Two weekends ago the #DFFArmy organized its annual staff redraft league composed solely of DFF writers/editors as owners. Upgrading from 12 to 14 owners this season, your author willingly joined in the fun. The settings of the league are pretty conventional: a 0.5 PPR league with a starting lineup of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 3 W/R/T, 1 K, and 1 DEF. Passing TDs are worth six points while rushing and receiving first downs are worth 0.5 points. There is also a 0.1 point per carry bonus and a 0.5 TE reception bonus.
Throughout this article draft preparation, team-building strategy, and gamesmanship within a live draft will be discussed. Hopefully, this can provide some insight or revelations that you can take with you and apply to your own seasonal league drafts. There is a unique blend of talent represented in this league that makes for a fun challenge. The diverse set of owners and their fantasy football expertise range from conventional redraft to deep devy dynasty, and from IDP and bankroll auction leagues to the high stakes seasonal community. The story of @DocFFFN’s “DFF Redraft Championship” draft now unfolds!
Click HERE to view the draft board.
The Game Plan
To quote the great Mike Tyson, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” While your author normally plays in eight to ten redraft leagues per season, this was admittedly his first redraft draft of the season. Additionally, this was also the first live draft (three-minute pick timer) of the season. The proverbial punch in the mouth was certainly the three-minute clock, as you’ll find in the middle rounds.
Drafting with owners who know you well can be a frustrating conundrum. Ordinarily, grabbing Darren Waller after the swing in the early-second round is your author’s slam dunk move. However, my well-regarded associate in devy, @DynastyDiagnos1 knows that as well, as he shared in his draft recap last week he wanted to go TE. For this reason, selecting Waller at 1.13 was paramount. The consistent advantage at the TE position in a TE premium (TEP) league is too valuable to decline.
After the ensuing turmoil caused on the turn, landing an RB with a high floor for receptions and touchdowns was critical. Aaron Jones was the selection, working under the assumption that Aaron Rodgers would return to play in Green Bay in 2021 (update: he is). While expected to cede touches to A.J. Dillon, Aaron Jones will have ample opportunity to catch the ball between the 20s and touch the ball inside the 10-yard line.
The Middle Rounds
Every championship season requires a little foresight and projection, often perceived in the form of risk. It is not popular in redraft leagues to select rookies. Nevertheless, recent history in the NFL has shown that rookie players are catching on quickly and oftentimes outproducing their veteran counterparts. Selecting Travis Etienne and Kyle Pitts in rounds three and four are bold moves. Many might consider each pick a reach. Your author plans to weather the storm with these rookies at the start of the season. However, the assumption is that these first-round picks will be greater utilized as the season progresses. Keep in mind Pitts can be utilized in one of the flex positions and this is a TEP league.
The pick at 5.13 was a joyous occasion, as there was legitimate concern that there would be no RBs available who are lead backs for their team at that point. In redraft leagues, the RB position dries up faster than any other position. Thus, Ronald Jones was the easy pick.
At the 6.02 draft slot came the only regrettable selection. With just three minutes to consider, drafting outdoors on a phone with the bright sun in his eyes and a beer in his hand, your author chose to be “risk-averse” and settled for Juju Smith-Schuster and his safe floor out of the slot. The sun did make it difficult to view the screen and see available players, but that is no excuse. Opting for the safe floor over the immense upside of Chase Claypool from the very same team was an ill-advised move. As soon as the touchscreen button was pressed there was immediate remorse. Naturally, @Ship_Chaser, being the savvy player he is, smashed the draft button on Claypool at 6.03. This decision may linger all season.
Finishing the Lineup
Closing out the lineup requires selecting value players who perhaps aren’t flashy or “en vogue” within the community but instead offer consistency. Traditionally, Jarvis Landry is one of your author’s redraft “go-tos” in the few remaining single-digit rounds. In this instance though, the well-respected @WillieBeamanDFF had already plucked Landry off the board a handful of picks prior.
Instead, at 7.13 the choice was Brandin Cooks. Cooks is a reliable 1000-yard receiver who offers the occasional splash for a big week. Admittedly, his QB situation is precarious though. This was another selection that the bright sunlight may have influenced. Upon reviewing the draft board post-draft, your author feels like he would have gone with Michael Gallup were he having an easier time surveying the options in light of the conditions and short clock.
The aforementioned A.J. Dillon was the selection at 8.02. Dillon is an excellent handcuff for Aaron Jones and as the year progresses we should see him garner stand-alone value as a flex-worthy RB. He could see a similar amount of touches (and production) as a guy like Kareem Hunt by the end of the season.
