Fantasy Sharks 2020 Dynasty Mock Draft – Superflex, Part Two
For those of you that play in dynasty leagues, you know that this is the best time of the year. Rookie drafts are coming, as well as the combine, the NFL Draft, and dynasty startups. In what is likely to be the first of many Dynasty Drafts that we cover here at Create-A-Rank, we take a look at a 2020 Superflex Dynasty Startup Mock Draft done by myself and other industry experts. It is a 12-team dynasty league, with PPR scoring and a tight end premium. I was honored to be a part of this group of amazing analysts and to participate in this mock draft with them.
See Rounds 1-3 Here
Below you will find each expert pick with a brief explanation as to why that player was selected. We will go through rounds four, five, and six in this piece and finish with the final four rounds in Part Three. There is a lot to learn from this draft and I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed doing it.
Rosters: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, 3 R/W/T, 1 Q/R/W/T
Scoring: PPR, TE Prem
Here are our participants in order of selection accompanied by their Twitter handle and website affiliation. Give them a follow and let us know what you think of their picks!
- Tommy Mo: @2on1FFB, 2on1fantasysports.com
- Randal K: @FF_Terminator,The Undroppables
- JetPack Galileo: @JetPackGalileo, FFAstronauts.com
- Chalk: @101chalk,The Undroppables
- Andrew Hall: @AndrewHallFF, ProFootballNetwork.com
- Scott: @DynoGameTheory, CreateARank.com
- Tommy Garrett: @TommyGarrettPFN, ProFootballNetwork.com
- Travis: @TSeel14, True North Fantasy Football
- Dan: @awlsabermetrics, 2on1fantasysports.com
- Jake: @dabeezybff,The Undroppables
- Paul Lundgaard: @pauliessleepers, PauliesSleepers.com
- D. Brown: @DBrownFF88,The Undroppables
Now Available: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings!
2020 Dynasty Mock Draft Round 4:
4.01- Matt Ryan – QB, Atlanta
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty)
A top 10 quarterback through his 11 years as a pro. Throwing 20+ TDs every single year, and now nine seasons straight with 4,000+ yards. Atlanta has an elite passing game with one of the NFL’s best pass-catching cores (Julio, Ridley, Hooper). In 2019, Ryan ranks 3rd in pass attempts (616). Passing volume is plentiful in Atlanta and Ryan should have a minimum of three more years with the Falcons. It felt good to lock up my QB2 on this turn. Seven additional QBs went off the board before my next pick. Having two top 10 QBs rostered in a SuperFlex league can be a great advantage.
4.02- Courtland Sutton – WR, Denver
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & Undroppables)
Still not worried about QB or TE, I wanted to go with a youthful WR here or Miles Sanders,
who was picked next by Beezy. A.J. Brown, D.J. Moore, and Courtland Sutton were all considered here. I ultimately chose Sutton due to that defense being old and in desperate need of a hard reset. If you are struggling to figure out why I would target a WR on a declining defense and why it would matter, DM me on Twitter, we need to discuss a few things.
Suttons’ targets were consistent and averaged out to almost eight per game. He is only 24 and
if we see a “3rd-year leap” next season coming off of his 72/1112/6 performance, I could have the most lethal WR core in this league.
4.03- Miles Sanders – RB, Philadelphia
(Jake – Dabeezybff -Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
So here I’m going to eat my words a little. Miles Sanders in the 4th was a big value. I was higher on Montgomery coming out of the draft, but it is hard to argue with the season Sanders just put together. As part of a committee, he finished the year on a strong note once Howard went down. He got the lion’s share of the carries, finishing the year with 179 attempts for 818 yds and three TDs. He added 50 rec on 63 targets for 509 yds and three more TDs. Sanders showed he was capable of handling a three-down role in the offense. I have a lot of confidence in him as my RB2 and the hope is he takes a step forward in 20 to finish in the top 10 range.
4.04- Cooper Kupp – WR, Los Angeles Rams
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
This was a no-brainer pick for me. 2019’s WR4 overall just fell into my lap in the 4th round, it would’ve been crazy not to take him. To be honest, Kupp burned me this year in all of my redraft leagues because I passed him up many times. I wasn’t sure he could come back from an ACL tear as quickly as he did. Man was I wrong, the dude crushed it! Did I mention he was the WR4 overall after coming back in a matter of several months off an ACL tear!? To continue this rant- he was the WR4 in 2018 through week 5 last season before getting hurt.
