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Bombacast: Time to change the Defense/ST point system.
Raffi Lalazarian
Bomba breaks down the AFFL Draft survey, previews the second one, and proposes a new way to score defenses
2020 AFFL Covid-19 Rules Zoomcast
Raffi Lalazarian
Cobra enters the Bomba dojo to discuss how Covid is going to effect the fantasy season and what to do about it.
Read More2019 AFFL Draft Recap & Grades: Money to Burn. Bidding wars take the Prices of top Talent Sky High. Is this Finally the year of the Diq'?
Raffi Lalazarian
Welcome to 2019. After a night of drinking, talking smack, and fighting off mosquitos, the AFFL is set to begin the new season. The ceremonial draft began with the passing of famed AFFL trophy, that has been added upon by each winning manager. Hartan is the current champ, and was gracious enough to host the draft at the House of Hartan in Burbank. Once pleasantries were exchanged, and few hugs given, it was business as usual with a cast of characters honing in on their favorite pics.
Last place finisher Magnum Sev.i was indeed the highlight of the draft, showing up in his retro Tom Selleck get-up. With baseball cap in tow, Sev.i donned the ceremonial “ass place” toilet cover over on his head and set the draft into motion. Absent once again this year was the Shabam to Avo’s Shadiq Andre Tutunjian, who was at his daughter’s school orientation. As families are growing in the league managers must stay focused and find ways to out maneuver their significant other. Whether this means sneaking out, getting someone to cover “husband duties” or flat-out lying, it is a choice that every manager must make for themselves.
After baby karma took over the league in the early 2010’s, it has seen a resurgence in recent years, with teams trying to have kids just for the sake of AFFL luck. This year alone, there are multiple managers expecting to become fathers again, and some for the first time. Will this become a bigger distraction and separate the have’s from the have not’s? We shall see.
In any case, the addition of keepers in the AFFL has left many teams with ideal situations: two great players and lots of money to burn. This year alone 6 teams came into the draft with two keepers of high quality and low cost. These teams were Prime Time, Cobra Kai, Shabam Shadiq, Vosgee, Bomba & Jaj Cousteau. Another two BDiddy, and Hartan had at least one top tier player with another solid piece. Awesomeness began with 2 studs, but paid a hefty price. HBK was the lone manager who had one keeper, although that keeper was at a solid value. Grabbers and Sev.i rounded out the teams with keepers with good players at good prices but in a ballpark of their own.
What this meant was that there was going to be a feeding frenzy on players at the top of the board and a lot of value to be found elsewhere. That is exactly what happened, with teams adding to their already stacked core to create “super cores” of players from top tiers. A few managers opted to zig where others zagged and play the middle game, trying to accumulate more depth and talent rather than wow players. The results speak for themselves and here we will break down the teams and give them a grade.
About grades…
The breakdown of a roster isn’t so much about the players chosen. We can argue about who likes who more. One team may believe in a players bounce back year. Another may not. While we can argue over the price of a player, the more important part of the equation is how well did the team do in overall construction. Are there holes that need to be addressed or did they draft with those holes in mind? This will be the main focus of the grades. So when reading below, don’t get caught up in who got the shiny Lamborghini that will make everyone jealous, ask if they have enough Toyota Camrys to handle the daily commute to work.
Let’s get to it
Teams are listed in Alpha Order
Atomic Bomba
Keepers: Alvin Kamara $16, Travis Kelce $26
Best Picks: Antonio Brown $42, Allen Robinson $9
Worst Picks: Jameis Winston $2, Golden Tate $5
The Bomba came into the draft with two players in the top 15, with one in the top 4 in Kamara. With one of the stronger cores to begin with, he could have gone all in on a top Rb or WR and then sat back and cherry picked his needs. Many probably felt that he should have. However, the squad was built around finding the best prices for top players. The key here would be to make sure to insulate the risk. Taking Antonio and Gordon is fine, but then mixing them with risky players elsewhere is going to leave the team very vulnerable. The construction addresses the Antonio saga well, with enough steady and upside WRs to mitigate an Antonio meltdown. The problem is the RB slot. Taking Gordon and making him an RB2 puts the team in hole. Ideally, the plan was to make Gordon an RB3, but that didn’t happen. Relying on Justice hill or Royce Freeman to be that guy at RB2 is dicey at best, for now. Ultimately, the team needed a solid Rb2, like a Montgomery, to make this situation work. If it gets it, or if Gordon is signed or traded, remains to be seen. For now, this grade has to reflect accordingly.
Grade: C
Why: Can’t have Gordon and not build depth at RB. Mistake.
