With the draft behind us and 8 days left before the regular season starts, I figured I would take a look at how the draft panned out and how teams look pre-season. As far as the draft, much of it was predictable, with Aaron blowing all his money on 3 players; Autodraft making questionable draft decisions for Duke; Justina, Jeff, and I playing it conservatively (at times too conservatively) until the end; Andrew with the occasional trolling action; and recency and location bias - people picking players that did well for them recently or avoiding players that burned them / Me + the Panthers, Gabs + Seahawks, Eric + Russell, Laura + Dallas QBs, Justina + Keenan Allen, Luke + Elliott. Overall, it was a good draft, though - I think most people (besides me) spent their money how they wanted to, and the teams look fairly even as a result.
In terms of how I went about the rankings, I just copy / pasted the draft results and did a quick "Tim's eye test" to make the rankings. AKA I thought: "Would I rather have this team or this team when Week 1 starts?" Totally objective, with no room for error. So without further ado:
FF NUTHANG Pre-Season Power Rankings
1. Yes you Cam (0-0)
| Yes you Cam | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (14) | Le'Veon Bell (Pit - RB) | $78 |
| 2. | (18) | Mike Evans (TB - WR) | $55 |
| 3. | (34) | Rob Gronkowski (NE - TE) | $27 |
| 4. | (44) | Kansas City (KC - DEF) | $2 |
| 5. | (53) | Emmanuel Sanders (Den - WR) | $10 |
| 6. | (56) | Kirk Cousins (Was - QB) | $5 |
| 7. | (72) | Larry Fitzgerald (Ari - WR) | $7 |
| 8. | (86) | Matt Bryant (Atl - K) | $1 |
| 9. | (110) | Paul Perkins (NYG - RB) | $5 |
| 10. | (121) | Philip Rivers (LAC - QB) | $4 |
| 11. | (135) | Jonathan Stewart (Car - RB) | $2 |
| 12. | (144) | Kyle Rudolph (Min - TE) | $1 |
| 13. | (152) | Matt Forte (NYJ - RB) | $1 |
| 14. | (166) | Corey Davis (Ten - WR) | $1 |
| 15. | (171) | Allen Hurns (Jax - WR) | $1 |
| Unused | $0 | ||
Andrew did like a mini-Aaron strategy. Almost all of his money on his top 3 players - Le'Veon, Mike Evans, Gronk. We'll see if it pays off. I don't know who the crap Paul Perkins is, but at least he has some old men to plug in at RB2 while Andrew figures what to do. Also he's going to have a sucky time figuring out who to start at QB each week. I'm actually not sure why I put his team at the top, it's not that good. I'm not hating.
2. Spider Pig (0-0)
| Spider Pig | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (1) | Ezekiel Elliott (Dal - RB) | $45 |
| 2. | (28) | Todd Gurley (LAR - RB) | $36 |
| 3. | (31) | Alshon Jeffery (Phi - WR) | $26 |
| 4. | (49) | Cam Newton (Car - QB) | $8 |
| 5. | (52) | Terrelle Pryor Sr. (Was - WR) | $25 |
| 6. | (61) | Adrian Peterson (NO - RB) | $6 |
| 7. | (70) | New England (NE - DEF) | $3 |
| 8. | (73) | Golden Tate (Det - WR) | $16 |
| 9. | (78) | Jordan Reed (Was - TE) | $15 |
| 10. | (85) | Chris Hogan (NE - WR) | $10 |
| 11. | (97) | Rishard Matthews (Ten - WR) | $5 |
| 12. | (126) | Carson Palmer (Ari - QB) | $2 |
| 13. | (143) | Duke Johnson Jr. (Cle - RB) | $1 |
| 14. | (151) | Ted Ginn Jr. (NO - WR) | $1 |
| 15. | (159) | Blair Walsh (Sea - K) | $1 |
| Unused | $0 | ||
So once Elliott gets free from the grips of NFL suspension after Week 6 (?), Luke's team should be stacked. In the meantime, Luke will need Adrian Peterson or Duke Johnson, Jr. to step up. #LULZ good luck with that. And just ask Andrew about how Todd Gurley is going to do. At least Luke's got some depth at WR and help with Reed at TE. I'm still mad I didn't bid higher for Cam with all that leftover money I had, though.
