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Mock drafts are a place to let your wildest ideas play out in hopes of developing a new strategy for how to attack your 2020 drafts. In this 12-team redraft mock, I selected out of the 10th spot. I chose this spot because I typically don’t like to draft from the end. So, to be as prepared as possible, I wanted to see what kind of team I could come up with selecting at the end of this snake draft. Going into the draft I did not have a set plan on what I wanted to do other than to choose who I felt was the best available player on the board regardless of position. This process turned into a zero-RB approach, which I have never endorsed or tried previously. So join me as I venture into the always polarizing strategy of the zero-RB.
The defensive scheme change in Dallas could be quite shocking to Cowboys’ fans. Mike Nolan’s body of work combined with recent experience in the Saints’ hybrid system as a linebackers coach should yield a more varied and complex defense than fans have known. Not only will we miss preseason action to see a preview of this defense, but also beat writers are prohibited from reporting players’ alignments during training camp. 2020 will provide more surprises than ever for IDP aficionados and this in a time when defenses are ever more multiple. September 13, 2020, will be the most astonishing day of football in a long time!
After writing my redraft team breakdown series, I decided to start a new series as we approach the 2020 fantasy season. Every week, or probably more often than that, I’m going to bring you one fantasy sleeper representing a massive value in 2020 redraft leagues. In my first article, I wrote about Hayden Hurst and how he represents a value. Additionally, I detailed my methodology behind this series, so go back and read that piece if you haven’t yet! Let’s jump into my second player, Sony Michel. I’ve come a long way on Michel since I buried him in my “Dead to Me” series. Well, that isn’t entirely true, but let’s get into exactly how I feel about Michel since it’s a complicated story.
Everyone wants the hot new thing. As kids, we all wanted the brand new toy for Christmas and turned our noses up at the pairs of socks we sometimes got instead. Now that we are adults we want the cool new sports car instead of the pre-owned Honda. It’s the same in fantasy football. Everybody wants to be the guy who drafts the young running back who vaults himself into the first round next year. We all target those third-year wide receivers looking for that elusive breakout. But you know what? Those socks are a good present. They get the job done and you use them all the time. That pre-owned Honda is reliable and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to maintain. You can find similar values every year in fantasy football. No one in your draft room will let out a sigh of relief when you take one of these guys, but they’ll get the job done for you. These are the used cars and Christmas socks of the 2020 fantasy season. I present to you 2020 All-Uglies.
In part one of Auction Draft Dos and Don’ts we discussed how tiers should guide your auction drafting strategy over specific targets. Here in part two, we’ll go over how to stay focused during your draft and why mock drafts aren’t as helpful when preparing for an auction. Dominate your auction draft with the help of these dos and don’ts!
Best ball is a fantasy football format that’s all about your favorite part of the fantasy season: the draft. You simply draft an expanded roster, usually somewhere between 18 and 25 players, and that’s it. You will not set weekly lineups, place waiver claims, or send trade offers. Instead, your optimal lineup is generated each week after all the games have been played. You score points based on that optimal lineup, and, at the end of the season, the team with the most points wins.
Let’s start with a simple, unequivocal, and in-no-way subjective fact: auction drafts are the best drafts. Auction drafts are more fun, they reward savvy fantasy players more than snake drafts, and they allow you to grab any player you’re willing to break the bank for. But how do you make the most of your bankroll and come away with a winning team? Here’s what to do… and what NOT to do.
typical fantasy owner is often wary of players that they haven’t seen produce in the NFL or those that don’t have “name value.” Rookies are often under drafted in most redraft leagues since they don’t have prior NFL stats. Also, players that put up decent stats but stayed off the fantasy radar can represent good sleepers. In this case, the goal is to exploit an information gap between informed and casual fantasy owners.