Awesomeness
Keepers: Devonte Adams $42, Tyreek Hill $37
Best picks: Sequan Barkley $76, Jamison Crowder $3
Worst Picks: 3 QBs, Old Tight ends
Starting off with two top 8 Wrs is golden for Awesomeness. The right play for this team would have been to add heavy to the RB slots and go deep as possible. While he started off with Sequan for $76, a solid piece, the rest of the draft was spent getting players that were of no use to the overall construction of the team. No need for three Qbs when you have Rodgers. Those are precious roster spots. Where are the RB2s? Instead of the gluttony at quarterback and two old Tight ends, Awesomeness would have been better served investing in some mid-tier Rbs. Someone like Tevin Coleman, Royce, Lindsay, anyone. While the core of three studs and a top Qb is very good, the rest is very poor, and leaves Awesomeness heavily exposed when coming into the bye weeks. Things can work out, but he’s gonna need to manage this thing through.
Grade: C-
Why: Not enough depth at RB on paper. Little upside on the roster. Malcom Brown and Guise. That is about it.
BDiddy
Keepers: Stefon Diggs $34, Austin Ekeler $6
Best picks: David Johnson $58, Calvin Ridley $16
Worst Picks: Ty Hilton $25
BDiddy came into the draft with perhaps the most telegraphed move of all the managers. They were in the best position to take Gordon and assume the least amount of risk since they had Ekeler. They could have also had the luxury of overspending on him and still coming out ahead. They did neither. While you can’t fault them for not wanting to take the risk, not getting the depth at RB to offset the chance of a Gordon return wasn’t a smart move. Without solid pieces behind Ekeler, the RB2 slot is looking volatile. The TY Hilton money would have done wonders getting a solid RB2. Woods is a fine WR2. Hilton was risky. It perhaps mirrors the situation that Bomba had, except the lack of RB2 isn’t somewhat alleviated with a top tier TE. Ultimately this team is going to survive based on how long Gordon is out. They may hit gold if Gordon is traded. Even then, Ekeler is still in a time share. Hopefully something can emerge from the stashes on the bench.
Grade: D+
Why: Lack of top tier talent elsewhere can’t offset the ton of downside that is the RB slot.
Cobra kai
Keepers: James Conner $9, Chris Carson $17
Best Picks: Chris Godwin $24, Mike Williams $28
Worst Picks: Latavius Murray $8, Mattison $7
The Cobra came into the draft with the second best keeper value on the board in Conner. With money to burn, he could have opted to just bombard the top tier guys, getting two top 8 Wrs or RBs. Instead, he opted a more disciplined approach, which was to get a lot of mid-tier players with upside. Whether or not you buy the hype on the players, the roster is constructed with depth and upside. There isn’t really much to fault in the thinking. Keenan Allen was probably the one pick that was unnecessary, since Mike Williams was going to be a later target. Spending $56 on both those guys could have gotten a stud in place, which would have been preferred. The bench has a lot of handcuffs, and upside players. The Cobra is relying on many breakouts on his roster, and this could all come true. Would have been nice to just get one big name on board with all the money he had to burn. Perhaps Godwin can be that guy. We shall see.
Grade: A-
Why: Solid depth at all positions. Lack of star power could be the only problem and having to choose which guy to play each week.
Grabbers United
Keepers: Christian Kirk $6, James White $13
Best picks: Damien Williams $40, Miles Sanders $20
Worst Picks: Kareem Hunt $13, Cj Anderson $7
The team at the biggest disadvantage coming into the draft was team GU. The two keepers aren’t of top tier talent. This made getting someone in the top of the RB and WR food chain a must. Grabbers opted instead to double down on his Mahomes love. This is well and good, but spending $28 on him instead of a WR or RB is really tough to swallow considering the other players on the roster. Damien Williams was the RB that offers the top tier value that Grabbers was looking for, and he did a great job getting him at a good price. Jacobs is the other gamble, and both should be okay at the RB position. The problem is the WR core. Galloday is nice, but not exactly WR1 worthy yet. Maybe he will be. There was no reason to spend up on Kareem hunt or CJ anderson . Not when your WRs are Galloday and Dede Westbrook. This may all work out, but on paper it is tough to see where Grabbers has an advantage on a weekly basis besides the QB spot. And even that can be a question mark to week-to-week. The waiver wire will be calling soon.
Grade: C
Why: WR Depth Lacking. No top tier talent to offset.
Hartan
Keepers: Adam Theilen $22, Marlon Mack $12
Best picks: Zeke $69, Odell $55
Worst Picks: DK Metcalf
The reigning champs came into the auction in the middle of the pack when it came to keepers. Opting not to keep Ertz may have surprised some, but Theilen and Mack were the right call for the price. They opted to go hard at Zeke and also Odell, giving the squad a strong 4. However, that didn’t come without a cost. Spending on Zeke meant getting Pollard, and they did, which was a smart move. That left them scrounging for WRs and RBs to fill out their roster. Being heavily invested in the Browns may backfire in epic proportions, or may be what sends Hartan to their second straight final. That said, the roster is formed on the four pieces mentioned with a lot of questionable players behind them. Not a lot of depth and the lack of a true Rb3 is going to be a severe drain on this team.
