PFF recently partnered with Underdog Fantasy because the NFL best ball szn is alive and well. Drafts are LIVE over on Underdog — play $10 with promo code “PFF” for a free PFF subscription!
PFF's Jarad Evans, Kevin Cole and I recently jumped into a second Underdog best ball draft to spend some time sharing strategy and kicking around picks in real-time. We battled head-to-head and streamed the draft live on Twitter and Periscope. Find the full video here.
The following is a breakdown of the full 18-round, 12-team, half-point PPR best ball draft with analysis on each pick. I drafted fourth overall.
Whether you're getting into best ball for the first time or just want to prepare for your own drafts before putting money on the line, hopefully thinking through this process with us helps.
Drafting this early might seem intimidating without knowing every rookie landing spot or where the remaining free agents will end up, but the uncertainty offers a ton of opportunity. We try to stay ahead of the field with our offseason rankings and NFL news, along with work we've already published identifying overvalued and undervalued players.
Before I dive into the breakdown of the draft, I want to share some of the major lessons I’ve learned with 10 or so Underdog best ball drafts already under my belt.
- Draft A.J Brown in the second round all day, every day.
- The goal should be to finish your draft with four or five RBs.
- Draft a top-five tight end or just keep waiting.
- End the draft with two TEs; drafting a third isn’t going to add much value.
- When in doubt, just keep drafting WRs. You’ll want at least eight or nine.
- The QB sweet spot is Rounds 7-14.
I'll list every pick from the draft below. My selections are noted with an asterisk.
ROUND 1
1.01 RB1 CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, CAROLINA PANTHERS
1.02 RB2 DALVIN COOK, MINNESOTA VIKINGS
1.03 TE1 TRAVIS KELCE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
1.04 RB3 SAQUON BARKLEY, NEW YORK GIANTS*
1.05 RB4 DERRICK HENRY, TENNESSEE TITANS
1.07 RB5 NICK CHUBB, CLEVELAND BROWNS
1.08 WR1 DAVANATE ADAMS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
1.10 WR2 TYREEK HILL, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
1.11 RB6 AARON JONES, GREEN BAY PACKERS
1.12 RB7 EZEKIEL ELLIOTT, DALLAS COWBOYS
It’s absolutely critical to lock up at least one bell cow running back in the first two rounds of a best ball draft. Saquon Barkley is the No. 3 running back in my fantasy rankings, so I didn’t need to think twice about drafting him here.
The New York Giants offense looks primed to take a step forward with the addition of Kenny Golladay, and that can only bode well for Barkley if the overall efficiency of the offense improves. Newly acquired backup running back Devontae Booker poses no threat to Barkley’s workload, further cementing him as one of the league’s rare three-down backs.
In eight games with Daniel Jones in 2019, Barkley averaged 19.5 fantasy points per game — seventh-best at the position. Jones averaged 21.0 fantasy points per game during that span — fifth-best at the position.
Most of the other selections in this round were pretty typical, with the majority of teams drafting running backs (and rightfully so). The most shocking selection was Travis Kelce going No. 3 overall. Keep in mind that Underdog is only half-point PPR scoring and non-TE premium, so the selection looks like a clear overpay for last year’s statistics.
As Kevin Cole pointed out in his tight end takeaways from early best ball drafts, Kelce’s gap in production versus the TE2 last year (Darren Waller) isn’t likely to be as drastic, even if he finishes as the TE1 for the fourth straight season. The edge he will provide at the tight end position isn’t likely to be as huge as it was in 2020.
ROUND 2
2.01 RB8 AUSTIN EKELER, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
2.02 TE2 GEORGE KITTLE, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
2.03 WR3 STEFON DIGGS, BUFFALO BILLS
2.04 RB9 CAM AKERS, LOS ANGELES RAMS
2.05 WR4 DEANDRE HOPKINS, ARIZONA CARDINALS
2.06 RB10 J.K. DOBBINS, BALTIMORE RAVENS
2.07 RB11 ANTONIO GIBSON, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
2.08 WR5 CALVIN RIDLEY, ATLANTA FALCONS
2.09 WR6 A.J. BROWN, TENNESSEE TITANS*
2.10 RB12 JOE MIXON, CINCINNATI BENGALS
2.11 WR7 JUSTIN JEFFERSON, MINNESOTA VIKINGS
2.12 TE3 DARREN WALLER, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
A.J. Brown is my most-rostered player in 2021 best ball. There’s just so much to like about his fantasy upside heading into next season with so many vacated targets in the offense. Brown is certainly going to surpass his 101 targets from last year, and that means his fantasy ceiling is going to be extremely high.
