There really is nothing more exciting than draft season. This is my first time competing in the DFF redraft championship, so the pressure was and still is firmly on. The league format was 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 2 Flex, 1 TE, 1 D/ST. I landed the 9th spot in the 12-team draft and this is how the dominoes fell.
Rounds 1-2
My early-round strategy of smashing running back in the first two rounds follows suit with most in the industry. At 1.09 I passed on Michael Thomas to take Josh Jacobs, the RB9 in my rankings. Unfortunately, I missed out on Miles Sanders by one pick. But, I was happy to take the safe option in Jacobs with the guaranteed volume and goal-line work.
At 2.04 I was praying one of my top 14 RBs got back to me and the stars aligned for Joe Mixon to fall into my lap. This steal was made possible due to the potential holdout. But, after hearing Zac Taylor say he expected Mixon to be ready for week 1 I was delighted to snap him up this late.
Rounds 3-4
In many drafts, I would consider a third RB here. But, due to the 3 WR format, I decided to focus on the receivers. At 3.09 I selected D.J. Moore who was the 11th WR taken. I feel like Moore is a safe pick due to volume and getting him at this value made the selection a no-brainer.
At 4.04 I wanted to pair Moore with a WR who I view as having a clear path to WR1 numbers. After just missing out on Calvin Ridley I snapped up my second DJ, with DJ Chark. I have been on this train throughout the entire offseason. And, with Fournette shipped out, this team will become even more pass-happy than I anticipated.
Rounds 5-8
At 5.09 I wanted to solidify my RB room and again focused on upside. This led me to select Cam Akers. I see Akers winning the starting role sooner rather than later. Accordingly, I have him down to finish as a strong RB2 this year. This pick was followed up by taking Will Fuller V, another WR who I believe has league-winning upside if he can stay on the pitch. This selection gives me three receivers who should all be the first option on their respective teams.
At 7.09 I veered off my usual strategy of waiting to select a high upside tight end as Darren Waller was still sitting there at the end of the 7th round. This was the TE3 despite only scoring three touchdowns in 2019. At 8.04 I played it safe and selected Latavius Murray, who already holds flex value and potential RB1 value if anything were to happen to Kamara. This leaves me with four RBs, three WRs, and one TE through the first eight rounds.
Rounds 9-13
I have a confession to make for rounds nine and ten which saddens me. My connection was briefly lost and the auto pick gods rightly punished me by selecting back to back quarterbacks. I would normally select high upside options in these rounds but can not complain with Drew Brees at 9.09. This pick provides me with a solid QB throughout the year who I can trust in nearly all matchups. At 10.04 Aaron Rodgers was selected, I hate this pick and will be dropping him soon.
Now that I was back in the driving seat it was time to take stock and see what the team needed. At 11.09 I selected Tony Pollard who will be more involved in the offense this year and has the intrinsic value of being Ezekiel Elliott’s back up. In the 12th round there was a mini run on tight ends, which resulted in me selecting Jared Cook and 12.04. In this format, a tight end is allowed to play in the flex. So, this selection not only provides roster depth but also another starting option. The saying ‘start the run, don’t end it’ applied to my 13th round selection as I took the second defense of the board. In a 12-team league streaming defenses can be a dangerous game. So, I locked in the Baltimore Ravens for the year.
Rounds 14-17
In these rounds, I focused on selecting a mixture of fliers and high floor receivers who I can trust to fill in on bye weeks or if injury/illness rules out a starter for a short period of time. At 14.04 I selected Bryce Love who I think has a chance to land the starting role in the Washington backfield. Love has been one of my most drafted players in recent weeks due to the constant stream of good news coming out of camp. At 15.09 I selected Hunter Renfrow. In PPR formats I see Renfrow as a great value pick and with Tyrell Williams out for the season his value continues to increase. It will be interesting to see who the slot receiver in the Raiders’ offense is. But, if Renfrow can win this role this pick will be a steal.
With my penultimate pick in the draft, I selected Cole ‘measly’ Beasley, a second-high floor WR in PPR formats. A boring option but one that provides my WR room with balance. My final pick was a true flier and based solely on the news I have been reading out of the Eagles camp. At 17.09 I selected John Hightower, who has dominated in camp. After making the 53-man roster, and the injury to Reagor, my hopes for this pick are beginning to rise.
Final Roster
QB: Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers
RB: Josh Jacobs, Joe Mixon, Cam Akers, Latavius Murray, Tony Pollard, Bryce Love
WR: D.J. Moore, DJ Chark, Will Fuller V, Hunter Renfrow, Cole Beasley, John Hightower
TE: Darren Waller, Jared Cook
D/ST: Baltimore Ravens
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