X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

FFPC Classic League Draft Strategy and Results

Spencer Aguiar reviews his recent FFPC Classic League draft ahead of the 2019 fantasy football season. His draft analysis may help fantasy owners develop their own strategy.

If you haven't checked out the FFPC already, I highly recommend doing so before the season starts. Whether you are looking for best ball, victory points, superflex or anything else, they have you covered with game types ranging between $35 to $1000+. What is even better is that new sign-ups to the website earn $25 off their first contest, no strings attached. Don't miss out on this incredible offer!

I decided to keep things simple for the sake of this article and cover a $35 classic league (fast draft). Rules are about what you would expect from a basic league but with a few minor differences. All settings on the site feature full PPR, but please note that TEs do earn a premium and gain 1.5 points per reception. Quarterbacks score a point for every 20 yards passing as opposed to 25, and there are no trades allowed between teams.

I consider myself a pristine negotiator, so the inability to trade puts everyone in a position to make a stand in the draft if they want their man. There are no second chances to acquire someone you miss, so proper strategy suggests that a more aggressive approach should be taken. The league has a 13-week regular season that is based on total points, and the top six scorers in points for the year advance to the playoffs for weekly head-to-head matchups. With most of the essential rules laid out on the table, let's get into some draft strategy from where we will be picking.

Editor's Note: Access RotoBaller’s trusted fantasy football rankings for PPR, Standard, Dynasty, Super Flex, and Best Ball formats. Get tiered cheat sheets, expert analysis, and player outlooks to dominate your draft from every angle.

Editor's Note: For a limited time, we are offering all new FFPC players a $25-off coupon for any contest! You can play a $35 contest or a $70 contest, we'll give you $25 off either one! Whether you want to play a Best Ball challenge, join a Dynasty Startup, or try FFPC's unique Terminator challenge (best ball spin-off), there's a $25 discount waiting for you! All you have to do is be a new FFPC customer, sign-up for any game on FFPC through one of the above links, and the $25 discount will be automatically applied to your account!

 

Preparing For The Draft

Ughhhh...the dreaded eighth spot. I am writing this before the draft has taken place because I want to talk game-theory before it has happened, but this has been one of my least favorite places to draft from this season. It not only puts us in a position where we always miss out on my big-four players of Alvin Kamara, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Travis Kelce, but it also sandwiches us between teams and gives us the leftovers in most rounds. You can win a draft from any location, but our work is cut out for us from the start.

To me, Davante Adams and Ezekiel Elliott are the two main choices that I am hoping to land when it is my turn to pick. The league pays out in a top-heavy fashion, which is evident by first place receiving the brunt sum of the pot, and these two provide me the optimal statistical start when using my projections for the year.

JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner would also be included in this territory for me, but we take away some of our advantages if we reach for them at pick eight. Yes, we want to land the players we view as our top choices, but if we take either of the two Steelers this early, we remove at least one of our primary second-round candidates and even further shrink the board on ourselves. I will strongly consider Conner over David Johnson if forced into that position, but I'd prefer not to have to make that deviation right away.

As we move into the second round, an ideal world has us being able to land the aforementioned Smith-Schuster or Conner, but George Kittle or any additional WR that has slipped down the board will come into play. Even with the TE premium, this is a little earlier than I care to select Kittle, but we get one chance at him, and a TE in round two does optimally build one of the better season-long projection totals that my projection model can spit out. Our other two options would be Todd Gurley and Leonard Fournette. Gurley is a boom-or-bust candidate that makes sense given the upside required to win this league, and Fournette is my version of a wild card. I'd hate to pull the trigger at 2.05, but that is our doomsday scenario.

Round three is usually pretty simple because unless Kittle or Zach Ertz suffer the ultimate slide, RB tends to be our best value on the board. There are always exceptions to every rule, but one of Devonta Freeman or Chris Carson normally fall to 3.08, and the duo will be on my radar. If something wild happens, perhaps Fournette could be snagged there instead, but I have not been apart of a draft where he has fallen that far yet.

Rounds four and beyond tend to be the range where things open up, and strategy will change based off of what my first few rounds resemble. I doubt I will get myself to pass on Julian Edelman at 4.05 in any circumstance, but everything else is an open game at that point.

Starting Lineup: 1-QB, 2-RB, 2-WR, 1-TE, 2-Flex, 1-K, 1-D (Flex can be RB, WR or TE)

 

Draft Results

Well... I guess I shouldn't have expected things to play out ideally for me in this draft. But hey! It makes for a better article than some rudimentary write-up with me discussing how everything went perfectly.

1.08: Davante Adams (WR, GB)
I would start every draft with Devante Adams and one of Juju Smith-Schuster or James Conner in round two if I could, so you will never hear me complain about landing the Packers standout to begin the festivities. We discussed during the pre-draft portion of this article how Adams and one of those two forms my ultimate first two rounds in FFPC drafts once Kamara, Barkley, McCaffrey and Kelce are off the board and consider me ecstatic for how things have begun.