We got a glimpse of Brown’s true upside toward the end of the 2020 season when he commanded a 35% target share and 19.9 fantasy points per game — fourth-highest at the WR position.
The next two tight ends are routinely coming off the board in the second round, and I think that makes them both superior values to Kelce. They are also much easier to create team stacks with — the Las Vegas and San Francisco skill players are much cheaper than Kansas City's.
Locking up a top-tier tight end that often operates as the team’s pseudo-No. 1 wide receiver should continue to be a top priority among best ball drafters. Only six wide receivers topped Waller's 17.5 fantasy points per game last season.
Kittle has averaged 15.8 fantasy points per game over the past two seasons, which would have ranked as the WR16 last year.
If you can draft an RB in the first round, it makes perfect sense to follow up with one of the elite tight ends.
ROUND 3
3.01 WR8 DK METCALF, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
3.02 WR9 MICHAEL THOMAS, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
3.03 WR10 KEENAN ALLEN, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
3.04 RB13 D’ANDRE SWIFT, DETROIT LIONS*
3.05 WR11 TERRY MCLAURIN, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
3.06 RB14 JAMES ROBINSON, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
3.07 RB15 NAJEE HARRIS, ALABAMA
3.08 RB16 MILES SANDERS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
3.09 RB17 CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
3.10 RB18 JOSH JACOBS, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
3.11 WR12 ALLEN ROBINSON II, CHICAGO BEARS
3.12 WR13 CEEDEE LAMB, DALLAS COWBOYS
We want to draft our RBs in Rounds 1 and 2 because those backs have less ambiguity about their projected roles in 2021. That being said, I still went with D’Andre Swift here because I felt the value was too good to pass up in the third round.
Just a few weeks ago, I drafted Swift at the 2.04, and I don’t think the addition of Jamaal Williams should push him completely out of the second round.
His current ADP on Underdog is ahead of other RBs like Dobbins and Mixon, so he felt like a steal at 3.04.
Had Swift not been available, I would have opted to target more WRs — the crop of players in this range is damn good. You’re getting a top-12 fantasy WR regardless of which one you choose.
It’s important to think ahead after Rounds 2 and 3 in order to draft your ideal RB/WR combo. Swift was my highest-ranked RB when I was selecting at 2.09, but Brown would have been gone by the next pick if I took the RB there. Since those drafting in front of me had already rostered running backs, I thought my top-ranked RB would still be available in the next round.
ROUND 4
4.01 WR14 MIKE EVANS, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
4.02 WR15 AMARI COOPER, DALLAS COWBOYS
4.03 WR16 JULIO JONES, ATLANTA FALCONS
4.04 QB1 PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
4.05 WR17 D.J. MOORE, CAROLINA PANTHERS
4.06 RB19 TRAVIS ETIENNE, CLEMSON
4.07 WR18 ADAM THIELEN, MINNESOTA VIKINGS
4.08 WR19 DIONTAE JOHNSON, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
4.09 WR20 KENNY GOLLADAY, NEW YORK GIANTS*
4.10 WR21 CHASE CLAYPOOL, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
4.11 WR22 ROBERT WOODS, LOS ANGELES RAMS
4.12 WR23 CHRIS GODWIN, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
I selected Kenny Golladay hoping he would end up with the New York Giants, and my prayers were answered.
Kenny Golladay + Daniel Jones = Bombs Away ???? in #BigBlue ???????? #fantasyfootball #giants pic.twitter.com/ezs41AAmVG
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) March 23, 2021
I think he’s a great fit with Daniel Jones, and he pairs perfectly with Barkley as my No. 1 running back. We want to stack entire offenses regardless of position in best ball.