3. Di Yi (0-0)
| Di Yi | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (9) | Dez Bryant (Dal - WR) | $36 |
| 2. | (11) | Lamar Miller (Hou - RB) | $33 |
| 3. | (22) | T.Y. Hilton (Ind - WR) | $43 |
| 4. | (60) | Carlos Hyde (SF - RB) | $19 |
| 5. | (62) | Jamison Crowder (Was - WR) | $9 |
| 6. | (69) | Michael Crabtree (Oak - WR) | $16 |
| 7. | (75) | Arizona (Ari - DEF) | $2 |
| 8. | (79) | Mark Ingram (NO - RB) | $5 |
| 9. | (91) | Tyler Eifert (Cin - TE) | $9 |
| 10. | (94) | Jameis Winston (TB - QB) | $15 |
| 11. | (106) | Theo Riddick (Det - RB) | $1 |
| 12. | (118) | Pierre Garcon (SF - WR) | $1 |
| 13. | (130) | Tevin Coleman (Atl - RB) | $1 |
| 14. | (133) | Thomas Rawls (Sea - RB) | $2 |
| 15. | (141) | Derek Carr (Oak - QB) | $1 |
| Unused | $7 | ||
Abraham's team actually doesn't look that bad to me. If Lamar Miller and Carlos Hyde can play up to expectations, I think Abraham's team might surprise some people. Dez / TY / Jamison Crowder / Michael Crabtree / Pierre Garcon make up a solid group of WRs. Jameis / Derek Carr gives Abraham options from week to week, too. I think this team could go places. Big maybe.
4. Maybabyboo (0-0)
| Maybabyboo | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (20) | A.J. Green (Cin - WR) | $43 |
| 2. | (30) | Jay Ajayi (Mia - RB) | $50 |
| 3. | (38) | Tyreek Hill (KC - WR) | $16 |
| 4. | (42) | Dak Prescott (Dal - QB) | $7 |
| 5. | (47) | Davante Adams (GB - WR) | $30 |
| 6. | (54) | Joe Mixon (Cin - RB) | $20 |
| 7. | (64) | Sammy Watkins (LAR - WR) | $13 |
| 8. | (119) | Stefon Diggs (Min - WR) | $4 |
| 9. | (134) | Rob Kelley (Was - RB) | $2 |
| 10. | (139) | Latavius Murray (Min - RB) | $2 |
| 11. | (148) | Eli Manning (NYG - QB) | $1 |
| 12. | (156) | Zach Miller (Chi - TE) | $1 |
| 13. | (160) | Kenny Stills (Mia - WR) | $2 |
| 14. | (163) | Jacksonville (Jax - DEF) | $1 |
| 15. | (168) | Marlon Mack (Ind - RB) | $1 |
| Unused | $7 | ||
Laura had a pretty well-rounded draft. She obviously budgeted a certain amount for certain positions and seemed to stick to it for the most part. Word on the street is Ajayi is primed for a breakout season, but I'm not sure Mixon will get the starting nod before the season starts, so Laura might have to do some reaching with R.Kelley or Latavius to start the season. She actually has pretty good depth at WR, and I think she got a good deal for Dak. For her first draft, I think she handled it quite well.
5. Keenan Kick It? (0-0)
| Keenan Kick It? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (21) | Matt Ryan (Atl - QB) | $25 |
| 2. | (33) | Isaiah Crowell (Cle - RB) | $20 |
| 3. | (36) | Melvin Gordon (LAC - RB) | $46 |
| 4. | (45) | Allen Robinson (Jax - WR) | $23 |
| 5. | (50) | Keenan Allen (LAC - WR) | $24 |
| 6. | (59) | DeAndre Hopkins (Hou - WR) | $36 |
| 7. | (63) | Minnesota (Min - DEF) | $2 |
| 8. | (67) | Jimmy Graham (Sea - TE) | $13 |
| 9. | (81) | Stephen Gostkowski (NE - K) | $3 |
| 10. | (93) | Mason Crosby (GB - K) | $3 |
| 11. | (140) | Terrance West (Bal - RB) | $1 |
| 12. | (150) | Jacquizz Rodgers (TB - RB) | $1 |
| 13. | (158) | John Brown (Ari - WR) | $1 |
| 14. | (165) | Tyler Boyd (Cin - WR) | $1 |
| 15. | (170) | Coby Fleener (NO - TE) | $1 |
| Unused | $0 | ||
Justina has two kickers because....?
