On Aug 4th, six members of the Footballguys staff, along with six highly regarded writers in the fantasy football community, got together to complete a 12-team, 28 round best ball draft using the Footballguys Players Championship format. Before the draft, each of the participants answered questions regarding strategies, players they coveted and how they plan to attack the draft. Additional questions were asked after the draft based on the decisions they made. To top it off, Footballguys' Alex Miglio will provide an evaluation of each team's roster strengths and weaknesses, chronicling the strategies and decisions that were made by each participant.

The goal of this article is to give you a look into the minds of fantasy experts throughout the entire draft process. This includes preparation, decision-making, execution, and follow-up. What was their plan? Did they follow it? Why did they make the decisions they made? Some drafters had similar strategies and players of interest, but how they executed their plan and built their roster, varied from person to person.

We hope you will uncover or discover a strategy that might work for you in your draft(s) this year. Learn what players the experts are targeting and why. At Footballguys, when you win, we win! If we can help give you the tools and know-how to build a winning team, we've done our job.

LEAGUE PARAMETERS

• 12 teams
• 28 roster spots
• Starting Lineup
  • 1 quarterback
  • 2 running backs
  • 2 wide receivers
  • 1 tight end
  • 2 flex (either a running back, wide receiver, or tight end)
  • 1 Defense
  • 1 Kicker

LEAGUE SCORING

• Offensive Players Only
• 4 points - Passing Touchdown
• 6 points - Rushing/Receiving Touchdown
• 0.05 points - Passing Yard
• 0.1 points - Rushing/Receiving Yard
• 1.0 point - Reception (QB, RB, WR)
• 1.5 point - Reception (TE)
• -1 - Interception Thrown
• 2 - Two-Point Conversion (rush, pass or receive)
• 3 - Length of field goal made 0-29 yards
• 3 - Length of field goal made 30 yards and then 0.1 for every 1 yard after 30.
• 6 - Offensive recovery for Touchdown
• 6 - Number of Defensive and Special Teams Touchdowns
• Defense scoring
  • 2 points - fumble recovery
  • 2 points - interception caught
  • 1 point - sacked quarterback
  • 5 points - safety
  • 12 points - 0 points allowed
  • 8 points - 1-6 points allowed
  • 5 points - 7-10 points allowed
  • 0 points - 11-99 points allowed
  • 6 points - Defensive or Special Teams Touchdown

DRAFT PARTICIPANTS

1. Shane P. Hallam, Draft Countdown
2. John Paulsen, 4for4.com
3. Jeff Tefertiller, Footballguys
4. Eric Moody, Dynasty League Football
5. Chad Parsons, Footballguys
6. Jared Smola, Draft Sharks
7. Bob Harris, Football Diehards
8. Andy Hicks, Footballguys
9. Renee Miller, The Athletic/Rotoworld
10. David Dodds, Footballguys
11. James Brimacombe, Footballguys
12. Clayton Gray, Footballguys

DRAFT GRID

Completed Rosters

DRAFT SLOT 1

Shane P. Hallam, Draft Countdown / Fakepigskin.com

Shane has been writing about the NFL Draft and fantasy football for 15 years at sites such as Fakepigskin.com, Draftcountdown.com, DraftTV.com, and About.com. In addition, Shane is a high stakes dynasty player at the FFPC and has been featured on numerous podcasts and radio including SiriusXM, High Stakes Fantasy Football Hour, and Dynasty War Zone.

Follow @ShanePHallam

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 1-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Drafting first is a plus in my mind to nab an elite RB and having a fair amount of options at the 2-3 turn to explore with RBs and WRs abound. One of the challenges on the turn is that it lessens the impact of ADP and value on drafting. If I am picking at the 4-5 turn for instance and want a player whose ADP is 6.02, I may have to take him a round early or be left without. Psychologically, this leads to less value but more “getting your guys”.

The one benefit to picking on the turn is starting runs for positions and getting other players to fall. If I can plan correctly to start a QB run during the draft (around QB7 or 8 area,) it could help me get a leg up at QB and still find value later in the draft.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

The dual-flex won’t affect my draft very much at all. The goal is to gather RBs and WRs that will give you startable games in best ball. It may lead me to lean a tad safer in later rounds to fill out the roster in case of down weeks/bye weeks from my starters.

The TE premium aspect affects the draft. TE is fairly thin this year and I likely will target a good TE in tier 3 (OJ Howard, Evan Engram, Hunter Henry, Jared Cook tier,) to kick off the TE premium aspect. I do play in the FFPC often and am quite familiar with TE premium drafts, so I hope it can give me an advantage.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

I plan on taking Christian McCaffrey at #1 to solidify the RB spot and build my team around. One player I am eyeing at the 2-3 turn is Kerryon Johnson to round out my RBs unless someone falls that I didn’t expect.

As for WR, I will be targeting the Cardinals WR group to build around. Christian Kirk at the 6-7 turn would be a win and Larry Fitzgerald a bit later could provide a good floor and high ceiling for those flex spots.

Finally, TE will be difficult. I am hoping for a fall to the 4-5 turn, but I may reach for Jared Cook on the Saints to be my TE1 at that spot if I need to. I think he is in line for a big season and reaching for a TE in premium seems fine to me.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick.

I think QB is probably where my trigger point will come into play. I don’t want or need a top guy (Mahomes, Luck, Watson, and Rodgers) but that likely triggers me moving to QB when they are gone. I am guessing the 8-9 turn could be where it hits and I can start a QB run, get 2 QBs I want (Kyler Murray and Cam Newton would be golden,) and hopefully force others to take them.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

I generally shy away from early rookies just due to the value jump. Especially being at 1, I doubt I end up with the David Montgomerys or Josh Jacobs. I have a few later round rookies (especially WRs,) that I am interested in grabbing to give me some upside.

There don’t seem to be any significant injuries outside of AJ Green, but I will likely pass on him and any other major injury scares from now until the draft. You never know the true timetables or how these can nag people. I even will avoid players coming off of mid to late-season major injuries including Cooper Kupp, Emmanuel Sanders, etc as I expect some rust on them.

Suspended Players are a bit less worrisome to me. I will generally avoid them, especially later players with limited upside (like Chris Herndon,) but I am not opposed if the value is there.

I am also not worried about the holdout players like Melvin Gordon III. If he falls to me at 2.12, it would be really hard to pass on him.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

One late-round TE I like is Ricky Seals-Jones. As mentioned before, I like the Cardinals weapon stacks and he is the easiest to get late with big upside. I think he beats injured Charles Clay and sees the field plenty to maybe even gather up some red-zone targets and TDs.

As mentioned before, there are rookie WRs I like in the later rounds: Deebo Samuel and Andy Isabella come to mind as upside players with cheap ADPs who could have some big best ball games at times.

Finally, I think there are “boring” WRs that can be had late and provide some big games. Jaron Brown, Rashad Higgins, Marqise Lee, Breshad Perriman, etc all could provide 2-3 flex spots throughout the year and thus waiting on WR isn’t the worst option.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

Get 3 each and get them at opportune times. I have a sleeper at each position for my 3rd spot (Zane Gonzalez at K, and Dolphins D,) but I do want to get kickers who I know have jobs and will operate on high powered offenses. As for defense, I’m not as worried, but I expect to have 3 Ks and 3 DEFs by the end of Round 24 to secure those positions.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

Best Ball drafts are incredible because of the depth. You can take chances on players who may have that 90 yard TD reception or run and get you points in for a few weeks and get that victory. It is important to select people who will get opportunities or are an injury away from big-time production as well. These can be had in the last few rounds for extremely cheap and work well.

draft selections

post-draft questions

1. You managed to hit on all areas that you spoke about in the pre-draft questions. You picked Christian McCaffrey first overall as you said you would. You selected Kerryon Johnson at the 2-3 turn. You got Jared Cook at the 4-5 turn as TE7 off the board. You were able to draft Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers at the 8/9 turn. You mentioned Cam Newton would be ideal to pair with Murray, but I'm guessing Rodgers being available was an upgrade? As you predicted, you were true to your word that you would have 3 kickers and 3 defenses by the end of round 24. Lastly, you managed to corner the Cardinals market with Kyler Murray, Christian Kirk, and Andy Isabella. You executed flawlessly as to what you wanted to do. It's easier to do that from the 1 or 12-slot because you have the luxury of making two picks at a time, however, there may be some reaches as a result. Talk about having a plan and sticking to it, especially from the 1-slot. Was there any player that you wanted and didn't get? Also, talk about why you like Zane Gonzalez and the Miami Defense in best ball this year.

I was happy to have executed my plan well and gotten the players I wanted. It is easier to do so from the 1 spot, but I did reach for players throughout the draft (a round to a round and a half above ADP,) to get who I wanted and build the team I wanted. TEs went a bit sooner than I expected, so Jared Cook at the 4/5 turn was the end of my tier and a reach, but seeing how the TEs started flying off the board, I am glad I made that move.

The QBs fell a bit more than I expected so taking Aaron Rodgers over Cam Newton was a no brainer due to the value. I still wanted to take Kyler Murray’s upside and pair him with my later Cardinals WRs. One failing was not starting the QB run with the 8/9 turn. I was hoping others would follow suit, but that took a few rounds and I possibly could have gotten more value by waiting until the 10/11 turn. I’m still happy with it though.