Grade: B-
Why: Lack of RB depth. Uninspiring Bench.
HBK Shant Michaels
Keepers: Kerryon Johnson $18
Best picks: Dalvin Cook $63, Dj Moore $19
Worst Picks: Justin Jackson $9
HBK was the lone manager with only 1 keeper. Going into the draft, he was perhaps the one team that we knew would go after a top tier WR or RB and go all in. He did. Dalvin is a great piece, although he didn’t get him for the value he wanted. The squad has a good starting due at RB, and Tevin Coleman should be a nice RB3. Justin Jackson was not necessary. The problem with the squad is going to be at the WR position. Relying on mid-tier guys like Edelman and Dj Moore HBK is hoping for booms elsewhere. Edelman should be a strong play, albeit a bit of a capped ceiling and Moncrief can be a great Wr3. The depth isn’t as rounded out as it should be. All-in-all, the roster has Dalvin and Kerryon to carry it, with a lot of middle level guys around it. The question will be whether or not those middle level guys are enough to put HBK over the top on a weekly basis. We shall find out.
Grade: B-
Why: Only star value is Dalvin. Going to have to rely on Middle tier guys
Jaj Cousteau
Keepers: Mike Evans $35, Evan Engram $10
Best picks: David Montgomery $22, Tyler Lockett $17
Worst Picks: None
The Jaj Cousteau came into the draft with a top 12 WR and top 5 TE. The value for both wasn’t huge, but he did have some money to burn. He opted to invest in guys with potential rather than proven pieces. Levon Bell and Montgomery are a solid duo, but both come with risk. Bell hasn’t played in a year, and is on a bad team. Montgomery is a rookie. Adding Ty Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Lindsay gives the Jaj enough depth to deal with with downside. At WR, Locket is volatile, but Evans should be solid enough to carry the two on off weeks. Will Fuller is also a nice stack with Watson and gives Cousteau a lot of upside potential, especially with Lamar Millers injury. Duke Johnson as well. Really can’t find a hole on this roster. Its nicely built with a lot of guys who can really pop. Nice Jaj…err.. hand job..um.. job.
Grade: A-
Why: Well rounded with guys to cover any potential holes. Hinges on Bell, but if not, Lindsay is a sold RB2.
Magnum Sev.i
Keepers: Matt Breida $9, Mark Ingram $17
Best picks: Joe Mixon $37, Fournette $49
Worst Picks: Sammy Watkins
The Sev,.i had a sneaky draft. He first opted to keep Breida, which many people would question. However, now looking at it, Breida looks like a solid RB2/3. He then traded Ingram for Aj Green after drafting Boyd. Now, I don’t know about being all invested in the Bengals, but hey, they will be throwing a ton. Might as well get Andy Dalton while you’re at it. The roster is solid at the RB spots, with Fournette and Mixon to care the load, but lacks a lot at the WR position. When AJ returns, that should help, but when that is, who knows. Until then, a core of Boyd, Marvin Jones, and Josh Gordon will have to be enough. That may be enough, especially with guys like Sanders on the bench to provide an additional boost. Cook could be a serviceable TE as well. Nice job handcuffing Fournette as well. The good news for Sev.i is that they could have really messed their team up, but did a nice job of adding pieces to the roster to make them well rounded. Whether that means more wins, we shall see.
Grade: B
Why. Solid pieces and balance. No wow factor, but enough depth to deal with some downside.
Prime Time
Keepers: Aaron Jones $10, Brandin Cooks $16
Best picks: Deandre Hopkins $64, Zach Ertz $28
Worst Picks: Gus Edwards, Jordan Howard
Prime Time went to the market and got his guys. Gurley and Hopkins came at a hefty price, but both are top talent. When a team goes that hard at top guys and has the money to do it, you would like to see them also invest in handcuffs. Prime missed on Gurley’s handcuff, and that could be something that bites him in the ass. While the core is very solid, a lot of teams have great RBs and at least one stud WR. Where Prime did his damage was getting Ertz. He now has the ability to match-up with a lot of teams at multiple positions. He can offset the downside of players due to this. His extra cash was well spent, and what you think of Gurley doesn’t matter, he put his money where his mouth was. The problem may be in the dpeth or lack their of. There are a bunch of uninspiring options to back these guys up. While some may pan out, it remains to be seen if they will. Perhaps Corey Davis can finally break out, but that’s been the story for years. Handcuffing Aaron jones was wise, but we’d love to have that happen to Gurley too. Only reason Prime doesn’t get an A.