To keep things consistent, I will follow a particular format in this series. I’ll begin by discussing the player’s past production and history, focusing on their prior stats in the NFL and, in some cases, their draft profile. Then, I’ll move into why that player is a sleeper, specifically looking at and debunking negative narratives around that player. And finally, I’ll move into their expected 2020 outlook, and where I would draft the player on my redraft teams.
With that all out of the way, let’s get into my first sleeper, Hayden Hurst.
For this article, I’m going to focus on regular weekly DFS contests, like FanDuel and DraftKings. Although there are other DFS formats, I feel that those weekly contests have unique takeaways and provide the most value for dynasty owners. Also, they are the most popular style of DFS, so they provide the broadest reach. I’ll split this article into the two main types of weekly DFS: cash games and GPP contests.
Jamal Adams deserves to get paid. Is he worth the $20 million-plus a year he’s rumored to be seeking though? Today’s top-paid safeties don’t even make $15 million a year. The Jets say they want to make Adams a Jet for life, but they don’t seem motivated to sign Adams to any long term deals and why would they. From a business standpoint, it doesn’t make sense for the team. They still have him on contract, for much less, for the next two years. This has led to a lot of friction between the sides though and Adams has asked for a trade. His seven preferred destinations were the Ravens, Eagles, Cowboy, 49ers, Texans, Chiefs, and the Seahawks. Some of these teams seem a little more feasible than others to me.
In April, I started writing a series focusing on one player at a time, called “A Redraft Journey.” Like my “Dead to Me” series, I take a deep dive into a single player, breaking down their entire career in redraft fantasy football. However, unlike that series, this set of articles is meant to be more positively toned. The links to the full set of previous entries are at the bottom of this article. It’s time to jump into DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best wide receivers in fantasy football over the past few years. But what has he truly brought to fantasy owners? There’s only one way to find out.
No matter the format, the most important thing is that you and your league mates enjoy playing together. Play the types of leagues you like, and feel free to try new leagues. However, it’s also okay if you don’t want to play a specific format, like how I feel about IDP leagues. Just be a good person and an active owner, and you’ll enjoy your time in this world.
In April, I started writing a series focusing on one player at a time, called “A Redraft Journey.” Like my “Dead to Me” series, I take a deep dive into a single player, breaking down their entire career in redraft fantasy football. However, unlike that series, this set of articles is meant to be more positively toned. I’m excited to get back to writing it, and I’m returning with a full breakdown of Melvin Gordon. He’s had an exciting roller-coaster ride both in the NFL and for fantasy owners, so let’s jump into it!
Breaking down these results broadly, we find that 4% of our sample QBs supported a WR1,17% supported a WR2, and 47% supported a WR3. In other words, since 2012, there’s been a 53% chance that a rookie QB fails to produce even a single wide receiver in the top 36. Considering there are only 32 teams in the NFL, that’s a pretty shocking revelation.
In this series of articles, we discuss some players from each defensive position group that are poised to break out this season. These players should put up a floor of respectable, fantasy starting lineup stat lines with the potential for positional top-15 ceilings. These are players that can be drafted or acquired with minimal draft capital in most full IDP leagues. An examination of the factors promoting these ascending players will take place in each article. Remarkably, there are quite a few players that are among the “IDP unseen,” as of now. We will start with the defensive line.
After writing one of my “Dead to Me” articles, I remembered how much I enjoyed it. In this series, I figuratively bury a new player in each column. Typically, I expect that player to stay buried after the 2020 season, and the player I’m discussing had significant fantasy value or fantasy hype in the past. Now, it’s Curtis Samuel’s turn at the redraft tombstone.
The famous saying “you can’t win your league on draft day, but you can lose it” is one that I remind myself of every year. Draft day is the most important day of the year on any fantasy football player’s calendar as stakes are high and one bad decision can unravel an entire offseason of hard work. Having a strategy in place before the draft will limit the possibility of any costly errors occurring. While a strategy is important, please remember that drafting is a fluid situation and this will only act as your foundation when building a successful team.
