As the NFL preseason began, another very important start happened in the football world. That’s right it’s Fantasy Football season ladies and gentleman. The writers here at Interstate of Green have a league every year and we just concluded our draft tonight. We thought it would be fun to do a little piece highlighting our favorite and least favorite picks for tonight’s draft.
Craig:
Starting with myself, I drafted at slot 12 out of 12. Which means I had the infamous double pick. It’s sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse depending on your ability to avoid positional runs. I’m a big believer in value. And at the end of round 5 I was able to draft Michael Crabtree. Even though Amari Cooper is the number 1 receiver in Oakland Crabtree is a solid starter on the opposite side, receives many targets and often gets in the end zone. It’s not quite my favorite player that I drafted (which is Leonard Fournette) but the value I got for him I think makes it a great pick
Now on the flip side of that. There’s usually 1 or 2 guys you take because you’re not too sure who to take later on in the draft. For me… that player was Jacquizz Rodgers. My thought process was with Doug Martin suspended early Rodgers will be the starter for at least a few games. However, our of all my running backs that I would play, Rodgers is on the bottom of my list. Really a waste of a pick, but may come in handy week 2 or 3.
David:
My favorite pick from tonight's fantasy football draft was Julio Jones. I drafted him with the 7th pick of the draft. At first I thought there was no way he was going to drop to me, but when it was my turn to draft he was still available. Julio Jones is arguably the best wide receiver in the league and will always exceed his projection.
My least favorite pick of the draft is Jarvis Landry. I drafted Landry in the fifth round, 55th overall. I feel like I drafted him too high with Cutler as the Dolphins quarterback. There is no guarantee he will have another 1,000-yard season. Also, Jarvis Landry has a domestic battery allegation against him and it's possible the NFL can hand him a healthy suspension as we saw with Ezekiel Elliot
Alberto:
My Favorite pick is actually a two in one tandem. QB Russell Wilson and TE Jimmy Graham. I love that I got them at the spots I got them at. For sure I thought they would of been gone or at least one or the other. I think that Wilson will emerge as a top QB once again after not having such a spectacular season last year. Jimmy Graham will be a more viable option after learning the system and being used more often as an extra blocker with a better group on the offensive line I expect Jimmy Graham to once again be as prominent as he was with Drew Bree's in the Saints. My least favorite pick will probably be Frank Gore and it isn't because he is bad. It is simply because who in the world knows who is going to start in Indy. With Question marks with Andrew Luck you would think they would depend on the ground game more often until Luck is healthy but today it could be Gore the go to guy and then it could be another RB taking away carries from Gore. He is a good fill in during bye weeks but he isn't the consistent back he once was plus that offensive line in Indy isn't doing him any favors.
Alex:
Favorite pick: ODB
My favorite pick from Interstate’s fantasy football draft would have to be Odell Beckham Jr. because of his sheer dominance, which is really saying something coming from an Eagles fan. Given the unproven secondaries of the rest of the NFC East, Beckham should have another successful season in 2017. Eli Manning’s track record combined with a Lazy Susan-style running back core should yield prosperous and coveted fantasy points.
Lease favorite pick: Adrian Peterson
While Adrian Peterson does make some of the greatest comeback stories in regards NFL health complications, it was very worrisome in having drafted a banged-up, 32-year-old running back who comes with zero guarantees that he’ll start or even come close to performing as he used to. Add that to my gamble of pairing him with Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey, and you see real quick why Peterson was my least favorite draft pick.
Vincent:
Favorite Pick: Mark Ingram. While everyone seems to be clamoring about Adrian Peterson being in New Orleans, people have forgotten that AP is coming off a miserable injury ridden year and is 32 years old with a lot of miles on his tires. Peterson also offers little in the passing game while Ingram is coming off a career year, is better in the passing game, and is 5 years younger.
Least Favorite Pick: Mike Gillislee. Call it being blinded the Patriots mystique or what may have you but I feel as though I well over drafted a guy who has never even cracked 600 rush yards in a season. Complete roll of the dice here but if nothing else, it was a clearly a reach with better, and more established running backs available at the time
Rich:
Picking 6th overall in a 12 team league is the worst thing in the world for some people. It is all about strategy because you don't have the option of picking a bonafide stud in the top 4 and also don't get the double picks at the end. Going into this draft I did not want to pick the same position in back to back rounds. That strategy changed when my favorite pick of the draft fell to me in the 2nd round.
Favorite Pick-Demarco Murray 19 overall
When I selected McCoy at 5 I had wide receiver on my mind at 19. There were some unique picks such as quarterbacks that gave me the opportunity to draft Murray. Having McCoy and Murray as my running backs it gave me flexibility to draft the top WR or TE available. That ended up being Gronkowski. Not a bad first 3.
Least Favorite Pick- Pierre Garcon 102 overall
When I selected Garcon it was simply because he was the best wide receiver available at that time. Having a 49ers wide receiver is not something I am excited about with Hoyer at the helm. Luckily, I have three starters and Garcon will be a bye week fill in.
Ryan:
Favorite Pick
Le'veon Bell would have to be my favorite pick. And, although it might not be the most exciting pick because I drafted him at four, in my opinion, Bell is the best fantasy player, so drafting him at four is a big deal.
Bell can do it all much and in the Steelers offense, I expect Bell to be the go-to guy. I think the team is going to lean on him this year and his fantasy numbers are going to sky rocket. I did not think I would be able to have him on my team and that is why he is my favorite pick. I think I got a steal at four.
Least favorite
My least favorite pick would have to be Kyle Rudolph. I took him in the 8th round and honestly, I thought there would be better options. The tight ends went faster than I expected.
I like to have a good tight end and I just do not see Rudolph being too productive. I hope I am wrong by saying that, but I just do not see him having a good fantasy year. I was hoping other tight ends would fall to me. When the time came, I had no choice but to pick Rudolph, but I wish there were other tight ends.
John:
With the ninth pick in the draft I chose Mike Evans. I think Mike is going to have a big year in the bucs offense. With my second and third picks I went with wide receivers also. Michael Thomas and DeAndre Hopkins respectively… So I love my wide receiver corps. While strong at wide receiver I clearly lack at the running back position. My strategy with what was left in the fourth round and beyond was to take big upside guys. Or sleepers. One of my favorite pics of the draft is unquestionably Kareem Hunt. I took him way too early in Round 7 but based on what was left available I thought he had the biggest upside. So I gambled… My other rookie gamble was Jamall Williams in the 11th for the same reasons I chose Hunt. I think this was a much better spot to gamble, I probably could have taken Hunt at this spot or later.. My very last pick in the draft was basically a lottery pick with the DeShaun Watson. He will be my back up quarterback going in to the season but if he has a Dak Prescott kind of start I will be loving this gamble. The pick I like the least is Carson Wentz. While he was somebody I targeted going in, I could've got him much later than I took him. There were still some big QB is on the board when I took hm. I was running out of my one minute to draft and I knew I liked Carson… Just not that high.
Brandon:
Favorite Pick: With one of my last remaining picks I nabbed Terrance West from the Ravens. With Dixin and Jurdczyk vukturing carried West was still a solid play during bye weeks last season and with Dixon out all season he could turn into more, even with Woodhead soaking up all RB receptions.
Least Favorite: So engrossed by the draft was I, that I failed to notice my drink had been refilled. When I snatched the glass to pour the few icecubes left into my mouth for chewing I was drenched with water. Thus how the Texans defense became a mid round selection with plenty of skill depth left on the board.