Neither Gostkowski or Mason Crosby are even that good looking - I don't understand the logic here. I'm going to go with she had to go to the bathroom and David trolled her by drafting for her. But I actually think Justina has a fairly solid team. Lots of "ifs" though - if Allen Robinson and DeAndre Hopkins can find chemistry with whoever will respectively throw to them; if Keenan Allen can stay healthy; if Jimmy Graham can continue on the upward trajectory of being used as more than a blocker for the Seahawks; if Justina can combine two kickers into one kicker on any given week to score double kicker points. You know, questions like that.
6. I Called Game (0-0)
| I Called Game | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (4) | Drew Brees (NO - QB) | $24 |
| 2. | (5) | Demaryius Thomas (Den - WR) | $29 |
| 3. | (7) | Odell Beckham Jr. (NYG - WR) | $59 |
| 4. | (10) | Leonard Fournette (Jax - RB) | $36 |
| 5. | (16) | Spencer Ware (KC - RB) | $4 |
| 6. | (26) | Travis Kelce (KC - TE) | $38 |
| 7. | (32) | Michael Floyd (Min - WR) | $2 |
| 8. | (111) | Dan Bailey (Dal - K) | $1 |
| 9. | (123) | New York (NYG - DEF) | $1 |
| 10. | (153) | Tyrod Taylor (Buf - QB) | $1 |
| 11. | (161) | C.J. Prosise (Sea - RB) | $1 |
| 12. | (167) | Cameron Brate (TB - TE) | $1 |
| 13. | (172) | Zay Jones (Buf - WR) | $1 |
| 14. | (174) | Tyler Lockett (Sea - WR) | $1 |
| 15. | (176) | Los Angeles (LAR - DEF) | $1 |
| Unused | $0 | ||
Duke was unable to make the draft, and the jury is still out in my mind whether or not Yahoo punished him for it. To start the season, he's got an unproven rookie running behind a weak O-line, who put a target on his back by calling the NFL slow as RB1 (Fournette), and CJ Prosise (or whoever he picks up on waivers) as his RB2 - that's the bad news. But the good news is that he's got a good QB (Brees), 2 good WRs (Demaryius, OBJ), and a good TE (Kelce) to hopefully make up for it.
7. choubacca (0-0)
| choubacca | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (3) | David Johnson (Ari - RB) | $70 |
| 2. | (12) | Antonio Brown (Pit - WR) | $64 |
| 3. | (13) | Julio Jones (Atl - WR) | $52 |
| 4. | (68) | Jack Doyle (Ind - TE) | $1 |
| 5. | (116) | Wil Lutz (NO - K) | $1 |
| 6. | (117) | Kenny Britt (Cle - WR) | $3 |
| 7. | (157) | Baltimore (Bal - DEF) | $1 |
| 8. | (164) | James White (NE - RB) | $1 |
| 9. | (169) | Rex Burkhead (NE - RB) | $1 |
| 10. | (173) | Jonathan Williams (Buf - RB) | $1 |
| 11. | (175) | Breshad Perriman (Bal - WR) | $1 |
| 12. | (177) | Jalen Richard (Oak - RB) | $1 |
| 13. | (178) | David Njoku (Cle - TE) | $1 |
| 14. | (179) | Marqise Lee (Jax - WR) | $1 |
| 15. | (180) | De'Angelo Henderson (Den - RB) | $1 |
| Unused | $0 | ||
Aaron stuck with his splurge-everything-on-three-players method, and it gave him a nasty RB/WR/WR punch. If it were a 3-on-3 tournament, Aaron would win hands down. But the rest of his team is laughable. Last year, I put his team dead last for doing the exact same thing (and because Le'Veon started the season off suspended). Aaron's team proved me wrong by scoring like 120+ points that first week. Also, Aaron is right in that he can make it up on waivers over the course of the season, but even just for Week 1, who will Aaron start at RB2, and WR3? I know his team will likely surprise me, but I'm still wary on buying what he's trying to sell.