Golladay’s ADP as WR22 seems pretty close to his floor rather than his ceiling. Let’s not forget he was the WR15 in total points and WR26 in fantasy points per game during the second half of 2019 with the likes of Chase Daniel and David Blough tossing him the rock.
And although many are proclaiming the new combination of Golladay/Jones as this year’s Stefon Diggs/Josh Allen, that’s a bit of a stretch. Through 17 weeks, Allen was the QB1 and Diggs WR3. That’s a difficult feat to match for any QB-WR combination in the league.
A more appropriate comparison is probably Allen Robinson II and Mitchell Trubisky in 2018. Robinson averaged 13.3 fantasy points per game in his first year with the Bears — 27th at the position.
Patrick Mahomes came off the board at 4.04 — that’s typically where he has been going. But taking Mahomes in 12-team best ball leagues is extremely detrimental to the rest of your roster construction. I drafted Mahomes in a different best ball draft and absolutely hated my final team. You can roast that squad here.
It’s beyond difficult to stack Mahomes with his pass-catchers and other offensive parts without sacrificing value. The sweet spot for QBs is anywhere from Rounds 7-14.
Chiefs stacks are definitely a doable strategy for smaller leagues. I built a Mahomes-Hill-Kelce-CEH stack in a 10-team league. That roster has me on a power trip.
ROUND 5
5.01 WR24 TEE HIGGINS, CINCINNATI BENGALS
5.02 WR25 COOPER KUPP, LOS ANGELES RAMS
5.03 RB20 DAVID MONTGOMERY, CHICAGO BEARS
5.04 WR26 COURTLAND SUTTON, DENVER BRONCOS*
5.05 WR27 TYLER LOCKETT, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
5.06 WR28 BRANDON AIYUK, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
5.07 QB2 KYLER MURRAY, ARIZONA CARDINALS
5.08 WR29 WILL FULLER V, MIAMI DOLPHINS
5.09 QB3 JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS
5.10 RB21 KAREEM HUNT, CLEVELAND BROWNS
5.11 RB22 JAVONTE WILLIAMS, NORTH CAROLINA
5.12 TE4 MARK ANDREWS, BALTIMORE RAVENS
Continue to draft wide receivers in the fifth round. There are still so many great options on the draft board, and Courtland Sutton stands out.
I specifically highlighted Sutton when I first released my 2021 best ball rankings because the price of admission just simply doesn't compare with what we should expect of him in 2021.
Sutton is going beyond the WR2 range (outside top-24), and that’s just blasphemy. Let’s not forget that the Broncos' big wideout was the WR13 with Drew Lock under center in the final five games of the 2019 season.
There are a variety of directions to go with WRs in this range, but my recommendation is to draft one with stacking in mind. You’ll find that it’s easy to start building stacks of Bengals, Rams, 49ers and Broncos wide receivers in this range.
I also think both Javonte Williams and Mark Andrews are decent values here. The gap between Williams versus the other rookie RBs doesn’t make much sense when all three have been rumored to be the first RB off the board come NFL Draft time. High-end draft capital will cause Williams’ draft stock to spike, so getting him much later now will pay off post-draft.
And, as noted in my dynasty rankings update post-free agency, there are still plenty of RB backfields ripe for the taking for a worthy rookie.
Andrews is being drafted at the end of the fifth or the top of the sixth round — a massive drop-off from his ADP last year, which was often around Round 3 or 4. Considering the fragility of the tight end position, I'm surprised Andrews fell this much based on his numbers. It has to be more based on perception rather than anything else, as Andrews’ fantasy points per game (12.2 versus 13.9) and expected fantasy points per game (12.5 versus 12.6) hardly differ.
The Ravens tight end is being drafted around where Waller was last season, and we all know how that turned out. If Baltimore adds or drafts another pass-catcher (they presumably will), buy the dip on Andrews when he slides into the sixth round.
