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Subject: RIFC 2020: Draft rationale collection thread

Posted by: Guru - [330592710] Fri, Aug 28, 2020, 21:43

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 take precedence over 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. So don't worry about the sequence here.

PromizeOnVacatiom
ID: 1370298
Sat, Aug 29, 2020, 09:00

1.14 Hill, Tyreek KCC WR

Waking up around 2am to make picks probably not the most ideal situation. Really was confused if I wanted to go WR/WR, or RB/RB, or WR/RB. I've had Hill in several of my leagues and when healthy he produces the #s. Bonus on the return yards he gives.

PromizeOnVacatiom
ID: 1370298
Sat, Aug 29, 2020, 09:16

2.01 Jones, Aaron GBP RB

Seriously, to have a meh moment so early in the draft is probably not ideal. Definitely not sold on Jones. Any RB on the Packers seems to be an after thought. But looking at available RBs and what would be available in the future, I felt I needed someone possibly reliable. See reports that he's having a great camp, so let's cross our fingers that translates to a great season and high use of him.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Sat, Aug 29, 2020, 13:18

1.10 Edwards-Helaire, Clyde KCC RB

This pick is so out of character for me. I'm usually looking for safe, steady, high-level production with a late 1st round RB. This is me swinging for the fences. I wasn't sure he'd be available but I'm thrilled he was. I'm all-in on CEH and took him at 1.6 in another draft. Plus I talked my son into taking him in AAA with pick 1.9. I feel pretty safe in saying that opposing defenses won't be stacking the box to stop CEH. If the defensive strategy is max pass rush/blitz, CEH will crush them with screens and draws. The sky is the limit here and it wouldn't shock me if a healthy CEH ends up a top 3 RB when the dust settles at the end of the year. The opportunity will be there as long as he stays healthy.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Sat, Aug 29, 2020, 13:35

2.05 Jones, Julio ATL WR

And the real me returns in round 2. With 1 pick left before mine, I was shocked to see both Davante Adams and Julio on the board and changed my queue to take one of them. Sloppy seconds work just fine for me here. He's (rightfully) a target magnet on a team that will have to outscore opponents in high scoring games in order to generate wins. Even with low TD totals he's been an elite fantasy WR his entire career. If the TDs come it will just be gravy. So far, so good.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Sat, Aug 29, 2020, 17:08

1.08 Chubb, Nick CLE RB
Plan going in was to grab a RB here, although I would have been very tempted by Michael Thomas had he fallen one more spot. With that temptation out of the way, I had to decide between Chubb, Jacobs, Mixon, and Edwards-Helaire. While I'd have been fine with Jacobs or Mixon, Jacobs' lack of work in the passing game, and Mixon's contract situation both concerned me just enough to slot them below Chubb and CEH. The upside of CEH was intriguing, but at the end of the day didn't love the idea of spending my first overall pick on a rookie RB that I've never seen, and hadn't even heard of until Damien Williams opted out. That left me with Chubb, who although he has to share a backfield, should be a workhorse, while continuing to catch enough balls to prop up his floor. I've read some articles that the new OC in Cleveland loves to run the ball, and stacks the line with double TE's pretty often, and have even seen some pundits say that Chubb has as good a shot as any back to win the rushing title this year. Hoping they are right!

Toral
ID: 9541311
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 09:38

Draft slot pick -- picking 3rd, took #12

In a Banzai draft, I like to have something near the end. I theorize that at 12, I may get some benefit later in the draft by knowing what positions the people picking after me do and do not need.

1.12 Joe Mixon, RB, Cin

Now I wished that I had taken #11. I set up a two-person queue of Jacobs (1.11) and Mixon, hoping that Jacobs would fall to me.

No doubt about Mixon's quality, but if his current physical problems aren't only temporary, as I hope, this pick could turn out to be a real headache.

SwinganaMiss
ID: 27546716
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 11:15

1.07 Michael Thomas, WR NO
I had the last pick for draft slots. I expected to have to decide whether I wanted Henry here or some riskier choices (due to injuries, contract situations, lack of passing volume, unknown role, quality backups, etc). All of these back-half-of-round-1 RBs have some questions. Only time will tell. I really expected Thomas to be gone. I feel way more comfortable with Michael Thomas. There is no doubt about his dominance and role. I would’ve had a tough choice at RB, but this made it easier. I feel safer in general getting RBs in Rd 1 normally, but Thomas gives me plenty of stability, which I also covet in Rd 1.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 15:15

Draft Slot 2 and pick 1.02 Quads Barkley, RB, NYG
I lump these together since they really are the same. I followed the first rule of fantasy football- have fun by picking the guy I wanted to root for. I believe slot 1.02 is probably the worst to choose as the 2-4 RB's are essentially equal and none really have the advantage that McCaffrey has over the rest of the field. I also violated rule 2 and rule 3, make the safest chice in first round (which would have been Eliot) and play to win (arguably Kamara) but I made the best choice for me. Maybe not in this league as in my opinion it is vital to stay in the top 6 to remain happy but I am shooting for both.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 15:22

2.13 James Conner, RB, Pitt
Was open to QB(1st 2)WR (top 3),TE (first 2) or RB here. Chose Conner as best RB available. I judge his injury risk and upside slightly better than Gurley. Injury wise I would have preferred Carson but Doug took him just before me.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 15:29

3.13 Ertz, TE, Phila
Was between Ertz , beckham and Smith-schuster here. Beckham went to Bomb,and I finally decided that Ertz as the #3 TE had greater VAR than my third WR. Will I be right?

Toral
ID: 9541311
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 15:49

2.03 Kenyan Drake, RB, Ari

The plan was to go RB/RB so I stuck to it despite the availability of two prime WRs. I look for upside and like his second-half rushing numbers from last year plus his 2018 demonstration of receiving ability.

Might actually have preferred Miles Sanders (2.06) here, but he has the same bye as my RB 1 and I chose to avoid that.

DT
ID: 187283016
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 17:28

1.05 Kamara, Alvin NO RB

When selecting 5th pick vs 7th pick (not much of a choice so not too much to say on it), decided to take 5 to stay in with the top tier of RBs. Thought I might be getting Derrick Henry here. When he went, still made sense to stick with the RB plan. Kamara is healthier this year, so hoping for more consistency in 2020 than he showed in 2019. Also considered Dalvin Cook here, but with the durability concerns + chance of holdout, saw Kamara as the safer choice.

SwinganaMiss
ID: 27546716
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 19:18

2.08 Austin Ekeler, RB LAC
Being the first not to take a RB will likely make me the last person to get one. I was nervous about this pick. It was really a matter of how many would want to go RB/RB. Thought maybe Drake would slide after his injury, but Ekeler was the last one I was comfortable with. Would’ve been happy with Sanders also. Ekeler is still an enigma given the change at QB. Hoping he will get a similar or even bigger workload with MGII out of town. Overall team volume and receptions will go down. Rushes need to go up in order to compensate.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Sun, Aug 30, 2020, 20:39

3.05 Mostert, Raheem SFO RB

This pick was a complete cluster by me so it will probably work out better than I expect. I'd already deviated from plan to take Julio in Rd 2 instead of the planned RB/RB start. So I had a bunch of RBs queued up for this pick. Then, as the pick approached I noticed that Godwin was still available. I had issues with all the RB options but Godwin looked like a safe, highly productive option for WR2. So, I messed around with the queue and had Godwin, David Johnson, and Fournette queued up and didn't fret too much about the rest since I figured they wouldn't all go right in a row. Wrong! Mostert looks like he's earned the primary early down role on a run-heavy offense. He was awesome in the playoffs showing speed, power and elusiveness. The other options for SF have nowhere near the same upside. When he shook down the front office, they blinked and gave him a new contract. I think that's as close to a committment as we'll see from the Niners. Not ideal for a 3rd round pick that I probably could have gotten a round (or more) later but we'll see. If he gets 15 touches a game, he'll be a serviceable, and maybe above average, RB2. If not, I'll be jumping on the 1 RB option for bye weeks.

twilson
ID: 19763110
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 11:07

0.04 Draft Slot #11

I had a bit of a difficult time with this. I see little value difference between draft slots this season thanks to the 3RR format, outside of #1, which meant that my choice had to be governed by preferred drafting strategy and slot comfort. I considered everything from #3 to #13. Though I hadn’t done much serious player prep, I identified a potential 3rd round value pick and then tested scenarios to balance that value with the extra advantage of an early pick.

#3 would get me a top tier RB and likely a second tier WR, but leave me only a minimal shot at the 3rd rounder. #6 was too much of a drop from the big three RBs. #8 offered promise, but would stick me in the middle of the draft order. #11 would pair two solid players, one likely a RB, with a good shot in the 3rd. #13 would likely result in a WR/Rec/RB build.

I went with #11 because I think there’s a good chance I can get a RB I like in the 1st and still be in position in the 3rd to draft my guy. The backup plan is to take the overall WR#2 at 11 and commit to the WR/Rec/RB build.

1.11 Josh Jacobs, RB, LVR

My pre-draft expectation for this pick was one of Jacobs/Chubb/WR#2. As it turned out, Guru going with Lamar Jackson gave me my choice of Jacobs and WR#2. Jacobs averaged just over 100 yds per game in his rookie season, which is near the top end of players that remain available, and he has a lock on goal line carries behind a strong offensive line. Jacobs also has the talent to increase his target share in year two, though the team’s roster moves to ensure depth at the pass-catching back position make me skeptical of more than 40 receptions. High floor pick with some upside.

The next batch of RBs have significantly lower floors, so I won’t bother discussing them. And while I like a few receivers, I would prefer to draft a RB amongst my first two picks if value is similar. I won’t be doubling up in round 2.

2.04 Davante Adams, WR, GB

I’m pleased with my options here. The two WR that went on the turn (Hill and Hopkins) were note targets. Without return responsibilities, Hill drops down to the next tier for me. Hopkins is deserving of a pick here, but I’d rather have certainty of situation and role. Regardless of who I choose now, I will be adding another proven performer to my squad.

At WR, Davante Adams and Julio Jones stand out. Both have averaged 10+ targets per game for the past two seasons. Jones gets more yards, while Adams has better TD rates. Both have dealt with injuries in recent years; though Adams is the one who has missed games each season, I’m more worried about Jones given his age and recurring foot problems.

Travis Kelce and George Kittle also appeal with their high-end WR2 or better numbers from the TE position. Kelce’s offensive situation continues to be ideal, and age is the only mild negative. Kittle combines remarkable efficiency with moderately high targets. All of the injuries in San Francisco could open the door to a target monster season, but the lack of another proven receiving threat will likely cause those efficiency numbers to drop.

For maximum roster build flexibility, Adams is the choice.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 11:37

1.04 Derrick Henry, RB, TEN
I had the choice of the 4th, 5th, 7th or 9th picks. Pick 4 seems to be an unpopular choice given that the first 3 picks are fairly predictable and the next few RBs have varying ADPs, but I decided that Henry stood out enough to me to go with pick 4. Second in RB points per game last season, Henry has been on a 1.5 year tear and similar can hopefully be expected this season, with the possible addition of more pass catching. He's a safer pick with not necessarily a lower ceiling than the other RB considerations.

2.11 George Kittle, TE, SF
Last season's top scoring TE, Kittle's production will rival those of the top remaining WR. And with 14 starting TE's needed in this league, I didn't want to be in a position to hold my nose throughout the season.

