RotoBaller.com Fantasy Football Experts League Draft Review and Analysis

September 13, 2013

Click to read Ryan Rufe's review of the 2014 RotoBaller.com experts league football draft. He breaks down every round and shows you who got the best value.

The Inaugural RotoBaller Fantasy Football Experts League Draft was held on Tuesday, September 3, 2013.  Here is the draft order and participants with team names in bold:

1. Roto-Buckeye - Joseph Berger

2. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Erin Lee

3. DavidP’s Team - Dave Polen

4. The Hermaphlamingoes - Jeffrey Klein & Alex Roberts

5. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Ryan Rufe

6. Cooper Clux Clan - Aaron Messing

7. Iron Sausage - Billy Bruce

8. Pollos Hermanos - Lou Cappetta

9. Rskybiznis - Jason Giusto

10. Baked Brownies - Brian “Boosh” Siano

11. Waxey Gordon - Real Talk Raph

12. Daddy’s New Shoes - Jon Pastor

13. Singapore Slingers - Chris Hawkins

14. Heisenchew - Uncle Leo

Keep in mind a few important details regarding the league’s scoring settings:

• 1 point per reception
• 6 points per passing touchdown
• Start - 1 QB, 2 WR, 2 RB, 1 TE, 2 W/R/T, DST, K

Fantasy Draft Tip:  Always review your league’s scoring settings prior to your draft.  The differences between a PPR league and Standard scoring league-- not to mention custom leagues with quirky scoring settings-- can be immense. Certain players hold more value in PPR leagues thatn they do in standard scoring leagues.  Similarly, quarterbacks hold more value in leagues that award six points per passing touchdown as opposed to the standard four points.  Knowing these details ahead of your draft will give you a leg up on your less-prepared competition.

Round 1

1. Roto-Buckeye - Adrian Peterson

2. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Doug Martin

3. DavidP’s Team - Marshawn Lynch

4. The Hermaphlamingoes - Trent Richardson

5. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Calvin Johnson

6. Cooper Clux Clan - Jamaal Charles

7. Iron Sausage - Arian Foster

8. Pollos Hermanos - C.J. Spiller

9. Rskybiznis - Ray Rice

10. Baked Brownies - LeSean McCoy

11. Waxey Gordon - Matt Forte

12. Daddy’s New Shoes - Reggie Bush

13. Singapore Slingers - Dez Bryant

14. Heisenchew - A.J. Green

The first real shocker of the draft came courtesy of Dave Polen, who took Marshawn Lynch with pick #3.  Lynch doesn’t catch a ton of passes, but he’s in the prime of his career with a knack for piling up yards and finding the end-zone.  I suppose I can’t blame him for taking “Beast Mode” there.

I caught some flack on Twitter for taking Megatron at #5, but I stand by my selection as he was #2 on my draft board in a PPR setting.  I understand that the Running Back pool is thin this year (more on that later), but Calvin Johnson could easily be the highest scoring non-quarterback in this particular league.  For what it’s worth, my fallback option if Johnson wasn’t available at #5 was Trent Richardson (since I’m a Browns homer), but he was actually selected right before me at #4 by The Hermaphlamingoes.

Ray Rice and LeSean McCoy slipping to picks #9 and #10, respectively, was surprising.  Both were great value picks at those spots, as they have the potential to finish ranked among the top five players.

Reggie Bush might stand out to you at #12 overall, but he has the upside to be a Top-12 player in a PPR setting.  If he stays healthy, he’s a lock for 80+ receptions out of the Detroit backfield, with the potential to surpass 100 catches.  I was hoping Bush would fall to me in Round 2, so you can imagine my disappointment went Daddy’s New Shoes took the gamble on him in Round 1.  I like the pick.

Round 2

15. Heisenchew - Steven Jackson

16. Singapore Slingers - Brandon Marshall

17. Daddy’s New Shoes - David Wilson

18. Waxey Gordon - Chris Johnson

19. Baked Brownies - Alfred Morris

20. Rskybiznis - Maurice Jones-Drew

21. Pollos Hermanos - Jimmy Graham

22. Iron Sausage - Aaron Rodgers

23. Cooper Clux Clan - Demaryius Thomas

24. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Julio Jones

25. The Hermaphlamingoes - Demarco Murray

26. DavidP’s Team - Stevan Ridley

27. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Victor Cruz

28. Roto-Buckeye - Eddie Lacy

As Round 2 began to unfold, more and more Running Backs flew off the board, and by the time it was my turn to pick, the best available options were Darren Sproles, Demarco Murray and Stevan Ridley.  All three would have been fine picks at #24 overall, but Drew Brees and Julio Jones were available too and they are far better talents.  Ultimately, I went with Jones, who I expect to have a monster year in Atlanta.  At this point, I was giddy about my Megatron-Julio starting Wide Receiver tandem.

