2015 Suicide League Draft Recap by the Bandit

[Bandit]

**Keep in mind I've been working on this all week, which means before Adrian Peterson reported to camp and no I'm not going in and updating my analysis based on that**

Okay so I did this last year and we've got a lot of time before the season starts, so I'm going to do this again. This year I'm going to compare each person in the A and B leagues that drafted from the same spot, but let me start off with some overall observations and my predictions for your playoff teams, Super Bowl participants, and champions. We all know that this suicide league is a different animal and there seems to be three main ways that people draft:

Method #1 (2QB, 4RB, 4WR, 2TE, 1K, 1DEF)
Method #2 (2QB, 5RB, 4WR, 1TE, 1K, 1DEF)
Method #3 (2QB, 4RB, 5WR, 1TE, 1K, 1DEF)

It's funny the difference in the leagues, in the A league the predominant way to go was method #3 with 6 teams employing that lineup (Barilko, Monkey, Tlance, Fuzzy, Foot, Chef), 2 teams going with method #1 (Lefty, Ram), 2 teams going with method #2 (Sam, Treff), and Joe and TKO going there own route, Joe having no backup quarterback therefore having 5RB's and 5WR's and TKO going with only 3RB's but taking 2 defenses.

In the B league however, the predominant way to draft was method #1 with 6 teams employing that method (Bandit, OBX, Trudem, Dawg, Milk, Face) 3 teams going with method #3 (Micro, Smitty, Steelers) 1 team going with method #2 (BK), and Harold and Nos going their own route with Harold taking 3RB's, 5WR's, 2TE's and Nos going with Method #1, but instead of backing up his tight end, he backed up his kicker. Not sure any of this matters, but I just wanted you guys to see who went with what, because it always comes up when we are drafting as to what roster positions people put on their bench.

This year's draft was nothing like last years in that both drafts were very similar to each other. Neither league went quarterback crazy early, although the B league still drafted there's a little earlier than the A league as there were 12 quarterbacks taken through 8 rounds in the B league and 9 taken through the 8th round of the A league. Out of both leagues, only Joe elected not to have a backup quarterback. Drew Brees and Tom Brady both fell far in both leagues and Big Ben and Eli Manning climbed upward. The biggest differential in the two leagues was a 60 spot difference between Matthew Stafford (#39 to Micro in the B league, #99 to Barilko in the A league). The running backs were taken pretty consistently by both leagues this year. Both leagues selected 12 in the first two rounds, the A league selected 32 by the end of round 6 and the B league selected 30 by the end of round 6. Total the A league selected 50 and the B league selected 48. Now where the differences were was where certain guys were taken. The running backs were all over the place from league to league and I expect that trend to continue as we do drafts closer to the season. Two of the biggest differences were in the first couple of rounds with Demarco Murray (#6 to Harold in the B league and #30 to Tlance in the A league) and Arian Foster (#11 to Face in the B league, #23 to Sam in the A league). Melvin Gordon was the top rookie taken as the 15th running back and Todd Gurley was the 20th taken. There were several other huge differences and if you want to see them all, I refer you to Joe's wonderful chart on the suicide comparison thread. But just know that of the top 35 running backs selected by ADP, 12 of them had at least a 12 pick (one full round) difference between where they were selected in both leagues. At wide receiver there were only 7 in the top 35 and none in the top 20. Wide receivers were also consistently taken by both league with 16 taken by the A league in the first 3 rounds and 14 taken by the B league. There were 38 taken in the first 7 rounds by the A league and 36 by the B league. And total there were 56 taken by the A league and 52 taken by the B league. Pretty consistent across both leagues. Dez being taken ahead of Antonio Brown in both leagues surprised me. Amari Cooper was the top rookie wideout at #22 and Kevin White was next at #31. At tight end Gronk with the 9th pick in both drafts, Jimmy Graham went in the 3rd round and Greg Olsen and Julius Thomas went in the 5th round. The big difference was Travis Kelce who was drafted in the 4th round of the A league at #43 (Tlance) but not until the 8th round of the B league at #86 (Face). Huge value for Face. Because of the different methods in play, the B league drafted 19 tight ends and the A league only 15. Tlance in the A league jumped all over the Seahawks defense 2 rounds before they went in the B league. (#67 to Tlance, #87 to Micro), but overall the B league drafted defenses a lot faster, drafting 5 in the 10th round and 8 total by the end of the 10th whereas the A league only had drafted 5 by the end of the 10th round. Kickers went later in the A league as well as only one was drafted by an A leaguer before the 13th round (Cody Parkey by Sam in the 12th), but there were already 9 drafted in the B league by that time.

So, on to the playoff predictions. In the A league I think Lefty has the best team and will be the #1 seed, Sam will be the #2 seed, Fuzzy the #3 seed, and Barilko wins out over Ram on a tiebreaker to gain the #4 seed. Lefty beats Barilko in one playoff game and Fuzzy beats Sam in the other setting up Fuzzy v. Lefty for the championship. Fuzzy pulls out the upset victory 112-110 behind a late Dan Bailey field goal. In the B league I think Trudem clinches the #1 seed in a tie-breaker over Nosferatu who becomes the #2 seed. BK gets the #3 seed and Smitty wins the tiebreaker over Bandit for the #4 seed because I can't ever beat that guy. In the 1st round Trudem takes care of Smitty and Nos and BK play to a tie with Nos winning the tiebreaker which is most kickers on the roster. In the championship game Nos has a comfortable 7 point lead with only the Denver game left on and 30 seconds on the clock of a blowout. Then Philip Rivers throws a ridiculous interception that Denver returns for a touchdown for 8 extra points pulling out the shocking one point win for Trudem 115-114. So, without further ado, let's get started with the team comparisons.