3.11 Odell Beckham, WR, CLE
Once a top WR off the board, Beckham has played erratically and/ or with injuries the past few seasons. Still just 27, seemingly healthy, and another year to get acclimated to Cleveland's system, Beckham can offer the upside he showed earlier in his career.

4.11 Mark Ingram, RB, BAL
Naturally Ingram is not expected to duplicate his 7th RB ppg scoring output from last year, but as the returning starter another productive season should be in store and I viewed him as a notch above the remaining RB options for my RB2.

5.04 Keenan Allen, WR, LAC
There are some concerns with the QB change, but Allen should remain a target monster as the top receiving option on his team and provide a higher floor than some alternatives.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 13:23

4.05 Moore, D.J. CAR WR

I was hoping Moore would be available here and happy to get him as my WR2. This settles me back into my normal and preferred start of 2 RB and 2 WR in the first 4 rounds. A lot of the so-called experts seem to think Moore will be a prime breakout candidate. I believe he'll be this year's Chris Godwin. He's the #1 receiver on a team that figures to be playing from behind or at least in shootouts most weeks. There are multiple mouths to feed in this passing game but Moore's productivity will be boosted by having an accurate QB for the first time who can hit him in stride for big gains on short passes. Some experts think he'll manage WR1 production this year. If so, great but a mid level WR2 season with a good weekly floor works just great for me here. Others considered for this spot if Moore hadn't been available were Kupp, Woods, and Thielen.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 14:46

4.13 A.J. Green , wr, cinn
%.02 D.K Metcalf, Wr seattle

Decided WR over QB and RB depth. Green top 10 if healthy in mind and body big big risk.
Melcalf 1000 yd WR with Wilson throwing to him.
Looks like its boom or bust with all the risk I am taking on LOL- not the solid #5-6 which prolly would have been the smartt play in a covid year.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 15:15

5.10 Swift, D'Andre DET RB

Looking for RB depth with this pick. Fortunately, both my starting RBs have late bye weeks. So, the happy path is full health for the starters and no need to put Swift in the lineup until late by which time he'll have a major role in the offense. I don't think they drafted him to have him watch so I'm counting on him to earn more work as the season progresses. Plenty of time to heal and make up for the missed training camp reps. It's all about opportunity and if he gets it, he should produce usable stats for a bye week fill-in RB2. I think, at worst, he becomes a 3rd down / passing game weapon. I was hoping Akers would drop to me but Swift was my 2nd choice heading into this pick.

twilson
ID: 19763110
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 15:30

3.04 David Johnson, RB, HOU

You can always trust RIFC, especially the top league, to hammer RBs. Pre-draft, I thought I might be able to get Conner or Carson here, but I was off by half a round. It didn’t help that Conner moved up by about that much in general ADP since we picked our slots. As such, the layout was a little different than I had hoped.

Most of the top of my draft board is occupied by appealing WRs, though Godwin would’ve stood out had he lasted another pick. I love AJ Brown; I think he’s a budding superstar. His ypc will drop but should remain elite for his volume. He won’t hit 150 targets, but won’t need to do so to deliver WR1 results.

Odell Beckham is the other upside play. He’s performed as a top 6 WR every year except last. The question becomes if his dip in performance was injury- or motivation-based, and if the injury will have any longer-term impact. At this price point, it’s a tempting risk.

Adam Thielen and Allen Robinson are the target monsters of the remaining player pool, with only DJ Moore challenging them for that title. Thielen is a frequent target of mine in the past, and the departure of Diggs should guarantee his role in the offense. I am a bit put off by his lessened target share in the early going last year; his fantasy success was extremely TD-dependent. On the upside, that’s not a skill he’s displayed in the past.

Robinson has the talent and the targets but is lacking in surrounding talent. There’s a chance that a QB change could unlock greater efficiency.
Amari Cooper is the top name by ADP. Despite his game-to-game ups and downs, he’s now recovered from his sallow third year to provide strong season-long WR2 consistency.

The list continues, but I’ll stop there for the sake of brevity. After debating the names for a while, I found myself unable to settle on a decision. Thus, I shifted gears and looked at RBs. Johnson and Raheem Mostert stood out to me positionally.

Mostert would interest me more at 4.04, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll be available. David Johnson is not the same player who went 1.01 in 2017, but he was a solid RB1 last year until he got hurt and replaced by the coaching staff. I don’t love drafting older players that switch teams, but the cost to the Texans and the lack of meaningful depth chart competition says to me that Johnson will get plenty of opportunity to succeed. I’m expecting Johnson to inherit all of [UNDRAFTED]’s carries and add on a healthy number of receptions. Given Johnson’s pass-catching prowess, this won’t be a split backfield in the same way we’ve seen in Houston’s recent history.

Mark Andrews would also not be a bad pick here. Youth + Efficiency + Strong offense = Solid floor + Upside.

Given the depth at WR and my comfort with the rest of the TE depth pool, I finally settled on David Johnson. I figure somebody good would be left at 4.04 for my second receiver.

4.04 Calvin Ridley, WR, ATL

With two RBs in tow and Andrews/Ertz off the board, this pick has to be WR. Thielen remains from the primary group I looked at in the 3rd, and I’ll add DJ Moore and Calvin Ridley to that list.

Moore is actually another guy who was on pace for 150 targets before missing most of the final two games. He has youth and a potential QB upgrade on his side, though the latter also increases uncertainty about target spread.

Where Moore has gotten the targets and yards, Calvin Ridley has depended on TDs to deliver his fantasy value in the first two years of his career. As long as Julio Jones is playing, Ridley will never approach 150 targets. With that said, I consider Jones’ presence a net positive given the defensive attention he draws not to mention that his TD deficiencies are Ridley’s gain. Like with Moore, youth increases the odds that Ridley finds another level to his talent and forces his way to 20 more catches.

While I was originally leaning Thielen, I just couldn’t get fully behind him given his struggles in 2019. Ridley’s TDs and QB stability won out over Moore.

Doug
ID: 77541115
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 15:54

0.05 Draft Slot #3

I knew it would cost me a bit in next 3 rounds to take the early pick, but the way I saw the tiers of players this season I felt it was worth it to grab one of the top-3 RBs, and that I'd likely still end up happy with my options later on.

1.03 Ezekiel Elliott, DAL RB

I was indifferent between him and Saquon... both are obvious stud RBs. DAL getting a new WR weapon via the draft this year should only help assure they can't stack the box and keep giving Elliott plenty of room to roam. No signs of them significantly limiting his workload last year, so hopefully he's primed to deliver another stelllar season with a high floor. With my first round pick I want to minimize risk, and I think Elliott delivers.

2.12 Chris Carson, SEA RB
I feel there's plenty of depth at WR to be able to shore up the spot in the next few rounds, whereas RB is going to drop off pretty quick, and a bunch of teams are likely to pick the guys I'm comfortable with as RB2... so stay one step ahead of the pack with a guy who likey would have gone a bit higher if not coming off injury. Camp reports are that he looks explosive and could easily deliver a top-10 RB season. Considreed James Conner and took a quick peek at David Johnson, but felt like Carson had the fewest question marks.

3.12 Tyler Lockett, SEA WR
I'm not a Seahawks fan, but this just seemed like good value. Was hoping for AJ Brown or Odell to avoid a bye week conflict, but felt like Lockett was the end of this "tier" of WRs and that I shouldn't sweat the bye weeks so soon in the draft. Not sure about the whole 2 guys on same team thing... are their performances going to be positively/negatively correlated? I've never really looked at the numbers on it, but probably something I should investigate at some point.

4.12 Cooper Kupp, LAR WR
Just a logical pick here... I needed to grab my WR2 either here or after the turn, but Valkyrie has none on roster so far, so better stay ahead of that and grab the WR first... was also thinking I'd want a QB but with 2-3 in this tier (and Loki already having one) it was safe to wait a few picks. I traded away Kupp as part of a retrospectively foolish trade in a dynasty league a couple years ago (which netted me Antonio Brown and Leveon Bell... FML), so glad to have him on my squad this year. Welcome home, bud.

5.03 Dak Prescott, DAL QB
Felt like there was a dropoff after Dak/Russ/Murray. Murray has huge upside and a new stud WR to throw to, but I feel like Dak/Russ have more track record and similar opportunities for success with a bit less risk. I didn't want to be the fantasy Seahawks with Russ/Carson/Lockett, so I'm glad Dak made the turn (although now I'm just the fantasy Cowhawks or Seaboys instead). Pretty happy with how this draft has panned out so far. Obviously a long ways to to and I haven't touched certain positions yet, but I've got a great core and maybe can start taking some chances/risks as we move forward rather than trying to shore up weaknesses as critical positions.

loki
ID: 36753115
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 16:06

Draft position-McCaffery may be in his own tier among fantasy players this year, and drafting 1st would enable me to pick him.

1.01 Christian McCaffery, RB, CAR-Best player available.
2.14 Deshaun Watson, QB, HOU-Since I have never finished 1st in these leagues, I decided to change draft strategy and for the first time go with a a QB early.
3.14 DeVante Parker, WR, MIA-Having McCaffery enabled me to wait on a 2nd RB, so I picked the player whom I felt was the best WRV remaining.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 17:09

Draft Slot #8

Didn't analyze it to much, as I've never found much correlation between where I draft and how I do. I took a fairly brief look at the top players and felt there were 8 RB's I'd be comfortable drafting in the first round, so wanted to give my shot to grab one of them, yet draft as late as possible.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 17:15

2.07 Travis Kelce, TE, KC

Grabbing a RB in round 1, I went into round 2 with all options available. Would have been happy to take a 2nd RB, top tier WR, QB (had Mahomes or Watson made it, they didn't), or TE (Kelce/Kittle). I think I would have taken Julio, Hopkins, or Adams if they had made it to me (they didn't), which left TE or Ekeler. I flipped back and forth a few times, and decided that Ekeler carried just a bit of uncertainty with a new QB/offense and his first time in a lead role. I also considered Chris Carson, but felt there was a chance he would make it back to me in the 3rd (he didn't). With all that said, I jumped at Kelce. I have never drafted a TE high in this league, and while that's worked out for in the past, its going to be really comforting having a "set it and forget it" option at the position. I gave Kelce the slight edge over Kittle due to the high powered nature of the KC offense, and one without a few of their top weapons from years past (Watkins and Williams). Hoping that opens up even more for Kelce.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 17:19

3.07 Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND
I normally don't like to get wrapped up in hype surrounding rookie RB's, but felt that my first two picks (Chubb and Kelce) offered me enough stability to take a bit of a gamble on Taylor. I've read some pundits claim that Taylor should be the bell cow for Indy and has a shot at producing top 10 RB numbers, and others a bit worried that the backfield is a bit too crowded for him to run away with the lead job. The Indy line is still thought of as elite, and Rivers has always been one to throw a lot to the RB's, so hoping he can show off his fresh legs and provide me with a really solid RB2.

SwinganaMiss
ID: 27546716
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 21:29

3.08 Melvin Gordon, RB DEN
I wanted to get a 2nd RB here. By the time it got to me, I was down to Taylor or Gordon. There are plenty of solid WR in the upcoming rounds, so I really didn’t give much thought to picking anything but one of these two guys.

I was really hoping to see Taylor make it. Gordon could be a blessing or a disguise. He’s got a bit of an injury, but hoping it’s resolved well before the season actually begins. He’s got a RB mate who could be a thorn. Hoping the money they paid him means they are hell-bent on giving him a sizable workload.