8. Terrific Tortoises (0-0)
| Terrific Tortoises | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (8) | DeMarco Murray (Ten - RB) | $52 |
| 2. | (19) | Tom Brady (NE - QB) | $44 |
| 3. | (24) | Amari Cooper (Oak - WR) | $36 |
| 4. | (40) | Jordan Howard (Chi - RB) | $33 |
| 5. | (51) | Houston (Hou - DEF) | $2 |
| 6. | (65) | Jarvis Landry (Mia - WR) | $7 |
| 7. | (88) | Tyrell Williams (LAC - WR) | $3 |
| 8. | (92) | Mike Wallace (Bal - WR) | $2 |
| 9. | (100) | Martellus Bennett (GB - TE) | $10 |
| 10. | (101) | Marvin Jones Jr. (Det - WR) | $6 |
| 11. | (112) | Sebastian Janikowski (Oak - K) | $1 |
| 12. | (124) | Danny Woodhead (Bal - RB) | $1 |
| 13. | (146) | Jeremy Hill (Cin - RB) | $1 |
| 14. | (154) | Eric Ebron (Det - TE) | $1 |
| 15. | (162) | Jamaal Charles (Den - RB) | $1 |
| Unused | $0 | ||
Tom Brady for $44????
The Northeast has changed you, David. And not entirely for the better. I am well aware that I have a very strong bias against Tom Brady because he is the most hateable QB in NFL history, and that possibly has clouded my judgment, but I think it's safe to objectively say that David spent too much money on Brady and paid for it in the rest of his draft. We were all surprised by whatever bidding war was going on between him and luverboy Jeff. Moving on. David has good RB options to start the season, and some so-so WRs. I'm not sure Martellus will see the ball on a consistent basis, but I could be wrong.
9. JULIOthinkyouare?! (0-0)
| JULIOthinkyouare?! | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (15) | LeSean McCoy (Buf - RB) | $67 |
| 2. | (25) | Marshawn Lynch (Oak - RB) | $30 |
| 3. | (48) | Russell Wilson (Sea - QB) | $18 |
| 4. | (57) | Doug Baldwin (Sea - WR) | $46 |
| 5. | (71) | Jeremy Maclin (Bal - WR) | $5 |
| 6. | (105) | Andrew Luck (Ind - QB) | $5 |
| 7. | (107) | Julian Edelman (NE - WR) | $1 |
| 8. | (109) | LeGarrette Blount (Phi - RB) | $2 |
| 9. | (122) | Frank Gore (Ind - RB) | $3 |
| 10. | (128) | Adam Thielen (Min - WR) | $2 |
| 11. | (129) | Zach Ertz (Phi - TE) | $4 |
| 12. | (131) | Oakland (Oak - DEF) | $1 |
| 13. | (132) | Donte Moncrief (Ind - WR) | $2 |
| 14. | (136) | Jordan Matthews (Buf - WR) | $8 |
| 15. | (142) | Stephen Hauschka (Buf - K) | $1 |
| Unused | $5 | ||
Eric went for the old RBs that are on the brink of breaking down at any moment. It doesn't get much older than LeSean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, LeGarrett Blount, and Frank Gore, with a combined age of 1,372. I'm interested in whether the Russell Wilson / Doug Baldwin connection will play out favorably - I think it will. He's got some WRs with potential for good production - while they aren't superstar names yet, I think one or two could turn some heads this season. Eric's just hoping his team can keep it together - literally. As in, no body parts falling off or needing to amputate fingers.
10. Gabs (0-0)
| Gabs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (6) | Aaron Rodgers (GB - QB) | $38 |
| 2. | (29) | Cameron Meredith (Chi - WR) | $6 |
| 3. | (35) | Brandin Cooks (NE - WR) | $35 |
| 4. | (41) | Devonta Freeman (Atl - RB) | $65 |
| 5. | (46) | Seattle (Sea - DEF) | $4 |
| 6. | (77) | Adam Vinatieri (Ind - K) | $1 |
| 7. | (89) | DeSean Jackson (TB - WR) | $14 |
| 8. | (90) | Mike Gillislee (NE - RB) | $10 |
| 9. | (95) | Eddie Lacy (Sea - RB) | $10 |
| 10. | (102) | Willie Snead (NO - WR) | $6 |
| 11. | (137) | Hunter Henry (LAC - TE) | $4 |
| 12. | (145) | Andy Dalton (Cin - QB) | $2 |
| 13. | (147) | Darren Sproles (Phi - RB) | $1 |
| 14. | (149) | Chris Carson (Sea - RB) | $2 |
| 15. | (155) | James Conner (Pit - RB) | $1 |
| Unused | $1 | ||
RUN LIKE A FREEMAN because the reigning champ is back with his workhorse RB. Honestly, I'm not excited about Gabs's RBs: Freeman might be splitting carries, New England RBs are some of the wurst because of unpredictability of how they'll be utilized, and Seattle's backfield is a mess. His WRs weren't bad on draft day, but the loss of Cameron Meredith will have Gabs scrambling for some depth at WR. I'm just not sure where Gabs is going to get his firepower outside of Rodgers. Gabs probably thinks Freeman, but we'll see. The reigning champ looks beatable right now.