I think at the turn, having a good plan and knowing who you want and where to take them is easier. You don’t have to play the guessing game of if a player will fall (he won’t,) so it is a luxury to take who you want where you want. I stuck with this and will ride and die with it.

I went with 3 kickers in case of injury or cut. Zane Gonzalez is usually one of the last sure starters left at the end, and I like him on a high tempo Cardinals offense. Though he isn’t very good, the opportunities will be there for him to have a few big games and slide into my starter slot. At defense, I went with 3 to have a firm rotation and get match-ups to fit right. Miami intrigues me because I think the offenses in their division are weak and they are pretty filled out at most positions. They should get some INTs and sacks, even if giving up some points.

Overall, I feel like I have a good advantage at QB, RB, and WR in this league and if a TE2 can pull through, I will win it all.

Alex miglio's evaluation

Strengths

Christian McCaffrey and Kerryon Johnson make for a fantastic fantasy tandem at running back. Those two should buoy the position by themselves most weeks if they can stay healthy. Shane was able to wait at quarterback and still nab high-upside Kyler Murray and fantasy stalwart Aaron Rodgers.

Weaknesses

As good as Shane’s top two running backs are, the rest of his squad at the position is dangerously thin. Rookies Miles Sanders and Devin Singletary could be stuck in backfield quagmires while Ronald Jones II II is stuck behind Peyton Barber again. The tight end position is also a bit thin behind Jared Cook, who may be invisible in half his games this season.

How They’ll Win it All

McCaffrey and Johnson ball out like they are meant to and stay healthy all year long. The quarterbacks hold serve, and Jason Witten proves yet again that he is a cyborg from the future sent back to destroy linebackers.

DRAFT SLOT 2

John Paulsen, 4for4.com

John is the Director of Forecasting for 4for4.com. He was named FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert in 2010 and 2014 and has finished in the top six in seven of the last nine years.

Follow @4for4_John

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 2-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

I'll very likely be drafting either Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey in the first round. Anywhere from the four- or five-spot on I'd would be drafting Travis Kelce, so going RB in the first round means I'll need to find my tight end(s) later.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

Tight ends are so valuable in this scoring system because there are so few that matter and there are only so many tight end points available to owners. I would like to see George Kittle or Zach Ertz available at 2.11, but chances are pretty good that they'll both be gone by then, so I'll be looking for a tight end from the next tier at 4.11. The dual-flex doesn't change my strategy that much, though I'd be more inclined to take a second good tight end if the opportunity arises.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

Barkley/McCaffrey in the first. Maybe Damien Williams at 2.11. I am looking to nab Curtis Samuel or Larry Fitzgerald in the ninth. I'll likely draft my QBs at the 10/11 turn.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

I'll count the number of quarterbacks off the board to see if the draft is relatively QB-heavy or QB-light. That may prompt me to draft my passers earlier or later than planned if I don't think that QBs from a specific tier have a better (or worse) chance to make it back to me.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

Injured/suspended players -- I'll look at their value on a per-game basis to determine what their value would be if they were projected to play a full season. If their ADP allows me to draft them as a backup (tougher with the multi-flexes) then I'd be more inclined to draft them knowing that I didn't need their points right away. As for rookies, I might draft them a bit earlier than my projections would indicate since they probably have more upside than their veteran counterparts.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

Darren Waller, Duke Johnson Jr, Gio Bernard, Chase Edmonds, John Brown, C.J. Anderson, Gerald Everett, Jamison Crowder, Josh Gordon, Gus Edwards, Deebo Samuel, Rob Gronkowski (who knows?), Marqise Lee, Bilal Powell, Trey Quinn, Miles Boykin, Paul Richardson Jr, Terry McLaurin, Bruce Anderson, Jaron Brown, Jake Kumerow, KeeSean Johnson, Justin Watson, Breshad Perriman and Travis Benjamin.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

New England has the easiest schedule so I like to nab them after 6-8 defenses are off the board and pair them with another defense that has a schedule that meshes well with the Patriots' schedule. As for kickers, I'm typically trying to grab Robbie Gould or Ka'imi Fairbairn and then adding at least one more later on.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

I'll generally fill out the end of my bench with dart throw types. Either spotty, big-play receivers who will occasionally have a good game or running backs that are one or two injuries away from finding themselves with a bigger role in the offense. Pass-catching specialist RBs are also good to add in this range since one touchdown catch can turn into a usable game for me.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Let's talk your strategy with tight ends in this draft. You indicated that tight end was a preferred target at 2.11, but you missed out on George Kittle by one pick and Zach Ertz by two picks. At the 4.11/5.02 turn you skipped on tight end taking Julian Edelman and Chris Godwin - strong picks at receiver, but your chances for a top tight end were falling fast. Jared Cook was available at 4.11 and you passed on him. He was taken one pick later and you missed out on him at 5.02. Talk about that decision to draft Edelman over a tight end there (Cook) and then explain why you waited until the ninth round to finally take your first tight end, Mark Andrews. Give us your thoughts on Andrews this season.

Prior to the draft I looked at the last 30 or so FFPC best ball drafts and it appeared that I had an 89% chance of one of the following three scenarios: 1) Kittle/Ertz would be available at 2.11, 2) Henry, Engram or Howard would be available at 4.11, or 3) Cook or McDonald would be available at 6.11. As it turns out, this draft fell into the remaining 11% of scenarios where none of those players were available at those picks. As the fourth round wore on, I was considering taking Cook at 4.11, but I simply could not pass on the value of Edelman at that pick. He's a top 25 player for me in this format. I felt that the chances were decent that Cook would be there at 5.02 and I think Shane even said during the draft that he felt he "reached" for Cook at 4.12. At the 6.11/7.02, I didn't feel that there was a tight end that was worth taking over Drake and Samuel and I was happy to take Fitzgerald at 8.11 figuring that Doyle or Mark Andrews would be available at 9.02.

My thoughts on Andrews: Once Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback, he led the team in receiving yards (339) accounting for 26.0% of Jackson’s passing yards. He did that on just a 14.0% target share, so clearly Jackson and Andrews had a good thing going. Andrews was the No. 13 tight end over the final seven weeks of the season, which is nothing special, but if Jackson’s passing numbers rise and Andrews keeps the same usage rate, he could find himself in the top 10 at the end of the season. Reports out of camp have been fantastic: Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic said that Andrews has been the Ravens' "most dangerous and productive offensive player" in camp.

I added another breakout candidate, Chris Herndon, two rounds later, which I think is good value in this format despite the four-game suspension. I figure Andrews and my other tight end--Houston under-the-radar starter Jordan Thomas--can get me through the first month of the season until Herndon comes back. I added Rob Gronkowski in the 27th round on the off chance that he unretires.

2. Kenyan Drake's ADP has fallen since the news of a possible committee approach in Miami between him and Kalen Ballage. You selected Drake as your RB4 (RB29). Was this a "hope for the best" pick, or do you have an opinion that Drake will see the majority of the team's touches at running back? Talk about Drake's outlook in 2019.

I was pretty bullish about Drake heading into this offseason and still think he's the more talented back. Ballage simply went down on first contact far too often as a rookie. Maybe Ballage has improved enough to earn the most carries in this backfield, but as it stands, Drake is basically in the same position that he was last year, when he finished as the No. 14 RB in PPR formats despite sharing the backfield with Frank Gore (168 touches in 14 games). The Dolphins are going to be playing from behind, which should mean a lot of dump-offs to the running backs, and Drake excels in the passing game. Since this is a best-ball draft, I don't have to deal with the decision of whether or not to start him in any given week. I can just enjoy his big games as my RB4.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

Though Damien Williams isn’t a personal favorite as high as John took him — reservations about a lead back role and all that — having the Chiefs’ de facto starter as your third running back means you have locked up the running back position. After taking three to start the draft and Kenyan Drake in the 6th — a steal with unsubstantiated rumors Kalen Ballege is going to take over — John didn’t need to take another until he sewed up pass-catcher extraordinaire Duke Johnson Jr all the way in the 16th round. Bravo. John managed to nab a solid wide receiver corps, too.

Weaknesses

Going strong at running back meant sacrifices elsewhere for John, particularly at the tight end position. Mark Andrews and Chris Herndon both have big upside, but the former is unproven and will likely be an uneven producer, while the latter is going to be out the first four games with a suspension. John’s quarterback trio led by Jared Goff isn’t particularly compelling, either. Investing two picks in a best-ball league on guys who are probably not going to play much if at all this year (Rob Gronkowski and Josh Gordon) was a bit luxurious, too.

How They’ll Win it All

Andrews turns into a top-5 tight end, and Herndon follows suit upon his return from suspension. Larry Fitzgerald channels his fantasy scoring potential from yesteryear, and Sam Darnold makes Jets fans forget who Joe Namath was.