 

[Bandit]

Pick #1, (Great in real life not so much in fantasy)


Ram drafted #1 in the A league and I drafted there in the B league. Here are our teams:

Ram

QB - Cam Newton (8th), Tom Brady (9th)
RB - Eddie Lacy (1st), Todd Gurley (4), Darren McFadden (5th), Duke Johnson (12th)
WR - AJ Green (2nd), Mike Evans (3rd), Charles Johnson (6th), Kevin White (7th)
TE - Owen Daniels (11th), Austin Sefarian-Jenkins (14th)
K - Stephen Gostkowski (13th)
D/ST - Rams (10th)

Bandit

QB - Matt Ryan (7th), Tom Brady (8th)
RB - Jamaal Charles (1st), Alfred Morris (3rd), David Cobb (10th), Reggie Bush (11th)
WR - Alshon Jeffery (2nd), Desean Jackson (4th), Brandon Marshall (6th), Victor Cruz (9th)
TE - Greg Olsen (5th), Jordan Cameron (13th)
K - Matt Bryant (12th)
D/ST - Packers (14th)

Both of us went with 4 RB’s, 4 WR’s, and a backup tight end. 1st picks are hard to argue with as both Jamaal Charles and Eddie Lacy should have great years. A.J. Green still being there for Ram was nice in the 2nd round as he elected to go WR, WR with Mike Evans also. I was afraid of the middle tier running backs and wanted to make sure I got one more proven one with Alfred Morris. Ram filled out his running backs with two unproven commodities in Todd Gurley and Darren McFadden who both have injury issues as Gurley might not even start the season and McFadden is . . . well he's Darren McFadden. I know he's running behind that Dallas offensive line, but the 49th pick of the draft seemed to be a bit of a stretch. The problem with drafting on one of the ends though is that if you really want a guy, you kind of have to stretch to get him because there's a good chance he's not going to last the 23 picks for it to get back to you. That was the same thing I did with Olsen in the 5th round. I didn't want to mess with any of the middle tight ends as I wanted a guy I could plug in every week and his value wasn't strictly based on catching touchdowns. It turned out if I'd waited he might not have been there, but Travis Kelce would have been, but oh well. In the 8th and 9th rounds Ram went QB, QB with Cam Newton and Tom Brady. I actually really like this move getting two good quarterbacks instead of one great one. Both of them have the potential of being top 5 quarterbacks and there was no chance either would have been there if he let them slide. I also drafted Brady as my backup QB because I hated every running back and wide receiver that were left and figured waiting another round to get a 3rd running back wasn't going to hurt as they all had about the same potential at that point. I drafted Victor Cruz in the 9th because I had 3 solid receivers so even if he isn't ready at the beginning of the year, when he comes back he could have a big impact with Odell Beckham on the other side of him now. In the 10th and 11th rounds, Ram started filling out his roster going with the Rams D and Owen Daniels. I was going to draft the Rams defense if they were there in the 10th round, but there was 7 defenses picked (including the Rams) since I made my 9th round pick, so I went ahead and picked two running backs with David Cobb and Reggie Bush. Cobb might be the guy in Tennessee and I was happy to get him as late as I did. I picked Bush strictly because his value isn't based on being a running back, so as long as he's healthy he will see the field as a receiver. In the 12th and 13th rounds Ram got Duke Johnson who has the potential to be great if he can stay healthy and he selected the 2nd kicker of the A league draft with Gostkowski. I selected Matt Bryant in the 12th, who was already the 9th kicker of the B league draft. Big difference I'd say. I went kicker because there was still plenty of defenses for me to choose from and only 4 teams needed a defense at that point and I drafted Jordan Cameron because he was still there. He has the same bye week as Olsen, but the upside was just too much for me to pass on. With the last pick of the A league draft Ram went with Austin Safarian Jenkins as his back up tight end and I went with the Packers D. I had the Patriots D rated higher, but I already had Brady and I hate rooting for them so that was enough.

Overall Assessment: Quarterbacks are a push, my RB2 is better but Ram's have the potential to be as good, His WR1 and WR2 are slightly better and my WR3 is slightly better so he gets the advantage there. My tight ends are better, Ram's Kicker and defense are better. I think if we played each other I would win 94-91 based on nothing except I want to win.

Best Picks - Ram getting A.J. Green (#24) was great and he got great value on both his quarterbacks with picks #96 and #97. My best value picks were probably getting David Cobb (#120) and Jordan Cameron (#145). They both could perform well above that draft status.

Not so Best Picks - The Gurley/McFadden turn in the 4th and 5th rounds is going to make or break Ram's team. They could both be awesome or they both could play 5 games this year, but with only having 4 running backs total he's going to need at least one of them to be good and stay healthy. For me, Victor Cruz in the 9th was a stretch as he might not see the field until later in the season and with only having 4 wide receivers, all with past injury issues, I might not be able to field a team most weeks.

Overall Grades: Ram (B), Bandit (B)

Predicted Records: Ram (7-6), Bandit (7-6)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #2​

Sam/Wil had the #2 pick in the A league and OBX had it in the B league, let's compare their rosters:

Sam/Wil

QB - Andrew Luck (1st), Derek Carr (11)
RB - Arian Foster (2nd), Latavius Murray (5th), Joseph Randle (6th), Roy Helu (8th), Jerick Mckinnon (14th)
WR - Alshon Jeffery (3rd), Andre Johnson (4th), Mike Wallace (7th), Kenny Stills (10th)
TE - Dwayne Allen (9th)
K - Cody Parkey (12th)
D/ST - Eagles (13th)

OBX

QB - Drew Brees (6th), Marcus Mariota (14th)
RB - Adrian Peterson (1st), Todd Gurley (4th), CJ Spiller (5th), Bishop Sankey (8th)
WR - Mike Evans (2nd), Kelvin Benjamin (3rd), Larry Fitzgerald (7th), Nelson Agholor (9th)
TE - Owen Daniels (10th), Larry Donnell (13th)
K - Connor Barth (12th)
D/ST - Lions (11th)