Grade: B+
Why: Need to handcuff Gurley. Too much risk not to.
Shabam Shadiq
Keepers: Nick Chubb $8, Juju Smith-Schuster $34
Best picks: CMC $66, Cooper Kupp $18
Worst Picks: None
Honestly, Dre should never show-up to another draft. Whatever they got going on the phone is working. Coming into the draft, Shabam had two top 8 pieces to start their team. They could have blown the lead, but instead, only built a really strong team. They have exceptional depth at the RB position with Cmac, Chubb and Freeman. Amari is a solid WR2, with the only risk being that the foot does cause problems. They then addressed that with the drafting of Kupp and Samuel. The only hole in the roster is at the TE position and perhaps the QB spot. But even there, Lamar Jackson has upside. You can’t be strong everywhere, and if you are going to be weak somewhere, might as well be the TE position. There really isn’t much fault to find on the thinking of assembling the roster. They answered the question marks and got good value to boot. Now, is this the year they finally break through?
Grade: A+
Why: Depth. Star talent. Addressed weakness and potential downside.
Vosgereechee Gyank
Keepers: Derrick Henry $18, George Kittle $7
Best picks: Julio Jones $66, Mike Thomas $65
Worst Picks: Larry Fitzgerald, Jamaal Williams
Vosgee was another team that came in with a nice starting two and lots of money to burn. With Henry and Kittle solidifying the RB1 and TE spots, Vosgee did what he had to do, go for studs at the WR spots. Rather than opting to find middle guys, he went for the prime cut. Can’t fault him for that. He had the cash to do it. The core of Julio, Thomas, Henry and Kittle is very formidable, but the key to the draft is not just those guys, its the guys around them. Here, Vosgee fell apart. Lamar Miller was to be that guy, but he is injured. Outside of Miller, there isn’t another RB on the roster worthy of playing as an RB2. This hole is massive and really is going to cause Vosgee problems. Unless Peyton Barber is that guy, which even if he is, there is just too much uncertainty there to rely on. Wisely, Vosgee did handcuff Henry with lewis, so he is secure at RB1. The roster is very top heavy, and while that is all good, the lack of pop from RB2 and TE , as well as a very thin bench of upside is going to perhaps cause the Vosgee weekly fits.
Grade: B-
Why: RB2 is a problem. No real big upside on the bench.
AFFL Auction Draft Recap and Grades: Hartan, Prime Time, Jaj make a case with strong draft. HBK grades out as most epic host.
Raffi Lalazarian
In a warehouse in Santa Fe springs, at Apelinc headquarters, the AFFL gathered for a four hour marathon of bidding wars. The 2018 AFFL auction draft featured plenty of overbidding, underbidding and even some managers so locked in, they didn't know they were bidding and started to raise themselves. While we can argue about which teams ended up "winners and losers," there was no doubt that everyone agreed the biggest winner of the night was HBK Shant Michaels and his epic hosting job. Fully catered with carne asada and shrimp tacos, civiche as well a host of drinks from whiskey to the horchata barrel, this draft pulled out all the stops. It will be difficult for any hosting job to match these heights, and good luck to those who try. Much thanks from the AFFL to the Apelian family for their hospitality and generosity.
Now let's get to the recap...
Pre-draft Excitement
The draft began with the ceremonial passing of the trophy from last years champion, Vosgee Gyank, to the current champion, the Atomic Bomba. As tradition dictates the winner needs to add a touch of his team to the trophy to represent his title. Vosgee added his iconic "golden knuckles of gyank" along with a goldchain with his face. The bomba? Well, let just say that his teams logo fit perfectly in a certain area.
Following the trophy pass, the AFFL reveled a new trophy: the Ass place award, which is to be worn by the team that finished last the year before. That team would begin the draft by nominating the first player and wearing the trophy around his head for the duration of the pick. Vosgee Gyank happened to be the team that this begins with, as he finished in "ass place." The trophy is a beautifully designed toilet seat, complete with personal decal and message that celebrated just how bad the team was: "Your team took a vosgee in 2017." For 2018, the term Vosgee will be a euphemism for going to the bathroom.
The league also approved a retroactive fine for all co-managers which would be a dollar fee for each co-manager that has been in the league. This proposed and pushed for by Ara, with all his weight. He may finally get what he wants.
Draft Highlights.
There were many great moments in the AFFL draft, from Vosgee bidding against Awesomeness for Fitzgerald and Jaj bidding against himself. But aside from the fluff on the outside, the highlights we want to talk about are some of the great deals that were made. Here are some of the great wins for All teams involved in the draft.