DRAFT SLOT 3

Jeff Tefertiller, Footballguys, Bio

Follow @JeffTefertiller

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 3-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?
Drafting from the 1.03 hole, I am looking running back in the first. Also, given scoring and draft spot, I will be looking for Kittle in 2nd or 3rd.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?
I will roster more TEs than normal. I will be targeting Reed, Dissly, Watson, and Herndon.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?
I will be looking for Hilton (4th/5th), Fitzgerald (middle rounds), the duo of Donte Moncrief and Diontae Johnson late, and targeting Justin Jackson and Malcolm Brown much later than their high-priced teammates.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)
No trigger points, but will be monitoring the WRs in round 4-8 as I want to hammer the position after starting RB-heavy.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?
I am targeting as many of these arbitrage situations as possible, especially on good teams. NE will play their best players. This means Watson should be in the lineup after suspension. Same goes for Josh Gordon. I also like the QBs coming back from an injury like Wentz. His ADP is lagging reality.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?
I love the value of Jaylen Samuels, Dion Lewis, Dallas Goedert, and upside rookie RBs/WRs (e.g., Campbell, Samuel, Mattison, Gaskin, etc).

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?
Targeting a quality kicker with solid back up kicker and quantity of defenses. May look in these directions earlier than most other drafters.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?
I will look for several handcuffs and high ceiling situations. Like mentioned above, injured players (Edelman, Green, Henry) and suspended (Herndon, Watson, Tate) will be targets.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. In a tight end-heavy league, I want to ask you about the four players you targeted. You mentioned in the pre-draft questions that you were seeking to draft Jordan Reed, Will Dissly, Ben Watson, and Chris Herndon at the tight end position. You managed to only draft one of those - Watson in round 19 (TE34). Talk about your interest in those four that you targeted, as well as T.J. Hockenson, who you also selected in round 13 (TE25).

This is a great question. I expected to punt the position and go quantity over quality. I did not fathom that Kittle would be there in the late second. I punted running back and was waffling between running back and tight end in the seventh when I took Walker. I thought one of Cohen, Murray, or Coleman would make it back to me so I took a chance on the tight end upside of Walker. The Reed/Watson or Reed/Herndon combination is one I advocate due to Reed's injury history and the suspensions of the other two. Dissly is just a cheap tight end who I like with some upside.

2. You have one bonafide starter at running back on your team in Alvin Kamara who you selected 3rd overall. Outside of that, you have nine other running backs who occupy a complementary role or they are further down the depth chart. Explain your reasoning behind this strategy in a best-ball league.

Since this is best ball, I sloughed the RB2/3 position for studs at wide receiver and tight end. I see Henderson as an upside play every week and will not need a Gurley injury to have a large role. I took a shot on the backups behind two backs with injury histories in Aaron Jones and Joe Mixon. Further, Jones has missed all of training camp (as of this writing) with a hamstring injury. All of these backs have something in common: they are very good in the passing game. Justice Hill and Giovani Bernard have appeal every week and should finish in the Top 30 at the position at the end of the season. After spending so much capital at the receiver position, I chose to invest quantity at the running back position. I have confidence in this group producing a few starters every week. My two regrets were not getting a better QB2 and a viable QB3 and taking A.J. Green over Julian Edelman. I do like the team and it has a chance but it is very focused on having player withs a high ceiling over a high floor.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

Jeff’s wideouts are nonpareil in this league. At least in name. He managed to snag Antonio Brown in the third round — frostbitten feet notwithstanding — and followed that up with A.J. Green, Tyler Lockett, and Alshon Jeffery in succession. If Green can get back from injury and stay on the field, that is quite the quartet. Jeff also has a strong tight end group with George Kittle at the top.

Weaknesses

That stable of running backs is the stuff of nightmares. Alvin Kamara will be just fine, of course, but Darrell Henderson, Jeremy Hill, Jamaal Williams and Giovani Bernard duking it out at RB2 is ulcer-inducing to think about. What’s worse is that Jeff could have taken Duke Johnson Jr instead of one of the first defenses in the 16th round.

How They’ll Win it All

Somehow the gelatinous mass of bad fantasy running backs morphs into a solid RB2 line on a weekly basis, and Jeff never needs a third running back to crack the best-ball starting lineup because of his strengths elsewhere. Brown and Green shake off injuries and dominate for one more year while Kittle and Co. put up big numbers in this TE-friendly format.

DRAFT SLOT 4

Eric Moody, Fantasy Data / The Athletic / Dynasty League Football

Eric is a staff writer for Fantasy Data, The Athletic, and Dynasty League Football. He has a lifelong passion for the game and played at the collegiate level as an offensive lineman. He also participated in Dan Hatman's Scouting Academy in order to learn the process of player evaluation at an NFL level by using game film.

Follow @EricNMoody

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 4-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

My goal is to select Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, or Alvin Kamara with the 1.04. Given the scarcity of the running back position I believe it would not ideal to wait on the position.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

My game plan is to prioritize the dual-flex slots with wide receivers. The supply of viable receivers is greater than running backs. I’m very open to selecting Zach Ertz or George Kittle with my second or third-round draft pick if either is available. If they are not, I’ll wait for a round or two on the tight end position and target potential breakout tight end.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

I’d like to build my team around Alvin Kamara or Ezekiel Elliott, George Kittle or Zach Ertz. My strategy will be to draft another running back in the third round such as Kerryon Johnson or Leonard Fournette. Some other wide receivers I plan on targeting in later rounds include Tyler Lockett, Allen Robinson, and Sterling Shepard.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

My only trigger points I have going into the draft revolve around the top three tight ends Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Zach Ertz. I’d like to select one of them within the first three rounds of the fantasy draft.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

In a best-ball format, I do not have a lot of heartburn over rookies or suspended players. Each of these players specific circumstances is already built into their average draft positions.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

Devin Funchess, Kenny Stills, Robert Foster, Nick Foles, Jalen Richard, Marquise Goodwin, and Mike Davis are players that immediately came to mind that I would target in the later rounds. All of them are in great situations in which they could outperform their average draft positions.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

My goal is to roster two defenses and three kickers. As for the defenses, one would be from the top tiers such as the Jaguars, Ravens, or Bears while the other would be an upside option. The three kickers I would target would come from steady offenses where a high percentage of their drives make it to the red zone.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

My goal is to maintain a healthy balance of players who are very consistent with those who have perceived high ceilings. This includes running backs who are in ambiguous timeshares and wide receivers with big game potential. I will also consider stacking one of my quarterbacks with one or two wide receivers from the same team.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. You indicated that you would target one of the Top 3 tight ends in round two and you wound up selecting Zach Ertz with pick 2.09. The thought process was to then target a running back in round three, but you selected T.Y. Hilton as your WR1 (WR10). What made you select Hilton over a running back there? Devonta Freeman and Leonard Fournette were both there, and you already shared your interest in Fournette. What made you take Hilton over Fournette at pick 3.04?

I was concerned with the supply of top-shelf WRs, didn't expect to see T.Y. Hilton available, and decided to alter my strategy.

2. Landing a top tight end (Ertz) in this format is a feather in your cap, but you waited until round 18 to draft another tight end (Jonnu Smith TE33) and then round 22 (Kahale Warring TE37). What was your reasoning behind waiting on your TE2/TE3?

My original plan was to draft Dallas Goedert as my TE2. He was drafted a pick or two before me in the round I was targeting him. I had always planned to take Kahale Warring as my TE3 in order to stack multiple players from the Houston Texans offense. As for Jonnu Smith, could he be a diamond in the rough? He could find fantasy relevance if Delanie Walker misses an extended amount of time.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

Eric drafted a well-balanced team that doesn’t have a ton of strengths or weaknesses. He took top-5 positional players at running back, tight end, and quarterback, with T.Y. Hilton being a pretty good WR1.

Weaknesses

Taking two quarterbacks before some teams drafted their first while also drafting the second defense off the board meant weaker depth elsewhere. Hindsight is 20-20, but taking Deshaun Watson in the fifth round when no other quarterbacks went until late in the seventh had to sting. Tight end is particularly threadbare behind Zach Ertz on this squad, with neither Jonnu Smith nor *squint* Kahale Warring having a chance at starters’ targets barring injury ahead of them.

How They’ll Win it All

There was once an FFPC Pros vs. Joes best-ball league in which I participated where the winner of my division took just one tight end — Antonio Gates in his last good year. It seemed ludicrous at the time, but that’s what it will take for Eric’s team to win it all with Ertz this year. That and Ezekiel Elliott reporting before Week 1 and one of Tarik Cohen or Jordan Howard holding off rookie challengers for touches.