Victor Cruz at #27 was a bit of a shock to me, especially since he was drafted ahead of Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Roddy White and Randall Cobb, but It’s a Harbaugh Life must not be concerned about his heel.  Naturally, Erin Lee was rewarded when Cruz went off with a 5-118-3 line against the Cowboys on Sunday night.

I thought the biggest reach of this round was Eddie Lacy at #28.  He could end up being worth it, but as a general rule, I don’t like drafting rookie Running Backs this early.  You can read Joseph Berger’s perspective on the RotoBaller Experts League Draft here.

Value Picks of Round 2:  A. Morris, J. Graham, D. Thomas, J. Jones

Reaches of Round 2:  V. Cruz, E. Lacy

Round 3

29. Roto-Buckeye - Darren Sproles

30. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Drew Brees

31. DavidP’s Team - Tom Brady

32. The Hermaphlamingoes - Lamar Miller

33. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Colin Kaepernick

34. Cooper Clux Clan - Frank Gore

35. Iron Sausage - Randall Cobb

36. Pollos Hermanos - Larry Fitzgerald

37. Rskybiznis - Cam Newton

38. Baked Brownies - Roddy White

39. Waxey Gordon - Andre Johnson

40. Daddy’s New Shoes - Peyton Manning

41. Singapore Slingers - Rob Gronkowski

42. Heisenchew - Darren McFadden

After Aaron Rodgers was selected in the previous round, the top remaining signal-callers started flying off the board at the beginning of Round 3.  Given the 6-point-per-passing-touchdown format, I probably should have targeted Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan or even Matthew Stafford in a later round, but I have a man-crush on Colin Kaepernick and couldn’t resist taking him at #33.  It didn’t help that Kaepernick had an ADP of 40.2 in Yahoo! leagues, as I wasn’t sure he’d make it back to me.  Regardless, I think “Kap” is primed to explode this year and finish the season ranked among the Top 5 Quarterbacks.  For what it’s worth, I thought hard about taking Randall Cobb (another favorite of mine in PPR) with the pick instead of Kaepernick.  I also knew I needed to draft a Running Back, but I didn’t want Frank Gore or Darren McFadden on my team.  Plus, Lamar Miller was at the top of my draft queue, but he went the pick before me to Jeff & Alex.  At this point, I was praying Giovani Bernard would be there for me in Round 4.

In total, five Quarterbacks were taken in Round 3.  The remaining top-tier Wide Receivers were also drafted.

Value Picks of Round 3:  D. Sproles, D. Brees, T. Brady, R. Cobb, P. Manning, R. Gronkowski

Round 4

43. Heisenchew - Vincent Jackson

44. Singapore Slingers - Giovani Bernard

45. Daddy’s New Shoes - Jason Witten

46. Waxey Gordon - Jordy Nelson

47. Baked Brownies - Danny Amendola

48. Rskybiznis - Reggie Wayne

49. Pollos Hermanos - Eric Decker

50. Iron Sausage - Dwayne Bowe

51. Cooper Clux Clan - Pierre Garcon

52. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Shane Vereen

53. The Hermaphlamingoes - Marques Colston

54. DavidP’s Team - Wes Welker

55. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Ryan Mathews

56. Roto-Buckeye - Hakeem Nicks

Crap.  Of course, Giovani Bernard went off the board at #44 to the Chris Hawkins.  Guess I should have payed attention to the fact that he had employed a similar draft strategy to mine (WR-WR-TE in Rounds 1-3).  Shane Vereen was the best remaining Running Back available to me at pick #52, and fortunately, I LOVE his PPR upside with Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd and Aaron Hernandez no longer with the Patriots.

Value Picks of Round 4:  D. Amendola, R. Wayne, D. Bowe, W. Welker, H. Nicks

Round 5

57. Roto-Buckeye - Montee Ball

58. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Vernon Davis

59. DavidP’s Team - BenJarvus Green-Ellis

60. The Hermaphlamingoes - Antonio Brown

61. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Tony Gonzalez

62. Cooper Clux Clan - Daryl Richardson

63. Iron Sausage - Torrey Smith

64. Pollos Hermanos - DeAngelo Williams

65. Rskybiznis - Cecil Shorts

66. Baked Brownies - Matt Ryan

67. Waxey Gordon - Ahmad Bradshaw

68. Daddy’s New Shoes - Steve Smith

69. Singapore Slingers - Matthew Stafford

70. Heisenchew - DeSean Jackson

It was surprising to see Montee Ball and BenJarvus Green-Ellis kick off Round 5 given their respective timeshares, but at this point, the pickings were slim at Running Back.