ROUND 6
6.01 WR30 D.J. CHARK JR., JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
6.02 QB4 DAK PRESCOTT, DALLAS COWBOYS
6.03 RB23 CHASE EDMONDS, ARIZONA CARDINALS
6.04 RB24 MELVIN GORDON III, DENVER BRONCOS
6.05 RB25 RONALD JONES II, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
6.06 WR31 ODELL BECKHAM JR., CLEVELAND BROWNS
6.07 WR32 ROBBY ANDERSON, CAROLINA PANTHERS
6.08 QB5 LAMAR JACKSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS
6.09 WR33 TYLER BOYD, CINCINNATI BENGALS*
6.10 WR34 JA’MARR CHASE, LSU
6.11 WR35 DEEBO SAMUEL, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
6.12 WR36 BRANDIN COOKS, HOUSTON TEXANS
Best ball rosters should always lean slightly toward being more wide receiver-heavy than running back — acquiring at least four WRs in the first six rounds is a solid benchmark.
For that reason, I went with Tyler Boyd, who projects to see plenty of volume in the Bengals offense with Joe Burrow next season. When Burrow was under center last year (Weeks 1-11), the Bengals passed at the second-highest rate (68%) under neutral game script conditions.
ROUND 7
7.01 QB6 RUSSELL WILSON, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
7.02 WR37 MARQUISE BROWN, BALTIMORE RAVENS
7.03 QB7 JUSTIN HERBERT, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
7.04 WR38 LAVISKA SHENAULT JR., JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS*
7.05 TE5 T.J. HOCKENSON, DETROIT LIONS
7.06 QB8 AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
7.07 QB9 DESHAUN WATSON, HOUSTON TEXANS
7.08 QB10 JALEN HURTS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
7.09 WR39 JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
7.10 QB11 TOM BRADY, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
7.11 WR40 MICHAEL GALLUP, DALLAS COWBOYS
7.12 WR41 CURTIS SAMUEL, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
In hindsight, going with another wide receiver in Laviska Shenault Jr. instead of drafting a quarterback or tight end was a bad move on my part. I missed on T.J. Hockenson, who would correlate with Swift, in favor of my fifth WR. The decision looks even worse considering I drafted a different tight end in the next round anyway.
Jalen Hurts was available, and many of his pass-catchers were still on the board. Alas, there would be no Eagles stacks for me.
ROUND 8
8.01 TE6 NOAH FANT, DENVER BRONCOS
8.02 WR42 JERRY JEUDY, DENVER BRONCOS
8.03 RB26 CHRIS CARSON, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
8.04 WR43 JARVIS LANDRY, CLEVELAND BROWNS
8.05 TE7 DALLAS GOEDERT, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
8.06 WR44 DEVANTE PARKER, MIAMI DOLPHINS
8.07 TE8 LOGAN THOMAS, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
8.08 WR45 COREY DAVIS, NEW YORK JETS
8.09 TE9 KYLE PITTS, FLORIDA*
8.10 WR46 DEVONTA SMITH, ALABAMA
8.11 QB12 MATTHEW STAFFORD, LOS ANGELES RAMS
8.12 RB27 LEONARD FOURNETTE, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Looking back at my last two selections, I could have had Hockenson and DeVonta Smith instead of Shenault and Kyle Pitts. At the time, Pitts felt like a knee-jerk, reactionary pick, and I still feel that way.
Still, with NFL mock drafts projecting the Eagles to draft Pitts, I would have looked like a genius had I taken Hurts in Round 7.
Speculation aside, drafting tight ends in this range is not a great value proposition. Recall that last season the difference in fantasy points per game from the TE6 (11.0) to TE19 (9.0) was just 2.0 points per game.
You’re much better off waiting once you pass on the top-five TEs. Stay out of the middle range at the tight end position.
Pitts could potentially be the tight end who bucks that trend — and the trend of rookie TEs failing to produce — but I'm concerned about his potential landing spots. As mentioned, the Eagles were my favorite spot for him, but it’s still not off-the-charts great.
If he is supposedly going to be a top-10 pick, he'd only step in as the TE1 if he goes to the Bengals with the fifth pick. The Falcons and Panthers are other potential suitors, but they have a ton of other areas they also need to address.
ROUND 9
9.01 RB28 DAVID JOHNSON, HOUSTON TEXANS
9.02 RB29 MYLES GASKIN, MIAMI DOLPHINS
9.03 WR47 MICHAEL PITTMAN JR., INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
9.04 RB30 KENYAN DRAKE, ARIZONA CARDINALS*
9.05 RB31 TONY POLLARD, DALLAS COWBOYS
9.06 RB32 DAMIEN HARRIS, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
9.07 WR48 JAYLEN WADDLE, ALABAMA
9.08 TE10 MIKE GESICKI, MIAMI DOLPHINS
9.09 TE11 ROBERT TONYAN, GREEN BAY PACKERS
9.10 WR49 RASHOD BATEMAN, MINNESOTA
9.11 RB33 RAHEEM MOSTERT, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
9.12 QB13 TREVOR LAWRENCE, CLEMSON
With only two running backs on my roster, I thought it would be wise to head back to the RB well. Kenyan Drake has the potential to produce standalone value in Las Vegas as a pass-catcher and would likely inherit a large workload if anything were to happen to Josh Jacobs.
In hindsight, it would have made much more sense to just take Raheem Mostert. He’s ranked higher in my rankings than Drake (live best ball drafts will do that to you) and he’s the most likely Day 1 starter for the 49ers. Drake won’t ever be the “starter” unless Jacobs gets hurt.
ROUND 10
10.01 WR50 MARVIN JONES, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
10.02 WR51 ANTONIO BROWN, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
10.03 QB14 JOE BURROW, CINCINNATI BENGALS
10.04 RB34 A.J. DILLON, GREEN BAY PACKERS
10.05 RB35 JEFF WILSON JR., SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
10.06 WR52 JALEN REAGOR, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
10.07 QB15 RYAN TANNEHILL, TENNESSEE TITANS
10.08 RB36 GUS EDWARDS, BALTIMORE RAVENS
10.09 WR53 GABRIEL DAVIS, BUFFALO BILLS*
10.10 WR54 MIKE WILLIAMS, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
10.11 RB37 KENNY GAINWELL, MEMPHIS
10.12 TE12 IRV SMITH JR., MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The more wide receivers, the better. Gabriel Davis was practically begging to be selected here in the 10th round, so it was a no-brainer. Some might be concerned about Emmanuel Sanders’ integration into the Bills offense, but I am not one of those people.
As I wrote in my winners from free agency article, Davis' downfield archetype — 17.3 aDOT, seventh-highest in the NFL — is the complete opposite of Sanders’ recent usage. Even if we remove Sanders’ last season with the noodle-armed Drew Brees (all Saints receivers had low aDOTs), Sanders hasn’t posted an aDOT higher than 13.0 since 2016.
Davis also tied Diggs in total end-zone targets last year, so his chances of catching a touchdown to go along with his high aDOT make him the perfect best ball target.
ROUND 11
11.01 WR55 MECOLE HARDMAN, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
11.02 TE13 TYLER HIGBEE, LOS ANGELES RAMS
11.03 RB38 RASHAAD PENNY, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
11.04 TE14 HUNTER HENRY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS*
11.05 WR56 DENZEL MIMS, NEW YORK JETS
11.06 QB16 KIRK COUSINS, MINNESOTA VIKINGS
11.07 RB39 ZACK MOSS, BUFFALO BILLS
11.08 RB40 NYHEIM HINES, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
11.09 WR57 COLE BEASLEY, BUFFALO BILLS
11.10 RB40 CHUBA HUBBARD, OKLAHOMA STATE
11.11 RB41 LATAVIUS MURRAY, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
11.12 RB42 MICHAEL CARTER, NORTH CAROLINA
I felt shaky about having Pitts as my only tight end and double-downed on my mistake by taking a second tight end way too early. At this point in the draft, I still didn’t have a QB, and I should have taken Matt Ryan. I was hoping Ryan would fall back to me in the 12th round, but he was taken right before my next pick at 12.08. Considering Jonnu Smith was the only tight end taken after I took Hunter Henry, this pick was a blunder of epic proportions.
ROUND 12
12.01 RB43 J.D. MCKISSIC, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
12.02 WR58 HENRY RUGGS III, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
12.03 TE15 JONNU SMITH, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
12.04 WR59 DARNELL MOONEY, CHICAGO BEARS
12.05 RB44 JAMAAL WILLIAMS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
12.06 WR60 JAMISON CROWDER, NEW YORK JETS
12.07 WR61 CHRISTIAN KIRK, ARIZONA CARDINALS
12.08 QB17 MATT RYAN, ATLANTA FALCONS
12.09 WR62 STERLING SHEPARD, NEW YORK GIANTS*
12.10 RB45 ALEXANDER MATTISON, MINNESOTA VIKINGS
12.11 RB46 PHILLIP LINDSAY, HOUSTON TEXANS
12.12 QB18 CARSON WENTZ, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
With Ryan off the board and a bunch of late-round QB darlings still available, I elected to just add to my Giants stack with Sterling Shepard. Shepard’s been a top-36 wide receiver in terms of fantasy points per game over the past two seasons. I'm hoping Golladay’s arrival to Big Blue will allow him to operate more from the slot.
Shepard is coming off arguably his best season as a pro, earning career-highs in PFF receiving grades (79.4), catch rate (75%) and yards per route run (1.77).
ROUND 13
13.01 WR63 JOHN BROWN, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
13.02 RB47 DARRELL HENDERSON, LOS ANGELES RAMS
13.03 TE16 EVAN ENGRAM, NEW YORK GIANTS
13.04 QB19 JUSTIN FIELDS, OHIO STATE*
13.05 TE17 HAYDEN HURST, ATLANTA FALCONS
13.06 WR64 NELSON AGHOLOR, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
13.07 WR65 RONDALE MOORE, PURDUE
13.08 TE18 ERIC EBRON, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
13.09 RB48 JAMES CONNER, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
13.10 QB20 BAKER MAYFIELD, CLEVELAND BROWNS
13.11 RB49 TARIK COHEN, CHICAGO BEARS
13.12 QB21 RYAN FITZPATRICK, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM
I finally bit the quarterback bullet with rookie Justin Fields. Ideally, this is the range where you’d be selecting your second QB.
Fields' ability as a rusher is exactly what we are looking for in fantasy football, so I love drafting him right now. His ADP is only going to rise post-draft. I got him in the 13th round in the first PFF best ball draft, so I'm glad his ADP has been stagnant so far.
ROUND 14
14.01 WR66 T.Y. HILTON, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
14.02 WR67 BRESHAD PERRIMAN, DETROIT LIONS
14.03 WR68 TYRELL WILLIAMS, DETROIT LIONS
14.04 TE19 ROB GRONKOWSKI, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
14.05 QB22 TUA TAGOVAILOA, MIAMI DOLPHINS
14.06 TE20 COLE KMET, CHICAGO BEARS
14.07 WR69 MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING, GREEN BAY PACKERS
14.08 RB50 TY JOHNSON, NEW YORK JETS
14.09 QB23 CAM NEWTON, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS*
14.10 QB24 BEN ROETHLISBERGER, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
14.11 QB25 DANIEL JONES, NEW YORK GIANTS
14.12 RB51 DAMIEN WILLIAMS, CHICAGO BEARS
Cam Newton was a big winner in free agency with all the additional offensive firepower the Patriots added to the roster. I already had Henry sitting on my bench, so I wanted to build a QB-TE stack. Unfortunately, what I overlooked was Jones sitting there, too. He would have been the cherry on top of my Giants offensive stack.
ROUND 15
15.01 QB26 ZACH WILSON, BYU
15.02 TE21 BLAKE JARWIN, DALLAS COWBOYS
15.03 WR70 TERRACE MARSHALL JR, LSU
15.04 RB52 TREY SERMON, OHIO STATE*
15.05 TE22 JARED COOK, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
15.06 WR71 JAMES WASHINGTON, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
15.07 WR72 DARIUS SLAYTON, NEW YORK GIANTS
15.08 WR73 KADARIUS TONEY, FLORIDA
15.09 WR74 PARRIS CAMPBELL, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
15.10 RB53 DEVIN SINGLETARY, BUFFALO BILLS
15.11 QB27 JIMMY GAROPPOLO, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
15.12 WR75 ALLEN LAZARD, GREEN BAY PACKERS
Rounds 15-18 should be about acquiring players with upside, so don’t worry about reaching on a player. At this point, your roster should have all the required spots filled and you can fill positions to your heart’s desire.