DRAFT SLOT 5

Chad Parsons, Footballguys - Bio

Follow @ChadParsonsNFL

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 5-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

At 1.05, I will be dead red on a stud running back in Round 1. The worst case is David Johnson, who I gladly took at 1.09 in a previous Footballguys mock draft. With the top wide receiver or Travis Kelce a possibility in the first four picks, I may get a look at Alvin Kamara as well. I prefer to be in the middle of the round to avoid runs and be closer to the action in each round. I may get squeezed from the stud receiver to whom I am accustomed in Round 2 (at least Mike Evans level), but we will see. Todd Gurley will be an interesting decision for me if there and I would likely take him as I like Gurley more in the best ball setting than traditional lineup league.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

The dual-flex points to loading up on running backs in my book with the ability to go 1-4-2-1 with the lineup. I will look to get 2-3 wide receiver cornerstone players in the first 3-4 rounds and then pound running back for the next 8-10 rounds as a general rule. I do not react much to merely 1.5 PPR for tight ends as the market generally boosts them more than I do for the format. Jared Cook is typically the first tight end I consider this year once 6-8 others are already gone.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

A stud running back (at least David Johnson) in Round 1. Mike Evans, Amari Cooper or Todd Gurley in Round 2 is the most likely target list. D.J. Moore, Corey Davis, and maybe Jarvis Landry would be on the mid-round wide receiver list for my core. I am very agnostic at quarterback, especially in best-ball, so getting 2-3 solid NFL starters is the main part of my later round strategy.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

I do not particularly have trigger points, but I am very much a 'move from target player to target player' drafter. That means I have a shorter list of draftable players compared to the average drafter I would guess and rarely deviate to a 'falling player' who I am neutral or down on just because they are a good value.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

In best ball, these types are more in play as you can make up for them with volume and the optimized lineup. I like rookies (specifically running backs) to be more of an impact later in the season which blends well with deeper rosters and balancing with a few veterans. I am also more likely to handcuff a few select backfields with the added roster spots and depth.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

There should still be plenty of viable quarterbacks post-Round 15 and I could see not having a starter by then and drafting 2-3 beyond that point. Primary backup running backs will be a focus like Doug Martin, Giovani Bernard, Malcolm Brown, and maybe Alfred Blue and Chase Edmonds if they make it that far. I generally shy away from wide receivers that late so Hayden Hurst, Cameron Brate, and Matt LaCosse types could be in play at tight end as well.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

Volume is more important than specific options. I will vary bye weeks and seek kickers with stable job security when possible. Three of each would be optimal but could see two or four defenses depending on the late-round draft board.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

Thinking through running back depth charts and the optimal injury-away tight ends and quarterbacks are key with the deep format and best-ball scoring. With no waiver wire, you need some infusion of production during the season and targeting some of the better 'if this happens, this player zooms up in opportunity' types on your roster to offset bye weeks, injuries, and poor play.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. You have good starters and depth at several positions, but the tight end position may be a challenge for you. Dallas Goedert was your first tight end taken in round 9 (TE17). The position went fast in this draft and it looked like you bucked the trend and went after higher-ranked players at other positions instead of securing your TE1 role. Talk about how that unfolded and how it changed your draft from the tight end position.

The tight end position was fair hotter, especially in the middle of the draft, than I was expecting and felt warranted in the format. I am not overly reactive to merely 1.5 PPR as the premium for tight ends. Start-2TE is a different animal, but I will boost the position only marginally with 1.5 PPR. Jared Cook is typically my first legitimate target but he was gone by the end of Round 4 in this draft. In retrospect, Round 2 with Zach Ertz and George Kittle on the board at 2.08 might have been my best shot. However, Melvin Gordon III falls to me was a no-brainer. Despite the run on tight ends (16 tight ends gone by my mid-Round 9 pick) I liked Goedert as my TE1 all things considered. Best ball is the format for Goedert, good for 4-5 strong games, but good luck predicting them with a healthy Zach Ertz. Finding value continued to elude me at tight end after Goedert, but collected Noah Fant, Matt LaCosse, and Adam Shaheen later in the draft. Tyler Eifert was another target but was gone before my subsequent Round 10 pick after locked up Goedert.

2. Who is a player that you think will leap up the preseason ranks as we head into preseason games? When would you recommend drafting this player and why should others be excited about him?

Kalen Ballage still has plenty of value to rise in the coming weeks (got him at RB40 here). Damien Harris is another one pending the health of Sony Michel at RB36. Finally, I felt Darwin Thompson was a gift at RB64 (Round 16) considering the buzz he has already received with strong practices and Damien Williams and Carlos Hyde high-variance outcomes ahead of him (for now) on the Chiefs depth chart.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

Waiting at quarterback is Chad’s bread and butter. He does it beautifully here, holding out to be among the last fantasy owners to draft their first quarterbacks and landing Lamar Jackson in the 11th as a reward. Jackson is a polarizing figure, but one thing is certain — he is a running quarterback with the keys to his offense. Barring injury, Jackson should be among the top fantasy scorers this season. Aside from a solid “zero-quarterback” haul, this squad features a nice set of starting receivers, though the position is rather top-heavy after Chad waited 20 rounds between picking his fourth and fifth wideouts.
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Weaknesses

There is a ton of hype about Dallas Goedert in spite of him being the second banana at his own position. The Eagles have a lot of weapons, and Goedert is going to be fighting for fourth or fifth place in target share in Philadelphia. Pairing that with rookie Noah Fant — rookie tight ends rarely make significant fantasy impacts — was a dicey strategy. There is also a potential depth problem at receiver after Chad’s aforementioned 20-round drought.

How They’ll Win it All

Jackson lights up the league like many expect him to, and Goedert defies (my) expectations to become the fantasy stud many see him becoming. Melvin Gordon III signs a new deal in August to give Chad one of the best 1-2 punches at running back in this league. Nobody gets injured at receiver.

DRAFT SLOT 6

Jared Smola, Draft Sharks

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007, helping the site capture numerous rankings/projections accuracy awards and expert league titles.

Follow @SmolaDS

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 6-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

I love this spot for 2 reasons:

1. I have a clear top 6 in FFPC drafts: Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, David Johnson, and Travis Kelce. I’m guaranteed to get 1 of these guys.
2. Being smack dab in the middle of the draft means I won’t get caught out of positional runs. This means I won’t feel the need to reach for guys well ahead of ADP.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

The Draft Sharks MVP Board provides customized rankings for the FFPC format, which helps compare the value of TEs vs. other positions. Beyond that, drafters need to make sure they don’t wait TOO long to address TE in FFPC drafts. The position tends to be pretty much dried up by Round 10 or so.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

I love what’s available in the 3rd round at RB this year, and I’ll be targeting Kerryon Johnson, Aaron Jones or Devonta Freeman

I’ll likely be loading up on mid-round WRs in this best-ball format. Favorites include Chris Godwin, D.J. Moore, Will Fuller V, Christian Kirk, Curtis Samuel, and Keke Coutee.

And if I can get him in the 8th or 9th round, I’d love to come away with Carson Wentz, who has a shot at top-3 fantasy production.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

If I don’t end up with Travis Kelce at 1.06, I’ll be looking to get 1 of the remaining top 6 TEs: George Kittle, Zach Ertz, O.J. Howard, Evan Engram, and Hunter Henry.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

Completely depends on the player and price.

I’m generally avoiding the rookie class this year because I think it’s a weak group overall. And the few guys I do like — Josh Jacobs, David Montgomery, and Miles Sanders — tend to go earlier than I’m willing to take them. The one exception is Kyler Murray.

I’m less willing to take suspended players in best balls because I don’t like taking zeroes from guys in this format.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

• QB Mitchell Trubisky - QB13 in points per game last year, now in 2nd full season as a starter, lots of continuity on Bears offense.
• RB Dion Lewis - big handcuff value behind Derrick Henry and should even have standalone value in this PPR format
• WR Tyrell Williams - ranks 6th among 68 qualifiers in yards per catch and 5th in yards per target over the past 3 seasons, and he has a clear path to 100+ targets as Raiders’ #2 WR
• WR Deebo Samuel - 2nd-round rookie has a great shot to win a starting job on what should be a productive passing game, goes way too late in drafts

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

I’m a big proponent of taking 3 DSTs and 3 Ks in FFPC best balls, with the rationale being that the volatility at those positions makes a 3rd DST and 3rd K more likely to provide starter weeks than, say, a 7th RB or 10th WR.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

The deep draft makes it much easier to take 3 DSTs and 3 Ks. It also means you can play “quantity over quality” at a position you punt in the early rounds. (This works best at WR.)

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Let's talk about the Kelce draft strategy. You selected Travis Kelce at pick 1.06, which may be as early as he goes in redraft leagues. Whether it's the first round or the second or third, there's now a challenge to maintain a successful draft after pulling the trigger on tight end early. Talk about how others should manage that strategy.

I’m not drafting Kelce quite this high in standard PPR or non-PPR leagues. But with the 1.5 PPR for TEs in the FFPC, Kelce is my 6th-ranked player overall.

Going TE early obviously puts you behind at the other positions. But I think the edge Kelce gives me at TE more than offsets that disadvantage. It also allows me to place less emphasis on TE for the rest of the draft and focus on building more depth at RB and WR.

After taking Kelce in the 1st, I tend to focus on grabbing at least a couple of high-volume RBs with my next 2 or 3 picks. I’m comfortable with the WR corps I can build in best-ball leagues without investing many early picks in the position.

2. You drafted James Conner with pick 2.07 and Jaylen Samuels at pick 13.06. How important is it to handcuff Jaylen Samuels with James Conner this season?

Samuels certainly wasn’t a must-have for me, especially in this best-ball league. But he was my top-ranked player available when I got on the clock in the 13th, so it was an easy pick. Samuels is a high-end handcuff to Conner and should also have standalone value in PPR leagues.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths
Any time you can start your draft off with Travis Kelce in this format, you do it. Well, after the top running backs are gone, anyway. If Jordan Reed can stay on the field and deliver like we have been hearing he has during training camp, this squad has one of the best tight end groups to come out of this draft. In spite of waiting until the fourth round to take his first receiver, Jared’s team wound up with a strong receiver corps full of upside.

Weaknesses
The Eagles offense is supposed to be great. But what if it isn’t? Or, perhaps more poignantly, what if Carson Wentz never returns to form? Drafting just two quarterbacks in this format is gamble enough without them being Wentz and Derek Carr.