After waiting out the selections in rounds nine and ten, Alexander Mattison, another top-tier handcuff, and the old trusty T.Y Hilton were the next selections. Though merely a shell of his former self, when healthy he is productive, as we saw in the final six weeks of 2020.
The beauty of waiting on a QB in a 1QB league is it affords luxury picks in the early going, such as A.J. Dillon and Alexander Mattison.
The Rest of the Roster
In round 11 your author took an inexpensive longshot to be a team’s leading receiver in Jakobi Meyers. While the arrivals of Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jonnu Smith, and Hunter Henry strengthen last year’s Patriots arsenal, returning QB Cam Newton has experience and chemistry with just one of the five pass-catchers already named: Jakobi Meyers. At pick 153 the price seemed right.
Rounds 12 and 13 saw some extended reaches play out. The nostalgia of the championships Jeff Wilson helped your author win at the close of last season makes him a personal favorite. Additionally, he will be starting the season on the PUP list and thus would be IR-eligible, freeing up a roster spot for an immediate post-draft waiver addition. K.J. Hamler possesses Henry Ruggs-level speed, and if one of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, or Noah Fant gets hurt this season, Hamler has a path to increased targets. It only takes one good one for him to go the distance each week and score you double-digits points.
The next pick felt like a value pick, as Boston Scott was available in the 14th round. He should continue to steal touches from Miles Sanders as he has done for the past two seasons. Your author won the game of QB chicken that was played throughout the draft, becoming the very last team to select his starting QB in the form of Big Ben Roethlisberger at pick 209. This pick has “steal” written all over it. Pittsburgh’s offensive line has been atrocious in the run game for the last season and a half, and somehow suffered losses and was downgraded in the offseason. This offense will run through Ben’s arm. Most owners had already selected their backup QB before Big Ben came off the board.
All Jokes Aside
The next two selections were gags, as the clock expired on your author at 16.02 while he was distracted by a DFF staff Zoom call. Sleeper’s default rankings CPU selected the Pittsburgh Steelers Defense, which would inevitably be dropped, as they entertain the Buffalo Bills’ offense Week 1. The next selection was an inside joke with the ever-important and ultra-talented @DFF_JoeMem, as your author selected the “Jet’s starting RB.”
The final selection saw Daniel Jones fall into the back-up QB slot on the roster. Jones gets a juicy home game matchup against the Carolina Panthers defense on Roethlisberger’s bye week. Additionally, Jones’ seasonal schedule in general is very QB-friendly. If he happens to exceed expectations maybe he can be utilized in the lineup or traded.
We’ve Only Just Begun…
The denouement of this draft saw outside software and “ranking” websites immediately brought into the league chat to “rank” player names aligned with their positions to create an “algorithm” that “assesses” how strong a team is or how well an owner drafted. However, heading into the 18th season of redraft fantasy football, this old dog knows that the initial draft accounts roughly just 60-70% of what makes up a seasonal roster and, ultimately, how one finishes the season.
While the rest of the DFF mob were gawking over the “intelligence assessment” graphics, yours truly was already orchestrating his first transactions. Minutes after the conclusion of the draft your author dropped his erroneous defense in favor of the Miami Dolphins defense, who enjoy a Week 1 matchup against New England. Under Brian Flores (former New England DC), the Dolphins have held the Patriots to 24 points or less in three out of four meetings, winning two of those games. Flores appeared to have deciphered and stymied the Cam Newton-led attack last season, holding New England to a combined 33 points in two meetings.
Less than an hour later the first authentic trade of the season was conceived. The lead copy editor at DFF, an esteemed colleague, @DFF_MR sent your author some WR upgrades in the form of Diontae Johnson and Tyler Lockett and in return received RB Ronald Jones and WR Brandin Cooks. This is a deal that will help your author secure a title run.
Later that night, your author dropped the butt of his @DFF_JoeMem joke in La’Mical Perine in favor of Hayden Hurst, who inexplicably went undrafted (considering Dawson Knox and Tim Tebow were drafted). Not only will Hurst–who your author has as a top-25 TE–have a stand-alone role in the Falcons’ offense, he also provides nice insurance in the event of a Kyle Pitts injury. The next day, Jeff Wilson was finally correctly designated with a PUP list tag, so he was moved to IR and the kicker was added to the roster: Joey Slye. Slye draws a nice matchup with the lowly Jets in Week 1.
We’ll check back in later in the season! Comment on and berate your author’s draft–@DocFFFN–the DMs are always open!
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