I wanted to pair Vernon Davis with Kaepernick on my squad but he went three picks before me to Erin Lee.  Therefore, scooped up Tony Gonzalez, who will probably regress a bit this year but still post above-average numbers for a Tight End in a PPR format.

Had I known Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford would have lasted until Round 5, I would’ve passed on Kaepernick in Round 3 and drafted Cobb there to form a three-headed monster Wide Receiver corps.  Baked Brownies and the Singapore Slingers got crazy-good value by taking the QBs with their respective picks.

Value Picks of Round 5:  T. Smith, M. Ryan, M. Stafford

Reaches of Round 5:  M. Ball, B. Green-Ellis

Round 6

71. Heisenchew - Robert Griffin III

72. Singapore Slingers - Ben Tate

73. Daddy’s New Shoes - Stevie Johnson

74. Waxey Gordon - Andrew Luck

75. Baked Brownies - Golden Tate

76. Rskybiznis - James Jones

77. Pollos Hermanos - Chris Ivory

78. Iron Sausage - Rashard Mendenhall

79. Cooper Clux Clan - Mike Williams

80. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Anquan Boldin

81. The Hermaphlamingoes - Jermichael Finley

82. DavidP’s Team - Miles Austin

83. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Tavon Austin

84. Roto-Buckeye - Russell Wilson

I’m sure you’ve heard the old fantasy adage, “the middle rounds are where leagues are won and lost.”  Let’s take a look at how the rest of the draft unfolded.

I was particularly impressed with Waxey Gordon’s selection of Andrew Luck and Rskybiznis’s pick of James Jones in Round 6.  Again, great value on both players, despite the goose-egg by Jones in Week 1.

Golden Tate went a tad early for my liking, but I think he’s the clear number-one passing option in Seattle, at least until Percy Harvin returns.  It could be a make-or-break pick for Baked Brownies.

As for me, I was thrilled Anquan Boldin was available at pick #80.  I hyped him in my PPR Sleepers column as the one who will likely draw Michael Crabtree’s targets.  I even have him rostered as a WR2 in a different league, but he’ll serve as Flex play for me on this team.  His 13-208-1 line against Green Bay was flat-out ridiculous.

Value Picks of Round 6:  A. Luck, J. Jones, A. Boldin

Reaches of Round 6:  B. Tate, G. Tate, C. Ivory

Round 7

85. Roto-Buckeye - Kenbrell Thompkins

86. It’s a Harbaugh Life - T.Y. Hilton

87. DavidP’s Team - Owen Daniels

88. The Hermaphlamingoes - Mike Wallace

89. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Mark Ingram

90. Cooper Clux Clan - Josh Gordon

91. Iron Sausage - Seattle DST

92. Pollos Hermanos - Tony Romo

93. Rskybiznis - Chris Givens

94. Baked Brownies - Greg Olsen

95. Waxey Gordon - Sidney Rice

96. Daddy’s New Shoes - Le’Veon Bell

97. Singapore Slingers - Michael Vick

98. Heisenchew - Greg Jennings

I was crushed to see Kenbrell Thompkins and T.Y. Hilton go off the board with the first two picks in Round 7.  I’m heavily invested in Thompkins this year but did not get any shares of Hilton, unfortunately.

With Pick #89, a hometown favorite of mine, Josh Gordon, was sitting there calling my name.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t ignore Running Back any longer.  I went with Mark Ingram over Le’Veon Bell simply because he’s a healthy body that I can insert into my lineup.  He’s not exactly my ideal choice for RB2 on my team, but he’ll be serviceable enough to net me seven-to-ten points per game.  That’s all I need out of him.

Value Picks of Round 7:  T.Y. Hilton, J. Gordon, T. Romo,

Reaches of Round 7:  S. Rice

Round 8

99. Heisenchew - Michael Floyd

100. Singapore Slingers - Bernard Pierce

101. Daddy’s New Shoes - Kenny Britt

102. Waxey Gordon - Lance Moore

103. Baked Brownies - Bilal Powell

104. Rskybiznis - Bryce Brown

105. Pollos Hermanos - Danny Woodhead

106. Iron Sausage - Kyle Rudolph

107. Cooper Clux Clan - Alshon Jeffery

108. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Joique Bell

109. The Hermaphlamingoes - Ronnie Hillman

110. DavidP’s Team - Rueben Randle

111. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Jared Cook

112. Roto-Buckeye - Jordan Cameron

A lot of players I liked (D. Woodhead, A. Jeffery, R. Randle, J. Cook, J. Cameron) went off the board in Round 8.  Fortunately, another PPR favorite of mine - Joique Bell - was available to me at pick #108.  Given my lack of depth at Running Back, I needed him desperately; and he delivered against the Vikings in Week 1.

