Building Draft Confidence: The Greatest Picks In Every AFFL Team's History
Raffi Lalazarian
Confidence. You need it in all aspects of life. Whether it is approaching that curvacious woman using the elliptical machine at the gym, or deciding to select the not-so-obvious pick in the second round of a fantasy draft, the more confidence you have in yourself the better equipped you'll be to take risks and make the tough choices in life. In a fantasy draft, it's all about making tough choices, and those that take the risky road, often are rewarded. Behold the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks its neck out.
Going into the 2014 draft, the tension will be running high, and many will crumble when their team's selection is on the clock. The choice between Doug Martin, Larry Fitzgerald, or a Quarterback will stir a philosophical conversation in a managers head that will seemingly go on for hours during the minute and a half they have to finalize their pick. And no sooner than when they proclaim their choice, they will inadvertently blurt out, "I hated that pick." Tsk. Tsk. Oh ye' with little faith. A lack of confidence indeed.
For every bust, there has been a diamond in the rough found by each manager in the AFFL, and it should be celebrated. Whether a manager can or can't draft in the AFFL could be argued for days (Will Hangin' & Bangin' nail it this year or go limp into the season again?), but each team has had their share of great picks in the past, something they can carry with pride into 2014.
So call this article a confidence piece, aimed to bolster up the fragile egos of every AFFL manager who will dare to select the perfect team come the 2014 draft. We combed through every AFFL draft since 2008 and gathered up the best picks from every AFFL team. Any draft pick was eligible, as long as they were used in their roster at some point during the season. We looked for players whose numbers were a significant increase from their draft spot. While early round picks may have been spot on, we looked for one's that would bring a little more ooh and ahhhs for the manager.
Was Josh Gordon Bomba's best pick ever? Did Ara out do himself with Peyton Manning? Was Eddie Lacy HBK's masterpiece? Did Hangin' & Bangin' make Jordy Nelson in 2013 their all-time best? We shall soon find out. Let the confidence building begin.
Jaj Cousteau
2010 - Arian Foster (2nd round. Pick #19)
Honorable Mention: 2014 - Alshon Jeffery (11th round. Pick #124)
Nothing quite like entering the league with a bang, and Jaj did just that when he selected Arian Foster in the second round of his inaugural AFFL season. Granted, Cousteau is a huge Texans fan, so we must assume that he had been doing heavy research on the team prior to the draft. Heck, he could have been talking to head coach Kubiak for all we know. During the 2010 preseason, rumors were buzzing about Foster being a prime break out candidate, and his stock began slowly climbing up draft boards. He peaked at around the end of the fourth round, which was very high for a complete unknown. When it came time for Jaj to make his selection, he didn't waiver a bit, and the entire draft room reacted with a collective "whoa," to which Jaj perked up and looked around like they were crazy. He was right. They were. Foster finished as the top fantasy back that season. Cousteau strikes again!
Awesomeness
2008 - Chris Johnson (8th round. Pick #89)
Honorable Mention: 2011 - C.J. Spiller (8th round. Pick #92)
There was one year when Chris Johnson was known as Cj2k, and that happened to be the year that Awesomeness nabbed him in the 8th round. In his first season in the league, Awesomeness launched his team to the finals thanks in large part by gambling on a rookie in the 8th round. Already gambling by taking three Atlanta falcons as his starters, David put his entire RB situation in the hands of a rookie that was unknown and not getting much pub. What ended up happening next was an entire league of managers realizing that Awesomeness was exactly that, too awesome handle on a weekly basis. It set the stage for a series of three consecutive years making the finals with back-to-back titles in '09-'10. It all began with a little known rookie out of eastern Carolina.
Vosgereechee Gyank
2012 - Andrew Luck (12th Round. Pick #143)
Back in 2012, Andrew Luck exploded on the scene as a rookie, and propelled the Colts back into immediate relevance. Waiting for a quarterback has always been a prudent move, and while the Gyank had already nabbed Tony Romo in the 8th round, he didn't hesitate to take a gamble on the rookie QB that many felt wouldn't have the weapons to pose an offense threat in the league. They were wrong, and Vosgee reaped the benefit of a top 8 QB that was gained after the 10th round. Romo finished number 7 at the position, giving his Gyankness a solid QB foundation all year long. Very nice work indeed.