How They’ll Win it All
Kelce continues to dominate the league while Reed finally delivers on his fantasy promise. Chris Carson turns into a workhorse in Seattle, giving this team one of the strongest starting trios in this league. Wentz doesn’t miss a game.

DRAFT SLOT 7

Bob Harris, Football Diehards

Bob was named the first-ever Fantasy Football Writer of the Year by the FSWA in 2005 and was inducted into the organization's Hall Of Fame in 2013. He began his Fantasy sports career as Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report in 1993. He added Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications, Inc. to his list of titles in 1997; his work has been prominently displayed in all four FSP Fantasy annuals -- Fantasy Football Pro Forecast, Fantasy FootballDiehards, Fantasy Football CheatSheets and the Fantasy Football DraftBook -- ever since. You will currently find Harris online exclusively at FootballDiehards.com. You can also listen to Harris daily on FootballDiehards on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87).

Follow @footballdiehard

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 7-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

I don't know that this changes my approach as much as it defines the range of players available to me. I will create a ranking based on this scoring system and roster configuration and -- at least early in the draft -- I'll stick to my plan.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

It solidifies my usual strategy of landing one of the top-3 tight ends early and following that up later with some higher-risk/hopefully higher-reward plays at that position.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

Travis Kelce in this format, even though he'll cost my first-round pick if he lasts that long. Beyond that, I'm very comfortable with Dalvin Cook or Nick Chubb as my lead back in Round 2 and Mike Evans, Keenan Allen (admittedly cutting it close on those two), Adam Thielen or T.Y. Hilton as my WR1 in Round 3 if it plays out that way.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

Not so much this year as I have in past years. The closest I come this year is if either Will Fuller V or Robby Anderson go, I try to jump in and grab the one who didn't as quickly as I can (if possible)

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

Everybody has value at the right price. But the last four words of that sentence are as vital as they are subjective.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

Robert Foster and Darren Waller will be near the top of that list. Others, depending on how the draft plays out, will include Alfred Blue, T.J. Yeldon, Darren Sproles, Frank Gore, Bruce Anderson, Ted Ginn Jr, Josh Reynolds, Willie Snead IV, Chris Conley, D.J. Chark Jr and Tyler Eifert.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

In a similar league (at least in terms of format and depth), I began pursuing defenses and kickers about the same time I would in most other (shorter) drafts. After Round 15 (and likely have a full complement by Round 20).

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

I'll go deeper at the "onesie" positions (almost certainly at QB and TE; possibly at Defense/ST as well). I may make a greater effort to handcuff more of my early-round picks.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. You selected four running backs in the first six rounds of this draft. All four are starters or potential starters. I understand the need to select a running back in the second round (Nick Chubb) after taking a wide receiver (DeAndre Hopkins) in round one, but what made you stay with running back in rounds three and four? Did you like the value more than a receiver at that point of the draft? Talk about your decision-making in that instance.

Once I missed out on Kelce, I pivoted to a RB-heavy approach as opposed to a more balanced attack. I was in a similar (28-round) draft the week before, and running back thinned out pretty quick. I wanted to get ahead of that and roll with some value plays at wideout later.

2. Share your 2019 outlook for the following players - all players you selected in this draft. Why should others have interest in these players?

Darren Waller TE, OAK
According to local observers, the Raiders were content letting Jared Cook leave in free agency despite him being their best receiver last year. Waller is a big reason why. Cook led the team with 68 catches, 896 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns last season and while the team will be banking on their additions at wide receiver making up for much of that production, the tight end position will still have a role. By all accounts, Waller has been fantastic in training camp. According to Ted Nguyen of The Athletic, Waller has been “unguardable during camp.” He's certainly not without risk, but the converted wideout has the size and speed to create mismatches at the position and he should benefit from defenses focused on slowing Antonio Brown.

Geronimo Allison WR, GB
Allison appeared to be on his way to a breakout year four games into the 2018 season. After catching only 35 passes for 455 yards and two touchdowns over his first two professional seasons, he tallied 19 grabs for 289 yards and two scores to start the campaign, a performance which the wideout said left him feeling like he was "kind of skyrocketing and climbing." Things would go the wrong way from there, however. Allison's "groove" was halted by a concussion and he then missed another game with a hamstring injury before returning to action just in time to tear his adductor muscle in practice. That injury ended his season. After that injury-marred 2018, Allison has returned to an offense that looks much different under HC Matt LaFleur. With Randall Cobb now in Dallas, Allison appears to be headed for ample work in the slot. Allison has some past experience inside. He’s played 299 of his 885 career snaps (33.8 percent) from the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. The only difference is adapting to what LaFleur expects from receivers in his scheme. Also, I like Davante Adams' assessment: “He’s the guy who’s been working a lot in the slot, and he’s used to playing a little more outside, but this is making him a little more dynamic,” Adams said. Remember, the 6-3, 202-pound receiver had flashed playmaking potential in the past, including a 122-yard showing against Cincinnati in 2017. So there's some upside here.

Robert Foster WR, BUF
As Yahoo Sports' Liz Loza recently noted, an explosive athlete with 4.4 speed, Foster was cut by the Bills (but signed to the practice squad) at the start of last season. Lack of depth and a losing record allowed him a second chance, as he returned to the active roster in Week 10. He quickly caught our collective attention by posting 90 yards and/or scoring in five of the team's final seven games. Loza went on to note that over the final four games of the season -- with Kelvin Benjamin no longer on the squad -- Foster's snap share skyrocketed. On the field for an average of 92 percent of the team's plays, the then-rookie emerged as the team's lone vertical threat. Despite being out-targeted by No. 1 WR Zay Jones by a total of eight looks over that stretch, Foster shone as the Bills' most productive (and exciting) offensive weapon. Worth noting, Foster remained in Buffalo during the team's bye week helping QB Josh Allen work through the final stages of rehab for his injured elbow. It's safe to say those additional reps served Foster well and it leaves us with some optimism about his chances of contributing again this year -- even if he's more a depth player on your fantasy roster.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

They may lack a certain pass-catching flair, but the top four running backs on this team will provide a high scoring floor for Bob.

Weaknesses

Sometimes you can wait too long to draft a quarterback. Harris was a tick too late to the show, and he wound up with a Kirk Cousins-Josh Allen pairing to show for it. The latter has shown an ability to put up big games on the ground, which will help in this format. But he will also throw a ton of interceptions. Josh Rosen and Eli Manning will be non-factors most weeks to boot. All things considered, this may be the weakest quarterback group in this league.

How They’ll Win it All

Tyler Eifert actually plays more than four games. Josh Allen proves the haters wrong and keeps up his unsustainable fantasy scoring from late 2018. Derrius Guice fulfills his promise and overtakes Adrian Peterson for the lead back role in Washington.

DRAFT SLOT 8

Andy Hicks, Footballguys - Bio

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 8-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

From the eight-hole, I do not have to worry about being caught in positional runs or having too long between selections. With either nine or 15 selections between picks, I also have to be on top of the action at all times. At the back and front of the draft, you can have some downtime, in the middle, not so much. Any strategy during the draft needs to be done after the even-numbered selection, but I need to be aware of the roster makeups of drafters in the nine to 12 slot in case they, for instance, don’t have a quarterback and may take two before my next selection.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

There are very few elite options at the position and the ones that are should be snapped up quickly. On the positive side, I feel there is a good group of players in the six to 25 ranking area that should make up three or four players on my roster. I should be on top of any positional runs at tight end once the top five are off the board and will adjust depending on how hard others are hitting the position. By the time the run happens, I should have my starting lineup at other positions sorted.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

I expect two quarterbacks from Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Kirk Cousins, and Tom Brady. All are in my top 12 and should fall considerably in the draft

I expect to get one of Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb or Todd Gurley with my first or second selection. Devonta Freeman, Derrick Henry, and Sony Michel are likely additions by the third or fourth picks. Later on, I expect to have at least two rookies from Miles Sanders, Devin Singletary, and David Montgomery

At Wide Receiver, I expect to have one Ram from Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods. Corey Davis and Sterling Shephard are likely to be on my team and Courtland Sutton is a near certainty. Later on, I expect to the favorite to select at least three from N’Keal Harry, Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, Zay Jones, and Adam Humphries

At Tight End, Ian Thomas and Dallas Goedert should be on my roster.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

Not particularly. I expect to get a lot of the players mentioned in question three, but am not married to any of them. With eleven other astute drafters, I cannot assume anything outside one of my first eight selections. Most adjustments to my strategy come during the draft once I have a few players to build around.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

With 28 players on a roster, all options and players are open. Depending on camp reports, rookies may be either slow with their development or pleasantly surprising. This information needs to be considered carefully. There is no point drafting a running back that looked good during the draft process if he cannot pick up the blitz or is struggling with the playbook. Last year I got burned with Ronald Jones II and I refused to listen to the reports and assumed he would eventually get it. Injured players such as A.J. Green are tricky. NFL teams don’t have to disclose when he will play, just that he has an issue. Players that miss a significant portion of training camp and preseason can just never get it right in the season or can be a superstar once they get the issue behind them. A previous ability to get over injuries is a good sign, but it would be fair to lower their draft price just in case issues longer or prompt another injury.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

Running Backs that are in good positions, but aren’t highly considered like Dexter Williams, Darwin Thompson and Ryquell Armstead. Depth at wide receiver and Tight End will come through by this stage of the draft. There is value in Green Bay receivers not named Davante Adams, Raven receivers and Washington receivers. Jaguars as well. Given the scoring system, any Tight End with a pulse will be taken so by the 15th round onwards some crazy names will start appearing.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

Quite simple really. Get three of each position. Because there will be kicking battles, this position may be prioritized over a defense.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

Depth to cover for possible injuries for my higher drafted players. I mean there is no point getting Ryan Grant because you have Antonio Brown or Justin Hardy if you have Julio Jones, but if you draft Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tannehill, later on, makes a lot of sense. Taking Ito Smith if you have Devonta Freeman is another to consider.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Knowing if and when to draft Patrick Mahomes II is a decision nearly every fantasy player will have this year. You selected Mahomes with pick 2.05 as the first quarterback off the board. Talk about why you decided to take him there why you went against your plan to target a running back in the second round. What draft advice would you give to others who select Mahomes in their draft?

