FSGA Industry Experts Draft - Central Conference: What We Learned

Scott Engel reviews the 2021 fantasy football draft picks, giving his expert draft analysis and strategies from his FSGA Central Conference Draft with Anthony Aniano.

This month, the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association (FSGA) kicked off the 2021 fantasy football season with their expert drafts. I teamed up with RotoBaller’s Anthony Aniano to draft against 13 other top analysts in the industry in the FSGA's Central Conference. Running a team with another person isn’t always ideal, as I have often shared teams with other people I liked a lot outside of the fantasy game, but when it came to co-piloting a team, our decision-making styles clashed.

If you want to share a fantasy football team with another person, you should be comfortable with them in a co-worker type of environment. That is why I was very much at ease splitting the co-GM/coach duties with Anthony. We have worked together often in the past, and it has always been very smooth and easy to deal with each other. Not everyone will always be ideal for you to share a team with. The two who split the decision-making powers should simply have similar perspectives on how to approach a draft strategically.

We don’t want to bore you with simple reports on why we drafted who we did, but rather illustrate the thought processes behind each pick we made in the FSGA Central Conference Draft. We also give you details on the dynamics of co-drafting a team. This was a 14-team, 16-round draft, so the player pool went deep. We break down why each pick was made and also spotlight another notable pick from another team that may have been a reach or a value. Of course, in instances where I may turn out wrong on the outlook of another team’s selection, I will tip my cap to them in the end.

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Draft Results and Analysis

We drafted from the No. 4 slot, in this league that requires a starting lineup of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 Flex, 1 TE, 1 PK and a DST. Four points are awarded for a TD pass and one point for a reception.

You can see the draft results below at the end of this article, following the analysis. This league is powered by our friends over at RealTime Fantasy Sports.

Round One

Our Pick: Derrick Henry – We were both in agreement here. I have Henry ranked slightly ahead of Alvin Kamara, even though the Saints star is more versatile. Peace of mind in fantasy football is hard to find. Henry gives you the assurance of durability and high-level output even though he does not catch passes. The yardage numbers and TD totals are so high he compensates for any perceived shortcomings. Plus, defenses can now key on him less with A.J. Brown and Julio Jones at wide receiver. Don’t make up negatives about Henry when we haven’t seen any in terms of his overall production.

Round Two

Our Pick: Michael Thomas – I am expecting a big rebound season. Whoever plays QB, and I believe that wll be Jameis Winston, will still target Thomas very heavily. He does not have much competition for prime looks. Plus, Saints beat reporter Larry Holder of the Athletic appeared on the Saturday edition of RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio and pointed out to us that Thomas’ route tree could open up more downfield now that Drew Brees is out of the picture.

Spotlight Selection: David Montgomery was a gusty pick at the beginning of the round, especially over Cam Akers and Antonio Gibson. I do like Montgomery as a quality RB2 after his strong finishing stretch last year, but he is my RB16 overall. I am not buying into talk of his late-season schedule last year being soft, because quality runners perform well in the matchups in which they are supposed to. But I do believe he has more to prove before I can take him that early.

Round Three

Our Pick:  J.K. Dobbins – I have said it many times, he can score from anywhere on the field. Anthony did suggest Miles Sanders, but he is not a regularly effective goal-line runner and struggles with fumbles and drops. Dobbins may catch some more passes this year, too.

Spotlight Selection: Javonte Williams was a nifty pick at the end of the round. There are indications he could emerge as the lead RB in Denver, and you will see his ADP rise as the preseason progresses.

Round Four

Our Pick: Michael Carter – This is where Anthony was not convinced this was the right pick, but he listened to my reasoning and went with the selection. If you can have an easy give and take with your co-GM/coach, sharing a team can work out. I like the upside of Carter as a flex option, even though Anthony wanted to avoid Jets players this early in the draft. Plus, we also considered that potential starting RBs were starting to thin out and WR was deeper.

Spotlight Selection: Myles Gaskin was a very good value pick. He will open the season as Miami’s clear lead back, and he is versatile and productive. NFL reporters and Fantasy players alike don’t seem to believe in Gaskin yet, but in the fourth round he is a very good pick that can prove the skeptics wrong.

Spotlight Selection: I like Jonathan Taylor myself, but not at third overall. He may share some time in the Colts backfield and I want to see him become a more frequent pass-catcher before I take him in the top half of the first round.