Grabbers United
2010 - Darren McFadden (9th Round. Pick #101)
When the 2010 draft began, there was much speculation as to where to nab the Raiders RB who had been injury prone and labeled a bust in the previous two seasons. With no teams wanting to invest an early round pick on DMac, he slipped all the way down to the 9th round, where Grabbers United owner Sassoon took advantage. It was a low risk move with high upside, but still a gamble that eleven other managers passed up. The result? DMacs best statistical year of his career with over 1600 yards combo yards and 10 TDs. Patience is a virtue, and kudos to Grabbers for taking the plunge on a player that was thought of as a waste of a roster spot.
BDiddy
2012 - Peyton Manning (6th Round. Pick #61)
Honorable Mention: 2012- Demeriyus Thomas (5th Round. Pick #60)
The first year Peyton Manning returned from neck surgery, nobody knew what to expect. While many fantasy experts lauded Manning as a good quarterback to own, few were on board with any notion that he would finish in the top two that year at the position. After the Atomic Bomba snagged Julio Jones and Matt Ryan in the early rounds, BDiddy and company shifted to plan C, and targeted Peyton. Not only did BDiddy throw caution in the wind by drafting Manning at extremely good value in the 6th round, they went all in on the Bronco's passer by pairing him with his #1 target Demeriyus Thomas a pick earlier. The results were glowing, as Diddy made it to the semi-finals in the playoffs thanks to Manning's huge year. Bravo indeed.
Magnum Sev.i
2013 - Knowshon Moreno (14th Round. Pick #162)
Honorable Mention: 2011 - Darren Sproles (12th Round. Pick #137)
Anytime you can nab a running back in the late rounds that turns out to be an RB1 for the entire year, you've done very well for yourself. During the 2013 preseason, many fantasy aficionados were clamoring for rookie Monte Ball or 2nd year back Ronnie Hillman to be drafted in leagues. Buried on the depth chart, Moreno was looked at as more a long shot to win the job in Denver. Magnum Sev.i turned a deaf ear to the so called experts and drafted Hillman and Moreno, covering his behind in the process. While he didn't draft either as a starter, Moreno quickly emerged as his best option, finishing 4th amongst all RBs in fantasy points. You can go ahead and peg Moreno the greatest 14th round pick the AFFL has seen. Always respect the 'stache.
Hangin' & Bangin'
2009 - Ricky Williams (13th Round. Pick#155)
In between finding himself and teaching Yoga, Ricky Williams managed to briefly have a great year during his 2009 campaign. Combining for over 1400 yards and 13 TDs, Williams finished 5th amongst RBs at the position. Those numbers would peg him to be drafted somewhere between rounds 2-4 in most any fantasy football draft format. Hangin' & Bangin' (then known as the Donkey Punchers) scored big time by grabbing Ricky with their 155th overall pick. While draft hits have been hard to come by for the franchise, Bangin' did an excellent job doing their homework and nabbing a player who immediately provided RB2/1 production on a weekly basis. Granted they did eventually trade Williams at the deadline in a package deal for Wes Welker and Malcom Floyd, but not before they got the most value out of one of the best RBs in the 2009 season. It's great when you get 'em late and they reciprocate isn't it?
HBK Shant Michaels
2010 - LaDanian Tomlinson (8th Round. Pick #94)
Honorable Mention: 2013 - Eddie Lacy (3rd Round. Pick #25)
After forty other running backs went ahead of him in the 2010 AFFL Draft, LT was sitting around waiting for a suitor at the end of the 8th round where HBK Shant Michaels took a gamble on him. After years of gracing the top of the draft boards in fantasy, it was a natural fall from grace for LT as his age started to catch-up with him. Pre-Draft rankings had LT as a mid-round gamble, stating that he could end up on the back end of a time share with no goal line carries. Despite the warnings to temper expectations, HBK took a shot and was rewarded with solid RB2 numbers. His 193 fantasy points that season placed him in the top 12 at the position, leap frogging twenty eight other running backs that were drafted ahead of him. HBK definitely dropped some nice late round chin music here.
