Starting tomorrow, we will be starting our slow rookie draft for our dynasty league. You can check back here for the updates as we make our picks over the next few days.
We are both pretty new to the dynasty scene, and this will be the first rookie draft we have ever partaken in. The rosters feature 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Superflex, and 1 Regular Flex. There are also no kickers or defenses because those can just be such an annoyance in dynasty. Scoring is the usual PPR format. I (Zach) have picks 1.06, 1.12, 2.12, 3.12, 4.12, and 5.12 and Kyle holds picks 1.03, 2.03, 2.06, 3.03, 4.03, and 5.03. Before we start talking about our picks, I think we should just mention the makeup of our current rosters.
I (Zach) won the league this past year, as you can infer from my 12th overall pick, and have a banging squad. I took a gamble last May in our startup draft on some young running backs in the first two rounds who you may know – Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey. These guys gave me an incredible base to build around and in a PPR format they are both so valuable. A little added depth could help me, but really I love what I have going on here.
At my Quarterback position, I currently have Philip Rivers which I feel great about. What I don’t feel so great about, though, is my Superflex QB… Alex Smith. (Side note: I really hope to see Alex make a full recovery. My heart goes out to that guy. You hate to see that kind of injury happen to anyone.) I managed to pick up Colt McCoy following the Smith injury, but that really didn’t help me out too much either after he got hurt as well. So, for the time being, Kenyan Drake is my Superflex, which is okay, but certainly not great. Having that second Quarterback in your roster can just help you out with those reliable, guaranteed points every week; whereas with a WR or RB in there, you just never know. If a guy I like falls to me at the right price, I may invest some solid capital at the QB position in the rookie draft.
Taking a look at my Wide Receivers, I like what I have, there’s not too much to say here. I have Diggs, who is a great dynasty asset and is a lock in my lineup every week. Tate and Edelman are also PPR gems, but they are beginning to get up there in age. Doug Baldwin is my only real issue other than depth. Doug has me worried with the current buzz around his status. I may try to target a late round receiver or make some trades before the season gets underway for a little bit of added security. But, for this year and the following year though, I don’t think I’ll have to worry too awfully much. Receiver is a position that has a lot of guys who pop up out of nowhere, so I just have to stay vigilant during the season and use my FAAB budget wisely.
The final position to talk about in my lineup is my tight end. Currently, in the screenshot above, you can see that Mark Andrews is my tight end. I’m pretty high on Andrews, I think he and Lamar Jackson developed a nice rapport with one another towards the end of the season. But, I realize that the Ravens offense is not too reliable when it comes to the passing game. What you can’t see from this screenshot is that I also have Greg Olsen. If Greg manages to stay healthy for all of 2019, it will be a great boost to my lineup because he is one of Cam’s favorite targets. But, Olsen’s last full season was all the way back in 2016. So, I really don’t expect much from Greg, but will be pleasantly surprised if and when he pans out (I’m speaking it into existence). Tight End is another position that I could invest some early rookie draft capital into, but with how hit or miss the TE position can be, I may just invest into more reliable positions like WR and RB as potential trade bait for a more established veteran.
As for my team (Kyle), it’s a work in progress. In comparison to Zach’s team and him winning the league this past season, I found myself fighting for last place throughout the season and wound up finishing in ninth of 12.
I think if I were to list my weaknesses I wouldn’t know where to start, but I guess I’ll start at QB. For some reason I decided to pick Jameis Winston as my QB1 in a dynasty draft last year. While not a terrible idea, I followed him up with Case Keenum as my QB2 in a superflex league. I don’t think there was a single week where I found myself starting both QBs at once.
At RB it appears that Melvin Gordon is my sole RB1 on their team. I drafted Kareem Hunt and Jerrick McKinnon last season feeling extremely confident in my RB squad, but one suspension and a season-ending injury I find myself terrified of my current RB stack.
During the early part of our startup draft I was going RB-heavy, so my WR’s saw some slack. Snagging Juju at the early part of the fourth round may be my true saving grace. While Ridley and Sutton are definitely promising and in good spots on their NFL rosters, they are still sophomore receivers behind a clear number one. Lockett may also see himself fall behind in targets on the Seahawks as the team has drafted DK Metcalf and may try getting him involved heavily. My bench holds the beautiful Josh Gordon and the hopeful Dez Bryant. Yeah, my receivers are a pile of “hopefully this year” dudes.
At tight end, it’s okay. With Delanie Walker currently in my starting spot I also have the Tyler Eifert and Will Dissly, two guys who show promise if they can stay healthy (looking at you, Eifert). It’s a position I’m not concerned about which is good news since every other spot on my team could use a boost.
Round 1
Pick 1.03 – Kyle’s pick – QB Dwayne Haskins
Being a superflex league and in dire need of a second QB, I went with the best available QB on the board. I was hoping Kyler Murray would slip through to me at the third pick but unfortunately he didn’t. BUT I’m still more than happy snagging Haskins and having him on the team. Even if Haskins is eased into the starting position in Washington I currently have Case Keenum on my bench. I’m excited for what Haskins can bring to the table in his career!
Pick 1.06 – Zach’s Pick – DK Metcalf
So this was a weird pick for me. My number one running back and number one receiver were both taken by the same team in the two consecutive picks before me. That left me with a bunch of guys who I was only moderately excited about, DK being one of them. I went with DK mostly because of currently owning Doug Baldwin. I have to have a backup plan if Baldwin does decide to retire because my reserve receivers are not very good. But, the more and more I think about the DK pick, the more I like it. I don’t think he’ll be a super high volume guy, especially in Schotty’s offense. However, if there is one type of guy Russell Wilson likes to throw to, it’s big endzone targets and Metcalf certainly fits that bill. He stands at 6 foot 3 inches and has a massive 40.5” vertical. He’ll be able to go up and contest jump balls and hopefully come down with 8-10 TDs this year.