2.05: Leonard Fournette (RB, JAX)
Ummm... Yea.... It is safe to say that things got a little awkward in round two. I've done a handful of FFPC drafts this offseason, and this was the first time that my doomsday scenario played itself out of Juju Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Julio Jones and George Kittle all being off the board when it was my turn to pick at this point in the draft. Leave it to the moment I have to write about the proceedings for chaos to ensue, but I don't have regrets for jumping the gun on Leonard Fournette with how the draft played out.

I'm not a fan of Nick Chubb and was facing a position where Todd Gurley, Zach Ertz, Mike Evans, Tyreek Hill and Leonard Fournette were my five top options on the board. Mathematically, Evans would have been the top choice for me to take, followed closely by Ertz and Hill, but I decided that since I was losing my usual 30-point advantage of an Adams/Smith-Schuster start over any other combination, I needed to grab a running back to diversify my setup. Starting WR/WR is excellent when you land the top two players at the position on your board, but it is not as ideal when you start pairing your WR1 with your WR7. I feel like you lose the whole reason of why you begin WR/WR in the first place, and I didn't want to go that route and be even further behind the eight-ball from the eighth slot.

Perhaps Gurley made more sense for his ultimate boom potential, but I am all in on Fournette and didn't want to settle because I felt forced to do so. As I keep mentioning, the no-trade feature of the league puts you in a spot where you have to go for it if you want your man, and Fournette is my guy this year and provides me with a RB that I believe has top-10 and beyond potential in Jacksonville's surging offense.

*** One of my additional reasons for passing on Evans was due to the fact that it took Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard off the table for me later. Those felt like secondary options to consider in round four if Julian Edelman didn't make it around to me, and I didn't want to be placed in an additional situation of anarchy if I could pivot and open up my board again.

3.08: Devonta Freeman (RB, ATL), 4.05: Julian Edelman (WR, NE)

Doesn't it feel good when you land the two players you had your eyes on during the pre-draft portion in rounds three and four? The answer is a definitive YES! I'm usually in a spot heading into round five where I have three WRs and one RB on my team but being evenly distributed opens up my options going forward much better than I am used to having at my disposal from a mid-to-late selection.

5.08: O.J. Howard (TE, TB)
There are two things I want to point out about round five. Both Chris Godwin (5.06) and O.J. Howard (5.08) falling to this range should be illegal. I would have considered both if Edelman wasn't on the board at 4.05 and couldn't believe I was able to land Howard in a TE premium league in the fifth round.

6.05: Derrius Guice (RB, WAS)
I wanted one of Austin Ekeler, Duke Johnson or Miles Sanders (in that order) but had to settle for Derrius Guice. I am not expecting much out of the 22-year-old to begin the season, but if we are looking for potential league winners that can transcend into top-tier options, Guice has as much upside as anyone. He was my last player inside the top-60 of my overall rankings at the position, and I didn't want to miss out on his potential and be left with someone like Kalen Ballege as my RB3.

7.08: Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB)
I'm all for waiting to grab a QB, but the opportunity to pair Aaron Rodgers and Devante Adams together felt too good to pass up in the seventh round. Those two should be good for at least 100 combined points in TDs, and in a league where you are looking to finish inside the top six in total scoring to make the playoffs, I will take double the points anytime I can get it.

8.05: Christian Kirk (WR, ARZ), 9.08: Curtis Samuel (WR, CAR)

At pick (89) for Christian Kirk and (104) for Curtis Samuel, I am all for seizing two high-upside WRs that should see significant playing time for me this season. I have landed very few shares of either because I am not as high on them as some people inside the industry, but I thought both fell into a territory that allowed me to take a shot at their potential. Value is value.

10.05: Justice Hill (RB, BAL)
I had my choice of Justice Hill, Darwin Thompson and Justin Jackson in round 10 but have second-guessed my decision since making it. There are obvious downsides to all three, but I feel as if Hill has the least opportunity to fully breakout in 2019. If I could redo this selection, I would have instead chosen Thompson. Perhaps the news of LeSean McCoy signing with the Chiefs was still too relevant in my head to make the optimal choice at the time. However, all three are ridiculous values at this point in the draft.

11.08: Dante Pettis (WR, SF)
Another situation of a WR falling too far. Dante Pettis hasn't been on my radar in recent weeks with all the issues surrounding him during training camp, but in round 11 of the draft, the 23-year-old is a low-risk/high-reward gamble. My WR core at this point of Adams, Edelman, Kirk, Samuel and Pettis wouldn't be my ideal combination, but they will provide some massive scoring weeks if I can figure out when to play them at the right time. Can we change the settings to best-ball?

12.05: Carlos Hyde (RB, HOU)
Blah. That is how I feel about this pick. I sold myself that I had to pick a RB after Mark Andrews was taken but wish I would have gone somewhere else instead. Carlos Hyde is not good. End of story. I'd probably take Chris Herndon if I could have a do-over.

13.08: Darren Waller (TE, OAK)
Missed out on Chris Herndon and Mark Andrews the round before but am thrilled to land Darren Waller in the 13th. I expect Waller to be a flex option for me this year in a TE premium league.