Sam/Wil went with 5 WR’s, 4 RB's and no backup tight end and OBX went with 4 RB’s, 4 WR’s, and a backup tight end. So both guys took a chance in the 1st round of a different kind. Sam or Wil or both obviously wanted Andrew Luck and knew he would never be there when it came back to him in the 2nd, so he jumped all over it. OBX went with Peterson who potentially could hold out and never play for Minnesota again, or he could gain 2000 yards, either could happen although taking that kind of risk with the 2nd pick of the draft takes big balls. Speaking of Sam and luck, how the hell did Arian Foster fall to the 23rd pick? Love the value there. OBX took Kelvin Benjamin in the 3rd round with Randall Cobb and T.Y. Hilton still on the board. Once again a lot of the performance of both of these teams is going to be determined by their 2nd running backs. OBX went with Todd Gurley in the 4th and CJ Spiller in the 5th. Gurley is going to be good, I'm just not sure if that's going to be this year coming off the injury. Spiller scares me to death. The problem with him is whether you ever have confidence to put him in your lineup as he is just as likely to break a long run for a touchdown and have a 15 point game as he is to have a 0 point game. Sam went with the quantity approach with 5 running backs selecting Latavius Murray and Joseph Randle in the 5th and 6th rounds. Murray will be good if he can stay on the field and Randle could be the starting running back in Dallas after week 1 when McFadden gets hurt, so the potential is there to be really good. I like the Helu pick as he will always see touches in that offense and I would have liked to see Sam go with Alfred Blue instead of McKinnon if he was going to draft a 5th running back. OBX got Brees in the 6th round which was a good pick (I was going to take him if he didn't with the next pick). I like the Kenny Stills pick Sam made in the 10th as he will have a bigger role this year with Graham gone and I love the Nelson Agholor pick as a 4th wide receiver by OBX although he might be playing him more often that Larry Fitzgerald.

Overall Assessment: Sam has the advantage at QB getting the clear #1 guy this year. Even with OBX having Peterson, I think the running backs are a push and I think the wide receivers are a push as well. I like Dwayne Allen, but Sam might regret getting that 5th running back instead of a backup tight end because Allen has some injury issues which could lead to a lot of zeroes in Sam's score. OBX's team depends so much on what happens with Peterson. I think Sam wins this matchup 105-92.

Best Picks - For Sam I like the Arian Foster pick at #23 and I like the Kenny Stills pick at #119. For OBX I like Nelson Agholor at #98 and Drew Brees at #71.

Not so Best Picks - For Sam I just hate going with the 5th running back instead of a backup tight end with the last pick. Dwayne Allen is good, but he's not a model of consistent reliability and I think he's going to end up with several zeroes out of the tight end spot because of that. For OBX Spiller at #50 was a little too early and taking Benjamin with Cobb and Hilton on the board.

Overall Grades: Sam (B+), OBX (B-)

Predicted Records: Sam (7-5-1), OBX (6-7)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #4 (otherwise known as the I hope Leveon Bell only gets one game suspension pick)​

Pick #4 in the A league went to Monkey and pick #4 in the B league went to Steelers.

Monkey

QB – Russell Wilson (7th), Teddy Bridgewater (11th)
RB – Leveon Bell (1st), Mark Ingram (3rd), T.J. Yeldon (5th), Tre Mason (10th)
WR – Randall Cobb (2nd), Keenan Allen (4th), Jeremy Maclin (6th), Torrey Smith (8th), Dorial Green-Beckham (12th)
TE – Jordan Cameron (9th)
K – Chandler Catanzaro (14th)
D/ST – Chiefs (13th)

Steelers

QB – Ryan Tannehill (10th), Colin Kaepernick (13th)
RB – Leveon Bell (1st), Melvin Gordon (3rd), Legarrette Blount (6th), Doug Martin (11th)
WR – Julio Jones (2nd), Martavis Bryant (4th), Keenan Allen (5th), Allen Robinson (7th), Steve Smith (8th)
TE – Zach Ertz (9th)
K – Cody Parkey (14th)
D/ST – Steelers (12th)

Both guys went with the 5 WR, 4 RB, and no backup tight end method. Both guys went with Leveon Bell in the 1st round thinking that the upside was just too much to pass on even if he gets a two game suspension. By passing on Marshawn Lynch, they are both saying that Bell for 14 games is more valuable than Lynch for 16 games. Only time will tell. Both of these guys took 5 wide receivers and Steelers had 5 by the 8th round with Monkey having 4 by the 8th round. I guess they got burned by wide receivers last year in suicide. Neither took their tight ends until the 9th round, but I like both picks in Cameron and Ertz, although as stated before I would prefer them taking a backup tight end just in case. I like the Maclin pick by Monkey much more in the 6th round instead of the 5th round. I like Russell Wilson in the 7th round as I think that was good value for Monkey and because he loaded up at wide receiver, Steelers was the last to take a quarterback and he got Ryan Tannehill and backed him up with Kaepernick. I like Tannehill to have a good year, but in a 6 point touchdown league your other players have to make up the difference for your quarterback week-to-week.

Overall Assessment – Monkey will have a stronger starting lineup because of the difference in quarterback as Wilson should have another great year especially now that he actually has a red zone target in Jimmy Graham. At running back Steelers needs to hope that Doug Martin gets the start in Tampa or he will be seriously hurting with both Leveon Bell and Legarrette Blount suspended for game one most likely. I like Ingram more than Gordon, but I like Blount over Yeldon because he’s on Jacksonville and they suck. So at running back I say it’s a push. At wide receiver I think both did a great job at mixing proven wideouts and potential breakouts so I’ll call it a push also. Tight end is a push and so is defense and I give Steelers the edge at kicker. Overall I think Monkey wins this thing 100-94.

Best picks – Monkey getting Russell Wilson in the 7th was a good pick and Dorial Green-Beckham could turn out to be a great pick. For Steelers I like Keenan Allen in the 5th and believe it or not, I actually really like his kicker pick with Cody Parkey falling all the way to the 12th kicker chosen.

Not so Best picks – If they both start 0-2 with Bell suspended they might look back and think someone else would have been a safer choice. I think instead of grabbing a 5th receiver in the 8th round, Steelers would have been better off grabbing Tom Brady since he was still on the board, but he might hate him. Not taking a backup tight end means that both of theirs need to stay healthy and Jordan Cameron isn’t exactly a model of health.