When he is on the field McVay loves to scheme him open, and Goff loves to throw to him. Prorate his 2018 season he puts up 80 receptions, 1,132 yards, and 12 touchdowns on 110 targets. Fast forward several months after an ACL tear and all he did was 94 receptions for 1,161 yards and touchdowns on 134 targets.
The Rams offense as a whole wasn’t the same this year as last, but it didn’t take down Kupp. Besides a three week series of just awful matchups (Pit/Chi/Bal), Kupp was a steady plug and play WR stud. Going back to the injury part, every athlete says they don’t feel the same after an ACL tear until a year after the surgery. Kupp is still young at only 26, and by all accounts, should feel even better next year. To me, this is an early steal of the draft. Kupp should be a WR1 for years to come in that offense, and people just seem to be forgetting about him. I was able to nab him as the 14th wide receiver off the board, and I am very pleased about that.
4.05- Kerryon Johnson – RB, Detroit
(Travis – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
This is a pick where I took a shot on a player I believe in. At only 22 years of age, Kerryon Johnson still has plenty of time for his career to blossom as an efficient playmaker, and the focal point of the Lions’ backfield. Johnson will be stepping back into an offense with a plethora of skill position weapons in Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay and TJ Hockenson, He’ll also have Matt Stafford returning from injury ready to right the ship. As far as opportunity, Kerryon’s upside comes in his potential involvement in the passing game. Combined, JD McKissic and Ty Johnson soaked up 73 targets this season for the Lions, that’s the same amount as Saquon Barkley had seeing the 8th most running back targets on the season. If Kerryon can hog those targets, and I think he will provided he’s healthy, his floor becomes much safer.
Kerryon is someone I could see having an ascension similar to what Aaron Jones has experienced in Green Bay. The talent is there to monopolize the passing game work. Couple that with a floor of 12-15 carries per game and this could be a great price on a potential foundation piece for my team’s RB core.
4.06 – A.J. Brown – WR, Tennessee
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
I’ll be honest; I was extremely nervous I was going to miss out on this pick. After the Allen selection in round 3, all I wanted was for one of Courtland Sutton, D.J. Moore, or Brown to fall to me. Once Moore and Sutton were selected, I thought my gamble wasn’t going to pay off. When my pick came up, and Brown was on the board still, I could not hit the draft button any quicker. To land someone with the talent of Brown in the 4th round is a steal in my book. Especially after going RB/RB/QB to start my team.
Once the Titans made the switch from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill in Week 7, Brown went ballistic once chemistry developed. From Week 12 through Week 17, Brown averaged 21.28 PPR points per game and went over 100-yards receiving four times during that stretch. He ended the season with 52 catches for 1,051 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. Good enough for WR21 in PPR scoring & 9 in standard formats. We aren’t waiting for a “second-year breakout” from Brown. He has already arrived and put both the NFL and the fantasy community on notice.
4.07 – D.J. Chark – WR, Jacksonville
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
Sometimes you just get sniped!!! I was 100% taking A.J. Brown. So, I can tell you now, Brown is definitely a top 15 dynasty wide receiver. I didn’t love a ton of my options here. It feels like a bit of a tier break from the elite players. But with D.J. Chark I am getting yet another young Alpha WR. At just 23 years old, his breakout is legit. He had a below-average quarterback play all season, yet he still produced. He was a top 15 wide receiver in 2019 (avg PPG) and he should only get better.
4.08- Melvin Gordon – RB, Los Angeles Chargers
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
After taking Engram, and still needing a top RB, I was really hoping that at least one of Kerryon or Sanders would fall back to me at 4.08, and again, I was sniped. It seems to be a running theme in this draft of sharks. Go figure. So, I was now debating between Gordon, Conner, Gurley, and Bell with this pick, and I ultimately went with Gordon. Conner is too injury-prone for me, and Gurley and Bell are past their primes already. Gordon, on the other hand, could be in for a resurgence in 2020.
Gordon held out of the start of the 2019 season due to a contract dispute. This means he was able to rest his legs a little longer and came into the season looking strong. He’s only 26 and should land somewhere this off-season that could very easily increase his value, but it could also deflate it. If he lands somewhere like Arizona or Miami, where he’s the definitive starter, then he could be in for massive output. But if he lands somewhere like San Francisco or New England, his upside could be capped. It’s a risky pick, but in the 4th round, all of the options have some risk to them. Gordon just felt like he had the least.
