I don’t typically play in many redraft leagues these days but I’m always game for our yearly DFF Staff Redraft League. This year, with our growing staff, we decided to challenge ourselves a bit more with an increase to 14 teams instead of the standard 10-12 team league which presented difficult decisions from the get-go. I was granted the lovely honor of picking from the dead center of this draft, the 1.07 spot. I wouldn’t have chosen it this way and was titling from the moment I was on the clock for my first pick but I was surprisingly thrilled at the completion of this draft, so let’s dive into it.
LEAGUE SETTINGS
14-team league
1QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1TE, 3FLEX, 1DEF, 1K, 7BENCH
0.5 PPR, TE PREMIUM
THOUGHT PROCESS/STRATEGY
I entered this draft aware of the unavoidable fact each of the certified stud running backs worth a top 5-7 pick would likely be off the board by my turn but once the clock started ticking I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I knew a “modified Zero RB” strategy would be in the cards due to this reality but I took every bit of the timer to decide how I wanted to approach the early rounds. I believe you should always prepare for a draft. Do your research, hop in a mock draft, consult your favorite analyst, but at the end of the day, it’s imperative you stay fluid and adapt to each specific draft board.
EARLY ROUNDS
At 1.07, I still had the option of Saquon Barkley or Jonathan Taylor and while both players are incredibly talented, neither are in the most advantageous situation to deliver the fantasy points deserving of the seventh overall pick. Barkley’s timetable for return and overall health are uncertain and while I didn’t know Taylor would be missing his starting QB and Offensive Gaurd at the time, I had concerns about passing volume and the overall state of the new offense. Instead, I chose a likely candidate for the overall WR1 in this format, Tyreek Hill. Hill finished WR1 in 2018, top-5 two of the last four seasons, and top eight three of the last four seasons. It’s worth mentioning, he missed time due to injury and off-the-field issues in 2019 when he would likely have finished in the top five or 10 again.
De’Andre Swift was my second overall selection knowing I’d be going full “Zero RB” if I didn’t take one here, and to be honest, it turned out to be the right move to wait and I’m excited about the value there. Swift, given his role in Detriot as a dual-threat back and the focal point of that offense, I believe has top 10 potential and he fell to me in the middle of the second round as the 14th overall running back. With the top tier of running backs thinning up in the third round, I turned again to solidifying my wide receiver position and picked Allen Robinson at 3.07. Yes, we know rookie quarterbacks typically don’t elevate their wide receivers production but Robinson has been quarterback-proof his ENTIRE career. I’d go through the list, but you’d probably puke. Robinson was third in targets in the NFL and posted a 25% target share in 2020. He’s basically a lock to finish top 12 every year and I get to roll him out as my WR2.
My fourth-round selection was a bit unconventional for my usual strategy for 1QB leagues but I felt Lamar Jackson’s value at 4.08 was too good to pass up. I support late-round QB strategy more than most, but Jackson’s upside and security at the position were enough for me to pull the trigger. The great news was only one player (Tee Higgins) was selected over the next 12 picks that I would have taken instead. The #DFFArmy foolishly allowed Courtland Sutton to fall to the middle of the seventh and I couldn’t help but add him to my roster. Although Sutton is returning from a torn ACL, he still profiles as the WR1 in Denver and we’ve seen him overcome poor quarterback play before. He looks great in camp and if he’s healthy I think I snagged a number one WR to plug into my flex spot in the fifth round. Next, I took my tight end, Noah Fant. I also generally believe in waiting on tight end unless you can acquire a top-5 talent at value but I believe Fant has top-5 upside with the kind of volume he’s received early in his career. Do, I think that is likely to happen? No, probably not, but I love the value in the middle of the sixth round.
MIDDLE ROUNDS
Leaving the early rounds I primarily focused on and built my team around a strong wide receiver corps but I also managed to fill most of my roster out with players I was very confident in carrying me through the majority of the year at every position. So, after taking Jarvis Landry in the seventh round to further bolster my depth I honed in on the running backs considering I had just one through seven rounds.
With that in mind, my next four picks went as follows: Gus Edwards, Marvin Jones, Nyheim Hines, and Tarik Cohen. I just had to sprinkle another receiver in there because I believe in Jones this year but I’m clearly leaning on the Gus Bus to hold down the RB2 spot on my roster and to call in some reserves from the pass-catching backs. Nyheim Hines in the 10th could be dangerous if he maintains his role for the Colts as the receiving option out of the backfield and the backup quarterback needs a safety blanket.
LATE ROUNDS
I rounded out the draft adding another running back and taking some dart throws and “break glass in case of emergency” picks. James White joined the roster in the 12th followed by Austin Hooper, Tua Tagovailoa, Rashaad Penny (Auto pick), the Bills Defense, Greg Zuerlein, and Eric Ebron. For what it’s worth, I think Hooper and Ebron outproduce their ADP by a good margin and Tua feels like one of the safest picks at 14.8 in a 1QB league where the majority of teams rostered multiple quarterbacks.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Again, I think my draft highlights the need to remain flexible and to stay adaptable given any situation. While I preferably like to load up on running backs early that’s just not how this one played out. Instead, I focused my picks on what I consider guaranteed points and top-tier finishes from my receivers and quarterback. I found it much more palatable to fade the running back position after De’Andre swift fell to me at 2.08 and adding Gus Edwards as late as I did made it feel even better.
I’d assess my roster as a playoff team as it stands, however, I may need to address the running back position further. While there are a few other teams I’d consider strong contenders I honestly believe this team can compete for a title. No one team looks to be the clear-cut favorite which may stem from increasing to 14 teams, narrowing down, and spreading out the talent pool just a bit. That said, I still have work to do because you never win your league during the draft but this team is certainly heading in the right direction. I surprised myself and came out of this draft feeling like I could compete with any team in the league.
Here’s the Draft Board. Let us know what you think!
Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or would like to discuss, you can find me on Twitter @WillieBeamanDFF