DT
ID: 187283016
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 22:02

2.10 Evans, Mike (WR, TBB)

Didn't come in with a specific plan for round 2. After opening RB, we were open to going best available here. Considered James Conner & Chris Carson as RB2, Godwin & Mike Evans as WR1, and Kittle as TE here. Ultimately decided to go WR to take advantage of the value at ADP since only 6 were off the board in the first 23 picks. Then it came down to who of the TB WRs we wanted to target. Read that Evans has been connecting well with Brady in camp, so decided to go with Evans.

DT
ID: 187283016
Mon, Aug 31, 2020, 22:12

3.10 Brown, A.J. (WR, TEN)

Similar to my round 2 pick, decided to go best available at any position here rather than reaching for a RB. There was a wide selection of excellent options here. In addition to Brown, I considered OBJ, Lockett, JuJu, Robinson, Ridley, Moore, Thielen, Chark and Woods. Only non-WR considered was Ronald Jones, but only half-heartedly - was hoping he would fall to me in the 4th. Ultimately, chose Brown since he had an absolutely phenomenal rookie season in 2019 and is in a more stable position year over year than most of the other guys on the list.

Promize
ID: 874119
Tue, Sep 01, 2020, 10:12

Traveling has not made this easy to do, so sorry for the delay.

3.01 Todd Gurley RB/ATL
Yah, so this is basically one of those hometown boy picks. Being a huge UGA fan and a Falcons fan, really was no question I was going to be picking Gurley up at some point. With that being said, I know folks have talked about his arthritis a lot, but he only missed one game last year. He has also been in double digits of TD's since 2017. Our OC says he is going to run the ball extra with him this year, which makes it sound like he thinks Gurley is feeling good. Also reports he is having some of his old burst of speed. Falcons need that RB that can catch out of the backfield to offset all their other huge weapons. Come back player of the year? Let's hope so.

4.01 Juju Smith-schuster WR/PITT
What I felt was the top WR on the board at the time. Although he had a huge drop off last year, with Ben issues, hopefully, he can rebound this year. Last year, he still lead the Steelers team in yards. He also becomes an unrestricted free agent after this year, which means he should be working a little extra this year. Let's hope that ole Ben stays healthy all year long as well.

loki
ID: 36753115
Tue, Sep 01, 2020, 14:48

4.14 Jordan Hicks, LB, AZ-Another change from the usual for me as I decided to draft defense early this year
5.01 Darius Leonard, LB, IND-Same as 4.14

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Tue, Sep 01, 2020, 14:54

4.07 Adam Thielen, WR, MIN

One of the "experts" that listen to fairly often said that every possible draft strategy should focus on taking Adam Thielen in the 3rd round. The rationale being that Thielen had been a bastion of health until a few fluky injuries that brought him down last year, none of which should be reoccuring into this year. If anything, with Diggs gone, Thielen should command a higher target share in the offense, and has proven for several seasons that if given the targets, elite production will follow. I had Thielen lined up for my 3rd round pick, but became enammored with Jonathan Taylor enough to let him slip, fully expecting Thielen to be taken by the time my 4th rounder came due. I was really excited to have that not to be the case. Taking Kelce in the 2nd, I had yet to draft a WR, and think there's a good chance I grabbed a Top 10 WR in the 4th round. All reports out of camp are that Thielen is looking fantastic, only furthering my excitement!

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Tue, Sep 01, 2020, 15:00

5.08 Russell Wilson, QB, SEA

I NEVER draft QB's early in any fantasy leagues, but especially in RIFC. The last time I recall drafting a QB by the 5th round, was back in 2008, when I took Tom Brady in the 2nd round only to see his knee give out on the first game of the season. Every year since then, my strategy is to be the last to draft my starting QB, but the first to draft my backup, and play matchups throughout the season. Last year, my strategy seemingly backfired a bit as Big Ben went down early, and Rivers dissapointed me all year, only for me to scoop up Ryan Fitzpatrick on waivers and ride him throughout the playoffs. With that said, when looking at available players in the 5th round, and trying to find those with separation over the next tier of players, I kept coming back to Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson. After much deliberating I had decided on taking Murray, due to his strong rookie year and addition of Hopkins to the offense. Unfortunately, Crabby Bills grabbed him two picks prior to mine, and I was left with Wilson as a consolation prize. Despite a shaky offensive line, and lack of high end weapons, Wilson puts of top QB numbers every year. He doesn't run much, but his floor is still remarkably high. I don't think he has the excitement/upside of Murray, but I do think there's a solid chance he out produces him over the course of the year. Had Wilson been taken too, I likely would have fallen back to my strategy of taking a QB late, but I'm pretty excited to have my first "set it and forget it" players at both QB and TE in a long time.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Tue, Sep 01, 2020, 15:31

6.13 Matt Ryan , QB, Atl
7.02 David Montgomery RB, Chi
I viewed this as a pivotal pair of picks for me. I had multiple directions to go but not having made up my mind before Loki's picks I messed it up. I had wanted Hunt over Montgomery partially because of bye overlap but I hadn't yet committed to a RB or I could have picked Hunt first and Ryan second as Loki already had his QB. Decision paralysis kills.

SwinganaMiss
ID: 27546716
Tue, Sep 01, 2020, 22:28

4.08 Robert Woods, WR LAR
Remarkable how similar this year’s draft is to last. Year was WR/RB/RB/WR, and here we go again. Even Robert Woods himself has made an appearance on both teams—the first duplicate. I love Woods this year, w/o *UNDRAFTED* in the picture. Woods was frustrating last year, w/ complete lack of TDs, but he came on strong in the second half—hoping that there is more to come this year. He will be relied upon heavily, which is enough for me. The team may be taking steps back, but there’s plenty of opportunity here.

twilson
ID: 19763110
Wed, Sep 02, 2020, 01:28

5.11 Darren Waller, TE, LVR

My only easy picks thus far have both been Raiders. We’ll see how that turns out.

All of the projections I’ve looked at forecast a significant decline in Waller’s yardage totals, but I expect him to maintain his target share in 2020. While Las Vegas made a number of additions to the receiving corps in the offseason and draft, none are likely to usurp his role. In fact, if one of them hits it big, that should give Waller (and Jacobs, for that matter) more room in which to operate. The low TD total is a concern, as the Raiders have other players they like to target in the red zone more than other sections of the field, but at this price a repeat of last year justifies the selection.

I did look at TY Hilton and other receivers here, but given my expected direction in round 6 I thought it prudent to fill a specialty position if the value was reasonable. Terry McLaurin would’ve been juicy enough to force my hand. After Darius Leonard, the next tier of IDPs is deep. I don’t feel the need to go there yet. With Russell Wilson gone, QB lacks appeal.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Wed, Sep 02, 2020, 07:16

My 3.03 and 4.03 rationalia, although not yet posted, were made as comments on MFL.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Wed, Sep 02, 2020, 07:43

5.12 T. Y. Hilton, WR, Ind

I do not share the opinion of analysts that Hilton's quarterback is a "noodle-armed" has-been. I was watching [undrafted] closely last year -- have to love a QB whose worst cuss word is "Dad Gum It" -- and his scheme had him throwing to spots with his line barely giving him time to get the ball off. Too often no one was at the spots and the result was inteceptions. What he needs is someone like Frank Reich who can make sure he's working in a scheme appropriate for him. And better blocking which he now has. And the addition of young talent at both RB and WR won't hurt either.

As for Hilton himself, he exploded unexpectedly under [undrafted] early last year after Luck retired and if healthy might do so again. Rotowire says he's in sync with his new QB and "at full speed during recent scrimmages and looks fully healthy for the start of the regular season."

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Wed, Sep 02, 2020, 14:50

6.05 Cooks, Brandin HOU WR

I usually like to have 3 RB and 3 WR through 6 rounds so that meant a WR pick here. A lot of options with similar outlooks were available here. I went with Cooks for his consistent production when healthy, the elite QB he has throwing to him, and the expectation that he'll soak up the lion's share of the targets vacated with the trade of Hopkins. He should have a usable floor and, when he gets TDs, a WR2+ ceiling. A great fit as my WR3/Flex. Looked at Boyd and Landry as the next in line for this pick. Hard to predict which will have the better/healthier season but the other 2 could be 2nd in line on their teams. Cooks was elevated by being the likely target leader in Houston.

loki
ID: 36753115
Wed, Sep 02, 2020, 18:03

6.14 Kareem Hunt, RB, CLE-Back to offense with my next 2 picks, and I thought Hunt was the best RB remaining.

7.01 Jarvis Landry, WR, CLE-I was looking at Landry, Tate and Edelman for this pick, and immediately had buyer’s regret when I remembered who the Cleveland QB is.

DT
ID: 187283016
Wed, Sep 02, 2020, 19:31

4.10 Chark, D.J. (WR, JAC)
I had intended to go RB here when I passed in the 3rd round. I had hoped Ronald Jones would make it back around to me here, but was wrong by four picks. When he didn't fall back around, I didn't have an obvious RB2 I wanted. Chark was a name I was considering in a long list of WR candidates for round 3, and the only one to make it back around. Decided to go with Chark here for the upside. Here's hoping he continues to capitalize on an amazing rookie season.

5.05 Akers, Cam (RB, LAR)
Considered going QB (Russell Wilson), TE (Darren Waller), and RB2 (Akers, Hunt & Singletary) here. After passing on RB2 for the 3rd time in round four, felt a bit too much pressure to shore one up here before all the viable options were taken. In hindsight, I'd go back and take Wilson here. Got a bit too antsy to fill that RB2 slot, and happened to do so right before the BIG RB wave finally died off. Akers stood out from the other two RB options for later season upside.

6.10 White, Devin (LB, TBB)
IDP is more of a mystery this year than most. Obviously no surprise that Darius Leonard was (nearly) the first IDP off the board, but was a bit surprised that Hicks went simultaneously. With 19 picks before my next go looming, I wanted to make sure I got in on the top LBs before a major run. White is an incredible young talent. Think he has top 5 potential at the position if he plays like he did the second half of his rookie season.

7.05 Murray, Latavius (RB, NOS)
This one was a painful pick this early in the draft. Laughing at myself now for viewing Kamara as the "safe" RB option for my first round pick. All of the noise coming out of NO the past few days (contract holdout / trade discussions / back injury, etc) seemed to be bouncing Murray straight up the draft board. In one of the AAA leagues, he went at 7.14 and was considered at 7.13. I didn't want to risk of someone sniping him here and potentially leaving me seriously exposed. Only time will tell if this was a paranoid or prescient move. I didn't consider anything else here.

twilson
ID: 19763110
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 00:42

6.04 Marquise Brown, WR, BAL

I continue not to see a compelling reason to take my first IDP. There were few elite performances last year, and I don’t consider any of the top names by ADP to be locks for elite performance. That’s not to say there’s no value there, but I’d rather take the opportunity to continue to build strength on offense. The best way to do that is by taking my WR3.

Marquise Brown, Jarvis Landry, and Michael Gallup are the top of my WR board. Brown is coming off a 600-yard rookie season that was marred by an offseason foot injury with effects that often linger for a year post-surgery. I expect that another year removed from said injury will allow him to show off his first-round-draft-pick bonafides. Brown’s team situation is another positive, as Mark Andrews is the only proven pass-catcher on the roster and Lamar Jackson will likely throw more in 2020. I should note that statistical improvement is a requirement for this draft price to pay off.