Value Picks of Round 8:  D. Woodhead, J. Bell, R. Randle, J. Cook, J. Cameron

Reaches of Round 8:  K. Rudolph, R. Hillman

Round 9

113. Roto-Buckeye - Antonio Gates

114. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Knowshown Moreno

115. DavidP’s Team - Shonn Greene

116. The Hermaphlamingoes - Vincent Brown

117. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Isaac Redman

118. Cooper Clux Clan - Fred Davis

119. Iron Sausage - Christine Michael

120. Pollos Hermanos - Emmanuel Sanders

121. Rskybiznis - Chicago DST

122. Baked Brownies - Ryan Broyles

123. Waxey Gordon - Zach Sudfeld

124. Daddy’s New Shoes - Pierre Thomas

125. Singapore Slingers - Roy Helu

126. Heisenchew - DeAndre Hopkins

Erin Lee snubbed me again with her pick of Knowshown Moreno at #114.  That left me with the generic and totally bland Isaac Redman at #116; a pick that I’m not proud of.  I should’ve went with the criminally underrated “PT-Bruiser,” Pierre Thomas, instead.  I took Redman because I needed a “starter” and his matchup against Tennessee in Week 1 looked juicy.  *facepalm*

Value Picks of Round 9:  K. Moreno, P. Thomas, D. Hopkins

Reaches of Round 9:  S. Greene, I. Redman, Chicago DST

Round 10

127. Heisenchew - Cordarrelle Patterson

128. Singapore Slingers - Jacquizz Rodgers

129. Daddy’s New Shoes - Vick Ballard

130. Waxey Gordon - San Francisco DST

131. Baked Brownies - Brandon Myers

132. Rskybiznis - Donnie Avery

133. Pollos Hermanos - Justin Blackmon

134. Iron Sausage - Matt Bryant

135. Cooper Clux Clan - Darrius Heyward-Bey

136. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Houston DST

137. The Hermaphlamingoes - LaMichael James

138. DavidP’s Team - Denver DST

139. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Eli Manning

140. Roto-Buckeye - New England DST

I typically don’t draft a Defense or Kicker until the last two rounds, but since I was so thin at Running Back, I thought I should grab a top-tier DST and Kicker to make up for that deficiency.  As such, I grabbed the Texans DST with pick #136.  However, had DeAndre Hopkins (#126), Justin Blackmon (#133) or Darrius Heyward-Bey (#135) been available, it would have been tough to pass on them.

I’m pretty sure LaMichael James’ health and role in the 49ers offense was in question prior to the draft, so I was surprised to see The Hermaphlamigoes select him at pick #137.  No doubt he has talent, but it might end up being a wasted pick for Jeffery and Alex’s team.

It’s a Harbaugh Life got tremendous value on Eli Manning at pick #139, even though she won’t be starting him most weeks with Drew Brees on her roster.  She will likely try to spin Eli to a QB-needy team via trade.

Value Picks of Round 10:  J. Blackmon, D. Heyward-Bey, E. Manning

Reaches of Round 10:  M. Bryant, L. James, Denver DST

Round 11

141. Roto-Buckeye - Ben Roethlisberger

142. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Cincinnati DST

143. DavidP’s Team - Joe Flacco

144. The Hermaphlamingoes - Andy Dalton

145. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Phil Dawson

146. Cooper Clux Clan - Kendall Hunter

147. Iron Sausage - Malcom Floyd

148. Pollos Hermanos - Denarius Moore

149. Rskybiznis - Julius Thomas

150. Baked Brownies - Brian Hartline

151. Waxey Gordon - Kenny Stills

152. Daddy’s New Shoes - Rod Streater

153. Singapore Slingers - Isaiah Pead

154. Heisenchew - Dwayne Allen

Looking back, I realize Phil Dawson was a reach for me in Round 11.  I’m a fan of his personally due to his contributions to the Browns and the city of Cleveland, but that’s no excuse for drafting a Kicker before the last round of your draft.  I still like him to produce Top 5 numbers at the position though.