WATCH: Scott Engel and Anthony Aniano share their FSGA Central Conference Draft Approaches and Strategies. 

Round Five

Our Pick: Odell Beckham Jr. – Anthony and I were both all-in on this selection, as he said we could be getting a WR1 ceiling in the fifth round. I think Beckham is hungry to be a part of the Browns’ sudden success and will be determined to prove he can work effectively with Baker Mayfield. Cleveland needs the big-play element in the passing game to complete its offensive picture, and a healthy Beckham can still potentially fit that bill. If Beckham regains his better form, this could be a difference-making pick in a very competitive league.

Spotlight Selection: Chase Edmonds has a lot of promise as an all-around playmaker if he can avoid injuries this season. He was a fine selection here who fell a bit further than he should have, but I certainly expect the ADP to rise in most leagues very quickly with recent reports circulating that he is ticketed to be the top RB for the Cardinals. The Edmonds pick is an example of how you can land some value plays in earlier drafts.

Round Six

Our Pick: Michael Pittman Jr. - We were both very happy with this pick, as we both think Pittman is headed for a breakout year. He should emerge as a top target for Carson Wentz and actually ranked third among WRs in yardage per reception after the catch last season.

Spotlight Selection: Robby Anderson is coming off his first 1,000-yard campaign and has familiarity with Sam Darnold, who could start to turn his career around in his first season out of New York and away from Adam Gase.

Round Seven

Our Pick: Matthew Stafford - Justin Herbert would have been the best possible pick, but he was taken one slot ahead of us. But we were ready with another player, of course, because I never get “sniped.” I never, ever, get upset at who gets taken right ahead of me. When you have quality players in your queue, there is always a very good chance your opponents have him on their shortlists as well. If you are ready with another prime alternative, you can never get “sniped.” You should be anticipating drafting one of a few players, not focusing on the hope of a singular guy slipping to you. If he does, great. If not, just be ready to take someone else. We gladly took Matthew Stafford when Herbert was taken ahead of us.

Spotlight Selection: We had a string of four consecutive quarterbacks taken in this round. Ryan Tannehill finished as QB7 last year and could possibly repeat such a performance with the addition of Julio Jones. The Titans may have one of the best offenses in the AFC.

Round Eight

Our Pick: Zack Moss - He should take over the lead ball carrier for a very good offense. Injuries and the pandemic stunted Moss' progress in his rookie season. Devin Singletary has not shown he can be anything more than a complementary RB.

Spotlight Selection: Mike Gesicki has not lived up to his potential yet and I am starting to doubt he ever will, especially now that Miami has added other notable pass-catchers to the mix.

Round Nine

Our Pick: Robert Tonyan - Many are expecting significant TD regression from Tonyan, but once Aaron Rodgers develops confidence in a pass-catcher, he will continue to look for him in important situations. If Rodgers plays a full schedule, I still expect eight or so TD catches out of Tonyan.

Spotlight Selection: Darnell Mooney has sleeper potential. If and when Justin Fields starts, the two can develop a good downfield rapport.

Round 10

Our Pick: Mecole Hardman – One of our favorite deeper plays by this point, there is pressure for Hardman to finally deliver as a starter, and he is well worth the upside pick at this point.

Spotlight Selection: If you are going to wait on a QB, and then land Joe Burrow, you have taken a chance and ended up with a very good result. Burrow was a Top 10 fantasy QB when he went down last year, and he will have an even stronger supporting cast this season.

Round 11-16 Picks

Adam Trautman: A major sleeper candidate who could actually start over Tonyan.

Amon-Ra St. Brown: Could quickly emerge as a top target for a talent-starved Lions team.

Trevor Lawrence: We really did not need a backup QB, but Lawrence’s promise demands taking a flier on him by this point.

Darrynton Evans: The obvious insurance pick for Derrick Henry

Denver defense: When you draft defenses, if you do not get a very elite unit, you should just pick a good streamer for the first week or two. Denver, a solid unit, opens with the Giants, Jaguars and Jets.

Daniel Carlson: If you study kickers and know then well enough, you can get a Top 5 guy like Carlson even when so may other kickers have been taken. You may hate kickers, but if your league requires that you start them, be aware of the truly best players at the position. A strong week from a kicker can save your fantasy team at times when other skill players disappoint.

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