Jarvis Landry, on the other hand, is very likely to return value here. He’s a proven performer under multiple quarterbacks on two different teams, and he throws in some return yardage for good measure. Landry has never been worse than WR#24 in his entire career (dating back to 2014). The returns have been much scarcer since he went to Cleveland, which will keep him from returning to his WR1 glory years, but there’s a lot to be said for solid WR2s.

Michael Gallup really burst onto the scene in his sophomore year. What he already did once is what I’m hoping Marquise Brown can do for the first time. The rub is that Gallup now has to deal with the rookie CeeDee Lamb potentially eating into his volume. I’ve seen both Gallup and Lamb hyped as major values by different football analysts that I trust to put in the time watching tape intelligently, each in turn throwing cold water on the other player’s upside.

Given that I already own two reliable WR starters, I think it prudent to grab one of the youngsters rather than old reliable Jarvis. Maybe I’m silly for discounting Gallup’s proven performance because a rookie came to town, but I think I’d rather have Brown here. Perhaps I can hedge my bet with a share of Gallup in another league.

7.11 Aaron Donald, DL, LAR

I’ve now filled my core offensive positions outside of QB, so I really can’t put off IDPs any longer. I think the collective league has drafted the right players thus far, forcing my pick to be more about ideal roster construction than individual player value. All else equal, I will always choose a lineman over a linebacker over a defensive back, purely for replacement level reasons.

With the secure LB1s all drafted, I get my pick of the non-Hunter DLs. A lot of the top guys are dealing with injuries in camp, so I’m going to put them aside given the wealth of options. That leaves me with Aaron Donald and Joey Bosa as proven high-volume scorers.

I drafted Aaron Donald last year at 5.05, which was admittedly a bit of a reach for similar reasons to those I’ve described above. While continuing his All-Pro real world performance, in fantasy he was merely very good. Because the underlying play is so good and he’s never missed a game due to injury in his six-year career, Donald is as much of a lock for a DL1 finish as currently exists. 18th/3rd/4th/9th/1st/4th are his past season-ending ranks.

Due to past injuries Joey Bosa can’t say the same, but he was (barely) the DL#1 last year, with previous ppg finishes of 10th and 16th. Writing this rationale now, it’s harder to make the case for him than it was in my mind at the time of the pick. Donald is just too consistently good. It’s the nature of sacks that there will always be some variability in year-to-year results despite consistent performance, so I’m not going to worry about 0.6ppg in 2019 compared with their full body of work.

When picking, my deciding factor in Donald over Joey Bosa was the same reason I ruled out all the other names – health. Bosa has already succumbed once to the punishment of NFL football, and Donald somehow hasn’t yet. That makes him less likely to miss future games, which is all the separation I need.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 09:39

7.10 Hurst, Hayden ATL TE

Having secured 3 RBs and 3 WRs, it was time to dip into the TE pool. Set the queue with 3 names and probably changed the order 5 times. I had Engram, Henry and Hurst under consideration for this pick and finally landed on Hurst as the top choice because of the injury history of the other 2. Hurst has a 1st round pedigree but always had to compete with multiple other talented TEs for snaps and targets. When he's played, he's been productive and he's going to a situation where he's the clear #1 TE. I expect he'll slip easily into the role of the former TE in ATL and see enough overall and red zone targets to provide TE1 production.

Doug
ID: 77541115
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 11:52

6.12 Dionte Johnson, PIT WR
I'm banking on last year's numbers being his absolute floor if stays healthy, as he was able to put up those numbers with far inferior talent rotating through the QB position. And if can even be 80-90% of his former self then Johnson has a real chance to break out and put up some big numbers. For my WR3 spot I am usually really looking for that upside, as it's usually multiple guys on my roster competing for that starting spot each week.

7.03 Jared Cook, NOS TE
Not a sexy pick but should put up really solid numbers in the high-powered Saints offense, felt good locking up this spot with the last of what I felt was a tier of "TE1s without a lot of question marks"

8.12 Ryquell Armstead, JAX RB
I mean, if you can get a starting RB in round 8, why not? Not expecting huge things here, but should be able to put up some numbers and fill in on byes... if he overperforms could also be good trade bait as the season progresses. I also want to ensure adequate depth at all the skill positions this year (thanks COVID!) because of the increased possibility that players could have to miss a few games, or even entire games might get cancelled.

9.03 Preston Williams, MIA WR
Keeping on my theme of wanting extra depth due to COVID and also wanting upside-guys for my WR3-5 spots, this felt like a steal and was thrilled to get him here. He showed huge potential last year and training camp reports are he still looks explosive after last year's ACL (that injury likely the reason he's dropped a bit this year). Seems a good roll of the dice here that I'm pretty confident in... I've got shares of him in multiple leagues.

10.12 Tony Pollard, DAL RB
Obvious Zeke insurance... one of the better RB handcuffs out there and would have considered him here even if I didn't have Zeke.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 12:49

8.05 Garrett, Myles CLE DE

Time to start on IDP. I usually like to start with a stud DL. I saw the top 3 go off the board in rapid fashion late in round 7 so was very concerned a run could ace me out of my prime targets. Looked at young Bosa, JJ, and Cam Jordan for this pick but went with Garrett at the top of the queue due to his combination of youth, productivity, and visibility. The Browns are on TV every week here in central Ohio, so I like to at least get someone to watch and root for.

loki
ID: 36753115
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 15:11

8.14Julian Edelman, WR, NEP Edelman has always been one of my favorite players both in the NFL and fantasy. He was perfect for my 3rd WR.
9.01 Hunter Henry, TE, LAC, Tight end position was already depleted. I wanted one that would contribute, and Henry was available.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 15:24

6.11 Tyler Boyd, WR, CIN

I prefer to fill out most of my offensive starters instead of selecting one of the top IDPs as I usually can find a couple slightly less viable options as FAs, and they generally won't offer the same upside as some offensive players still remaining, so Boyd comes on as my WR3. He was 7th in the NFL in targets last year, and any help AJ Green can give this season should be a plus to remove some of the double teams he had faced, and is getting a likely substantial QB upgrade.

7.04 JK Dobbins, RB, BAL

Dobbins' ADP would be right around here based on the other RBs being taken, and he provides a little extra value to me as Ingram insurance.

8.11 Marvin Jones, WR, DET

With bye weeks, injuries, and unpredictable production bound to happen, the WR4 can end up being a quasi-starter. Marvin still gets it done as he was 17th in WR ppg last season even with Stafford missing half the season.

9.04 Lavonte David, TB

With my offensive core in place I looked to IDPs. Lavonte routinely puts up elite numbers every year. He will be entering his second year in Todd Bowles' scheme and is still viewed as a defensive cornerstone with Tampa Bay having opened up contract extension discussions.

10.11 DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI

Staying healthy is not Jackson's strong suit, but it's his team's other WRs that are finding themself injured making him the unquestioned WR1 option. He's regularly been productive when he is able to suit up.

11.04 Zack Moss, RB, BUF

Reports out of Buffalo have an arrow pointing upward for Moss. He was already looking likely for goal-line work, but he also possesses pass-catching ability to go along with the potential to take the majority of carries if he outplays Singletary in the early going.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 16:00

8.13 Evan Engram, TE, NYG
Needed a flex receiver here but Crabby and Bomb took my two top choices and it occurred to me that there was prolly less than 1/2 PPG difference between the next tier of WR's and Engram and Engram could be my bye week TE and has a pretty good upside possibility.
(.02 JJ Watt-DE, Houst noticing the VOR other seemed to be following I took what I consider the last of the possible tier 1 DL's. More of a big play guy if healthy I have many needs but won't regret drafting this guy.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 16:06

10.13 Emmanual Sanders, WR, NO
Too many risky WR's so I chose Sanders as a safer pick over more highly rated options.
11.02- Josh Allen- QB- Buff
Held off posting 8-9 because I didn't want to tip off my desire for a second QB. Allen wasn't really the one I wanted but by the time it got to me just had he and Jones left as choices. Actually like Jones a little better but wanted to spread my team dependence on NYG who will have a very tough year out a little more.

SwinganaMiss
ID: 27546716
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 18:17

5.07 Terry McLaurin, WR WFT
Wanted to get another high-upside WR with this pick. Told myself at 4.08 I would take McLaurin if he was available at 5.07, and stuck with it. Briefly considered Russell Wilson since he was the last of the consensus top 6 QB, but I prefer to stick to the core positions and save the one-offs for later.

6.08 Blake Martinez, LB NYG
Now that I have waited past the top 6 QBs, I need to keep waiting. Same goes for TE. Nothing stood out. Might as well get started at IDP. Martinez is one of the best. He’s switching teams, which can always impact him. However, NYG doesn’t have any better tackle competition than GB.

7.07 Philip Lindsay, RB DEN
Obviously, I am not sold on Gordon as my RB2. I saw one handcuff go a couple picks earlier, so I might as well follow suit. Lindsay may end up out-producing Gordon. I might be able to use both in a pinch. I was considering breaking the seal on DL, but opted to hedge here. Also considered TE strongly, but there were a few in the same range that sounded similar, so I opted to hold off another round.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 19:20

6.03 Budda Baker, DB, Ari

They tell me that DB is the most variable IDP position for point production year-to-year. Baker was the highest scoring DB in this format last year. Young, healthy and appropriately paid, he could repeat the feat. He does have room for more big-play production.

If Baker had been taken, next in my queue was LB Joe Schobert, who went three picks later.

SwinganaMiss
ID: 27546716
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 20:57

8.08 Carson Wentz, QB PHI
The DL run finally began since my last pick. Enough that I didn’t see any value there. I still didn’t have QB or TE, so should probably get one of those here. Was considering Engram, but I decided to go with Wentz before the QB choices got too too uncomfortable. I can’t stand to root for Brady, so it was Allen or Wentz for me. I went for the stable floor. Stable, so long as he is healthy and has some semblance of a receiving core.