Running back was still pretty thin for me, so I took a shot on Trey Sermon. Our main focus when selecting rookies should be going after those who project to be drafted highly in April. Sermon is currently being mocked as the RB6 per Grindingthemocks.com at pick 88.
For those keeping score at home, he's projected to go ahead of fellow rookie running Chuba Hubbard, who was selected in Round 11 of this particular best ball draft.
ROUND 16
16.01 WR76 EMMANUEL SANDERS, BUFFALO BILLS
16.02 RB54 KYLIN HILL, TEXAS A&M
16.03 TE23 ANTHONY FIRKSER, TENNESSEE TITANS
16.04 TE24 AUSTIN HOOPER, CLEVELAND BROWNS
16.05 WR77 TRE’QUAN SMITH, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
16.06 WR78 K.J. HAMLER, DENVER BRONCOS
16.07 TE25 DONALD PARHAM, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
16.08 WR79 RUSSELL GAGE, ATLANTA FALCONS
16.09 QB28 TREY LANCE, NORTH DAKOTA STATE*
16.10 RB55 JAMES WHITE, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
16.11 TE26 GERALD EVERETT, LOS ANGELES RAMS
16.12 RB56 MIKE DAVIS, ATLANTA FALCONS
Because I waited so long to draft a quarterback, I wanted to make sure I had at least three on my roster. So, welcome to the squad, Trey Lance. I’d love for Lance to land with the New England Patriots, which would mean I'd have all the team’s QB rushing equity.
ROUND 17
17.01 WR80 QUINTEZ CEPHUS, DETROIT LIONS
17.02 WR81 VAN JEFFERSON, LOS ANGELES RAMS
17.03 QB29 DEREK CARR, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
17.04 RB57 LYNN BOWDEN JR., MIAMI DOLPHINS*
17.05 RB58 GIOVANI BERNARD, CINCINNATI BENGALS
17.06 RB59 DARREL WILLIAMS, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
17.07 WR82 TYLAN WALLACE, OKLAHOMA STATE
17.08 QB30 JAMEIS WINSTON, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
17.09 WR83 NICO COLLINS, MICHIGAN
17.10 TE27 ZACH ERTZ, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
17.11 TE28 JORDAN AKINS, HOUSTON TEXANS
17.12 RB60 TODD GURLEY II, ATLANTA FALCONS
Lynn Bowden Jr. is one of Ian Hartitz’s favorite late-round targets in best ball at the moment, so I was stoked to get him here in the 17th round. He’s still listed as a running back on Underdog’s platform despite playing exclusively at slot WR last season.
Over the final four weeks of the season, he averaged 10.3 fantasy points per game and led the team in catches (23).
ROUND 18
18.01 WR84 JAKOBI MEYERS, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
18.02 QB31 ANDY DALTON, CHICAGO BEARS
18.03 WR85 A.J. GREEN, ARIZONA CARDINALS
18.04 WR86 ZACH PASCAL, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
18.05 WR87 DEONTE HARRIS, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
18.06 RB61 JAVIAN HAWKINS, LOUISVILLE
18.07 WR88 SCOTTY MILLER, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
18.08 RB62 MIKE BOONE, DENVER BRONCOS
18.09 TE29 CHRIS HERNDON, NEW YORK JETS*
18.10 WR89 AMON-RA ST.BROWN, USC
18.11 RB63 BOSTON SCOTT, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
18.12 WR90 BRYAN EDWARDS, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Selecting Chris Herndon was not the right choice here because I already had two tight ends on the roster. Adding a third tight end — regardless of how excited I am to get back on Herndon in 2021 — isn’t going to make or break my roster.
Ideally, we want one reliable tight end and only one more to fill on on bye weeks or to add to a pre-existing offensive stack. This second tight end would also hopefully have some breakout potential, so at least Herndon does fits that mold.
With Adam Gase out of the picture, Herndon could have a better quarterback throwing to him and might not be asked to pass-block more than any other tight end in the league.
Recall that Herndon ended Week 17 on a high note with season highs in targets (nine), receptions (seven) and yards (68). It’s never too early to get back on the Herndon hype train.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.