Overall Grades – Monkey (B-) Steelers (C+)

Predicted Records – Monkey (6-6-1) Steelers (5-7-1)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #5​

Treff had the #5 pick in the A league and BK had it in the B league

Treff

QB – Ben Roethlisberger (7th), Andy Dalton (12th)
RB – Lesean Mccoy (1st), Carlos Hyde (2nd), Legarrette Blount (6th), Matt Jones (10th), Monte Ball (13th)
WR – Sammy Watkins (4th), Martavis Bryant (5th), Brandon Lafell (8th), Cody Latimer (11th)
TE – Jimmy Graham (3rd)
K – Matt Bryant (14th)
D/ST – Bills (9th)

BK

QB – Peyton Manning (3rd), Joe Flacco (13th)
RB – Marshawn Lynch (1st), Jonathan Stewart (4th), Joseph Randle (7th), Shane Vereen (10th), Duke Johnson (14th)
WR – A.J. Green (2nd), Julian Edelman (5th), Roddy White (6th), Kenny Stills (11th)
TE – Antonio Gates (8th)
K – Justin Tucker (12th)
D/ST – Bills (9th)

Both Treff and BK went with the 5 RB, 4 WR, no backup tight end method. In Treff’s case I understand that completely with drafting Jimmy Graham early, but BK drafting an aging Antonio Gates with no backup doesn’t make much sense to me. Treff thinks Mccoy is going to have a big year in Buffalo this year taking him over Lynch and he expects bigger things out of Carlos Hyde than Arian Foster this year also. I like the Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant picks, but Brandon Lafell and Cody Latimer as your only other receivers in a standard start 3 WR’s league could prove to be rough. Lafell was so hit and miss last year, but maybe another year with Brady will give him a great season. I love Big Ben this year especially the first two weeks with no Leveon Bell. Apparently drafting the Bills D and all those sacks in the 9th round was contagious and you guys obviously are drinking from the same Kool Aid. Treff still isn’t willing to give up on Monte Ball although the 13th round is better than the 4th pick of the draft. I really like what BK did with his draft other than at tight end. I really like Jonathan Stewart this year and Joseph Randle and Shane Vereen are going to get touches no matter what on 3rd downs so they are great bye week replacements to have. Duke Johnson could end up being the man in Cleveland by the end of the year. Solid wide receivers as well with A.J. Green, Julian Edelman, and Roddy White and Kenny Stills is due to have a great year. If Peyton Manning stays even close to the level he was at even last year, BK will be tough to beat.

Overall Assessment - I give BK a slight advantage at QB, but not near as much as you might think as once again I think Ben has a big year. At running back I think the starters are a push, but I like BK’s depth more. At wide receiver I give BK the advantage at WR1 and WR3. Treff has a big advantage at tight end and the defense and kicker are a push. I think BK wins this one 107-92.

Best Picks – As stated earlier I really like Big Ben this year and I like the Monte Ball pick in the 13th, hey the guy that was 3rd on the depth chart for them last year ended up being pretty good. I also like getting Sammy Watkins in the 4th as I think his 2nd year he will be much improved. With BK I really liked rounds 4, 5, and 6 getting Stewart, Edelman, and Roddy White and I love the Duke Johnson pick in the 14th.

Not So Best Picks – I hated Treff taking Carlos Hyde over Arian Foster and Demarco Murray, of course it’s entirely possible that I’m wrong also. I also think there were better running back options available than Matt Jones in the 10th round. Other than the lack of a backup tight end, I really don’t have much issue with BK’s draft. I think both of them might have jumped the gun by taking the Bills D, but if they really wanted them they probably had to draft them there.

Overall Grades – Treff (B-), BK (A-)

Predicted Records – Treff (6-7), BK (7-5-1)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #6 ​

The almighty and powerful Tlance had the #6 pick in the A league and Haroldseattle had the #6 pick in the B league.

Tlance

QB – Sam Bradford (10th), Joe Flacco (11th)
RB – Marshawn Lynch (1st), Demarco Murray (3rd), Ryan Matthews (8th), Bishop Sankey (12th)
WR – Julio Jones (2nd), Julian Edelman (5th), Vincent Jackson (7th), Nelson Agholor (9th), Marvin Jones (14th)
TE – Travis Kelce (4th)
K – Justin Tucker (13th)
D/ST – Seahawks (6th)

Haroldseattle

QB – Ben Roethlisberger (6th), Philip Rivers (11th)
RB – Demarco Murray (1st), Mark Ingram (3rd), David Johnson (10th)
WR – Demaryius Thomas (2nd) Sammy Watkins (4th) Kevin White (7th) Brandon Lafell (8th) Terrance Williams (14th)
TE – Julius Thomas (5th), Delanie Walker (13th)
K – Mason Crosby (12th)
D/ST – Cardinals (9th)

I have to start off by saying that Harold took Demarco Murray too high, but I can’t believe that he was still there with the 30th pick for Tlance. 30th overall pick? Come on guys are all 11 of you that far down on him this year? Is it the amount of touches last year, the new team, the crowded backfield, all of the above? I still don’t get him falling that far. Tlance went with the 5 WR, 4 RB, no backup tight end method. I think he might have stretched a bit for Kelce in the 4th and I hate Vincent Jackson this year but the value in the 7th wasn’t bad. Nelson Agholor could be a great pickup in the 9th round. I’m not sold on making taking Sam Bradford as your first quarterback, not with his injury issues. He might be great in Chip Kelly’s offense, but the fast pace also leads to your quarterback getting the shit beat out of him occasionally because your offensive line is gassed also. I just don’t see it lasting, but once again I could be wrong. Harold also went with the 5 WR method, but he only went with 3 RB’s, which is rare in this format, so he also has a backup tight end. Harold probably took Ben a little early but my guess is that he was worried that Steelers would have taken him in either the 6th or 7th if he didn’t pull the trigger there and he might have been right. I think he’s going to regret taking the 5th wide receiver instead of a 4th running back in the last round, especially with Murray and Ingram’s injury histories.

Overall Assessment – I have to give the advantage to Harold at QB and to Tlance at running back. Wide receiver is a push and while I like Kelce more than Thomas at TE this year, I like the fact that Harold backed him up with Delanie Walker. Tlance has the advantage at defense and kicker is a push. I think in the head-to-head the advantage Tlance has at defense and running back is enough to overcome the disadvantage at quarterback and Tlance prevails 94-92.