QB Best Buys
With Aaron Rodgers having been bought for $20 early, the quarterback mark was set. A few teams managed to get squeezed out of some of the bargains with purchases of Brady and Watson at $12 and $16 respectively, but there were many deals to be found later for those who were patient. While QB was cheap, we'd have to say that getting top starters at basement level prices renders teams winners. The best deals at QB have to go to the following buys.
Carson Wentz ($1) - Prime Time
Kirk Cousins ($3) - Atomic Bomba
Russell Wilson ($10) - Magnum Sev.i
You could throw in guys like Brees and Cam for the $6-7 range buys, however, those players were typically going at those prices. Wentz and Cousins were ranked in the 6-8 range by most ranks and went for considerably cheaper than guys ranked below them like Andrew Luck, Jimmy Garrapolo, and Phillip Rivers. Honorable mention would go to Russell Wilson. $10 for the 2nd ranked QB on the board in most experts minds is really good.
RB Best Buys
The running back department got inflated quickly, with the over abundance of top tier guys that were available to be picked up. Bidding got out of hand with Gurley and DJ as both sold for $84, more than 40% of an owners budget. That is really pricey. The Beverly Hills bidding on the top RBs rendered some big time values at the middle and lower tiers of the draft. Many managers who waited on RB and were disciplined with their money were rewarded with great value later on. Here are your best RB buys: (Excluding keepers)
Sequan Barkley ($59) - Hartan
Derrick Henry ($13) - Jaj Cousteau
Mark Ingram ($10) - Atomic Bomba
Alex Collins ($18) - Cobra Kai
Barkley looks like a steal at $60 due to the inflated prices with the top four. He is the consensus 5th ranked Rb and has every bit the shot to finish in the top tier at seasons end. Henry and Collins are ranked in the fourth group of RBs, with the likes of Drake, Royce Freeman, Lamar Miller and others. Considering that Collins leads that group and went for less than the three mentioned below him, we'd say that's a good buy. Likewise, Henry went for nearly $10 cheaper than those three and has every bit the upside. Ingram also finds himself at the end of the same tier. While he is a must-handcuff for Kamara, he is at worst a solid RB2 in stand alone value. For $10 he's worth the price.
WR Best Buys
While the RB market was out of sorts, the Wide Receiver market stayed relatively tame. Managers were keenly aware of the depth at WR and waited out much of the position early one. As a whole, there were many more values to be found in the later rounds as it pertained to the WRs. RB rookies were heavily bid on, while the WRs flew a little under the radar. Aside from the heavy bidding on Keenan Allen, we don't believe that there were too many "overbids" on Wrs. Antonio Brown went for $72 and set the market, which was $12 cheaper than the RB market. Brown has every bit as much upside to finish as the #1 overall non-Qb player. That is a pretty good value. Interestingly enough, most the bids were accurate as it pertains to the players pre-draft ranking.
Jordy Nelson ($3) - HBK Shant Michaels
Pierre Garcon ($3) - Awesomeness
Randell Cobb ($8) - Awesomeness
Mike Evans ($30) - Jaj Cousteau
While it was difficult to find true best buys in the WR department, these ones jumped out. Jordy Nelson is just one year removed from a double digit touchdown season and now gets a QB upgrade from last year. It may be he has something left, and if so, HBK may have found a WR2 at a bottom bargain price. Awesomeness snagged two players that could become weekly WR2s as well for dirt cheap. Cobb will no doubt get more the share of targets with Jordy gone, and Jimmy G is a huge upgrade from CJ Beathard. Mike Evans is on the list due to his ranking and relative price to the players around him. Consistently ranked in the top 10, Evans went for the cheapest of the group. While his upside is limited by QB play, if Winston can turn it around, his numbers may vault him in the top 7 by years end.
Tight End Best Buys
The Tight end department is ruled at the top by Gronk and Kelce, and then there is a huge middle earth of players from 4-10. The position had a market cap of $28, per Gronk's purchase, but there were many bargains found late at the position. It became criminal how cheap the position was being bid at. It seemed with the focus on TE sleepers, many of the higher ranked players were simply overlooked and undersold.
Travis Kelce ($19) - Magnum Sev.i
Evan Engram ($5) - Jaj Cousteau
JImmy Graham ($4) - Awesomeness
Kyle Rudolph ($2) - Atomic Bomba
Getting the second best TE (and some experts overall #1 TE) for $9 less than Gronk is a very good buy. Kelce will out produce many WR's purchased at the same price. Engram and Rudolph are typically ranked 5-8 on lists, and in the 3rd tier at the position. They both went for significantly less than players in the same tier. Engram was a breakout star and has every bit the upside to finish in the top 5. His $5 was less than Delanie Walker ($8), Greg Olsen ($14), whom are both in the same tier. He also went cheaper than Burton ($8), David Njoku ($6), and Jack Doyle ($6) all players who are ranked well below him. The same is true of Rudolph, whose $2 purchase doesn't fit with where he is ranked and current QB situation. Graham gets Aaron Rodgers and is another player in the same tier that went cheaper than Engram, Burton, Doyle, and Njoku. Oy vey!
