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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.
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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.