9.07 Josh Allen, DE JAX
Might’ve been cool to go Josh Allen/Josh Allen back to back. I preferred the upside of Josh Allen over other DL options that were available. Looks like I pulled the trigger early here (in retrospect), but that’s fine. Again, I opted to hold off on TE. I need to get IDP ~every other round, so it was time. There are a bunch of LB with very similar outlooks and DB has barely been touched.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 21:47

6.07 Michael Gallup, WR, DAL

I completely fat fingered this pick. I had every intention on taking Blake Martinez, and was positive I had him highlighted when hitting the draft button, but instead had Gallup highlighted. Complete mistake on my part, and have been triple checking my selections every round since. Fitting that Martinez went one pick later, and now I'm stuck with a receiver (Gallup) that I'm lukewarm on. He showed some talent last year, but there are a ton of mouths to feed on offense, so I don't think he'll provide much week to week consistency. If any of the following scenarios plays out, Gallup could be fine: Cooper getting injured, CeeDee Lamb taking a while to develop, and/or Dallas's hodge podge group of TE's all flame out. We will have to wait and see, hopefully the mistake will pay off.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 21:52

7.08 Jaylon Smith, LB, DAL

My IDP strategy every year has me taking one of the top tier LB's in rounds 4-6 (and occasionally drafting a few of them). After botching the Blake Martinez pick, and feeling a bit desperate for a LB I decided to go with Jaylon Smith out of Dallas. While not the tackle machine that Martinez is, he put up strong numbers last year and this being his second year in the system should provide some room for growth. He may have a bit more competition for tackles than he had last year, but even when Dallas had their whole defense healthy last year, Smith put up good numbers. I'll no doubt have my eye on Martinez vs. Smith numbers all year, and hope I don't seriously regret my mistake.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 21:58

9.08 Marlon Mack, RB, IND

These are always the picks I like the least, but understand that they are necessary. I don't love Mack as a player, but he provides some insurance against a Jonathan Taylor injury or under performance. Best case scenario for me would be either for Taylor to run away with the job, rending Mack nothing but a high end handcuff, or Taylor to flame out vaulting Mack to the starter job. If it remains a timeshare, both players could suffer. I hate taking bench players with picks this early, but in this situation it made sense, and in the event of a Taylor injury, Mack has proven useful in the past even with his limited skillset.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 22:02

10.07 Henry Ruggs, WR, LV
Despite taking a WR2 that I wasn't enamored with (Gallup), I had neglected taking another WR until this pick. There were a few I had my eye on, and looking back on it I think I wish I had taken Preston Williams in the prior round, but I'll hope that Ruggs provides me a solid WR3. You never know what to expect with rookie WR's, but Ruggs should be given plenty of opportunities to produce. There aren't many other high end WR options on the Raiders, and I'd expect the game scripts to be mostly favorable for throwing the ball. It sounds like Ruggs should line up mostly in the slot, which hopefully gives him plenty of chances to show off his speed and break off some big recieving yards. The reports I've read out of camp are promising, and I've seen more than one writer compare his skillset to Tyreek Hill, which would be a very favorable comp. I don't love relying on a rookie WR, with a mediocre QB as my WR3, but thats the bed I've made, so we will hope for the best.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Thu, Sep 03, 2020, 22:06

8.07 Nick Bosa, SF, DE

After securing a decent LB with my last pick, I looked to ensure I could grab a top tier DL. I had my eye on Myles Garrett, only to see him snagged two spots from my pick. That left me with Nick Bosa, who put up pretty consistent numbers last year, ranking as the 8th scoring DL in our format. I'll hope for some improvement in his second year, and after seeing some of his defensive line teammates find new teams, there should be even more tackle and sack opportunities for him.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 08:04

7.12 Joey Bosa, DE, LAC

The last of 3 DL in 4 picks, Joey Bosa was the #1 scorer in our format last year (over 17 weeks). Time off for injuries has been his only drawback, but no one's health is guaranteed; the first-picked DE is out with an undisclosed injury at this moment.

I gave passing thought to Cameron Heyward, but he is older and has the same bye week as my IDP1, which am I trying to avoid with my top 3 IDPs. In previous years I went to great lengths to ensure that there were no duplicate bye weeks among my IDPs, but there is too m uch churn at that position to make such a thorough approach worthwhile; this year I am opting for 1 IDP from each slot (Dl/LB/DB) chosen in each pair of picks from 5/6 on, with no Bye overlap among them.

Heyward turned out to be a great bargain at 9.06.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 11:16

9.10 Rodgers, Aaron GBP QB

Oh no! I waited too long to draft a QB and now I'm stuck with Aaron Rodgers! Ok, all kidding aside, my take on the QB position was that I would be happy with any of the top 13 except Josh Allen. That meant I could wait until 11 (or 12) were gone to make my pick. Fortunately, things worked out perfectly and Rodgers was still there in round 9 and was the 12th QB off the board. I don't have to explain the reasons why Rodgers is a desirable QB to have on the roster. If you needed to hear that, you wouldn't be in this league. What I think happens relative to his fantasy value is that the passing TDs go up with the expected regression in rushing TDs from the other Aaron in this offense. No new weapons? Won't be a problem. Bit of a chip on his shoulder because of it and the Packer's decision to trade up for a marginal 1st round QB? Oh yeah. Watch out!

loki
ID: 36753115
Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 16:40

10.14 Golden Tate, WR, NYG-This is my lost track of time pick. He was available, I did not want to time out, and I picked him.
11.01 James White, RB, NEP-Wanted a 3rd RB before concentrating on defense

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 22:04

10.05 Smith, Roquan CHI LB

Time for a LB and there were several I would have been happy with. Smith should be very productive with steady tackle numbers in a stout Bear defense. He's young, talented, and, hopefully, improving. Just missing the cut were Deion Jones and Devin Bush.

11.10 Breida, Matt MIA RB

Building RB depth with this pick and Breida enters as my RB4. I've always liked his style of running and he's slated for passing down work in Miami. He gets banged up but plays through it. Good speed and elusiveness. He was held down by the revolving door method of deploying RBs in SF. He could see usable volume in shootouts and catch up mode.

12.05 Barrett, Shaq TBB LB

While my LB1 should provide consistent production, this pick is shooting for big weeks with multiple sacks. He might even find himself in games where his team has a nice lead and the opponent has to throw a bunch to catch up. While he probably doesn't know what that's like, I'm banking on him enjoying it! And me too.

13.10 Miller, Anthony CHI WR

Looking for roster depth as my WR4. No matter who starts at QB, counting on improved play leading to better overall production from the Bears passing game. It can't be worse, can it? He's the Bear's WR2 behind Robinson and should see plenty of targets. If my other receivers stay healthy, he's a bye week flex.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 09:28

11.12 Sony Michel, RB, NEP

I was sorely tempted to take the top 2 RB handcuffs in the league, often described as potential league-winners, with these next 2 picks. My own (see next pick) and Alexander Mattison. In the end I went with Michel here. Michel may get added carries early because of injuries in his backfield and, who knows, might improve on his so-far disappointing performance. I decided that it might be wise to have an RB who carried the ball a bit if Mixon goes down early.

Mattison ended up going to Dalvin Cook's owner. How dull.

12.03 Chase Edmonds, RB, Ari

Kenyan Drake's handcuff.

loki
ID: 36753115
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 11:03

12.14 Calais Campbell, DE-At this point in the draft I only had 2 defensive players, so it was time to fill out my defense. Campbell should produce good numbers.

13.01 Antoine Winfield, DB-Same reasoning as with Campbell

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 11:47

14.05 Ngakoue, Yannick MIN DE

Needed a DL2 starter and I'm excited about the upside offered with this pick. I was a little concerned about the late move to Minn and the impact of limited reps (and no pre-season games) on him fitting in on the new team. However his role as a pass rusher is less impacted by these concerns than other roles and positions. On the plus side, he's playing on a 1 year deal and will be highly motivated to display his dominance. It doesn't hurt to have Hunter on the other side of the D Line making it tough to justify double teaming him. Love my D Line of Garrett and Ngakoue.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 12:02

15.10 Minshew, Gardner JAC QB

Yes! Fu Minshew is mine! I wasn't planning to pick my backup QB here but I saw a couple of teams pick backups earlier in the round and shifted him to the top of my queue. Had to have him. He's in a great spot to put up monster garbage time, come-from-behind, passing stats. In a less than full time debut last year he put up 21 TDs and only 6 INTs. Plus he displayed some scrambling chops that will help his floor if/when I need to throw him in the lineup. Things are shaping up nicely.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 13:59

12.13 Kirksey- LB, GB
Successor to Martinez high scoring job at MLB
13.02 Vander Esch- MLB- Dallas
Move to MLB for Cowboys- will rack up tackles if stay healthy.
Probably waited a little too long to get LB's- We will see how much it hurts me.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 14:05

14-10 Harrison Smith - S- Minn
I have had Harrison for years. Not spectacular but steady and reliable fantasy player
15.02 Isaiah Simmons- LB- Arizona
I love this guy buy have no idea how well he will score in fantasy. Not even sure how they will use him but he is my high risk guy. I passed over higher rated LB's for him.

Doug
ID: 77541115
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 18:45

11.03 Dallas Goedert, TE PHI
Seems like Philly is going to try and incorporate him even more this year in 2TE sets, making him a reliable option to fill into my lineup if needed at either the TE or flex spots... and his upside if Ertz gets hurt goes through the ceiling. I don't normally go for a 2nd TE this early but felt he provided great value and could even be my starter.

loki
ID: 36753115
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 19:11

14.14 Justin Simmons, DB, DEN-Again working to fill out my defense, and I liked Simmons for DB

15.01 Chris Thompson, RB, JAX-I drafted Thompson because I wanted another RB who would produce good numbers.

Doug
ID: 77541115
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 19:16

12.12 Fred Warner, SF LB
It was beyond time to get a quality LB1, and I think he may have slipped a couple rounds due to Covid designation. Most other players who've had it through training camp have come back within a week or so, and I'm obviously hoping the same holds true here. A minor gamble, but hopefully one that pays off.

13.03 Shaq Thompson, CAR LB
Since I'd waited a bit on LB I decided to grab a second one around the turn, and Shaq has all the opportunity in the world to rack up tackles after Kuechly's retirement. His skillset keeps him on the field all three downs and should make him a very reliable high-floor 2nd LB for met this year.

14.13 DeForest Buckner, IND DL
A position I often deprioritize, but Buckner was the last "potential difference makers" left at DL, so figured I should grab him while I could. He's the 18th DL off the board this draft, and would not be surprised if he puts up top 5-10 numbers at his position. Even if he doesn't shine as much as I'm hoping, I still won't have overpaid for him.

15.03 Bryce Love, WAS RB
Didn't necessarily need more depth at RB, but after 3 straight IDP picks I was looking for a change to his a home run. I loved watching him play in college, and training camp reports are that he's "getting back to his old self" and might get more opportunities as we get into the season (especially with AP getting cut) ifd he continues to make progress... so this is a "buy-and-hold" pick.

16.12 Jalen Reagor, PHI WR
Just like my prior pick, was looking for a high-upside gamble here. Reagor likely slipped a few rounds thanks to his shoulder injury which will keep him out a few weeks. Prior to that, camp reports were that he was looking like Philly's WR1... so I don't mind sitting on him for a few weeks to see if he can deliver some mid-to-late season upside... i.e., another "buy-and-hold" pick.

17.03 Logan Wilson, CIN LB
After two home-run swings at the skill positions it was time to fill another IDP slot before all the talent dries up. I think Wilson was a 3rd round steal for the Bengals, and a 17th round steal for me. Obviously as a rookie he has no track record, but projects as a starting 3-down middle LB which should mean solid and reliable value for my flex IDP spot.

SwinganaMiss
ID: 27546716
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 22:13

10.08 TJ Hockenson, TE Det
Finally felt the need to get a TE. I wanted to avoid Higbee in this particular league, as I have him a few places already. Hockenson will fit the bill. With a healthy Stafford, and hopefully healthy self, he can be a big target and take a step forward.

11.07 Deion Jones, LB ATL
Wanted another LB. I remember the days that Deion was a top 5 LB. After a lackluster year, I am looking for a bounce back, top 10 LB year.

12.08 Tevin Coleman, RB SF
The release of presumed #1 WFT RB happened just a pick in front of me. Would’ve been nice to get Gibson here, but Coleman was the guy I expected to begin the morning, so I am OK with it. He can end up leading this backfield and it wouldn’t be a total shock. This is good upside in the 12th.