4.09- Stefon Diggs – WR, Minnesota
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
This pick, to be quite honest, did not afford many options that jumped off the page. So I decided to stay on-brand as my other favorites in this range (Sanders, Brown, and Kerryon) were all taken right before. I would have shopped this pick to move back a few spots and still grab Diggs if I were able to trade. I’ve also been a huge fan of Diggs’ route running and playmaking ability. He is a fun player to have on your team. So I am a proud owner in many leagues.
The obvious downside, however, is that while he is uber-talented with that swag you just love to see from your fantasy players (See JuJu Smith-Schuster), Diggs is stuck on a terrible passing offense and tied to an average QB in Kirk Cousins. With that said, Diggs continued to show his upside throughout last season and finished as the WR24, averaging 14.1 PPR points per game, in a down year.
Diggs posted over 1,100 receiving yards. Although he only had 63 receptions, his 17.9 yards per catch ranked 4th among WRs. I decided to solidify my young core of Mahomes-Kittle-Juju-Diggs to start and I’m feeling good with the hope that I can grab two high upside RBs in the next two rounds. Plus, all four of these guys have that intangible #brand factor. I build teams to win but I also want players I love.
4.10- James Conner – RB, Pittsburgh
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
This decision comes down to Keenan Allen, Allen Robinson, and James Conner. With both QB situations in question for the talented wideouts, I chose to roll the dice on the health of a 24-year-old RB1. One season removed from being a top 6 running back in PPG, I believe James Conner has earned the respect of the Steelers organization. A lot of speculation occurred surrounding the replaceability of Le’Veon Bell, but James Conner stepped in seamlessly. It was not the same case for Conner’s replacements, who managed inconsistent performances marked with injury and obvious talent discrepancy.
They may have liked Jaylen as a change of pace option, and hoped Benny could provide depth as a bruiser, but neither could muster the consistency and reliability of Conner. If Pittsburgh decides to draft a guy, I expect it to be a later round investment as they work to rebuild their resources elsewhere and find their quarterback of the future. Whether that QB is Roethlisberger or not, the run game will be always be featured as the Steelers reclaim their identity as a defensive powerhouse of the AFC.
4.11- Keenan Allen – WR, Los Angeles Chargers
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
Another talented pass catcher that I didn’t expect to be staring at when I was on the clock. There were actually three names I considered here, which is one advantage of being one from either end of the snake. You can pretty much peg your competitors’ position group, but more on that later. By all accounts, Keenan Allen had a “down” year. Yet he closed 2019 with seven consecutive games of five or more receptions. His final stat line 104/1199/6 was good enough for WR6. At 27 years old Keenan Allen is entering the prime of his career: there is plenty left in his tank. Even if Philip Rivers spends his 2020 at daycare. I’ve now paired two top 10 wide receivers with my two young quarterbacks. A solid foundation for any Superflex dynasty team.
4.12 – Allen Robinson – WR, Chicago
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
After starting the draft RB/RB/TE I either needed to grab a QB since it’s Superflex or go for the best value and start to build my WR corps. I opted to focus on WR. I could not pass up Allen Robinson sitting there at the end of the 4th round. Robinson is another unsexy pick IMO as he was one of the unsung heroes of 2019, and as my dude @FBstoner puts it, the most disrespected WR in the game. ARob was the 8th overall WR in PPR formats, despite having Trubisky as his QB. He scored under 10 points only 3 times this season and returned to similar numbers as his top 10 WR campaign in 2015.
At 26 years old, Robinson is on the verge of hitting the 2nd stage in his career, and by NFL-perspective is no longer a spring chicken. However, even as the solidified WR1 on the Bears, the firing of OC Mark Helfrich and a recommitment to Mitch Trubisky, leave Robinson’s 2020 outlook with some uncertainty. But at this point in a 12-man draft, all other WR1s were already drafted and I was pleasantly surprised by what ARob did this year. With a 2019 ADP of WR29 and 70 overall, I’m still confident in ARob outperforming his ADP again in 2020 at WR19 and 48 overall in this mock draft.