Hartan
2012 - Alfred Morris (14th Round. Pick #166)
Honorable Mention: 2009 - Brett Favre (12th Round. Pick #135)
When it comes to late round value, it doesn't get much better than Hartan's draft pick of Alfred Morris in the 2012 AFFL draft. During that years preseason, the starting running back for Mike Shanahan's offense was in limbo. He had been known to toy with fantasy owners by playing a game of musical chairs in the backfield with past teams, so taking any redskins quarterback was a yearlong gamble. While names like Helu and Royster were speculated to get the starting nod, Hartan nabbed Alfred Morris late, hoping he would eventually win the job. He did, and after a season with 1600 yards and 13 TDs which landed him in the top five amongst running backs in fantasy points, Hartan couldn't have been more pleased. Not all 14th round picks are the same. Some end up becoming RB1s and providing joy that every fantasy owner dreams of. Hartan nailed one here.
Prime Time
2011 - Steve Smith Sr. (8th Round. Pick #95)
Honorable Mention: 2013 - LeVeon Bell (9th Round. Pick #101)
In 2011, the Panthers had a rookie Cam Newton as quarterback and an aging Steve Smith coming off two of his worst seasons statistically in his career. Blending those two together brought a lot of risk when thinking about drafting Smith in any of the early rounds. Naturally, he slipped come draft day, where Prime Time nabbed him with the 95th overall pick in the 8th round. He was drafted as his 3rd wide receiver, so this wasn't just someone who was brought in for depth. Ara was drafting him as a starter. Smith rewarded Prime Time's trust with a stat line that was his 3rd highest in his career: 79 rec, 1394 yrds, 7 Tds. He finished as the 5th highest WR in fantasy and carried Prime Time all the way to the finals. Incidentally, Cam Newton wasn't even drafted, which shows just how much of a risk Ara took. Well done, just like a piece of Prime Rib.
Atomic Bomba
2010 - Peyton Hillis (14th Round. Pick #162)
Honorable Mention: 2013 - Josh Gordon (9th Round. Pick #104)
No Steve Slaton. No Deangelo Williams. This honor goes to a white RB. In 2009, Peyton Hillis was a back-up running back for the Denver Broncos. A stocky, fairly slow RB, that had pedestrian numbers. After being traded to the Cleveland Browns for Brady Quinn, Hillis had a chance to do something that nobody thought he would: Get on the cover of Madden. With the 162nd pick in the draft, Bomba targeted "White Thunder" in hopes that he would capitalize on the flashes he showed at the end of the 2009 season and become the Browns lead back. Become the lead back he did, finishing with 273 fantasy points, the most for any RB that year. The Bomba rode the Hillis train all the way to his second title in so many years. The greatest 14th round pick in the history of the AFFL. Peyton Hills. Who would have thought?
Cobra Kai
2011 - Matthew Stafford (8th Round. Pick #88)
Honorable 2013 - Mention: Antonio Brown (6th Round. Pick #60)
In 2011, Matthew Stafford was coming of major shoulder surgery, and was labeled as an injury prone quarterback. Despite the label, Stafford had tremendous upside being that he was throwing to the league's best wide receiver in Calvin Johnson, so it's a little surprising he slid as far as he did during the draft. Cobra Kai patiently laid back and waited until the 8th round to grab his QB1 without hesitation. Staffords 5,000 yard passing season would place him third amongst quarterbacks that season, just behind Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. The 88th pick in the draft turned out to be a steal, as Stafford produced elite numbers week-in and week-out. Kudos goes to the Cobra for sitting back and waiting for the value at the position to come to him. It paid off big time. Strike first or eigth. Strike Hard. Show no Mercy. He-ya!