13.07 Khalis Mack, DE CHI
Much like my pick from two rounds ago, I am looking for the Mack from a couple of years ago to make a comeback. No guarantees, but the potential is certainly there. He can dominate. My projections have him scoring just as much as the available LBs, so seemed like an easy choice.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Sat, Sep 05, 2020, 22:24

16-13, Malcom Jenkins, S, NO
A safe safety to complete my secondary.
17.03, Tahir Whitehead, MLB, Car
The new Carolona MLB.

DT
ID: 5384968
Sun, Sep 06, 2020, 09:49

8.10 Jordan, Cameron (DE, NOS)
Wanted to make sure I got a top tier DE before all went off the board, and Cameron Jordan fits the bill. Even at 31, he is a sure bet to deliver strong tackle numbers and throw in a good amount of sacks to boot – he had his career best sack performance in 2019, and here’s hoping he can best that in 2020.

9.05 Brady, Tom (QB, TBB)
Time to start filling out my gaps at skill positions. Hadn’t considered QB as a pick since passing on Russell Wilson in the 5th round. While I’m not expecting record production given age & transition to a new team, he is surrounded with the strongest weapons he’s had in a long time.

10.10 Higbee, Tyler (TE, LAR)
Filling the last empty skill position slot. A few of the options I was considering for here went before our pick came up (Gesicki, Hockenson). Decided on Higbee for the upside of his incredible 2019 end of season play. Even though [undrafted] is healthy and back in the picture, the team has been vocal about utilizing more two-TE sets, where Higbee has excelled. Definite risk here, but betting on the upside to outweigh it in this case.

11.05 Samuel, Deebo (WR, SFO)
He’s been falling on draft boards due to his injury, but recent news has been optimistic – he could be back on the field by week 1 or 2. He was just activated off the injury list, which makes it more hopeful he’s on the field early in the season. If that ends up being the case he is a steal here.

12.10 Henderson, Darrell (RB, LAR)
Don’t really love this pick in hindsight – more out of an abundance of caution than anything. Was otherwise considering either Fred Warner or Christian Kirksey here, who went nearly immediately following this pick (and started an unfortunate trend thereafter). His injury makes him much more questionably relevant in the depth chart than it did going into the season. Picked Cam Akers earlier on as I was betting he would usurp the lead role fairly early on in the season, but grabbed Henderson here back that up in case Akers falls short in his rookie season.

13.05 Evans, Rashaan (LB, TEN)
Was definitely going IDP here. One of the reasons I immediately started regretting my 12th round pick (Henderson) was that I was planning on taking a LB here and had a tier of 4-5 I was betting would make it back around to me in the 13th. I was wrong. Warner, Kirksey, Vander Esch, and Shaq Thompson all went in the eight picks before I picked again. Still stuck with going LB here, despite that unfortunate development. I have been a fan of the TEN LBs for a bit now, and like the situation even better this year since Woodyard has moved out of the picture. While Brown is likely the #1 guy, Evans has demonstrated impressive numbers on his own, and is due to inherit some of the volume Woodyard had to boot.

14.10 Maxx Crosby (DE, LVR)
Debated between taking DL2 or my first safety here. Names at safety I considered are Harrison Smith (veteran with big-play upside), Minkah Fitzpatrick (IDP-relevant free safety with big-play upside) and Justin Simmons (mostly because he’s a Bronco). (All three went before my next pick) Ultimately, felt the depth was strong enough at safety that I could afford to splurge on a second lineman. Crosby quickly proved himself a starter in his rookie season. He finished as a top 12 D lineman (ahead of Nick Bosa & Josh Allen) last year despite not starting until week 4. Don’t think that statline last year was a fluke, and am excited enough to see what he can do this year that it even merited drafting a Raider.

15.05 Tannehill, Ryan (QB, TEN)
Considered going QB2 and safety here. At safety, the name we were considering was Tracy Walker, who went with the next pick off the board. Since my QB1 was largely an upside bet (aging QB in a new team / system etc) wanted to opt for a more stable QB as my backup. While not a thrilling option helming a run-based offense, he is in a very stable position and can deliver consistent, fantasy-relevant numbers. Tannehill performed well enough off the bench last season to be the QB3 overall during the time he was active. I’m not expecting that level of production, but that was enough to convince me he’d be a solid choice to fill this role.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Sun, Sep 06, 2020, 17:20

10.03 T. J. Watt, LB, Pit

Not long after I talked about how I was going to avoid having any of my top IDP the same bye week, I break the rule by selecting Watt here. I thought that his big-play ability warranted the exception.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Sun, Sep 06, 2020, 17:28

13.12 Devine Ozigbo, RB, Jax

Do I have that spelled right? First time this year that "breaking news" warranting a pick happens while I am on the clock in a slow draft.

This team is acting so screwy I'm not sure that mush will come of this. But at this point in the draft, any RB expected to start out with a majority of touches seems worth a flyer.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Sun, Sep 06, 2020, 17:29

14.03 Eric Kendricks, LB, Min

Veteran who gives always solid, never spectacular production.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Sun, Sep 06, 2020, 18:25

12.11 Cam Newton, QB, NEP

When backup QBs are being selected, it's about that time to get my starter. Cam has put up top tier QB numbers when healthy, and he is healthy, and offers the kind of upside I was looking for when putting off QB to this point. I can't necessarily expect a top tier QB performance so I will look to get my QB2 sooner than later and hope one of them outplays their draft position. I've been spoiled in recent years by employing this strategy after taking Dak in 2019 and Mahomes in 2018, both in the 11th round.

13.04 Jabril Peppers, S, NYG

A main piece of the Odell Beckham trade, Peppers was 5th in DB ppg last season and is entering his 2nd year in the NYG system.

14.11 Kenneth Murray, LB, LAC

Another reason why I waited on my defense is that I had several targets in mind to take later on. After a few were selected it was time to go back to the well. The Chargers traded up to take Murray 23rd overall and reports say he should be a 3 down middle linebacker.

15.04 Joe Burrow, QB, CIN

I was deciding between Burrow and Tannehill for my QB2. Tannehill was surprisingly a top 5 QB after he took over the starting job last year, but his incredible efficiency will be tough to repeat. I figured to take the more exciting option in Burrow who is coming off perhaps the greatest college QB season performance ever, and Cincinnati was 6th in the league in pass attempts last year.

16.11 Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, TB

Pierre-Paul has been a consistent top 10-ish fantasy DE when healthy over his career.

17.04 Jadeveon Clowney, DE, TEN

Clowney battled through injuries last year in Seattle, but has put up top 10 DE numbers when healthy, and had just signed with Tennessee where he reunites with former Texans coach Vrabel.

18.11 Vonn Bell, S, CIN

Last year Bell was 6th in DB ppg. Now he moves to Cincinnati after signing a 3 year contract where Shawn Williams has had success in this role, and this addition seemingly pushes Williams to play more of a hybrid position when he's on the field.

19.04 Darrel Williams, RB, KC

Having emerged as the Chiefs top backup, there was a report that Williams and CEH may even split carries Week 1, and Williams has been the best pass-block option in camp to go along with a history of short yardage work. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that a rookie RB can struggle out of the gate leaving a lot of work for the next man up in this high powered offense.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Sun, Sep 06, 2020, 22:41

16.05 Fitzpatrick, Minkah PIT S

First DB and I think I waited a bit too long to address this position. Picked him up last year after the trade to Pittsburgh and he had a nice string of weeks in the middle of the season. Tailed off at the end. He's part of a defense loaded with playmakers and disruptive forces. Fitz has shown a knack for pouncing on offensive team mistakes and I expect the ferocious pass rush to force some errant throws. Usually prefer my DBs to have high tackle numbers but I'm starting to think my IDPs will include a lot more boom-or-bust types than usual.

17.10 Herndon, Chris NYJ TE

Went into the draft with the intention of drafting Herndon as my TE2 and this seemed like a good spot to make the move. Word seems to be that the primary pass catchers for the Jets will be Crowder, Herndon, and Bell. If he gets the usage, I'm hoping I have a tough choice each week deciding which TE to start.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 10:38

15.12 Jamie Collins, LB, Det

Supposedly is going to line up all over the field, inside linebacker, edge rusher, who knows what. I'm hoping that the Lions have been scheming with nobody watching and will make good use of him. If not -- he's my flex IDP and when he leaves for his week 5 bye I'll find somebody else.

Also considered: Germaine Pratt (16.06).

16.03 Philip Rivers, QB, Ind

I talked up Rivers in my T. Y. Hilton comment. Time to put my money where my mouth is. Comeback Player Of The Year.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 10:44

17.12 Sammy Watkins, WR, KC

Would like to have a better WR4. I have more faith in his offence than in him personally.

18.03 Johnathan Abran, DB, LV

Said to be in tremendous shape and a good chance of leading the Raiders in tackles; that should suffice for my DB2.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 11:28

18.05 Williams, Shawn CIN S

This is my DB2. Based on last year, this seems like a bargain. Good tackle numbers for a defense that was on the field a lot. This year could be very different. The offense should be better which could mean less time on the filed for the defense. But the improved offense could mean the opposing offense has to do more than just run out the clock in the 4th quarter. However, the biggest potential impact to his production is the addition of Vonn Bell to the Bengal secondary. Will they deploy 3 safeties in nickel and dime packages? Who will be the odd man out for snaps between Williams, Bell, and Bates? I'm sure all will play but they might all have limited fantasy production. We'll see.

19.10 Harris, Damien NEP RB

Wanted to get one more RB and everyone remaining has question marks or needs a break or 2 to get usable playing time. While there are a lot of options in NE, only White seems to have a known role. Early down work could remain with Michel but he was awful last year and Harris could be an improvement if given the chance. Also, his bye week fits well since no one else on my roster so far has a week 6 bye. Sometimes, it's the little things that tip the scale.

20.05 Smith, Za'Darius GBP LB

This is my LB3 and likely flex play each week. I had another Packer defender last year and every time I watched them play it seemed like this guy was harassing the QB on almost every pass play. Like many of my IDPs, he'll be a boom or bust candidate each week. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

21.10 Valdes-Scantling, Marquez GBP WR

Was looking for a lottery ticket to fill my WR5 position. There have been positive reports out of training camp and a stack with Rodgers as my QB was appealing. Someone besides Adams will have to get targets and MVS is expected to be the primary slot receiver. Like most of the picks in this range, could be early season waiver wire fodder or could be a gold mine.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 12:06

21.12 Ian Thomas, TE, Car

The tight end position has changed a lot. I remember drafts where I didn't bother to pick a TE, just as one may go without a C in baseball. Now you pretty well have to have unless you've spent for a top tier #1.

Thomas is banged up right now, which is OK, because I hope not to need him for a while. He has the best combination of sure playing time and upside left here.

22.03 Randall Cobb, WR, Hou

The possession receiver in this offence, he might end up bearing more of the load than expected if the high flyers don't pan out as expected.

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 12:20

18.13 Alan Lazard, WR, Green Bay
Rogers #2 target in 18th round.
19.02 Will Lutz, K, NO
A little early but 3rd K to be picked, worth a point or so a game I hope

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 12:26

20.13 Malcomb Brown, RB, LA Rams
Supposed to start first game Sunday. I really need any knid of RB depth I can get.
21.02 Everson Griffen, DE Dallas

Late signee by the hated Cowboys but used to be one of the best pass rushers in the business. Does he have anything left?