In a 28 round draft, there is a significant risk that you will have some positions with a less than optimal output every week. With the eighth pick, the elite choices at running back should be gone, an elite wide receiver is the best choice. In the second round, Nick Chubb or Todd Gurley was my best choice at running back. Mike Evans would have been my choice at receiver and George Kittle at Tight End. Considering the options available, it was best to set and forget at quarterback by taking Patrick Mahomes II. All of the other predicted starting fantasy quarterbacks have some issue that places their upside in the 30-40 passing touchdown area at best. Most of these guys have a significant downside. The upside of Mahomes is setting NFL records, while his downside appears to be what all the other players at his position would consider their upside. It is rare that I would consider a quarterback this high, in this format, but the difference between Mahomes and the next tier of guys is significant. I am prepared to ride or die with him knowing that with 2 flex spots, I need to draft deep at other positions, no matter what. Drafting Mahomes in the second or third round means that if something happens, you are likely to struggle, but the good news is that you can still get quality quarterbacks later in drafts or on the waiver wire in most leagues. It is tempting to get a Chubb or Evans here, but are they going to win me, my league? Mahomes can almost by himself.

2. You selected both Matt Breida and Jerick McKinnon in this draft as well as David Montgomery and Mike Davis. Share why the strategy of targeting teammates is a good one in this best-ball format.

In a best-ball format, you need to make the most of your later picks. It could be grouping together a group of wide receivers from let’s say Washington or two running backs expected to split time, again like Washington. Taking, for example, Robert Foster, DeVante Parker, David Moore and Willie Snead IV with four late picks, you would be hoping that one of them outperforms expectations. Taking Zay Jones, Robert Foster, and John Brown or Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson and Devante Parker or David Moore, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, means that you are likely to get the best scorer from that team in most weeks. While they all may put together 600-yard seasons, most of them will have fantasy startable games at least twice. There are many situations where there are players that are clearly going to be the number one, two and three, the only question is in what order. By not spending a high pick on the best of these, let’s say David Montgomery and Mike Davis with the sixth and eleventh selection. I will get the lead runner on a team expected to run the ball often, with rushing touchdowns. I don’t have to worry about which one it will be.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

Patrick Mahomes II and an underrated Tom Brady make for one of the best quarterback tandems in this league, even if they are the only two on the team. Mahomes should carry the water most weeks, but my money says 42-year-old Brady still has a few great games in him.

Weaknesses

There is a lot of uncertainty in the backfield on this fantasy team. Josh Jacobs, Sony Michel, and David Montgomery all have big upside, but they could all find themselves in timeshares. The wide receiver corps behind Julio Jones and Keenan Allen is full of questions, too. Will Courtland Sutton actually make an impact? Is Jamison Crowder going to emerge with Sam Darnold throwing him the ball? Is Parris Campbell going to see enough targets?

How They’ll Win it All

Mahomes leads the league in fantasy scoring again. David Njoku becomes a fantasy stud in that nascent Browns offense, and the Carolina tight ends combine to put up solid numbers throughout the year. Jacobs, Michel, and Montgomery all win leading roles and keep them all year long. Jones and Allen stay on the field for most of the year.

DRAFT SLOT 9

Renee Miller, The Athletic / Rotoworld

Renee is a neuroscientist from the University of Rochester and writes about fantasy football for RotoWorld and The Athletic. She is a former writer for ESPN, RotoViz, RotoWire, and others. Author of “Cognitive Bias in Fantasy Sports: "Is your brain sabotaging your team?”

Follow @reneemiller01

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 9-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

I like 3-4 running backs and 5-6 receivers in the first round, so from this late spot, I’ll pretty much take whoever falls my way. Davante Adams, David Johnson, Michael Thomas, and Travis Kelce are all great options here.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

This is the reason that Kelce is a first-round option for me. I’d like to get one stud TE and RB early and fill the next several rounds with WRs. I’ll also pick up two later round TEs, like Waller, Andrews, Rudolph, or Jarwin. I also like to use WR in the flex so this format reinforces my preference to take 5-6 WR in the first 8 rounds.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

In no particular order: Tyler Boyd, Amari Cooper, Dak Prescott, Tyler Lockett, Austin Ekeler, James White. Not sure these are build-around guys, but guys I’m excited about when they fall to me. I’ll probably reach for Boyd in the 4th, look for Cooper late 3rd, Lockett in the 5th.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

Not really. I try hard not to panic. I think TE is a good example of this: But if I miss on Kelce, Ertz, and Kittle, I’m not going to waste a second or third-round pick on Hunter Henry, O.J. Howard or Ebron. I’ll wait until I see better value at the position. The value drop off from the top 3 TEs to the next couple is too great to miss out on the WRs available here.

5. What is your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

I’m fine with rookies. In fact, if there’s a reasonable opportunity expectation, I’ll draft them over veterans. Injured players, on the other hand, I have a hard time with. Even though I’m a rational, logical scientist, I fall hard on the Novelty Bias and have the patience of a four-year-old. I can’t trust that a hold-out or injured player will rebound to reward my fantasy team. I won’t have any A.J. Green shares, nor Melvin Gordon III. I’ll let someone else wait out Kareem Hunt too. Enough situations change during the course of the season that I don’t want to build in additional “what if” and “maybe soon” players.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

Adam Humphries, Cole Beasley, Michael Gallup, Chris Thompson, T.J. Yeldon, Phillip Dorsett, Devin Singletary.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

I’ll take 3 of each for security and because you can with such a deep draft. I’ll aim to get one top 5 defense (Chicago, LA Chargers, Baltimore, Minnesota are my favorites) and two others I can live with later (Buffalo, LA Rams, Houston, Bengals, Saints) . Before I agreed to this league, I had made it to zero kickers in every single one of my season-long leagues. Anyway, I’m sure I’ll have to draft kickers before the end, but I’m not going to go crazy for them. Dome/warm weather schedule and demonstrated competence is all I’m
looking for.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

• 1. Upside. A player, if/when he gets in the game, has a chance for 20+ fantasy points.
• 2. Depth. I’ll be sure to have at least 3 QB, TE, DEF, K (the start one positions (though TE possible exception)) because there is nothing worse than injuries giving you a mandatory zero every week.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Let's talk about your love for Tyler Boyd. You indicated he was a player that you will be targeting and you selected him with pick 4.04 as your WR3, ahead of Adam Thielen, Brandin Cooks, and Julian Edelman. You also paired him with Andy Dalton as your QB3 later in the draft. What is your outlook for the Cincinnati passing game, particularly Boyd this season?

Boyd stood out in a recent analysis I did for the Athletic. I used Venn diagrams to look at players that excel in three stats: volume (at least 200 targets), efficiency (at least 2.0 fantasy points per target), and true catch rate (at least 85 percent on catchable passes). In addition to Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hill, Michael Thomas, Brandin Cooks, and Larry Fitzgerald, there was Boyd in the center of the diagram. I like his outlook with A.J. Green on or off the field in what should be a balanced offense this season. I definitely considered Cooks, but there is a lot of competition for targets in LA and the news on Cooper Kupp has been stellar, and Thielen, but I’m scared of a run-heavy Minnesota offense. I reached, no doubt, but as I got scooped on so many other players that I wanted in this draft, I’m glad I did.

Well I also love (and picked) Joe Mixon (Round 2), and stacking can be huge in best ball, so Dalton was kind of a must-get for me. However, I think both Mixon and Boyd have stand-alone, every week value. I expect the Bengals to be a much better team this year. They were off to a good start in 2018 before injuries derailed things. They have significant talent at every skill position (Dalton is the weakest link, but can be serviceable), especially if Tyler Eifert can play a majority of games. As Scott Barrett points out in his latest, Eifert is one of the best at his position when on the field. Not to go on and on, but the defense is also super talented and if it plays up to its potential, it bodes well for Dalton and the offense’s time of possession.

2. Explain why selecting both Colts tight ends, Eric Ebron (pick 6.04) and Jack Doyle (pick 9.09) is a good strategy in a draft with this format? What can we expect from the Colts tight end duo this season?