Now that we have gathered up some of the Draft's best buys, lets delve into the specific teams and which teams begin the season with a leg-up on the competition, and which may have their work cut-out for them. While looking at the teams rosters, we looked at how many players does the team have that could boom at any given week? A boom player would be one that could render 30+ points on any given week. This gave us an idea into the upside of the squad. That was just one factor used to give out grades, along with quality of players at positions, depth, and overall construction of the team. So here are the teams grades. (in Alpha Order)
Atomic Bomba
Best buys: Keepers Kamara and Cook. Rudolph. Agholor. Ingram. Hyde. Breida.
Questionable buys: Two TE's, Sanders, Minny stack could bite the team.
The Bomba entered the Draft with the two best keeper values in the league. He could have screwed up the team had he sat back too long and not use that money saved from Kamara toward a top tier guy. While it seemed that the entire league was trying to squeeze him out of getting any top five players, the Bomba managed to nab Julio for $69 and save himself. Baldwin has WR1 upside and gets more targets with Graham and Richardson gone. Thats a great pair. Looking at the depth, Hyde could be a steal for $10 should he hold the job for the entire year. Agholor came on late last season and may get a boost in targets if Alshon is on the Pup. The team is solid at TE with Rudolph and Burton, and has some upside with Breida should MckInnon go down. The one area that may be a concern is Cousins and stacking all the Minnesota players. The O-line is a bit banged up and that could lead to problems with Cousins. All-in-all we'd b hard pressed to find any manager who could look at the squad and objectively say the team isn't one of the five best in the league on paper.
Grade A
Chances of making playoffs with great/good management - 90%
Awesomeness
Best Buys: Keepers Dion Lewis and Jamaal Williams, Garcon, Cobb, Antonio Brown
Questionable buys: Dez Bryant, Jordan Reed with no Vernon., RB core is thin as a wafer
Awesomeness entered the draft with two adequate RB3s on the roster in Jamaal Williams and Dion Lewis. Despite the RB3 designation, the team didn't bother to address the RB situation with any top back. Rather, the collection of Burkhead and Crowell will have to be enough to patch up the RB hole. Maybe Corey Clement can come around and snatch a big share of the work. As it looks now, Awesomeness will need to hope for injuries to players in front of his RBs or snag starters as they become available in FA. On the flipside, the team managed to assemble perhaps the strongest WR core in the league. Brown, Adams, and Fitz are a strong trio, and getting Garcon for dirt cheap may be a boon. We scratch our head at Dez for $3 since he hasn't signed, but who knows. At the end of the day, this is a tale of two position groups that seemingly average each other out to render the final grade. WR's - A, RB's- D
Grade: B-
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 70%
BDiddy
Best Buys: Keepers Melvin Gordon and Sefon Diggs, Aj Green, Stafford
Questionable buys: TE core is a pure gamble, RB depth non-existent except for Ronald Jones
BDiddy typically goes high risk/high reward with the formulation of his line-up and this team is no different. Having two top tier players to start the draft, BDiddy went full bore at the WR position to gather a very strong WR trio of Diggs, Green, and Hill. Impressive indeed. The starting five of Gordon, Miller, Green, Hill and Diggs could perhaps be the strongest in the league. Nicely done indeed. You gotta love Stafford and Luck for a combined $8 as well. They should be okay at the QB position. We don't understand the over abundance of WRs on the roster however. With only Ronald Jones as running back depth, this squad is going to have to rely on Miller and Gordon to stay healthy for a long time. Yes the handcuff is there, but matching-up with other teams will be a disaster should they sit out. We also question the TE choices. There may have to be an upgrade at the TE spot in order for the team to really comfortable. However, we can't hate the starters, so we err on the side of positive regression for the team this season.
Grade: B+ (no Rb depth)
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 80%
Cobra Kai
Best Buys: Corey Davis, Alex Collins, DJ Moore, James Conner
Questionable buys: Aaron Rodgers, Jack Doyle,
The Cobra entered the draft with two keepers that were weekly flex plays. It was obvious that the team wasn't going to rely on those two RBs to carry the core, and so Cobra went out and bought David Johnson for a whopping $84. After spending the farm on DJ, the was bound to be constructed with middle tier players, as there was little financial room to maneuver the rest of the draft due to budget constraints. Goodwin and Davis are both great finds and make for great WR2/3s with upside. The question will be weather they will be able to materialize to those expectations. Alex Collins may have saved the RB2 situation, and given the Cobra some breathing room. It was a central buy for the team. While Rodgers at $20 was a good price for a player who could and should finish in the top 4 at the position, we wonder what would have happened if Cobra elected to wait at QB and use the savings to buy one more stud. The team overpaid for Doyle, but that may have been a product of excess money at the end of the auction. Moore is a nice upside player, and Cobra did manage to get good value for some potential keepers. But the question remains, what happens this year, especially at the WR position?
