Community involvement is the best aspect of Footballguys. The Subscriber Contest is one such opportunity. The winner banks $10,000 with multiple prize levels. Our Jeff Haseley once said something that has stuck with me: "It is difficult to be a good fantasy analyst and a good fantasy player." The job requires us to give our best to help you, our readers. It's a trade-off I am happy to make. Jeff provided his strategy for the contest last week. As one of the sharpest minds on staff, make sure to check out Jeff's breakdown.
This is my approach.
Anatomy of a Champion
Admittedly, the first thought that came to mind upon entry was, “If you give me 30 roster spots, I am going to roster 30 players.” A review of the 2024 champions' roster peeled that back. Team 106499 utilized the bare minimum of 18 players, with a roster comprising two quarterbacks, five running backs, five wide receivers, two tight ends, two kickers, and two defenses.
2024 Winning Roster
- Jayden Daniels, Arizona, QB - $20
- Kyler Murray, Arizona, QB - $17
- Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis, RB - $28
- James Conner, Arizona, RB - $17
- Javonte Williams, Dallas, RB - $14
- Chase Brown, Cincinnati, RB - $13
- Ray Davis, Buffalo, RB - $6
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit, WR - $34
- Malik Nabers, New York Giants, WR - $19
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle, WR - $15
- Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville, WR - $13
- Khalil Shakir, Buffalo, WR - $10
- George Kittle, San Francisco, TE - $15
- Taysom Hill, New Orleans, TE - $8
- Harrison Butker, Kansas City, K - $7
- Jake Bates, Detroit, K - $3
- Pittsburgh Steelers, DEF - $6
- Houston Texans, DEF - $5
Takeaways
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Health: It’s the big wildcard in fantasy football. The odds of winning a season-long contest without it are minimal. It can be tempting to try to ensure yourself against injuries, and in a 12-team managed redraft league, there’s a level of merit. But in a large entry field contest, draft as if you're correct and hope health plays out.
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High Upside Offenses: The backbone of the roster hit four of the top six scoring teams with Detroit, Buffalo, Washington, and Cincinnati. Many of the players who were not on those teams were part of the entire offense at times, allowing for spike-week performances. More to the point, on the high-end offenses, the roster utilized low-value entry points in Shakir, Daniels, Brown, and Davis.
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Rookies: 4 of the 14 position players were rookies. The uncertainty they present plays favorably in a pricing structure like this.
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No Fluff: There was hardly a wasted dollar on this roster. Davis is closest, but at $6, a high-value backup in a potent offense will not kill you.
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Dual Threat Quarterbacks: Dual threat quarterbacks are attractive because of their ceiling, but the real key is rushing that keeps you out of minimum weeks.
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Luck: The entry barely survived the Week 1 cutline, passing it by just 6 points. It was smooth sailing until Weeks 12 and 13, when there was another single-digit survival. The entry peaked during the playoff window, with three of its five highest-scoring weeks.