Best Picks – Tlance getting Demarco Murray with the 30th pick is beyond a steal. Love getting Nelson Agholor with the 102nd pick and getting Flacco to back up Bradford was a good move in the next round. Can’t believe Demaryius Thomas was still there for Harold at #19 and I like the David Johnson pick in the 10th round as it was quite evident last year that Andre Ellington is not an every down back. Delanie Walker in the 13th round was also quite a steal if Julius Thomas falls flat in Jacksonville.

Not so best picks – Harold taking Demarco Murray in the 1st round was probably too early and as stated before, taking Big Ben was a little early, but not if he really wanted him since he couldn’t risk it going by Steelers. I also think taking the Cardinals D in the 9th was too early. For Tlance, I think the Seahawks D was too early in the 6th round and waiting as long as he did to get a quarterback might come back to haunt him.

Overall Grades – Tlance (B-), Harold (B-)

Predicted Records – Tlance (6-6-1), Harold (6-7)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #7​

Joe had the 7th pick in the A league and Trudem had the #7 pick in the B league.

Joe

QB – Peyton Manning (4th)
RB – Matt Forte (1st), Tevin Coleman (6th), David Cobb (7th), Davonte Freeman (10th), Jeremy Langford (14th)
WR – Jordy Nelson (2nd), Emmanuel Sanders (3rd), Anquan Boldin (9th), Kendall Wright (11th), Steve Smith (12th)
TE – Greg Olsen (5th)
K – Steven Hauschka (13th)
D/ST – Texans (8th)

Trudem

QB – Russell Wilson (6th), Nick Foles (14th)
RB – Lesean Mccoy (1st), Jeremy Hill (2nd), Isaiah Crowell (8th), Matt Jones (12th)
WR – Randall Cobb (3rd), Jordan Matthews (4th), Golden Tate (5th), Eric Decker (9th)
TE – Martellus Bennett (7th), Eric Ebron (13th)
K – Adam Vinatieri (11th)
D/ST – Broncos (10th)

Joe was unique in that he didn't draft a backup quarterback sticking with the ageless Peyton Manning only. He drafted 5 RB, 5 WR and no backup tight end. Trudem went with a more conventional 4 RB, 4 WR, backup tight end method. Joe went with quantity at running back over quality, but that was a necessity since his 2nd running back wasn't drafted until the 6th round. Therefore, he's going to need one of his rookies (Tevin Coleman or David Cobb) to step up and be the man for their teams. I think he might have stretched a bit for the Texans D and his WR3 will be a crap shoot each week trying to pick which of those 3 guys he wants to play and you already know how I feel about no backup tight end, but not drafting a backup quarterback is borderline crazy in this format because if he goes down, you are thoroughly screwed, but maybe Joe figured he's be screwed anyway since none of the backups he could draft would put up the numbers Peyton did. When you draft a QB in round 4 and a tight end in round 5, you are not going to be as strong at RB2 and WR3, but that's the chance you take. I do like that Joe has enough guys at both positions though that some of them must be good hopefully. I really liked Trudem's draft and he kept stealing guys that I had targeted. He might have the best starting running backs in the league nabbing Lesean Mccoy and Jeremy Hill in the first two rounds, then he went with 3 wide receivers in a row with Randall Cobb (a great value in the 3rd), Jordan Matthews, and Golden Tate. I like Russell Wilson this year as stated earlier and Martellus Bennett should get even more targets with Brandon Marshall gone. Isaiah Crowell in the 8th was a steal also.

Overall assessment - I think you have to say that Joe wins the QB battle, but only by a few points as I think Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning will finish the season pretty close to each other. Gotta give the advantage to Trudem at running back by a long shot. I think the wide receiver race is a push with Joe having slightly better WR1 and WR2 but Trudem having a better WR3. At tight end I give a slight advantage to Joe with Olsen over Bennett but not by much. Kicker and defense is pretty much a push. In this matchup I think Trudem takes down Joe 101-99.

Best picks - Trudem getting Randall Cobb in the 3rd was great value, as was getting Isaiah Crowell in the 8th. In rounds 3-8, five of Trudem's six picks were drafted higher in the A league than he got them in the B league. I really like Joe getting Manning in the 4th round and I think Steve Smith in the 12th was a good pickup.

Not so best picks - I think a lack of a backup quarterback and tight end might hurt Joe, but hey it might not. I think the Texans D in the 8th round was a bit of stretch and David Cobb in the 7th was probably too early, but there wasn't much left in the running back department. For Trudem I think his first 8 rounds were great, but he definitely could have waited on Eric Decker. I don't like the Foles pick, but hopefully he'll only be playing one week anyway, so it shouldn't make that much difference.

Overall Grades - Joe (B-), Trudem (A-)

Overall Prediction - Joe (6-6-1), Trudem (8-5)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #8​

In the A league Fuzzy had pick #8 and in the B league it was Dawg.

Fuzzy

QB – Matt Ryan (7th), Ryan Tannehill (9th)
RB – C.J. Anderson (1st), Justin Forsett (3rd), Rashad Jennings (8th), Chris Ivory (11th)
WR – Calvin Johnson (2nd), Amari Cooper (4th), Desean Jackson (5th), Terrance Williams (10th), Davante Parker (14th)
TE – Martellus Bennett (6th)
K – Dan Bailey (13th)
D/ST – Jets (12th)

Dawg

QB – Andrew Luck (1st), Teddy Bridgewater (13th)
RB – T.J. Yeldon (5th), Tevin Coleman (6th), Charles Sims (7th), Jay Ajayi (11th)
WR – Calvin Johnson (2nd), Emmanuel Sanders (3rd), Andre Johnson (4th), Charles Johnson (8th)
TE – Dwayne Allen (9th), Kyle Rudolph (14th)
K – Dan Bailey (12th)
D/ST – Jets (10th)