Grade: C
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 65%
Grabbers United
Best Buys: Golden Tate, Delanie Walker, Josh Gordon, James White, John Brown
Questionable Buys: Demeriyus Thomas, Little depth at RB
$80 for a player who hasn't reported to camp yet is very ballsy. But then again, this is Bell, arguably the strongest RB in the league. You have to pay to play, and we like the aggressiveness. Delanie Walker was a potential keeper for the team at $14, and the team wisely dropped him into the pool and drafted him for half the price. Wise move. James White is a great upside pick late in the draft that could pay off big dividends. Tate is a nice player at well at a great price. He has ever bit the upside of other players in the tier he's in, and was cheaper than players ranked below him. Gordon is the obvious X-factor. He could be a steal for $14, or be a complete waste of a roster spot. This remains to be seen. The Rb core is solid with Drake and Bell, however, we just don't see the depth behind the team as anything exciting. White, Grant, and Montgomery aren't exciting and if the team was going to build up a squad with little Rb depth, we woulda hoped for more pop at the WR position. This team looks a bit of a mish mash of ideas, and nothing clearly set forth as a vision. Will Marriota finally take the leap? Will Gordon return to form? Will any of those bench Rbs materialize? Lots of question marks with answers coming soon.
Grade: D+
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 45%
Hartan
Best Buys: Barkley, Theilen, Hopkins, Brady
Questionable buys: Ertz keeper, Jeffery, Rb2 invisibility, two Houston WRs?
Hartan was without the Har part of the team, but managed to pull off a pretty solid draft. Barkley was bid on before the top 4 players, and in so doing, was bought for $60. That was a steal for where he was ranked and given his top 5 potential. Hopkins was also a great buy and gives the Hartan a strong WR duo with Theilen and Nuke. The team didn't plan to buy Brady, but getting him for $12 isn't all bad. The rest of the line-up is filled with guys that aren't too inspiring. Riddick has upside some weeks and is a nice player, and Barber could be a weekly flex option. The team would've looked so much nicer with Mckinnon instead of Ertz, but that is all in the past. Playing both Houston WRs will be very interesting. This team could be in boom or bust mode with every Watson pass. One word of caution, should Barkley go down with injury, and he's already hurt, this team would instantly crumble. And we know how much luck Hartan has had with New York Giants players. We also question Alshon Jeffery for 11. He is a potential pup candidate and is very touchdown dependent. Perhaps that value could've been put toward an Rb?
Grade: B+
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 85%
HBK Shant Michaels
Best Buys: Mixon, Mike Thomas, Jordy Nelson, Gio Bernard, Mike Williams, Kenny Stills
Questionable buys: David Njoku, Fournette, WR2 uncertainty
It is difficult to grade HBK after the team did an epic job hosting the event. But lets put the tacos and ceviche bias aside and focus on the team. The team came in with a leg-up having Mike Thomas for a great value. HBK may have waited too long at RB and was forced to overpay for Fournette as he was the last RB available. This no doubt effected the teams construction. If he woulda been bought at market value, say $50, the team woulda perhaps had a shot at a much more solid WR2 situation. Trusting Edelman and Jordy to fill that hole, or Stills and Miller may lead to a bit of inconsistency at the position. That said, we like the value of Jordy, who has the potential of producing at a high level with Carr. We get the love for Njoku, but paying up for him with no other TE on the roster is risky. As is the spending for the rookie Rbs who are in very cloudy situations. Gio helps feel more comfortable at the RB2 position. As things stand, the team is a collection of solid players, with uncertain performance values. Will Jordy be Jordy? Will Edelman return to form? Will the rookie Rbs break-out? Will Jimmy G perform at a top level? Much remains to be seen. This team may not be known for a few weeks.
Grade C:
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 50%
Jaj Cousteau
Best Buys: Derrick Henry, Hogan, Mike Evans, Cooper, Engram
Questionable buys: All Cowboys receivers. Ben Watson
Interestingly enough, this Jaj Cousteau team looks very different from years past. Before, Jaj would bid on players that were over valued and overpay for them. This year, Jaj went for it all and came out on top. Zeke is a great piece to build around, and the team has a solid RB core with Henry at RB2 who could be a steal at $13. The Wrs aren't shabby either, with Evans, Hogan and Cooper, all names who can produce at high levels. Hill as a 3rd Rb is really a stretch, and with no true Rb3 on the roster, this team is going to have to find someone to help during bye weeks. Why do you need Ben Watson? Engram was a steal at $5. Is Ben watson just an insult? Was he drafted because of his political views. There is also nice upside with Martavius Bryant, though playing two Raiders at once is a dance with death. Solid D. Solid QB. Did Jaj really put together a championship contender? Its tough to find fault with anything the team did.