14.05: Albert Wilson (WR, MIA)
Speaking of flex potential, welcome aborad Albert Wilson. The 27-year-old is one of my favorite players to grab late in drafts and should see targets galore after the Miami Dolphins traded away Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans. I have Wilson projected higher than Curtis Samuel and Dante Pettis, so the addition YAC specialist should pay dividends.

15.08: Dare Ogunbowale (RB, TB)
Dare Ogunbowale is the best pass-catching back that is on Tampa Bay's roster, and the 25-year-old has been splitting first-team snaps with Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones II. I am not expecting a ton out of Ogunbowale but view him as a late-round stab in PPR leagues. We could do much worse in the 15th round.

16.05: Mike Davis (RB, CHI), 17.08: T.J. Yeldon (RB, BUF)
I was hoping to land Chase Edmunds or Dallas Goedert instead of Mike Davis in round 16 but settled on the Bears back when Edmunds and Goedert were sniped from under me. Not a ton of upside for the 26-year-old given the current situation, but Davis is one of the most talented backs from a skill perspective that is still left on the board.

In round 17, I was happy to nab T.J. Yeldon. The 25-year-old is the best pass-catching back for the Buffalo Bills, and I am not sold that Devin Singletary's upside is as much as everyone is expecting it to be. Yeldon at least has the third-down role and has the potential to steal the job if the rookie struggles.

18.05: Terry McLaurin (WR, WAS)
Head coach Jay Gruden has been raving about Terry McLaurin, calling him "one of the team's best players" and has acknowledged that nobody in the organization realized he was this good when they drafted him. Does a player being projected as my overall WR49 guarantee you a championship in a 12-team fantasy football league? No. But the upside is there, the potential for a higher ceiling is possible and the cost was basically free to acquire. I don't know about you guys, but I enjoy getting a chance to place a freeroll wager if it means I can hit the lottery.

19.08: Philadelphia Eagles (Defense), 20.05: Jason Myers (K, SEA)
I am going to be streaming defenses and kickers all year and like Philadelphia's Week 1 matchup against the Washington Redskins. The Eagles also have a chance to be sneaky good on that side of the ball this season and feature one of the easiest schedules of opposing offenses.

 

Final Thoughts

Overall, it is always a ton of fun participating in FFPC drafts but can't say I was thrilled picking from the eighth slot. I think we did the best we could given our suboptimal position and love the value we were able to acquire throughout the draft. The selection of Leonard Fournette over Nick Chubb and others will raise some eyebrows, but I am not going to deviate from my beliefs to make my team "look better" on paper. Our chances of winning the league decreased once Juju Smith-Shuster, James Conner and George Kittle were taken in round two, and I'd rather go out swinging with my own sword than collapse onto someone else's.

Best Selection - O.J. Howard (5.08)

Worst Selection - Carlos Hyde (12.08) - He still isn't any good.

More Fantasy Football Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Terry McLaurin

Could be a Holdout at Training Camp
Roger McCreary

a Candidate for a Contract Extension?
Max Fried

Exits Start With Blister
Mike Evans

Buccaneers Could Have Difficult Time Retaining Mike Evans
Charles Cross

Could Sign Extension Before Training Camp
Xavier Restrepo

One to Watch Going into Training Camp
Calvin Ridley

Appears Re-Energized
Mark Andrews

Still a Key Piece in Ravens Offense
Ndamukong Suh

Officially Announces his Retirement
Jaylen Waddle

Motivated After Disappointing Season
Tre Harris

Still Unsigned
Hunter Dobbins

to Miss Rest of Season With Torn ACL
Nolan Arenado

Held Out of Lineup on Saturday
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Carlos Correa

Sitting on Saturday
Austin Riley

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Nolan Arenado

Exits Friday's Contest With Sprained Finger
Jake Burger

Expects to Play on Saturday
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Wyatt Langford

Records Four-Hit Night
Cal Raleigh

Homers Twice, Drives in Five
Cody Bellinger

Swats Three Homers in Victory
Jake Burger

Leaves With Quad Discomfort on Friday
Carlos Correa

Exits Game With Mild Ankle Sprain
Edward Cabrera

Dealing with Posterior Elbow Discomfort
Austin Riley

Leaves Game Early on Friday With Abdominal Tightness
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Rafael Devers

Dealing With Back Inflammation
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Returning on Friday
Sauce Gardner

Wants to be Highest-Paid Cornerback
Rhamondre Stevenson

Heading into an Important Season
Minnesota Vikings

Josh Metellus, Vikings Have Mutual Interest in Extension
Tua Tagovailoa

2025 Could be Tua Tagovailoa's Last Season in Miami
Rashawn Slater

has "Full Confidence" a Deal Will Get Done
Byron Buxton

Returns on Friday
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Jake Meyers

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Calf Strain
Brandon Lowe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Tightness
Kodai Senga

Reinstated to Start on Friday
Alex Bregman

Officially Activated and Starting on Friday
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Chicago Bears

Bears Extend General Manager Ryan Poles
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

in a "Much Better Spot" Heading Into Training Camp
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Dustin Hopkins

Browns Still Counting on Dustin Hopkins
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF