Fantasy Football: Head-to-Head Mock Draft Recap
With Jason on vacation, Andy and Mike decided the time was right to go head-to-head in a mock draft. Under the watchful eye of Jay Griz, the guys went thru 11 rounds to see who could put together the best team. Andy and Mike also covered the fantasy side of the news that Tyreek Hill would not be suspended and this lends itself to another great aspect of the Ultimate Draft Kit. Instead of a magazine with outdated info, The Fantasy Footballers have already updated their info and projections on all Chiefs involved, including Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Mecole Hardman. The UDK gives you an edge on any league mate that does not use it!
The mock drafts are always some of the best episodes to listen to, which you can do here. If you don’t have time to listen to the full episode yet, I have broken down each of the pick decisions below. The settings used were: 12 Team – .5 PPR – Only 4 bench spots. Mike had the 1.07 and Andy had the 1.11.
Round 1: Mike – Davante Adams, Andy – Dalvin Cook
Mike came up with the first 6 picks having been RBs, the big 4 plus David Johnson and Lev Bell. The choice for Mike was to come out with his next highest-ranked RB, Melvin Gordon or James Conner, or to take his top-ranked WR, Davante Adams. With the ghost of 2018 Lev Bell hanging over Melvin Gordon, Mike goes the safe route and takes Adams.
With Gordon, DeAndre Hopkins, and Michael Thomas going 8-10, Andy has a tough decision to make. He doesn’t believe Conner belongs in the 1st Round and he is nervous about what he will get from Todd Gurley. After toying with going WR-WR, he pivots and crowns Dalvin Cook as the 1st RB on his team.
Round 2: Andy – Todd Gurley, Mike – Odell Beckham
Andy’s 2nd decision isn’t any easier. After briefly consider top WRs like Odell Beckham and Juju Smith-Schuster, Andy adds Gurley to his team, giving himself two potential stud RBs to start his draft.
Mike is upset that he just missed on James Conner, who he considered in the 1st, falling to late in the 2nd Round. Conner would have been an auto-select. Mike needs to choose if he wants to try to balance his team out or go WR-WR. With Odell Beckham, who is a top 4 WR in Mike’s ranking, still on the board, the temptation is too much and Mike heads down the Zero-RB path.
Round 3: Mike – Devonta Freeman, Andy – Josh Jacobs
Coming into the 3rd, Mike has two very good WRs and is quick to jump on Devonta Freeman as his RB1. Mike sees Freeman as a bounce-back candidate fully entrenched as a fantasy RB1.
Andy started the opposite of Mike, having added two RBs to open his draft. He sees three WRs that he loves on the board, AJ Green, Keenan Allen, and Julian Edelman. This is where understanding draft position matters. Knowing that there are only 2 picks between this pick and his next pick, he is assured to get one of those guys. This gives him the freedom to secure rookie RB Josh Jacobs. Jacobs will be an excellent flex option and add some Todd Gurley security.
Getty Images / Frederick Breedon
Round 4: Andy – Julian Edelman, Mike – Stefon Diggs
With Green and Allen going back-to-back, Andy starts leaning Edelman, but not before noting how crazy it is that AJ Green is falling to the 4th ROund in many fantasy drafts. His talent is that of a top WR but his injury last season is making him a crazy value this year. Andy makes Edelman his WR1, an easier decision to live with when playing in PPR formats.
With no RB jumping off the board at him, Mike sees the opportunity to add a guy he has rated as his WR11 to start in his flex every week. Already having Adams and Beckham, means that Mike can handle the streakiness that comes with Stefon Diggs better than most.
Round 5: Mike – Lamar Miller, Andy – Dante Pettis
Mike immediately notices that the available RBs in the 5th Round are less than ideal. With 3 WRs and only 1 RB on his roster, he has to bite the bullet and selects Lamar Miller. He’s not happy about it but his WRs make it an easier pill to swallow.
Andy added 3 RBs and 1 WR to start his draft and already had an idea of who he wanted to take in the 5th Round. He marked Cooper Kupp as the WR he wanted, despite his 2018 injury. With Aaron Rodgers sitting there in the 5th, the late-round QB philosophy is being challenged. After considering every position, Andy swerves and adds the 49ers WR1, Dante Pettis.
Round 6: Andy – Evan Engram, Mike – Miles Sanders
With Kupp not making it back around, Andy is quick to jump on Evan Engram with his 6th pick. Mike was less than pleased, hoping that Engram would have made it to him.
Mike feels the need to start committing to RBs to fill his bench. He mentions that he has basically removed Derrius Guice from his board with the recent hamstring news. But he comes around on another RB with hamstring issues and adds Philadelphia rookie Miles Sanders.
Round 7: Mike – Tevin Coleman, Andy – Marvin Jones
Mike sounds out drafting Jordan Howard to ensure he has the relevant Philly RB but it is not a strategy he would choose to employ. Looking to take a shot on a late-round starting RB, Mike adds Tevin Coleman, knowing he wouldn’t have made back to him in the 8th Round. Mike points out that he does have players rated above Coleman, but based on ADP, he is more comfortable that he can land those guys later on.
Andy starts to look at WRs, specifically Marvin Jones. Jones is marked as a value in the Ultimate Draft Kit, coming off of a subpar season. He was the WR9 overall in 2017 but weathered a rough 2018. Andy adds him, hoping the 50/50 balls start falling his way again in 2019.
Round 8: Andy – Royce Freeman, Mike – Vance McDonald
Andy feels ready to gamble in the 8th Round. The next highest player on his board is DeSean Jackson but he thinks he can get him in the 9th Round. He sees no other WR that tickles him in the right places, a feeling you should have on every pick you make, and goes with RB value in Royce Freeman.
Mike had planned to take a TE with this pick all along. He warmed up the music to do THE VANCE DANCE (pants optional)! Andy commends the pick, saying that he would have never taken Engram in the 6th if he knew he could Vance 2 rounds later.
Round 9: Mike – Adrian Peterson, Andy – DeSean Jackson
Mike decides it’s either RB or WR and concedes that with his elite WRs, there isn’t much point to reach at a bench WR here. Instead, he goes with an RB that he feels will be a starter for most of 2019, Adrian Peterson.
We love it when a plan comes together. Andy hoped DeSean would make it back to him, he did, so he is the pick. Andy feels like the Eagles will have a top 5 offense and owners will be able to start Jackson regularly in 2019.
Rob Carr/ Getty Images
Round 10: Andy – Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mike – Curtis Samuel
Andy doesn’t discuss MVS much, he’s just happy with his addition his stable of WRs. Mike is looking for upside and adds Curtis Samuel. Samuel scored fantastically in Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception and Mike feels like he may have landed the Panther’s WR1.
Round 11: Mike – Dak Prescott, Andy – Josh Allen
The epitome of late-round QB strategy, both guys waited till their last pick to add their starting QB. Even with multiple teams taking multiple QBs, both guys are happy with the QBs they ended up with. DRAFT YOUR QB LATE!