Pick 1.12 – Zach’s Pick – Deebo Samuel
This pick was way more in my comfort zone than DK was. Mecole Hardman was still on the board for my pick, and boy was that tempting. But, I ultimately went with the guaranteed thing in Deebo. I have a thing for high target guys, especially in a PPR format. He had 62 targets in 2018, proving that he can be trusted with the ball. I think he will step into a starting role right away with the Niners, and I can see him turning into an Antonio Brown-like player for them down the road. I’m super happy with his upside and think he’ll be on my roster for quite a while.
Round 2
Pick 2.03 – Kyle’s pick – RB Darrell Henderson
Hell. Yes. Henderson is a talented RB and could find himself in an ideal position this season as there is an enormous question mark on the head of Todd Gurley in terms of his health. Not only that, but the Rams traded up in the third round to ensure they got their guy. When a team makes a move like this it’s important to take note because it means they have a plan for Henderson. In college, Henderson lead all RBs in the draft in the 2018 season in both TDs (22) and rushing yards (1909). His 4.49 40 time at the combine confirms his speed and I’m excited to have my man Henderson on the squad that desperately needed RB depth.
Pick 2.06 – Kyle’s pick – WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside
I had zero intentions of drafting a WR this early as I felt extremely confident in my young WR corps but I felt the value on JJAW was too hard to pass on. On an Eagles team with a fantastic young QB in Wentz and an aging WR squad I’m excited with the potential of JJAW. He’s a great 50-50 player and could absolutely ball out in Philly in the red zone.
Pick 2.12 – Zach’s pick – TRADE: Nick Foles
One of my main goals coming into this draft was to get a quarterback. Losing Alex Smith potentially forever kinda spooks me, so I was hoping to get a long term solution in this year’s rookie draft. But, being that our league is superflex, Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins were gone within the first three picks. So because I wasn’t exactly enamored with the remaining QBs on the board at this point of the draft, Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, or Jarrett Stidham, I decided to look elsewhere for a starting QB who was already established in the league – Nick Foles. It did cost me a little bit of capital; I had to send my 2nd and 4th round picks in our rookie draft this year to get him, but with my picks being at the end of each round, I felt that the picks were a little less valuable than normal and I was okay with parting ways with them. I’m not expecting huge things from Foles this year in a new offense in Jacksonville, but pairing him back up with ex Philly offensive coordinator John DeFilippo gives me a little bit of hope. DeFilippo loves to sling the ball, and Foles has the arm to make it happen. Just check that 2017 playoff game tape! And realistically, with Rivers as my constant starting QB, Foles will hopefully slot in as my superflex and give me a solid 15-20 points that I can bank on more so than with a receiver or running back.
Round 3
Pick 3.03 – Kyle’s pick – QB Jarrett Stidham
This may have been a reach and a half on my part but it’s a long-term investment into the potential Tom Brady replacement. I’m truly not expecting any return on this draft pick in the immediate future but the possibilities are exciting. The Patriots spent a fourth round pick on Stidham so they are putting in the investment necessary to lead him, and my fantasy team, to greatness.
Pick 3.12 – Zach’s pick – TE Irv Smith
I’m pretty excited that I managed to land Irv. The news that seems to be coming out of Minnesota is fantastic for his sake, as the team seems to be over Kyle Rudolph. The Vikings have backed themselves into such a corner with their cap situation that they literally cannot afford to keep Rudolph, making Irv far more valuable in the foreseeable future. My expectations are somewhat tempered, though, because I know how hard it is for tight ends to perform in their first year in the league. So, for the price I got him at and the situation he managed to land in, I’m very satisfied with this pick.
Round 4
Pick 4.03 – Kyle’s pick – TE Jace Sternberger
I currently have Old Man Delanie Walker and Tyler Eifert, the man who has probably been injured more than he has played football in his life as my top TEs and it was killing me. There was even a point in this past season where I had four of my TEs on either IR or missing a week or two. The Packers drafted Sternberger in the early third round so I decided to take him with my fourth round pick. Jimmy Graham is still currently with the Packers and as much as I agree he may still have some gas in the tank, Jace could totally take over as the primary TE for Rodgers in a new Packers regime.
Round 5
Pick 5.03 – Kyle’s pick – RB Ty Johnson
A very ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pick for me. Five rounds in a rookie draft becomes an entire dart board after a few rounds so you try to go with the guys you like slightly more than the rest and that to me was Ty Johnson. Mostly being a Lions fan gives me slightly more interest in Johnson but I feel that he’ll have a lot more involvement on return teams.
Pick 5.12 – Zach’s pick – RB Myles Gaskin
This was the Mr. Irrelevant pick of our 2019 rookie draft, and if I’m being completely transparent, it was a dart throw. I went with a running back who was impressive in college and heading to a team that is ushering in a new era altogether. I really don’t see Gaskin ever contributing to my team, but I decided to roll with him just because he could find himself in a nice situation if the new coaching staff in Miami happens to see something in him and attaches to him. Neither Kenyan Drake nor Kalen Ballage have really cemented themselves into the Miami offense, so I think there’s still a chance that Gaskin can make the roster, maybe as a second or third string option.
