Today I completed my first f2f draft for a league I just joined. The league has been running for years and the draft process is among the best I’ve seen. It was a fun gathering of guys who like talking trash and eating great food. However, the crown of the evening was the draft itself. We had first pick and selected Adrian Peterson.
The good guys over at fantasypros have a well-developed draft simulator offering a chance to draft against computer algorithms (the complexity of which is determined by whether or not you pay). The process is really good preparation for what madness may come during the draft itself. Ours featured multiple runs on WRs, which leads me to believe that, especially in PPR leagues, it is in your best interest to draft a WR very early. That being said, here is what I think is a good plan based on simulations and my own 2014 experience:
The top 3 talents to look for are Peterson, Charles, McCoy, and Forte in that order. Once those four are gone the RB pick can wait a bit. Spend your pick on Peyton Manning or Calvin Johnson. The next few rounds are going to be ‘best talent available’ rounds, with the real $$ player being Jimmy Graham. In the later rounds the key is to find the sleepers nobody knows about or believes in. This link pretty much sums up who they are.
I think some of the best picks to take in the mid rounds are Randall Cobb at WR and Zac Stacy and RB. These aren’t top flight dudes, but they have a chance to be explosive. If he’s available after round 6, go for AZ’s Andre Ellington at RB. He did work last season and seems primed to build on that.
Some Thoughts:
- With the Kevin Love being dealt to Cleveland, those Uncle Drew commercials are final the real deal. I’m excited about that combination. Oh, they have Lebron James too.