletcher Cox is a big ADP dropper, but I also have a couple deep sleeper DLs who would also make me happy. I could take a LB4, as there are a handful of players that keep dropping. Kwon Alexander and Stephone Anthony both have significant upside.
I took Cox. I’ve always believed in his talent, and the possibility of a breakout is not negligible. His pedigree certainly exceeds my other DL sleepers. It helps that they will both likely go undrafted, allowing me to switch from Cox to them if they do well.
20.02 Mason Crosby – K, GB
The kickers have begun to leave the board. As I don’t have anything else in mind, I might as well get in at the early end of the run. Dan Bailey was probably my preference here, but Guru took him on the turn. Maybe I should’ve taken him instead of Cox at 19.13? Almost did. It’s really not a big deal.
Anyway, Crosby kicks for a great offense. His accuracy %s leave something to be desired, but other than the disaster of 2012, he’s routinely ranked in the top 10 at his position. Other considerations were Tucker, McManus, or taking [undrafted] in the 24th round.
21.13 Duke Ihenacho – DB, WAS
Produced well as the Broncos SS two years ago before the first of numerous injuries. He’s healthy for the moment and playing SS on what will likely be a very bad team. Sign me up!
22.02 Damien Williams – RB, MIA
Handcuff for Lamar Miller. He seems to be pretty established as the #2 in Miami. If that changes, he will be dropped.
23.13 Ron Parker – DB, KC
Parker had a fairly solid back half of 2014, and he is currently playing SS for the Chiefs. While Eric Berry continues to recover from cancer, Parker should offer stable production until something better presents itself on the waiver wire.
24.02 James Jones – WR, GB
Consider this pick a bet against Davante Adams. James Jones was had more yards as Green Bay’s WR3 in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 than Adams did last year. I see a real possibility that Jones gets up to speed quickly establishes himself second in the pass-catching pecking order.
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| | | 157 | fugazi
ID: 327471223
Fri, Sep 18, 2015, 23:09
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8.03 McFadden, Darren DAL RB
I feel pretty good about this pick considering the uncertainty in the Dallas backfield. Sure He's injury prone but maybe the split carries will do him some good and this pick will pan out.
17.12 Winston, Jameis TBB QB
I don't expect Cam Newton like rookie numbers from Winston but it would be nice. Just taking a shot at the unknown here. I probobly should have drafted the other rookie but in the end I guess I chose Winston because Tampa has some pretty good targets.
18.03 Stills, Kenny MIA WR
Drafting Stills in hopes that he will be the long ball threat everybody is predicting. There were some tempting rookie WRs available but I never have much luck there so I went with Stills.
19.12 Green-Beckham, Dorial TEN WR
I read a lot of good things about Dorial but really have no clue to his ability, never seen him play. The Titans at this point have only four WRs on the roster so that helped me believe Dorial will see the field this season.
20.03 Austin, Tavon STL WR
I probobly should have drafted Austin two rounds ago. His punt and kick return duties definitely add to his appeal. Austin is a great deep threat and I feel pretty lucky to get him in the 20th round.
21.12 Williams, Andre NYG RB
Just taking a shot here. I keep reading Williams will be the starter by the end of the season. I don't know about that but its worth a shot this late in the draft.
22.03 Fleener, Coby IND TE
Fleener has Luck as a QB and that's the only reason I drafted him. Just have to wait and see if this pans out but I'm not expecting much. I put off my TE's too long in this draft and I'm sure I will be starting someone off the waiver wire before too long. Fleener has shown promise at times but Dwayne Allen will surely get the majority of the targets.
23.12 Carpenter, Dan BUF PK
Drafting Dan purely off of last years numbers.
24.03 Bolden, Brandon NEP RB
Drafting Bolden because he might start week one and I'm still not sure who my RB2 will be week one. Since I have Blount and he is suspended the first week It will either be Bolden or McFadden.
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