Fuzzy went with the 5 WR, 4 RB, no backup tight end method and Dawg went with the 4 RB, 4 WR, with a backup tight end method. Dawg went with an interesting approach as he was the last person in the B league to draft a running back waiting until the 5th round with the 56th pick, so needless to say he is going to need some rookies to produce and he is weak at running back. He is strong at wide receiver and quarterback though as he grabbed Andrew Luck in the 1st round and then went 3 straight wide receivers with Calvin Johnson, Emmanuel Sanders, and Andre Johnson, so his quarterback and wide receivers are capable of carrying him. Kyle Rudolph falling to him in the 14th round was a great pickup, we'll just have to see if waiting on a running back so long comes back to bite him if T.J. Yeldon and Tevin Coleman don't start producing immediately. Fuzzy had his main starters in place by round 7 drafting a QB, 2 RB's, 3 WR's, and 1 TE. I like getting Rashad Jennings and Chris Ivory as backups at running back and I like Tannehill much more as a backup quarterback than as a starter. Amari Cooper in the 4th might have been a bit early, but he does have a lot of talent keep in mind he does play for Oakland though. Solid draft for Fuzzy as usual.

Overall Assessment - Dawg wins at quarterback with Andrew Luck, landslide. Fuzzy wins at running back, landslide. Wide receiver I have to give a slight edge to Dawg as far as the starters go, but I really like both of the guys Fuzzy took as "backups" with Terrance Williams and Davonte Parker. Have to give the edge at tight end to Dawg as well having two good ones is better than one and they have the same kicker and defense so I'd say that's a push. This matchup boils down to whether Luck and Dawg's receivers can outscore Fuzzy's running backs by enough. I just don't think so, it's the old school running backs win championships side of me that gives Fuzzy the 98-96 victory.

Best picks - Dawg getting Kyle Rudolph in the 14th round was a flat out steal and Fuzzy getting Chris Ivory in the 11th round was also a steal.

Not so best picks - Dawg waiting until the 5th round just seems brutal and then he had to reach for Charles Sims in the 7th. I think taking the Jets D in the 10th was a little early. For Fuzzy I think Amari Cooper was a round too early, but he really wanted him, and I don't like C.J. Anderson at the 8th pick of the draft, there's just way too many Monte Ball alarms going off in my head.

Overall Grades - Fuzzy (B), Dawg (B-)

Predicted Records - Fuzzy (7-6), Dawg (6-7)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #9​

In the A league the #9 pick belonged to Foot and in the B league it was Milk

Foot

QB – Aaron Rodgers (2nd), Colin Kaepernick (11th)
RB – Jonathan Stewart (5th), C.J. Spiller (6th), Andre Williams (10th), Trent Richardson (13th)
WR – Kelvin Benjamin (3rd), Golden Tate (4th), Percy Harvin (7th), Larry Fitzgerald (8th), Cordarelle Patterson (9th)
TE – Rob Gronkowksi (1st)
K – Greg Zuerlein (14th)
D/ST – Broncos (12th)

Milk

QB – Eli Manning (8th), Jay Cutler (14th)
RB – C.J. Anderson (2nd), Darren McFadden (6th), Chris Ivory (7th), Tre Mason (11th)
WR – T.Y. Hilton (3rd), Brandin Cooks (4th), Amari Cooper (5th), Dorial Green-Beckham (9th)
TE – Rob Gronkowski (1st), Maxx Williams (13th)
K – Shaun Suisham (12th)
D/ST – Texans (10th)

Foot went with the 4 RB, 5 WR, no backup tight end method and Milk went with 4 RB, 4 WR, and a backup tight end. Foot drafted Trent Richardson though so he was set anyway. Both of these guys couldn't pass on Gronk at the #9 spot as he is that much better than every other tight end. Foot then went with Aaron Rodgers in the 2nd. He then went with two receivers which meant his first running back was taken later than everybody else's at #57 and I really like that Jonathan Stewart was still there for him. He only really drafted two Footholds this year in Patterson in the 9th and Kaepernick in the 11th, but both as backups, I guess he's finally given up on them. And no CJ2bad this year. Biggest shock of the draft. Milk had a solid draft but anytime you are relying on Darrin McFadden in your starting lineup you are playing with fire. I like that C.J. Anderson fell to him in the 2nd and I like that he went with 3 WR after that. Doing that is always going to make you a little weak at RB2, but he has some good backups with Chris Ivory and Tre Mason, who might be the man until Todd Gurley gets healthy in St. Louis. I actually really like Eli Manning this year but I'm not sure I like him more than Tom Brady who was still on the board.

Overall Assessment - I think it's safe to say that Foot wins the quarterback battle with Rodgers over Eli. At running back I have to give the edge to Milk who has the backups to produce even if McFadden gets hurt and I like C.J. Anderson more than Jonathan Stewart, although not by as much as you might think. At wide receiver I have to go with Milk here also as I think Hilton will have another big year and I hate all of Foot's options at WR3. Tight end would be a push as is kicker and defense.

Best picks - I really think Foot getting Jonathan Stewart at #52 is a great pick and C.J. Spiller at #69 was pretty good also for what was left. Milk getting C.J. Anderson at #16 was great, as was T.Y. Hilton at #33.

Not so best picks - I think we know that Trent Richardson is making this list. What does this guy have to do to go undrafted. He's terrible. Tebow would have been a better pick. I also didn't like Percy Harvin at #81 or Cordarrelle Patterson at all, but we all know Foot marches to the beat of a different drum and I applaud him for sticking to that. As for Milk, I like Amari Cooper at #57 better than #41 but I still think that's too high, but I know how Milk feels about his rookie wide receivers so I will leave him alone about it.