11. Unicorn Queen (0-0)
| Unicorn Queen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (2) | Christian McCaffrey (Car - RB) | $33 |
| 2. | (23) | Jordy Nelson (GB - WR) | $47 |
| 3. | (37) | Greg Olsen (Car - TE) | $22 |
| 4. | (66) | Ameer Abdullah (Det - RB) | $10 |
| 5. | (80) | Corey Coleman (Cle - WR) | $5 |
| 6. | (83) | Randall Cobb (GB - WR) | $9 |
| 7. | (84) | DeVante Parker (Mia - WR) | $10 |
| 8. | (96) | Kareem Hunt (KC - RB) | $11 |
| 9. | (98) | Bilal Powell (NYJ - RB) | $7 |
| 10. | (99) | Carolina (Car - DEF) | $2 |
| 11. | (103) | Samaje Perine (Was - RB) | $2 |
| 12. | (104) | Ben Roethlisberger (Pit - QB) | $4 |
| 13. | (108) | Darren McFadden (Dal - RB) | $9 |
| 14. | (120) | Brandon Marshall (NYG - WR) | $7 |
| 15. | (125) | Matthew Stafford (Det - QB) | $2 |
| Unused | $20 | ||
I came into this draft the least prepared out of all the auction drafts, and I think it showed. I knew I wanted McCaffrey, but the rest was unscripted. I like my RB situation - I obviously overloaded on them, but it just seemed like there were just so many to pick from this year. After Jordy, my WRs don't really excite me, and we all know that Big Ben will probably get hurt multiple times this season and just play through it, further giving me QB woes (still sad about Cam). Oh well, it's just the beginning of the season.
12. El Jefe (0-0)
| El Jefe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $200 | ||
| 1. | (17) | Kelvin Benjamin (Car - WR) | $17 |
| 2. | (27) | Michael Thomas (NO - WR) | $46 |
| 3. | (39) | Denver (Den - DEF) | $4 |
| 4. | (43) | Dalvin Cook (Min - RB) | $25 |
| 5. | (55) | C.J. Anderson (Den - RB) | $6 |
| 6. | (58) | Marcus Mariota (Ten - QB) | $12 |
| 7. | (74) | Ty Montgomery (GB - RB) | $9 |
| 8. | (76) | Martavis Bryant (Pit - WR) | $34 |
| 9. | (82) | Doug Martin (TB - RB) | $8 |
| 10. | (87) | Justin Tucker (Bal - K) | $2 |
| 11. | (113) | Derrick Henry (Ten - RB) | $5 |
| 12. | (114) | Delanie Walker (Ten - TE) | $6 |
| 13. | (115) | Eric Decker (Ten - WR) | $9 |
| 14. | (127) | Jamaal Williams (GB - RB) | $1 |
| 15. | (138) | Charles Sims (TB - RB) | $16 |
| Unused | $0 | ||
I looked it up - last year's drawn-out bidding war between Jeff and I was for Josh Gordon. Jeff won by paying $15 for him. While not as dramatic and over-priced as the Martavis Bryant bidding war this draft, Jeff will likely have better luck with Bryant this season than he did with Gordon last. $34 though = #LULZ. Also, it looks like Jeff's pretty high on the Titans this season: Mariota, Derrick Henry, Delanie Walker, and Eric Decker? AKA Jeff's team is a mess. While I'm liking Mariota having a breakout season and am intrigued by Dalvin Cook, I can't get all that excited about Michael Thomas (Brees tends to spread the ball out), KB (supposed to be in better shape, but his attitude was terrible last season), Martavis Bryant (off-the-field issues), or Eric Decker (getting old). I think Jeff's team could surprise me, depending on the performances of CJ Anderson, Ty Montgomery, and Doug Martin, and yes, I'm probably overlooking the significance of him having Denver's D, but I'm just not convinced yet.