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 12:30

23.02 Chris Conley, WR, Jville
No one to pass to him but they will be behind a lot so he'll get a few opportunities. Always liked this guy as a possesion receiver but just deep depth
22.13 Alston Jeffrey, WR, Phila
Much upside if he can ever get on and stay on the field. A shot in the dark.

loki
ID: 36753115
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 12:58

16.14 Robby Anderson, WR, CAR- WR who has the potential to put up #1 WR numbers

17.01 Sam Darnold, QB, NYJ-A very good QB whose only downside is playing for the NYJs.

18.14 Darian Thompson, DB, DAL-Picked to fill in defense. Looks like he can still play.

19.01 Nyheim Hines, RB, IND-Needed another RB, but Hines was a poor choice. Jonathan Taylor will back up Mack, and Hines may not play much.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 13:21

23.12 Mike Davis, RB, Car

Would appear likely to become the #1 back if the top RB in fantasy football goes down.

Toral
ID: 9541311
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 14:56

24.03 Giovani Bernard, RB, Cin

I had a surprise pick lined up here -- someone who I think could be near the top at his position for the first few weeks of the season -- but someone snapped him up first.

So I ended with the dull choice of someone who will get touches if my #1 RB goes down.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:33

11.08 Jamal Adams, S, SEA

Continuing on the strategy of trying to get (at least) one "elite" player at each IDP slot, I took Jamal Adams with this pick. While I'd have liked him a bit better on the Jets (bad team/defense i.e. lots of tackle opportunities), the Seahawks clearly love him given the package they gave up. Given the players around him on defense I'll expect a few less tackles, but hopefully a few more big plays. Adams was the #1 DB in RIFC scoring on a pts per game basis, and even if that comes down slightly he should still help to carry me at the position.

Philly Busters
ID: 311122313
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:34

22.05 Allen, Jonathan WAS DT

Adding D-Line depth. Former 1st round draft pick, still young and capable of being a force on a defense that projects to spend a lot of time on the field.

23.10 Phillips, Adrian NEP S

DB3 who will be a starting safety for the Pats with Chung opting out. He was an All Pro in 2018 with the Chargers before injury derailed his 2019 season. Signed as a FA by the Pats and could surprise with his productivity on a perenially strong defense.

24.05 Prater, Matt DET PK

Final round, time for a kicker. He's good, the offense will be OK as long as Stafford is healthy and his home games are indoors.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:36

12.07 Antonio Gibson, RB, WAS

This pick was due to timing more than anything else. I woke up that morning with every intention of taking Kirksey or Shaq Thompson at LB, but while reading the morning news saw that Adrian Peterson had been released, giving Gibson a likely starting role heading into the season. While reading up on Gibson (a player I knew little about), it seemed that Gibson had a decent chance to not just start, but be a 3 down difference maker. While RB was not a position I had planned on targeting for a while, there was no way I could pass up on that kind of upside in the 12th round. This pick definitely leaves my LB group much thinner than I'm comfortable with, but if Gibson produces I'll have a nice piece on my hands that gives me a lot of flexibility on my bench.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:40

13.08 Patrick Queen, LB, BAL

When I took Gibson in round 12, I was hoping Shaq Thompson would have made it back to me for this pick, but Doug squashed that for me. I usually try to avoid rookie IDP's, preferring to draft those with a track record of fantasy production, but Queen seemed like the best bet on the board. Given where Baltimore drafted him, he should be a three down player, and on a defense that has trended downwards the last few years there should be plenty of tackle opportunities. Defensive talent does not always equal fantasy production, hence why I like to draft players that provide some statistical data to work off of, but no other LB jumped out at me here, so decided to go with the rookie.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:45

14.07 Darius Slayton, WR, NYG

Looking at my roster, WR was the position I felt least comfortable with. My WR2 was a player I didn't love (Gallup) and my WR3 was a rookie. Slayton was the #29 WR overall last year, and #22 in the second half of the season. I expect the Giants offense to be better overall, with a few other weapons healthy, and Daniel Jones as a 2nd year QB. Jones and Slayton had a nice connection last year, that hopefully continues. I've seen Slayton consistently ranked in the top 40, and FantasyPros ECR had him at #42, so getting him at WR54 seemed like a great value, and a good fit. Slayton will probably be my week 1 starter while I see how Ruggs pans out, it wouldn't shock me if he surpasses Gallup as my WR2.

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:49

15.08 Carlos Dunlap, DE, CIN

I REALLY wanted AJ Johnson with this pick. After Todd Davis was cut by the Broncos, Johnson's three down status was really intriguing, but alas he was taken by swingadamiss right from under me. I was having trouble finding another LB that I liked, so decided on Dunlap as my 2nd DL. Dunlap is getting a bit long in the tooth, but has continued to put up consistent production for the Bengals. The emergence of Sam Hubbard seems to have freed up some opportunity for Dunlap, finishing as the DL#7 last year. In the second half of the season he was the top producing DL, outproducing the #2 DL by 1.5pts on a per game basis. Even if he comes back to earth a little bit, he will hopefully be a stable DL2 that I can rely on most of the season.

100

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:53

16.07 Matt Milano, LB, BUF

I had been very close to taking my LB3 for the last few rounds, but at each round I just missed out on my targets (Kirksey, Thompson, Johnson, etc...) and felt that my next choice would last a few more rounds. Unwilling to wait any longer, I decided to grab Milano here. He's not the most exciting player, but should have plenty of tackle opportunities playing an every down role with Buffalo. His LB mate Edmunds is no doubt a more dynamic player, but Milano only trailed him by 12 pts total last season, so hoping he will provide be a stable source of tackles as my LB3.

101

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:57

17.08 Jeremy Chinn, S, CAR

As w/ my Queen pick, I normally avoid rookie IDP's, but Chinn was a player I had flagged as a sleeper coming into the draft. Last season, Carolina picked up Eric Reid off of the scrap heap, and he turned that into the third highest producing DB in the RIFC scoring format. Showing that IDP scoring is as much about opportunity as it is talent, Reid is now a FA looking for a job, with Chinn as his replacement. Chinn was a 2nd round pick, that slides into Eric Reids position, on a a defense now without Luke Keuchly. The opportunity is there for Chinn to be a top 10, if not better DB.

102

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 15:59

18.07 Blake Jarwin, TE, DAL

Having drafted Kelce in the 2nd round, I certainly didn't have a need for a backup TE, but felt that Jarwin was one of the best players on the board and grabbed him here. I've seen a lot of pundits talking him up this season, and a lot of rankings have him in the TE 10-15 range. He will give me some insurance against a Kelce injury, and also may be one of the offensive benefactors should my WR2 Gallup not produce WR2 type numbers.

103

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 16:01

19.08 Drew Lock, QB, DEN

With Russ Wilson as my QB1, I didn't feel it overly necessary to reach on a backup QB, but with the options starting to get REALLY thin, I decided to take Lock here. Lock didn't look great in his rookie season last year, but the Broncos did add some weapons to his arsenal, and I've seen some expects predict a modest breakout for him. I'm hoping he never plays for me, other than during Trusty Rusty's bye week, but he gives me an upside option should Wilson get dinged up.

104

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 16:04

20.07 Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN

Having all of my starting slots filled, I decided that my WR corps continues to be the position I feel most iffy on. Looking at the available options, I decided to roll the dice on another rookie, Jefferson. He should go into the season as the WR#3 for MIN, with a WR#2 that doesn't garner much respect. The target tree should be pretty shallow in MN, with hopefully most of the action going to Thielen, with Jefferson given the opportunity to become the second choice. I've generally not had much luck with rookie WR's, and I now have two of them (Ruggs and Jefferson), hopefully at least one of the two becomes useful.

105

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 16:08

21.08 Logan Ryan, CB, NYG

Logan Ryan was the #2 scoring DB in the RIFC scoring system last year. Despite that, there were 27 defensive backs drafted before him in this years draft. I think there are likely two reasons for that. The first is that most DB production tends to trend towards safeties, and I'm guessing that when a lot of drafters (myself included) go to search/filter for players, they usually choose S over CB. The second reason is that until a week or so ago, he was a free agent looking for a job. Not only did he find himself one with the Giants, he's landed on a defense pretty void of talent that should get thrown on a lot. VERY excited to have Ryan as my DB3, as he gives me some insurance if Chinn doesn't pan out as planned, and I could see a situation where Ryan ends up starting over one of my LB's.

106

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 16:10

22.07 Thomas Davis, LB, WAS

If you go by opportunity alone, Davis would no doubt have been drafted by now. He's a likely three down linebacker, on a bad team, with a defense that should be on the field a lot. The primary reason he's still available at this point in the draft is that he's 37 years old. If his opportunity ends up overcoming his age, I'll be happy to have him as a 4th LB, filling in for bye's and injuries, but if it appears that age has caught up with him early in the season, he'll be an easy player to drop.

107

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 16:15

23.08 Zane Gonzalez, K, ARI

I had thought about picking up a kicker for a few rounds now, but found other players I liked better and decided at each turn to continue waiting. In my other fantasy league, one where Kyler Murray is my starting QB, I decided to pair him with Gonzalez. Last year, the Murray led Cardinals offense rarely had trouble moving the ball down the field, but consistently strugged in the red zone, leading Gonzalez to the 3rd most FGA in the NFL, and the 5th highest scoring for a kicker in fantasy. In that other league, I felt that having Gonzalez combined with Murray was a nice hedge, and figured that if it worked in one league I'll try it in another. If Arizona struggles to punch the ball into the end zone this year, he may have even more FG attempts given that the offense has added Hopkins to it, and even if Arizona scores more TD's, Gonzalez will still benefit. I normally try not to overthink my kicker selection, and here I am writing a dissertation on why I chose Gonzalez, but it makes sense to me at least :)

108

jaydog
ID: 18328613
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 16:19

24.07 Laviska Shenault, WR, JAC

Looking at my roster, and not seeing any glaring holes, I decided to take a complete hail mary with my last pick. Shenault is a player that Jacksonville took as a 2nd round pick, and is apparently looking to use him in a lot of different ways on offense this season. He's a WR officially, but given the uncertainty of the RB position on the Jags, he may line up there for some hand offs, run some reverses, catch a few balls, and may even end up returning kicks. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if he's the first guy on my roster to get cut when I need a waiver addition, but he felt like the kind of dart throw to make with my last pick, especially given some of the other less then stable options I have in my WR corps. Before the draft started, I'd have told you that one of my strategies is to avoid rookies at WR, and IDP, and here I now sit with three rookie WR's, and two rookie IDP's... will have to see how that works out!

109

Valkyrie
ID: 597143014
Mon, Sep 07, 2020, 19:44

23.13 Akiem Hicks, DE, Chicago
Mr. almost irrelevant- just depth at DL, has had some big years. I used auto extensively this year and this is the first time it didn't cost me someone I wanted because circumstances changed.

110

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Tue, Sep 08, 2020, 00:49

20.11 Younghoe Koo, K, ATL

Koo was the highest scoring kicker last year after he took over in Week 10. The Falcons also happen to play at home in their dome Week 1 with a high expected point total.

21.04 James Robinson, RB, JAC

Robinson currently sits at the top of the Jaguars depth chart. Their GM said his training camp played a role in their decision to release Fournette, and Devonta Freeman failed to reach an agreement after visiting. There are worse rolls of the dice than the supposed starting RB in the 21st round.

22.11 B.J. Goodson, LB, CLE

Goodson is supposed to start in the middle for Cleveland, a position that has been fruitful for Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey.