Overall Grades - Foot (C-), Milk (B-)

Predicted Records - Foot (5-8), Milk (5-7-1)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #10​

In the A league TKO had the 10th pick and in the B league Micro had the 10th pick

TKO

QB – Tony Romo (8th), Philip Rivers (9th)
RB – Jeremy Hill (2nd), Alfred Morris (3rd), Frank Gore (4th)
WR – Dez Bryant (1st), Michael Floyd (6th), Jarvis Landry (7th), Reuben Randle (10th)
TE – Julius Thomas (5th), Jason Witten (13th)
K – Dan Carpenter (14th)
D/ST – Packers (11th), Lions (12th)

Micro

QB – Matthew Stafford (4th), Derek Carr (12th)
RB – Matt Forte (1st), Lamar Miller (3rd), Giovani Bernard (5th), Monte Ball (11th)
WR – Antonio Brown (2nd), Michael Floyd (6th), Mike Wallace (7th), Donte Moncrief (10th), Cody Latimer (14th)
TE – Heath Miller (9th)
K – Matt Prater (13th)
D/ST – Seahawks (8th)

TKO went with 3 RB, 4 WR, 2 TE, and 2 D/ST. Micro went with 4 RB, 5 WR, and no backup tight end. TKO was the only team to take two defenses this year. It's funny to me because last year in the Keeper of the Flame draft TKO drafted 7 running backs, so to be one of the only teams that only drafted 3 marks a huge change in philosophy. Both drafted 3 running backs in the first 5 rounds of the draft and then changed their focus entirely, only taking one more running back total between the two of them (Monte Ball by Micro). Micro was the first team in the B league to select a defense but it wasn't until the 8th round. Micro made Matthew Stafford the 4th quarterback selected in the B league at pick #39 and in the A league he was pick #99 in the 9th round. He probably deserves to be somewhere in between. I really like the first 3 running backs selected by both as that will serve as the core of their teams, although I would have like to see TKO take a 4th running back instead of a 2nd defense later in the draft.

Overall Assessment - I'm giving the edge at quarterback to TKO which is saying something considering he drafted his four rounds after Micro did, but I like Romo this year and I like that he backed him up with Philip Rivers. The running back edge is a push, but I really like both teams, I give Micro the edge at RB1, but TKO the edge at RB2 and RB3 as I think Gore will have a great year. I think the starting wide receivers are a push, although Micro was blessed that he got Antonio Brown as the 3rd receiver selected and I like Micro's depth at wide receiver more as both Moncrief and Latimer could be good plays certain weeks. Both of their sets of wide receivers are not as strong as other teams because they both only took one in the first five rounds. At tight end I give the edge to TKO because I like the fact that he backed Julius Thomas up with Witten. Witten in the 13th round, did he lose another bodily organ that wasn't aware of? I actually give Micro the advantage at kicker and defense as well. In the end, this was a really close call but I give the slight edge to TKO and I honestly have no idea why 99-98.

Best picks - Love the Frank Gore pick in round 4 by TKO, also really like the Romo and Rivers 8th and 9th rounds and Jason Witten in the 13th round was a steal. For Micro I'm sure he was happy that Matt Forte lasted to the 10th pick and that Antonio Brown was there with the 15th pick. I like the Seahawks D a lot more in the 8th round than in the 6th round and I like the Moncrief and Latimer picks also.

Not so best picks - For TKO, I didn't like taking a 2nd defense instead of a 4th running back. I would not draft Julius Thomas this year, especially not in the 5th round, but since he ended up with Witten it will be fine. For Micro, Stafford in the 4th was way too early and although Heath Miller is always a solid tight end, he probably could have waited a few more rounds to draft him.

Overall Grades - TKO (B-), Micro (B-)

Predicted Records - TKO (6-7), Micro (6-7)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #11​

Chef had the #11 pick in the A league and Face had it in the B league.

Chef

QB – Eli Manning (7th), Jameis Winston (11th)
RB – Adrian Peterson (1st), Isaiah Crowell (5th), Ameer Abdullah (6th), Charles Sims (8th)
WR – Odell Beckham (2nd), Jordan Matthews (3rd), Brandin Cooks (4th), John Brown (9th), Doug Baldwin (14th)
TE – Zach Ertz (10th)
K – Mason Crosby (13th)
D/ST – Cardinals (12th)

Face

QB – Aaron Rodgers (2nd), Jameis Winston (13th)
RB – Arian Foster (1st), Latavius Murray (3rd), Rashad Jennings (6th), Davonte Freeman (9th)
WR – Deandre Hopkins (4th), Vincent Jackson (5th), Jarvis Landry (7th), Percy Harvin (11th)
TE – Travis Kelce (8th), Vernon Davis (14th)
K – Steven Hauschka (12th)
D/ST – Rams (10th)

Chef went with 4 RB's, 5 WR's, and no backup tight end and Face went with 4 RB, 4 WR, and a backup tight end. Chef made the tough call to go with Adrian Peterson, and with the 11th pick, I think it was a risk worth taking. The problem in this league is that it's not like you can drop him and pick somebody else up if he holds out for the entire year. I would have like to have seen Chef pick up another running back before round 5 because of the uncertainties with Peterson, but he might have figured that if Peterson doesn't play he's going to be screwed anyway. Chef is going to be led by his wide receivers in Beckham, Matthews, and Cooks and I like Eli this year, but not more than Brees who was still on the board. Face got two strong running backs in rounds 1 and 3 with Aaron Rodgers sandwiched between. Since his first wide receiver was in round 4, his wide receivers aren't going to be as strong as some other teams and I don't like the Vincent Jackson pick that early. He has a rookie quarterback throwing to him and he is now clearly the 2nd best receiver on the team. Love the Travis Kelce pick, love the Rams D. Think both guys picking up Jameis Winston is a waste of a pick. I just don't see him being very good. He really struggled against pressure and I don't see the Tampa offensive line being stellar.

Overall Assessment - Have to give the quarterback advantage to Face with Aaron Rodgers and both must have watched a lot of Florida State last year as they both went with Jameis Winston as their backups. At running back I have to give the advantage to Face with Arian Foster and Latavius Murray although I think Chef will be playing Ameer Abdullah every week starting in week 5 or 6 over Isaiah Crowell and Adrian Peterson is such a wild card at this point it's hard to know what to expect. At wide receiver I give the big advantage to Chef, but really he should since he drafted 3 straight starting in round 2 and Face didn't draft his first until round 4. At tight end I give a very slight advantage to Face with Kelce over Ertz, but it's essentially a push. Kicker and defense are essentially a push although I do like the Rams just a hair more than the Cardinals. I think until we know more about Peterson, I have to say that Face takes this matchup 96-90.

