Part 1 of this Factory Fight Club Chronicles volume offered my favorite selections from five league mates. We focused on picks made in Round 7 or later because there’s little to no value telling you that Patrick Mahomes at 1.02 was an amazing choice. But at DFF, we tout depth as the key to building sustained Dynasty Teams and winning championships, plural. Part 2 concludes our look around the GM table.
Jameson Williams | 13.06
This pick is a little prickly as I’ve traditionally faded Williams in Dynasty. But the second half of last season opened my eyes to the possibilities that Jameson might be a legitimate Flex option in Dynasty and even a borderline WR3, particularly in a Detroit offense that seems to hum regardless of who they play. Jason is taking the upside here with little risk and I’m picking up what he’s putting down with the expectation that Williams ascends to Goff’s third option behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. Woody is another friend I’ve known and played in leagues alongside, heading into our fifth season. I’ve seen him win multiple championships, so my antennae always rise when he starts making these (what I consider) 50/50 selections mid-startup. For the record, Woody getting Travis Kelce at 7.04 was wicked, but nobody needs me to tell them Kelce is a cheat code.
Jermaine Burton | 16.08
sknauss
Early in the draft, sknauss and I were in negotiations that would have sent C.J. Stroud to him for Caleb Williams and the pick that became Malik Nabers. It didn’t happen, and we’ll see how it turns out, but I bring it up because this was the first interaction I’ve ever had with the dude. Don’t know him. Don’t know who brought him into the league, but I like him. I especially dug his Jermaine Burton selection at 16.08, particularly because it’s a free look at a player with realistic potential to be an every-week fantasy-relevant starter in the Flex spot. I caught the rookie mock draft last night via @FFDelly and @FFChalmers, who discussed the pros and cons of taking a chance on Burton. The argument that most cons were borne out of character issues tracks with how I view most successful WRs in the NFL. There’s a stigma for a reason, and if Burton is the latest Alabama product to pop on Sundays, I wouldn’t be surprised. sknauss getting him for free would be a banger of a pick in the 16th.
Michael Wilson | 15.04
Chris is legitimately one of my favorite guys to f*ck with across our leagues. He’s that guy who stirs up the pot, gets temporarily blocked occasionally for saying something disagreeable, and is the league’s volume control. All those things said, he’s a hell of a GM and built his squad as the early eye-test favorite to lift the trophy in Year 1. I won’t bore anyone with all the obvious studs on his roster, but Michael Wilson at 15.04 is tasty. Even if Arizona drafts Marvin Harrison Jr., the floor on their depth chart is WR2 for Wilson and, at worst, the third target behind Trey McBride. Wilson put up 30 PPR points combined in his final two games last season. With a full Training Camp to build rapport with Kyler Murray (who missed the 2023 offseason rehabbing his ACL), Wilson at 15.04 screams value and production. I’m excited to see how this plays out across the fantasy landscape, as I’m invested in Michael Wilson on several of my teams.
Michael Penix Jr. | 9.03
In Superflex leagues, you have to plant your flag on rookie QBs and hope for the best. I’ve seen Penix mocked everywhere from the first round to the fourth round of the NFL Draft, and the landing spot will ultimately determine whether Penix is a legitimate starter in the league or a career backup. Honestly, if not for his injury history, Penix would easily be a top 10 pick in this year’s class as those darts to Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan play rent-free in my head on repeat since Washington’s second-half 2023 regular season and subsequent CFB Playoffs. Having snagged Justin Fields in the seventh round and already rostering Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray, Justin is playing upside with house money here, knowing he doesn’t have to rush Penix into his lineup immediately. Should the Raiders or Giants take a shot on him early, perhaps he’s a Day 1 starter, but I have a feeling he’ll tumble a bit in the Draft and return significant value on his Dynasty ADP long-term. I love this pick at 9.03 because it’s unafraid to sacrifice a starting slot for future speculation.
Mike Evans | 8.11
In Dynasty Fantasy Football, we sometimes make decisions harder than they have to be while the obvious answer is staring us in the face. Do I reach for my favorite Day 3 RB? Do I take a shot on a third-year breakout at the TE position? Or do I grab Tampa Bay’s, who locked in 16+ PPR FPPG last season? At 8.11, this was a case of a smart GM staying sharp and trusting his process. A year ago, Ben would’ve colored outside the lines and overcooked the selection, but he’s outwardly stated that he’s tweaked some things heading into 2024, and it’s obvious. He bookended Evans, taking Davante Adams at 7.02 and Keenan Allen at 10.11. But don’t get it twisted. He’s hedged his older WR production with youth pieces such as Brian Thomas Jr. and Tank Dell. Wink has set his roster up to contend now and for the long haul, as his older WRs will eventually age out. But as far as the next two seasons are concerned, lock in that Evans pick and ride the lightning.
Joe Mixon | 9.01
I’m not going to pretend to love Joe Mixon after he broke my heart so many times in the past, but the starting RB at 9.01 for Tim is dope AF. I’m trying to get as much of the Houston offense as possible, as evidenced by my selections of Stroud and Stefon Diggs, but Mixon on the Texans has an RB1 finish written all over it this season. Does this project for sustainability? I don’t know; we’ll see. But as far as startups go, you could do worse with Joe at the top of the ninth round. I also loved Chase Brown at 13.01 and waffled between highlighting him over Mixon, but I feel like DFF has done enough Chase Brown loving, at least until we finish up rookie season and see whether Zack Moss is going to be the guy or if Cincinnati takes a RB with one of their picks.
Fire over any questions or comments you might have about the league specifics. You can reach me on Twitter/X via @DFF_MR. And for those interested in an annual membership, visit us here for the next steps!
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Previous Series Articles: The Factory Fight Club: DFF C2C Chronicles V1, The Factory Fight Club: DFF C2C Chronicles V2, The Factory Fight Club: DFF C2C Chronicles V3, Devy Startup Strategy: DFF Factory Fight Club C2C Chronicles V4 – Part 1