Round 5:
5.01 – Tyler Lockett – WR, Seattle
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
Tyler Lockett was a WR1 lock for the entire #2on1Crew coming into 2019, as all of us were super high on Tyler. While Lockett wasn’t a disappointment as he improved on his 2018 numbers, he just barely missed WR1 territory at WR13 in PPR formats due to inconsistent games (5 out of 15 games under 10 points), the emergence of DK Metcalf, and a nagging injury (missed week 13). Even with DK performing like the freak athlete his workout pictures showed, Lockett still had plenty of big games to win weeks and prove he’s still a major factor in this offense.
At 27 years old, he’s also not a young buck anymore, but like ARob I feel they both have at least 2-3 solid years of high-level production left in their tanks. Which for me, is all I’m really looking for in dynasty as I’m in a constant “win-now” mode, and I feel there’s always time in the future to blow up a team and rebuild. I’m projecting another 1,000+ yard season for Lockett, barring injury, given his 90% weekly average snap share and continued usage as the team’s WR1.
5.02- Calvin Ridley – WR, Atlanta
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
Calvin Ridley closed his sophomore season with the same workmanlike stat line he managed as a rookie… In three fewer games! I don’t think it’s any coincidence that 27% of Julio Jones’ production came in the final three weeks of 2019. When Ridley was sidelined with an abdominal injury. The offseason should allow him to heal nicely and reclaim his spot in one of the games most prolific passing offenses. We may be witnessing a changing of the guard here and even if Julio manages to stave off father time for a couple more seasons, a bad defense and shaky running game ensure there are plenty of balls to go around.
5.03- Mark Andrews – TE, Baltimore
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
Lamar Jackson is straight fire and Greg Roman knows how to deploy the tight end. Mark Andrews was a touchdown stud this season and a fantasy anomaly as he set a fantasy
5.04- Jimmy Garoppolo – QB, San Francisco
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
In Superflex startup drafts, I rarely leave the 5th (or 6th) round without having two QBs as a foundation. Depending on what position you are drafting from, a single QB run can cripple an unprepared fantasy owner’s team construction. In fact, I may or may not have started such a run myself with my selection of Gucci here. As I started with Mahomes at the top of the draft, I looked for a safe QB2 with a decent floor and stable situation.
The 49ers may be a run-dominant team but Kittle and Deebo are playmakers with the ball in their hands, capable of taking any reception to the house. Garoppolo threw for nearly 4,000 yards (3,978) with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on a team that plays good defense and runs the ball with 3 running backs. Although those are not eyedropping numbers, they’re solid and were good for a QB14 finish. That also seems like a nice floor for my QB2. I debated going with a younger (and more promising) QB in Jones or Darnold as I actually have them slightly higher in my dynasty rankings, but I wanted to lean a little more “win-now” with a player in a more stable situation.
5.05- Daniel Jones – QB, New York Giants
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
At this stage of the draft, having my first position player at each starting position, I decided to go back to quarterback since it’s a Superflex league and QBs will most likely be taken more often between this pick and my next, and there aren’t that many left that I’d like to start on a weekly basis. There are a few veteran options available. However, I really want to build this team for the long haul. Considering Daniel Jones to be one of those pieces that is in my lineup for years, so he’s my pick at 5.05.
I know what you’re thinking, this is a little early and probably a reach, but I honestly think he’s got the skills and surrounding cast to grow in value in 2020 and beyond. Add to that the stack with my 3rd round pick in Evan Engram and it was a no brainer for me. There were others I considered, but I wanted to focus on QBs earlier than other positions given how hard good ones are to find. Welcome to the team, Mr. Jones!
5.06 – Sam Darnold – QB, New York Jets
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
In a Superflex Dynasty startup, you can certainly still choose to wait on Quarterback, but don’t try and get too cute. When the value shows itself, jump in it. Darnold is my QB8 in dynasty and I land him here as QB14. I like that a lot.
Picking in the middle of the pack is an advantage because the runs on various positions don’t get too far out of reach. I just didn’t want to push my luck too much. I also considered drafting Todd Gurley here. It was doubtful he will make it back to me, but I just wasn’t too sure about his future role. There is a slew of nice WRs that I have in a similar tier, so I’m sure one of them will be there for me on the comeback.