Best picks - For Face, I absolutely love the Travis Kelce pick in the 8th round, I can't believe he fell that far with the 86th pick. For Chef I really liked the Zach Ertz pick in the 10th round 110th overall.

Not so best picks - For Chef, Eli Manning over Drew Brees? I know Manning will be good at times this year and Brees might be on the downslide, but there's no way I take Eli over Drew. For Face Vincent Jackson in the 5th round was definitely a stretch.

Overall Grades - Chef (C+), Face (B-)

Predicted Records - Chef (5-8), Face (6-7)

 

[Bandit]

Pick #12​

Lefty had the #12 pick in the A league and Noferatu had it in the B league.

Lefty

QB – Drew Brees (8th), Carson Palmer (12th)
RB – Lamar Miller (3rd), Melvin Gordon (4th), Andre Ellington (5th), Shane Vereen (14th)
WR – Antonio Brown (1st), Demaryius Thomas (2nd), Brandon Marshall (6th), Allen Robinson (7th)
TE – Antonio Gates (10th), Delanie Walker (11th)
K – Connor Barth (13th)
D/ST – Patriots (9th)

Nos

QB – Cam Newton (8th), Andy Dalton (12th)
RB – Carlos Hyde (3rd), Justin Forsett (4th), Andre Ellington (5th), Joique Bell (6th)
WR – Dez Bryant (1st), Odell Beckham (2nd), Torrey Smith (7th), Kendall Wright (11th)
TE – Jason Witten (9th)
K – Blair Walsh (13th), Nick Novak (14th)
D/ST – Vikings (10th)

Lefty went with 4 WR, 4 RB, and a backup tight end (it must run in the family) and Nos went with 4 RB, 4 WR, no backup tight end, but the only backup kicker. Both started off WR, WR which was a common theme for the 12th pick last year as well. Both also used their next 3 picks on running backs which was a great idea, Nos just had better ones fall to him in the B league than Lefty did in the A league. Nos got 4 good running backs in rounds 3-6, but the problem with that is in a league that there is no flex and no trades, he's just guaranteeing to have the best bench running backs in the league, although it would have been hard for me to pass on any of them also. Both waited until the 8th round to get a quarterback, but still ended up with potential top 5 guys with Lefty getting Brees and Nos getting Cam Newton. Lefty took a little bit of a chance with Carson Palmer as his backup with the arm issues, but he'll probably only need him one week anyway, so it should be fine. And that leads us to the backup kicker, is Blair Walsh going to be kicking so much that he will be exhausted? I'm going to tell you what my biggest problem is with taking two kickers, it's not that you should have taken another position player, probably a wide receiver or backup tight end, but it's that each week you have to decide which frigging kicker to start and you will probably guess wrong every week.

Overall Assessment - I give the ever so slight edge to Lefty at quarterback with Brees over Newton. Cam was just so inconsistent last year and he didn't run near as often as in years past. At running back I give the advantage to Nos because as if getting Hyde and Forsett as late as he did wasn't enough, he also to Joique Bell in the 6th round. Just like the 4 that Nos got more than the 4 Lefty got, although if those four had been available to Lefty I'm sure he would have taken them also. Giving Lefty the edge at wide receiver because I like Brandon Marshall and Allen Robinson more than Torrey Smith and Kendall Wright at WR3. I also like Lefty's combination of Gates and Delanie Walker at tight end more than Witten for Nos. I give Nos the advantage at kicker because he drafted two so he won't have a bye week, but I give Lefty the advantage at defense with the Patriots over the Vikings. Overall I think Lefty takes this one 100-97.

Best picks - Tough call on Nos because I love every pick he made with his running backs from rounds 3-6. In Lefty's case I really like the Drew Brees pick. As the 8th quarterback taken and at #85 overall, he's not going to be that bad this year. I also really like the Antonio Gates/Delanie Walker combo at tight end.

Not so best picks - For Nos, I didn't like the Vikings D and I certainly don't like them in round 10. Even if you really wanted them, you could have waited a few rounds and they would have been there. And a backup kicker . . . really? I think you just got to the last pick and you were just like "Ah screw it, just give me another kicker. I'm tired of looking through all these losers that are left." We've all been there. For Lefty, I know you took the best running backs available, but those running backs will be tough to win with week-to-week, but that's what happens when you go WR, WR in the first two rounds, you kind of have to pick your poison.

Overall Grades - Lefty (B+), Nos (B)

Predicted Records - Lefty (8-5), Nos (7-5-1)

 

[TKOSpikes]

Wow bandit. Wow. That is remarkable! GREAT stuff. The time you spent to get this done is unimaginable, and greatly appreciated. Excellent, excellent work my friend.

(although I think you forgot pick #3)...

As for my two dst philosophy, I'm pretty sure I did the same last year. One, because I like to match up and since there is no streaming, this is the only option. Two, I don't like giving up possible double digit points on the bye week. I just need health with my three RB and I figured that chance is close to a 4th RB making a difference.


Wow again. That's awesome stuff!

 

[TREFF]

Damn Bandit...just damn. . That's some awesome stuff. .and having done some similar stuff, I know how much effort and time went into this. Amazing stuff.


Btw..Matt Jones beats out Alf, who has no business being in this league, by mid season. .book it

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Nice write up, caneandfinsfantic. Really enjoy posts like these. Thought you were pretty accurate as well, but time will tell.

 

[Yellow Fuzzies]

Fantastic Bandit- the whole thing...just wow!

 

[averagejoe]

Outstanding research.
Logical development of material.
Entertaining.
Nepotism.

 

[Trudem]

Great work man! I like the endorsement but I refuse to expect an easy run Tom theto. I was snakebite not ast years o I hope my RB and WR depth hold out.

 

[Bandit]

Outstanding research.
Logical development of material.
Entertaining.
Nepotism.

Love it Joe I actually laughed out loud when I saw it, but hey I didn't even put myself in the playoffs this year.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Awesome work Bandit!

I can agree with the B-... Felt a little rushed with the V-Jax pick, but with the way I waited on WRs, I had to take the 'better' talent left available. Can't remember my exact reasoning, but I do recall not feeling great about picking him up. Bye week jam maybe?