Grade: A
Chances of making playoffs with great/good management - 90%
Magnum Sev.i
Best Buys: Russell Wilson, Kelce, Ty Hilton, McKinnon, OBJ, Royce Freeman
Questionable buys: Lack of depth players, or upside on the bench.
Magnum paid up for OBJ, banking on a big comeback year. The only other big purchases on the roster were Ty Hilton and McKinnon. The three of those players should be enough to make the team a threat weekly. The sev.i did a nice job of nabbing Freeman for relatively cheap, as he was the only other rookie besides barkley that has a clear path to becoming a starter. Lynch looked rejuvenated in he preseason and could be a solid RB2. However, the team will mostly hinge on TY. If Luck is back, Ty and OBJ will be carrying the team. If not, this roster has bust potential. We also love Wilson for 10 bucks. That's dirt cheap for a player that is regarded as the 2nd best Qb in Fantasy. Kelce is also a great buy at 19 bux. He has Gronk potential at a tier 2 price. We don't understand what is going on on the bench. We suspect that Sev.i may be dropping many of those players after the week kicks off. However, the team has plenty of fire power and upside. It also has the most injury prone starting line-up in the league.
Grade: B+
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 80%
Prime Time
Best Buys: Keepers Hunt and Howard, Aaron Jones, Brandin Cooks, Terek Cohen
Questionable buys: McCoy for $26
Prime Time came into this draft with two solid keepers. The team did a decent job of maximizing value on those players. While paying $49 for keenan Allen was a bit high, but getting him to man the WR core was a must. He was the last one left. McCoy is a very big question mark. He is on a bad team and has tons of miles on him. Furthermore, do you really wanna play two Buffalo Bills in your line-up? Benjamin is very risky. Brandin Cooks should be a solid WR3, fortunately Crabtree will provide weekly help at WR2. That said, The team is loaded from top to bottom, with the exception of the TE position. We can't give Ara the straight A for buying cook for $5. That's $5 too high for him. The team is very strong, and has a ton of RB depth with Cohen and Michel. If Foreman comes back to health, this team could be the team to beat.
Grade: A-
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 90%
Shabam Shadiq
Best Buys: Kupp, Gronk, Juju Smith Schuster, Tevin Coleman
Questionable buys: McCaffrey, Weak RB core as a unit
The team as constructed is clearly a bit of a mess. It's difficult to make out where the team is truly dominate. Spending up for Mccaffrey really put the squad behind the eight ball as it pertains to buying power. Gronk is a steal at $28, as most woulda paid up to $35 for him. That said, A WR core of Landry, Kupp, Jones and Juju isn't really gonna pop the top off. With serious problems at the RB2 spot and Rb depth, we don't think the WR core has enough upside to really mitigate the disadvantage presented at the RB position. Gronk will provide some of that, but then again, he hasn't played a full season in a while. A back-up TE may have been a wise investment. The bench has a few upside players in Chubb and Taylor, but this roster is going to have to grow into the year. It may be a few weeks before we really find out if this thing is going to happen for Shabam. If those Rbs manage to win starting jobs, this team should be okay to compete. If not, it may be a long season.
Grade: C-
Chances of making the playoffs with great/good management - 50%
Vosgereechee Gyank
Best Buys: Freeman, Crowder, Matt Ryan
Questionable buys: WR core is very thin. RBs are both in time shares.
The Vosgee is just one season removed from winning it all, but from the looks of things, we don't know if he'll get back there this season. The Rb core of Gurley, Freeman, and Ajayi on paper looks very strong, however, looking deeper, it is very volitile. Gurley may regress in his numbers, but is still worthy of the price. Freeman however is in a time share, and has been banged-up during the offseason. His body may be breaking down. Ajayi could also be restricted with addition of sproles in the line-up and Clement. Those three will still be fairly solid, but a WR core of Anderson, Woods, Crowder is the weakest in the league. It will be very difficult for the Gyank to match firepower with that trio. Olsen is a top TE yes, but there are many teams that have the same sort of make-up with stronger WR cores. The bench has some nice upside and the Gyank may be able to flip some of that stash for value as the season goes on. He'll need to find a WR or two. If not, it could be the end of the Gyank before things even started.
Grade: D
Chances of making playoffs with great/good management - 40%