23.04 Brian Hill, RB, ATL

Second in line should anything happen Gurley.

24.11 Rashaad Penny, RB, SEA

An IR stash as Penny will miss at least the first 6 games after being placed on reserve/ PUP. Worth a shot to see how Seattle's landscape looks if Penny is able to return at some point.

111

Toral
ID: 9541311
Tue, Sep 08, 2020, 09:18

Apparently I didn't post these two:

19.12 Aric Armstead, DE, SF

Justin Houston (19.14) a better choise for DE2, but 3 IDPs with the same week is more than I want to handle.

20.03 Jake Elliott, PK, Philadelphia

A mistake pick, also motivalted by bye-week concerns. Had been vacillating between him and Eric Ebron (20.06), and should have gone with Ebron.

112

SwinganaMiss
ID: 27546716
Tue, Sep 08, 2020, 09:40

14.08 John Brown, WR BUF
Was thinking that I needed another WR at this point. I only had the 3 minimum, and John Brown really stood out. Diggs won’t completely take over in this offense. JB is more than capable to be my bye week filler.

15.07 A.J. Johnson, LB DEN
Having been bitten by the T$#% D$#$ release in another league, I was keenly aware of AJ’s outlook pointing up compared to most ranking sites. Can be a top 20 LB, and fill my flex IDP spot. Had been thinking also about QB and DB in this spot. I am a Tracy Walker fan, but he went just before. Still a few QB I am comfortable with as my backup. I decided I could wait.

16.08 Jimmy Garoppolo, QB SF
A few QBs went since my last pick. I decided I better get a guy I wanted. JimmyG has a nice early schedule(and Wentz has been limited in practice), and decent matchup during Wentz’s bye. It was really him slightly over Cousins based on these factors.

17.07 Tyrann Mathieu, DB KC
I don’t normally like the big play types, but HB can get work done here. Hopefully he makes enough of those splash plays to warrant my DB1 spot. I’ve seen him very high in some ranks, and just OK in others. Anything could happen here. Byard is the other guy I was debating here. Chinn sounded good too, but I am not 100% convinced of his role.

18.08 Josh Kelley, RB SDC
Well I happen to have Ekeler in this league, and Kelley is probably my highest owned rookie across all leagues this year, so why not grab another share? I like his chances to get a decent amount of work, including goal-line. Otherwise, I considered Doyle as a TE. I missed out on Herndon, who I was hoping to get (once I passed on him in 17).

19.07 Bryan Edwards, WR LV
I wanted to grab one of the rookie WRs. I had been eyeing Edwards for a round or two. He is one I haven’t gotten anywhere else, but his buzz has been growing extensively. TW is gone for the year, Edwards will play a lot and I’m hoping for a hot start to his NFL career. Will be interesting to see how the WR pecking order shakes out in LV.

20.08 Irv Smith Jr, TE MIN
I finally snagged a backup TE. TE has me nervous this year. Hock oozes potential, but he is young and hasn’t proven himself quite yet. Irv is the next-best available in my book. Would’ve been more pleased with Ebron here I think, but he was just taken. Hoping the aging of *** and trade of &&&& will give Irv more opportunities to shine.

21.07 Chuck Clark, DB BAL
Since my last pick, I picked up my fam for a last minute Labor Day overnight trip to the hills of western PA. Did the rest of the draft from my phone, not knowing when I would have a signal. Needed a DB, so I stuck a few into queue. Amos was #1, but Clark was #2. He can be solid-if-unspectacular.

22.08 Kaimi Fairbairn, PK HOU
Another position of need, easy for a queue. Threw a bunch of names in there and was pleased to get the #1 guy from my queue here. HOU should still score well this year, and Fairbairn has done well in the past.

23.07 Tyrod Taylor, QB SD
This pick I made while on a hike, literally standing at the bottom of a water fall. Didn’t expect the pace to pickup quite so fast on Monday morning. Decided hours earlier that I would take Taylor if he was still around at this point. Signs suggest he will start a large portion of the season. He has the legs to make a difference, even if the passing won’t be prolific.

24.08 TreQuan Smith, WR NO
Totally threw a dart on this one. Wanted one more upside pick at the end of the draft. There were a few others I considered. Can’t name them—mostly they are still on the WW.

113

loki
ID: 12820722
Tue, Sep 08, 2020, 09:40

20.14 Trey Flowers, DE, DET-Filling out my defense with a decent DL.

21.01 Greg Olsen, TE, SEA-Good pick for this late in the draft. Olsen could put up TE1 numbers.

22.14 Josh Lambo, PK, JAX-This was towards the end of the draft, and all that was left for me was to fill in a few subs and a PK. I felt that any number of the PKs remaining were equivalent, and I went with Lambo.

23.01 Josh Reynolds, WR, LAR-I wanted another WR, and Reynolds was as good as any remaining.

24.14 Pick #24.14 is always important as it is “The Mr. Irrelevant” of our draft. With much pressure and with no fanfare, The Mr. Irrelevant of RIFC 2020 is…DeVondre Campbell,LB, AZ

115

Doug
ID: 77541115
Tue, Sep 08, 2020, 16:29

18.12 Parris Campbell, IND WR
Was a bit thin at WR still... he should get some WR3 looks regardless of how things shake out with Hilton and Pittman... and is a playmaker with upside should Hilton get hurt or Pittman struggles to pick things up (as a rookie in a year with limited preseason training).

19.03 Justin Reid, HOU DB
Solid tackle numbers with a good bye-week fit, doesn't need to be more complicated than that!

20.12 Grady Jarrett, ATL DL
There are flashier DL who might rack up more sacks, but Jarrett gives solid tackle numbers from the interior and was another good bye-week fit with my other IDPs. I try to set up my IDPs so that I only need to have one floater, at most 2, on the bench to cover byes... would rather spend my bench spots on offense.

21.03 Adrian Amos, GB DB
Not to beat a dead horse, but shores up my final IDP spot with solid numbers and a good bye-week fit.

22.12 Jason Myers, SEA PK
Getting towards the end here, nobody left I "had to have" so took a PK who I think should be a bit better on average than the other players remaining... AND whose bye week happens to align perfectly with my IDPs. I have one K or IDP on every bye week now, so barring injury or woeful performance I should just need my last bench spot to be a floater to cover all these byes. It almost never works out that way (usually there's some emergent IDP upgrade that I go after and which messes up my perfect bye week schedule, but hey, at least for now it looks pretty!

23.03 Derek Carr, LV QB
Nothing fancy here, basically just some insurance to make sure that I don't goose-egg if Dak has to miss any time.

24.12 Jimmy Graham, CHI TE
If ever there's a time to roll the dice on a 33yo TE it's in the last round. Training camp reports are that he looks more healthy/dynamic than recent years. Am I convinced? Nope. Do I think there's at least a slim chance he surprises as puts up TE1 numbers? Sure, far stranger things have happened. He's an easy drop if he doesn't get off to a good start and there's a hot waiver wire pickup I want to replace him with, or by week 5 I'll need the slot for my rotating bye-week filler at IDP/K. But in the meantime I figured he's a good dart throw just in case he goes off in week 1 and then I won't be competing to add him to my squad.

116

DT
ID: 5384968
Thu, Sep 10, 2020, 10:47

16.10 Bates, Jessie (S, CIN)
Back to back top 10 DB finishes and an average of 11 fantasy points/game is a strong calling card for Bates. Vonn Bell coming in may snipe some of his tackles, but his position as starting free safety is clear. He is a young, strong player with a proven track record on the field and in fantasy performance – hard to argue him as a good start to my DB picks this draft. Also considered going second TE here, but felt that the value on the board at DB was too good to ignore.

17.05 Trevathan, Danny (LB, CHI)
After taking two young spritely guys for my first two LBs, figured it was safe to grab a reliable veteran here, albeit with injury risk. In his last healthy season in 2018, he topped 100 total tackles. Before he hurt his elbow in 2019, he had a team-leading 70 tackles + a sack & a forced fumble. With time to heal up his injury, he should be able to come out strong again in 2020 and fingers crossed will put in another healthy season and repeat his 2018 effectiveness. Again considered going TE2 here (Herndon, Smith, Jarwin were names here) but liked the opportunity of Trevathan here and didn’t think he’d make it back to me in the 18th.

18.10 Doyle, Jack (TE, IND)
Finally decided to go TE2 here, of course after a run of 3-4 took my initial options off the board. I had wanted Herndon here, but he went well before my pick. Ultimately, since my first TE pick was a bit of a boom or bust type, I wanted someone a bit more stable & defined in their role (even if the offense itself is unexciting). Doyle delivers in this – Eric Ebron moving on leaves the opportunity wide open for Doyle to be the primary TE in Indy, which he was last year even with Ebron on the squad. Adding a banged up Burton doesn’t threaten that too substantially. At this point in the draft, basically every position was on the table as a potential option – also considered upside RB / WR options and even leading the way on kickers here. Ultimately, I wanted to shore up TE2 to get more comfort at the position (horror stories of 2019 flashing before my eyes) and opted with that here before any more fell off the board.

19.05 Zuerlein, Greg (PK, DAL)
Didn’t have anyone else standing out as a must-have, so thought it’d make sense to get a higher tier kicker. View Zuerlein as in a tier just below the first three kickers that went (Tucker, Butker & Lutz) but still an excellent option kicking for what should be a solid offense with lots of opportunity this year.

20.10 Evans, Darrynton (RB, TEN)
Evans is most interesting as a high-value handcuff for Henry. While he likely will handle a lot of the kick and punt return duties and some change of pace carry duties (aka Dion Lewis 2.0), he’ll probably only become seriously valuable were Henry to miss time due to injury. Tennessee likes what they’ve seen from him so far, so I’m optimistic he’s the #2 on the depth chart at this point.

21.05 Burns, Brian (DE, CAR)
Transitioning from a 3-4 scheme edge rusher to a 4-3 end. Interesting upside pick if he can adapt well to the new scheme, with chance to put up LB numbers for the price of a DE. He’s bulked up substantially over the summer, so if he can work his way in on early-downs as well, he could be a useful pickup here.

22.10 Edmunds, Terrell (S, PIT)
A really exciting young player who isn’t necessarily a really exciting fantasy player, since he doesn’t always line up in the box. While he’s not typically picking up a lot of points from big plays, he gets a lot of tackle opportunity (100+ tackles & assists last season). Would’ve loved to have Fitzpatrick on my team, but I missed him earlier – Edmunds is a way to get a part of the Steelers safety line which should be productive as a whole this season.

23.05 Jewell, Josey (LB, DEN)
The obligatory Broncos pickup! Also, an upside pick if he can replace Todd Davis’ role. He’ll have competition for those snaps, but perhaps can capitalize on the opportunity better this year. The one thing that is clear is he’ll have the opportunity – at this point, he’s the starter on the depth chart. Time will tell from there.

24.10 Hamler, KJ (WR, DEN)
The obligatory Broncos pickup 2.0! Talented rookie nursing a soft tissue issue already… but positive news that he isn’t starting the season on IR and is back at practice. I had wanted Jeudy early but got sniped on him by Guru. Hamler allows me an upside rookie WR pick without an earlier round price. He’s an explosive slot target when he’s not injured and incredibly fast, with impressive ability to run after the catch. Whether or not he is successful this season, he’ll be fun to watch as a Broncos fan.

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Subject: RIFC 2020: Draft rationale collection thread