The Colts tight end was nearly always a good play last season. Ebron had 5-6 nice games, and I’ve seen him go much higher in other drafts. I wasn’t planning on taking a TE this soon, but couldn’t let it go at 6.04. Getting Doyle later was just for insurance in a TE-heavy scoring system, as was going with 4 TEs. With two Indy tight ends, I also grabbed Luck for the stacking potential any given week. What can we expect? I hope Ebron plays the whole season – if so, I don’t expect much from Doyle, though the Colts have used two tight ends effectively when the WR corps is decimated.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

If Andrew Luck’s calf is scaring fantasy owners into making him a steal, Renee certainly took advantage. He was the fourth quarterback off the board, technically, but not until the eighth round. Pairing him with Baker Mayfield could be a moneymaker here.

Weaknesses

Depth at running back could be problematic. Lamar Miller as the RB2 was a great option for about a week before Duke Johnson Jr was traded to the Texans. Behind him are third-down back Dion Lewis, suspended Kareem Hunt, and roster-bubble T.J. Yeldon. Having teammates Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle as your top tight ends seem suboptimal.

How They’ll Win it All

Luck’s calf was a preseason false flag, and he churns out another top-5 fantasy season alongside Mayfield. Ebron and Doyle trade big weeks to fill up the tight end starting slot with 15 points per game. Joe Mixon becomes a top-10 back while Miller holds off fellow former Hurricane for the majority of touches.

DRAFT SLOT 10

David Dodds, Footballguys - Bio

Follow @fbg_dodds

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 10th hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

This is a tricky spot because the top RBs and Kelce are always gone. It nearly always forces you to go WR/WR in the first two rounds which is problematic because RBs and TEs will go fast in this format. I plan on taking two WRs early but then abandoning the position until late looking to add quantity (over quality). I am going to do that so that I can get ahead of the TE panic and compete for the best RBs.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

You need good to great tight ends. You want players from all of three positions that can compete every week for these two flex spots. A 5-60-1 performance from a tight end is 19.5 points, but those type of players dry up fast. Ideally, I will 3 tight ends before I take my first quarterback.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

3rd round - I am targetting Kerryon Johnson or Aaron Jones. I expect both players to move into the late second round by the end of the preseason. Both teams look to be featuring these players in a bigger role for this season.

Tight Ends' Vance McDonald, Austin Hooper, or Kyle Rudolph - I am significantly higher on all three of these tight ends for 2019. Vance McDonald should be the recipient of significant targets lost with the departure of Antonio Brown and Jesse James. Hooper has improved every year and should have an expanded role after the departure of Tevin Coleman. Kyle Rudolph sees a lot of snaps because the Vikings don't have a viable WR3. His ADP was repressed because of some talk about shopping him, but the team extended him this offseason yet his ADP never changed.

If I draft defense correctly, I will end up with two of these three: Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Atlanta.

At the end of the draft, I will be looking to add WRs from both Miami and Washington. None of these players are all that great, but they can be had cheap and should have games while playing from behind that rival players selected many rounds before them.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

• At QB, I like 4-6 off the board and then I make it a priority. That usually happens at the end of the 9th round.
• At PK, I like to jump in early once 3-4 have been drafted. I would rather be in front of this run than behind it.
• At Def, I get involved after 7-10 have been selected.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

In best ball format, I am generally avoiding these players. I don't like zeroes on any weeks from my players.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

• Mohammed Sanu - He has a clearly defined WR3 situation and plays on a team that will use three-wide receiver formations often.
• RBs Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson - I remain firmly in the anti-Guice camp and these are the two players who should benefit the most if Guice continues to bust.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

I try not to get squeezed at either position by mostly being in front of the runs. I am less worried at defense where I will go with worse options if certain normal players are still in play. Although I generally will take three at each of these positions, I am going to take only two at each position so that I have more darts at WR late.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

I plan on backing up one of my TEs. Xavier Gimble (Pit) or Irv Smith (Min) can generally be drafted in round 27 or 28 if I secure Vance McDonald or Kyle Rudolph.

My quantity over quality strategy at wide receiver would never work in a standard league but is made possible in this 28-round best ball format. The evaluator will likely hate the construction of my team, but I have won many such leagues deploying this exact build strategy that grabs some studs at wide receiver and neglecting the position until very late.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. You explained your draft strategy well in the pre-draft questions, nailing pretty much everything you wanted to do. My question shifts from strategy to analysis. You mentioned a strong belief in Adrian Peterson over Derrius Guice. Explain why your level of interest favors Peterson in the Washington offense this season.

I am not in love with Adrian Peterson, but he can be had for pennies on the dollar this late in his career. This is despite the fact he amassed over 1,000 yards rushing last season and the team resigned him for another 2 years. I remain skeptical that Derrius Guice is ok physically after suffering his ACL last August.

Guice's newsfeed reads like a nightmare:

• August 10, 2018 - Suffers ACL injury
• December 13, 2018 - Infection requires additional surgery
• April 27, 2019 - Coming along way slower than normal
• July 12, 2019 - Suffers a hamstring issue while rehabbing

Recent reports now have Guice practicing, but is he all the way back? ACL injuries used to decimate running backs for 12-15 months. Guice's recovery has the earmarks of not going smoothly at all. I suspect we will see Guice this season, but I don't think it will be as a starter amassing a lot of carries. Factor in the skill set of Chris Thompson and I prefer grabbing the bargains while others chase the high ADP of Guice.

2. It seems like the later draft slots 10, 11, and 12 prefer to target wide receiver first, followed by another receiver or running back on the second round turn. You selected JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second round with Joe Mixon still on the board. What running back would need to be there at pick 2.03 for you to forego a top wide receiver and select a running back? Also, why not a top tight end there?

I see people taking Joe Mixon with picks 10-15, but I am not seeing the worth. He plays on one of the worst teams in the league who will likely be playing catch up football in a lot of contests. RB Giovani Bernard is among the best 3rd down backs in the league and I suspect he will play a lot in these playing-from-behind situations. I like Todd Gurley, Damien Williams, and James Conners as 2nd round running backs, but all after pick 16. I have Zach Ertz at 17 so it would have been a slight reach to grab him here. JuJu feels like one of the safest plays in the second round due to the targets that vacated with Antonio Brown leaving.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

David was methodical in this draft, filling out his non-quarterback starters in positional order until it was time to make a run. He managed to field an explosive pair of wideouts to start followed by a solid threesome at running back before gorging himself at tight end. Vance McDonald, Austin Hooper, and Kyle Rudolph are going to do nicely in this format. On top of all that, David’s quarterback trio has the highest weekly floor in this league — there just aren’t going to be many bad weeks at that position, if any.

Weaknesses

Forsaking receivers for 12 rounds after taking your first two is a perilous adventure. There is a lot of upside in the group collectively trying to put up WR3 numbers regularly, but the floor is in the gutter. Mama said there’ll be weeks like this: 5.3 points from WR3.

How They’ll Win it All

The Dolphins passing offense comes to life thanks to some Fitzmagic, making DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson into best ball stud. Paul Richardson Jr finally stops teasing us all and has a big year. Phillip Lindsay holds off Royce Freeman and Theo Riddick for touches while Aaron Jones hits it big.

DRAFT SLOT 11

James Brimacombe, Footballguys - Bio

Follow @JamesBrimacombe

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 11-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

With being at the back end of the 1st round I probably will miss out on all the top RBs and with the TE premium format I will likely also miss out on Travis Kelce. For these reasons, I will be looking to grab two-star receivers to start my draft and hope for an edge at that position and look to grab a running back come round 3.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

It won’t change it a ton as I will take some of the top TEs earlier if they fall to me at a reasonable spot in the draft but I don’t want to be chasing these types as I will be looking for value at other positions. With the dual-flex I will be fine having plenty of RB/WR talent and hope that they just get inserted to my best ball lineup each week. With the draft being 28 rounds and a best-ball format, I will look to roster 4 or 5 TEs but you won’t be seeing me overpay for the position early in drafts.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

If it goes how I think it will go with the 1.11 pick to start I will likely be looking for a pair of WRs in Hopkins, Adams, Jones, Thomas, Beckham, or Hill range. I will take whatever two I can get from this group if they fall to me. That being said I will be most likely looking at Marlon Mack, Kerryon Johnson, or Aaron Jones type in the round three.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

Not really, I approach every draft so differently and adapt as the draft is taking place. I have had my share of practice already this offseason with over 1000 drafts completed so I am never phased when a player or two that I like is drafted right in front of me. There are players I like in every round and have a lot of them grouped into certain tiers so if a player in that tier gets taken I just wait for the value until who is left on my pick.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

I like to draft rookie running backs such as Jacobs, Montgomery, Sanders, Harris but I won’t overpay for a player like Montgomery this season. I don’t like to draft rookies at the WR/TE positions as I always feel like I can get better value with veteran players at the same ADP. I am also not big on drafting injured or suspended players and always get excited when others reach on them a few rounds earlier than what I would even consider in the first place.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

I like Kirk Cousins in the 12th round and like to pair him with a Dalton or Foles in Rounds 16-18 in best ball. At Running back the 2 names that I feel comfortable drafting right now are Mike Davis and Jalen Richard who both have ADP’s in the 17th round. At WR I like Jamison Crowder, Albert Wilson, Marquise Goodwin, Taylor Gabriel, Nelson Agholor, and DJ Chark as my last few round targets as I think they all have plenty of opportunities to contribute for their teams this year in WR2 or WR3 roles and give me plenty of value in Best Ball.