I’m not a fan of Malcom Floyd, but he seems like a good value pick for Iron Sausage this late in the draft.

It looks like Rskybiznis got a steal with Julius Thomas at pick #149.  He had a coming out party against the Ravens.  Still, Peyton Manning has plenty of mouths to feed in Denver.

Brian Hartline (#150) and Rod Streater (#152) are great PPR plays for Baked Brownies and Daddy’s New Shoes, respectively.

Value Picks of Round 11:  M. Floyd, J. Thomas, B. Hartline, R. Streater

Reaches of Round 11:  P. Dawson

Round 12

155. Heisenchew - Michael Bush

156. Singapore Slingers - Martellus Bennett

157. Daddy’s New Shoes - Minnesota DST

158. Waxey Gordon - Kendall Wright

159. Baked Brownies - Brandon Weeden

160. Rskybiznis - Fred Jackson

161. Pollos Hermanos - Arizona DST

162. Iron Sausage - Michael Turner

163. Cooper Clux Clan - Alex Smith

164. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Brandon Pettigrew

165. The Hermaphlamingoes - Andre Roberts

166. DavidP’s Team - Jermaine Gresham

167. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Jeremy Kerley

168. Roto-Buckeye - Aaron Dobson

I didn’t quite understand Daddy’s New Shoes’ selection of Minnesota DST with pick #157.  I realize Jared Allen is a sack-machine, but there were plenty of better DST options on the board at this point.  Not to mention, Minnesota has to contend with the high-powered offenses of Green Bay and Detroit a total of four times each season.

I absolutely LOVE the Andre Roberts pick by The Hermaphlamingoes in Round 12.  With Larry Fitzgerald getting all the attention by opposing Defensive Backs, Roberts should gobble up plenty of catches.

Value Picks of Round 12:  K. Wright, A. Roberts, J. Kerley

Reaches of Round 12:  Minnesota DST, M. Turner

Round 13

169. Roto-Buckeye - DeVier Posey

170. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Jonathan Dwyer

171. DavidP’s Team - Stephen Gostkowski

172. The Hermaphlamingoes - Baltimore DST

173. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Mohamed Sanu

174. Cooper Clux Clan - EJ Manuel

175. Iron Sausage - Knile Davis

176. Pollos Hermanos - Blair Walsh

177. Rskybiznis - Julian Edelman

178. Baked Brownies - St. Louis DST

179. Waxey Gordon - Daniel Thomas

180. Daddy’s New Shoes - Mikel Leshoure

181. Singapore Slingers - Pittsburgh DST

182. Heisenchew - Michael Cox

Value Picks of Round 13:  J. Edelman, D. Thomas

Round 14

183. Heisenchew - Mike Tolbert

184. Singapore Slingers - Matt Prater

185. Daddy’s New Shoes - Dan Bailey

186. Waxey Gordon - Quinton Patton

187. Baked Brownies - Justin Tucker

188. Rskybiznis - Sebastian Janikowski

189. Pollos Hermanos - Carson Palmer

190. Iron Sausage - Willis McGahee

191. Cooper Clux Clan - Tampa Bay DST

192. Lake Co. Kaeptains - Jonathan Franklin

193. The Hermaphlamingoes - David Akers

194. DavidP’s Team - Santana Moss

195. It’s a Harbaugh Life - Robbie Gould

196. Roto-Buckeye - Mike Nugent

I had several players queued up for the last round, with Percy Harvin at the top of my list, but somehow I ended up with Jonathan Franklin.  I was in a rush to leave after making my pick in Round 13, so the players probably got mixed-up.  As a result, I had to waste $7 FAAB dollars to pick up Harvin from waivers.

Lake Co. Kaeptains Final Roster:

QB - Colin Kaepernick

WR - Calvin Johnson

WR - Julio Jones

RB - Shane Vereen

RB - Mark Ingram

TE - Tony Gonzalez

W/R/T - Anquan Boldin

W/R/T - Joique Bell

DST - Houston

K - Phil Dawson

B - Isaac Redman

B - Brandon Pettigrew

B - Mohamed Sanu

B - Percy Harvin

Overall, I was pleased with how the draft turned out.  It was a great challenge drafting against my fellow RotoBaller Experts.  It should make for an exciting season!  Be sure to stay tuned for periodic updates on the RotoBaller Experts League throughout.

==========

Ryan Rufe booked his first fantasy sports win at eleven years old.  He’s a RotoBaller through and through and also contributes as an MLB Beat Writer for RotoWire.com.  For more from him, follow him on Twitter @RyanRufe.