5.07- Jared Goff – QB, Los Angeles Rams
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
Knowing how to read a draft lobby and see when a run will start is a crucial skill and can make your pick for you before it even gets to you turn. That’s what happened here as I knew the QB run was about to hit. Three QBs went before me that were all in the range of guys I wanted. Behind me, 3 of the five teams only had one or none quarterbacks on their roster. My pick became easy at this point. Take who was left of that tier and move on. That ended up being Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams.
At Qb15 off the board, I’m perfectly happy with this pick. I don’t need a stud quarterback for my Superflex spot. I need a reliable QB who has talent around him with upside. That is precisely what Goff gives me. Goff finished the year as QB13 on the season even though he tied for 1st in attempts (626) and was 3rd in passing yards (4,638). What kept him from being another top-10 finish was the reduction in touchdowns from 2018, throwing 22 last year. Some of the most talented players in the NFL surround Goff, and he is on offense that ran the 8th most passing plays in 2019 (62%). He is locked up on the Rams through 2024, and I expect to see solid QB2 production the entire way.
5.08- Jameis Winston – QB, Tampa Bay
(Travis – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)
Generally, if you’d ask me whether I wanted a 26 year old Quarterback who just threw more than 30 touchdowns and had the 8th best passing yardage season of all time, I’d say sign me up. When you tell me that quarterback is Jameis Winston…hesitations arise. Along with those 30+ touchdowns, Jameis is the inaugural member of the 30 and 30 club. He’s the first QB of all time to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. A dubious distinction.
With that said, I think Jameis, the QB5 in fantasy this season, will be going back to the Buccaneers in 2020. Despite the interceptions, Winston fits well in Bruce Arians’ scheme. He can and will (clearly) throw the ball all over the yard, and we saw that lead to fantasy success. From a dynasty lens, at best, Winston sticks with the Bucs, continuing to produce in a high octane passing offense. At worst, Jameis will still be fantasy relevant as a shorter term, potential journeyman in the mold of Ryan Fitzpatrick. YOLO quarterback play is in his blood, and I’m here for it.
5.09- Kirk Cousins – QB, Minnesota
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
I was the first person to take the dive into three quarterbacks, hell some teams don’t even have one yet! This was a pick that I didn’t NEED to make, but it was something I’ve been wrestling with dynasty Superflex startups after getting in a few over the summer. Having a strong third quarterback option was something that showed to be very important to the best teams. Whether it be to protect yourself with injuries, or if another team needs a viable starter, having three very startable quarterbacks allows me to feel safe in my team.
See Where Kirk Cousins Ranks In Our Dynasty QB Rankings!
Now, I am not a proponent of starting your draft with 4,5,6… straight QB picks, I don’t think that is a successful strategy, three in the first five rounds even is a bit much for me. But, being able to completely solidify my QB room before any other team makes me feel good with the most important position in SuperFlex leagues. Also, this is fantasy, I don’t care about prime times wins and losses, I’ve had people argue with me over Cousins because he can’t win big games, but until fantasy starts giving points to primetime wins, I couldn’t care less about his W/L record. As long as he puts up points and is a viable fantasy QB, I will continue to draft when he makes it around to me.
Kirk Cousins was also someone for me who was at a tier-break over the next options. He is still relatively young at 31 years old and no real health concerns. He is a set-in starter and just had his worst career fantasy finish as a starter at QB18 overall. Prior to that, he has always been a QB1. If the Vikings started the season actually passing the ball, I’d be willing to bet he could have made up the 21 total points separating him and the QB12 overall. I suspect the offensive play calling to be more balanced/ look more like weeks five and on, rather than the early season of 2019. He finished last season with 425 completions, this season he only had 444 attempts! This was a down year for him fantasy-wise, and I expect a return to his previous QB1 ways starting next year.
5.10- Matthew Stafford – QB, Detroit
(Jake- Dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, Undroppables)
I went after the value at RB and WR early in the draft but now I had to get a QB. Matthew Stafford was the guy. He only played in eight games this year but he looked good in those games. Detroit is trying to find an identity and as much as they want to be a ground and pound team it’s not how they win games. With KJ, Golladay, Jones, Hockenson all coming back Stafford is going to have to put the ball in the air for them to keep pace in the games. I’m looking for them to add a few playmakers this offseason as well putting Stafford value on the rise.