In the late rounds of redraft leagues, I’m always hunting for upside. There’s no point in playing it safe and taking boring contributors that provide no opportunity to make a difference or to be league-winners. These four players are an example of what I’m talking about, one at each position. I’m not saying that any of these players will hit, and I would bet against some of them doing so. However, they all have high-end potential. If I’m wrong about one of them, I can cut them after a week or two with little to no harm.
Is it possible that the Bills are coming off another playoff appearance (maybe even a win?) and Josh Allen has made real strides as an NFL passer? Sure. But it’s just as possible that Allen stagnates and costs the team wins. It’s possible that the Bills see their championship window slowly starting to close and decide that Josh Allen is holding them back. Do they decline his fifth-year option and bring in a veteran QB who can manage the game and let the defense win games? It’s possible. In other words, it’s possible that Josh Allen is the next Mitch Trubisky.
My “Dead to Me” shovel is finally back. In one of my favorite series, I figuratively bury a new player in each article. Typically, I expect that player to stay buried after the 2020 season, and the player I’m discussing had significant fantasy value in the past. In this case, it’s time to discuss Jared Cook and his lengthy career. By the time you finish reading, you’re going to trust me, and my take that drafting Cook will demolish your team in 2020 redraft leagues.
Back in March, I did a four-part series on the incoming rookie class. Now, it’s time to go back through my takes and examine how they’ve changed in the past few months. I’ve included my four original articles, and my live post-draft takes as links at the bottom of this article. In part one, I looked at the progression of top rookie quarterbacks from March until now. Then, in part two, I covered how the consensus top-three running backs pre-NFL Draft have progressed in redraft value. I moved into part three, where I discussed the next tier of players, including two more running backs and two more wide receivers. Finally, in part four, I talked about the final four wide receivers I broke down in March. However, even though I predicted pretty accurately who would find fantasy relevance and draft capital early on in the process, plenty of players slipped through the cracks. I didn’t write about these three players in March, but I have to discuss them now, both as prospects and as redraft assets. Each of them has a chance at massive fantasy value in 2020, although they all have significant question marks.
Back in March, I did a four-part series on the incoming rookie class. Now, it’s time to go back through my takes and examine how they’ve changed in the past few months. I’ve included my four original articles, and my live post-draft takes as links at the bottom of this article. In part one, I looked at the progression of top rookie quarterbacks from March until now. Then, in part two, I covered how the consensus top-three running backs pre-NFL Draft have progressed in redraft value. I then moved into part three, where I discussed the next tier of players, including two more running backs and two more wide receivers. It’s time for part four, where I will talk about the final four wide receivers I broke down in March.
As redraft season (hopefully) approaches, the time has come to consider which strategy you will use to dominate your league-mates. These days, every fantasy player worth their salt is aware of late-round QB and late-round TE strategies, and Zero RB has become less and less viable over the years. However, there is a way to outsmart the room, even in 2020. The strategy that I’m proposing involves leveraging the positional scarcity of elite RBs and taking advantage of WR values in the middle and late rounds of your draft. I call this two-step strategy Ice Cream & Pancakes.
Back in March, I did a four-part series on the incoming rookie class. Now, it’s time to go back through my takes and examine how they’ve changed in the past few months. I’ve included all four of my original articles, and all my live post-draft takes as links at the bottom of this article. In part one, I looked at the progression of top rookie quarterbacks from March until now. Then, in part two, I covered how the consensus top-three running backs pre-NFL Draft have progressed in redraft value. Now, it’s time for part three and a mix of two running backs and two wide receivers. Let’s jump into these four exciting players!
In this series, we analyze the IDP strength-of-schedule for the 2020 NFL season. In IDP fantasy football, fewer opportunities correlate to reduced chances of production and underperforming IDP assets. Today, we’ll focus on low pace-of-play / plays-per-game schedules that a few unlucky defenses will face (based on 2019 data). Let’s take a look at the defenses and IDP defenders who could suffer from their schedule.