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

I have no strategy here, I just want to wait until the end and just take a pair of defenses with different bye weeks. With the kicker position, I can see wanting to draft them earlier and maybe going with 3 as the position has been so up and down over the last few years. In best-ball you don’t want to leave points off of your team each week so you want to make sure even at a position like kicker, you have 3 kickers that will be starters to start the season at the very least.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

In rough I think a 3/7/9/4 build with 2 defenses and 3 kickers is where I want to start. I want to make sure I cover all my bases with giving myself the max opportunities to score the most points each week. With 28 roster spots, I think you can build a team that even with 6 or 7 injuries by the end of the season that you will never take a zero on any given week.

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. James, you have drafted 100's of best ball teams this season alone. Can you explain the challenge of not drafting the same lot of players in each draft? For someone who invests a lot in best ball drafts, how do you keep a variance of different players in your myriad of drafts, while still drafting the players you want.

That is the whole key of why I am drafting in so many best-ball leagues, I want different players, I want to spread out my risk from a down season or an injury. The reason I enjoy best ball drafts so much is that every day the landscape changes as you go through the offseason. Listening to podcasts, reading the news, looking at training camp reports, searching for ADP values, evaluating my player ownership, trying new draft strategies, and updating my rankings daily are all huge parts of why I enjoy playing this game. I don't usually just lock onto players that I want, I am constantly looking at ADP and what value is out there for me to take advantage of on that particular day. I am fine with adjusting my rankings when I feel like I am getting too high on a single player so I will look at that tier of players and maybe bump a player over him that I am lower on.

2. What's the single most important piece of advice that you can give to someone drafting in a best ball league?

Have fun and draft players that you like and that are healthy. You never want to have a team full of guys that are limping into the season as in best ball you get one shot with each draft pick and if that player can't play at any point in the season there is no turning back you are stuck with that player for the entire season. I like to take any type of risk out of every single pick if possible as you can always find a similar player in a similar tier that has a clean slate to start the season.

3. Name a few players that you have avoided in your drafts this year.

As a volume best ball drafter, I have drafted about 700 12-man drafts and these are my biggest % fades on the season:

• QB: Brees 2, Brady 1
• RB: D.Freeman 0, Fournette 1, White 0, Hunt 0, McCoy 0, Mckinnon 0, Peterson 0
• WR: Tyreek 0, Kupp 0, Allison 0, Fitzgerald 0, Gordon 0, Cobb 0, Quinn 0
• TE: Walker 0, Olsen 0, LaCosse 0, Eifert 0, Witten 0, Waller 0 (Late to the party)

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

Without a top-tier back available, James did a fabulous job loading up at the position. There is a ton of potential between Rashaad Penny, Austin Ekeler, and Royce Freeman, who are all vying to get into the best-ball lineup behind Dalvin Cook and Marlon Mack. James did a nice job securing undervalued receivers behind Odell Beckham Jr in Kenny Golladay and Allen Robinson, too.

Weaknesses

A quarterback class featuring Mitch Trubisky is less than ideal. True, stacking Trubisky and Robinson might prove useful in a handful of weeks, and Philip Rivers has his moments, but there is enough volatility at the position to sink James’ score any given Sunday. Jimmy Graham is getting his annual pre-season hype, but he has been done in fantasy football for years now.

How They’ll Win it All

Trubisky finds consistency in his third year while Rivers and Graham find the fountain of youth. O.J. Howard stays healthy and becomes Jameis Winston’s No. 1 option. The bench receivers are rarely needed to step up most of the year.

DRAFT SLOT 12

Clayton Gray, Footballguys - Bio

Follow @claytongrayfbg

PRE-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. Discuss drafting from the 12-hole. What will you do differently because of this draft slot?

Drafting in the 1.12 is great and awful.

I love having back-to-back picks. You can take a pair of receivers, which can be terrific in best-ball leagues. You can also try to start runs. By taking a pair of tight ends or quarterbacks, you can sometimes cause panic to set in.

But I hate the idea of completely missing on positional runs. Sometimes, you don't start the run but, instead, miss it entirely. That can be brutal as you are almost forced to take lesser players at the position or you'll be shut out there.

2. How will the dual-flex and tight end 1.5 PPR scoring format change how you approach this draft?

You have to overpay for the position sometimes, or you can get squeezed out completely. And then you don't have much of a chance to win the league. Conversely, having two or three strong tight ends can power you to huge weekly point totals.

And I won't be shut out at tight end. Unless a running back or wide receiver of great value is there, I'll take Hunter Henry and Evan Engram at the 3/4 turn.

3. Name a few guys that you are looking to build your team around. What rounds do you expect to get them in?

• TEs - Henry and Engram at the 3/4 turn.
• QBs - Not sure who, but it'll be at the 9/10 turn

Aside from that, I rarely target specific players.

4. Do you have any trigger points (ie players A and B are gone therefore I am looking to grab player C the next time I pick)

Nope. Unless saying, I will take a couple of solid kickers after the first one is selected.

5. What's your approach to rookies, injured players, and/or suspended players that may not have a full workload to start the season?

I doubt any those guys are on my roster other than a rookie or two.

6. Who are some players that you will be targeting in the later rounds (after round 15)?

I know this isn't helpful, but I don't have any specific targets. There are guys I like better than most people do, though:

• TE Gerald Everett, Cameron Brate
• WR John Brown, Josh Reynolds, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside
• RB Malcolm Brown, Justin Jackson

I would guess that a few of those guys end up on my roster

7. What is your strategy at the Defense/ST and kicker position for this league?

Either get two good ones or three total. I'll try to have no bye overlaps among all of my kickers and defenses. That way, I have a little more power at these two positions.

8. This draft has 28 rounds, which means 336 players and defenses will be selected. What strategies are you looking to implement as a result of an extended bench in this best ball format?

My roster will end up something like this:

• 3 QBs
• 2-3 PKs
• 2-3 Defs
• 5-6 TEs
• 6-7 RBs
• 8-9 WRs

DRAFT SELECTIONS

POST-DRAFT QUESTIONS

1. You selected only two running backs in the first eight rounds of the draft. Why did you elect to focus on the wide receiver position more than running back with the earliest, most important picks of the draft?

That certainly wasn't my intention, but the draft just fell that way. I knew the following picks were going to happen:

• BPA in Round 1 and Round 2
• TEs in Round 3 and Round 4
• BPA in Round 5 through Round 8
• QBs in Round 9 and Round 10

Generally speaking, I like having at least one running back in my first two picks, and I was able to get Le'Veon Bell to go with Michael Thomas. That felt like a perfect start because these two guys should provide excellent, every-week production, and it's important to have at least one player at each position you can count on. That way, you only need to find one other player to provide starter-level production at that position each week. After that, it's okay to have weakness in a single position. If you're weak in two areas, it's hard to patch both of them. But you can pretty easily throw a few darts and patch up a single hole.

Picks five through eight just had more value at wide receiver than at running back. I don't mind being light at running back because it's relatively easy to grab a bunch of ball-carriers who are NFL RB2s or sharing time. Players in those situations in early-August often find themselves getting near-bell-cow touches by October for a variety of reasons: someone else got hurt, underperforms, etc.. Getting Peyton Barber, Alexander Mattison, Justin Jackson, and Malcolm Brown gives me four shots on finding a guy who will excel if their teammate falters. I like my odds there.

2. In a best-ball draft, when gathering depth, is it more important to have veterans who are lower risk and have a lower ceiling or emerging players who have a higher risk with a higher ceiling? Explain your answer.

It depends on whether you want to take a shot at winning or safely finish in the Top 5. While people sometimes remember who finishes last, everyone knows who won last year and will never recall who was ninth-place. Unless there is a significant reward for almost winning, you should go for the championship. You win by having players who score a lot of points. Low-risk players are great for giving you four to eight points a week. While avoiding zeroes in your starting lineup is important, having players who give you six points isn't going to push your roster into the elite tier of teams. You need to have players who can randomly give you double-digit production and occasionally hit the 20-point mark. Individually, guys like Marquise Goodwin, Josh Reynolds, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Gus Edwards, Keelan Cole, and Emmanuel Butler will likely flame out and rarely hit my starting lineup. But collectively, at least one of them will likely strike it big.

ALEX MIGLIO'S EVALUATION

Strengths

Hunter Henry and Evan Engram were fantastic picks at the 3-4 turn, giving Clayton one of the strongest tight end groups in the league. Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, and Jimmy Garoppolo make for a nice trio at quarterback, too.

Weaknesses

The wide receivers behind Michael Thomas on this squad remain unconvincing. Calvin Ridley had some huge games last season and may reprise that performance, but he could also fall to fourth or fifth in targets on his team. Mike Williams’ touchdown rate is unsustainable, and Dante Pettis is just not a sexy fantasy pick. Clayton’s running back situation is rather volatile as well — Tevin Coleman and Peyton Barber don’t exactly have clear tracks to heavy workloads, and Bell may not thrive in New York.

How They’ll Win it All

Bell plays like he never missed a beat, turning in the top fantasy season at running back in the process. Williams’ touchdown rate sustains. Jimmy G shakes off his injury and turns into West Coast Tommy B.

Completed Rosters

Questions, suggestions and, comments are always welcome to haseley@footballguys.com

Follow @JeffHaseley