5.11- Todd Gurley – RB, Los Angeles Rams
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & Undroppables)
Here is where I usually start looking for QBs in a Superflex format. This past season, I drafted guys like Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, and Josh Allen in this area. Well, there was a 7 QB run prior to my pick and all of the QBs I would consider in that “tier” are now gone.
Once again, no worries. I won championships this year with the Jackson/Allen combo as well as with a Cousins/Fitzpatrick combo. Anyway, I couldn’t pass on Todd Gurley with this pick as my RB2. At only 25 years old, Gurley should still have several more productive seasons. I believe his 2019 decline was more due to awful offensive line play and a shift in schemes midseason more than it had to do with the arthritis issue. He still had 12 TDs and will continue to be the go-to guy in goal to go situations. Myself and many other analysts believe this offense will bounce back in 2020. It has too much youth and talent not to.
5.12- Michael Gallup – WR, Dallas
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 -Sons of Dynasty)
In 2019 Gallup had the breakout many were hoping for by eclipsing 1,000 yards with an impressive 16.8 yards per catch. He more than doubled his 2018 production as we saw the same old Amari Cooper with inconsistency in his weekly performances. Cowboys will have to decide if they want to pay him big money. If Cowboys are to move on, Gallup would become the WR1 in Dallas.
We got to see the creativity that Kellen Moore brought to Dallas as OC. The Cowboys set a franchise record for most yards (6,904) and most passing yards (4,751) in a season. We have seen Daks pass attempts go up every year since entering the league and should be good for 600+ attempts in 2020. Gallup is 23 years old and a top 20 Dynasty WR with room to grow. Happy to lock him in as my WR2.
Round 6:
6.01- Devin Singletary – RB, Buffalo
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty)
As the 2019 season unfolded one thing became clear, Singletary is the new workhorse back in Buffalo. From Week 8 on, he averaged 70+% of snaps. He received a minimum of 15 carries in six of eight games. With only Frank “Father Time” Gore taking touches away, there should be no question moving forward who the back to own in Buffalo is. We have seen the benefits of having dual-threat QB Josh Allen and how lanes can open for the young playmaker out of Florida Atlantic. The Bills found success in 2019. They have one of the stoutest defenses in the NFL that offers more upside to the rushing game. As of now, Singletary is a Top 15 back in dynasty formats for me and a solid RB2.
6.02- Zach Ertz – TE, Philadelphia
(Paul Lundgaard – @pauliessleepers – pauliessleepers.com & Undroppables)
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I was very high on Michael Gallup and Devin Singletary
last summer. Both were the next two players on my list but this is what happens when you draft with sharks. DBrown scooped them both up. But look who is still available somehow. Zach Ertz, in a TE premium format! The last TE drafted was Evan Engram at the 3.05 and I’m now getting Ertz with my 6.02. This is my best value pick so far. Ertz isn’t on contract after next year and that is probably why he slipped but he shouldn’t have slipped that far.
People say Dallas Goedert caps Ertz’s value but I don’t see it that way as Ertz still sees a whopping 90% of snaps. I look at this like a WR1/WR2 situation similar to Julio and Ridley in Atlanta. Does Ridley take away from Julio? Hell no he doesn’t.
6.03- Austin Ekeler – RB, Los Angeles Chargers
(Jake – Dabeezybff – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)
So looking to add a bit more to the RB core i was stoked to see Ekeler sitting there. The biggest question mark here is what do the Chargers to replace Gordon who is gone in free agency. Ekeler finished as a top 5 back in ppr and showed he could handle the load. He saw 132 attempts for 557 yds and 3 tds. The money though is the 92 receptions on 108 targets for 993 yds and 8 tds. I believe they move forward with the 1 2 punch of Ekeler and Jackson and Ekeler usage in the pass game gives him a safe floor and a high ceiling going in to 20.
6.04- D.K. Metcalf – WR, Seattle
(Dan – @awlsabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
I had a few running backs in mind here, but I thought at least one or two would drop to me in the seventh. It turns out they didn’t but I can make it work, no worries. Wide receiver wise the few that went after my pick were really all in play for me. I really like F1, Deebo is going to be a steal for people, Kirk in the Arizona offense should really pop, and Boyd a few picks away is also someone I really like. To be honest I could have really gone with any of them and been happy.
See Where Metcalf Ranks In Our Dynasty WR Rankings
But, I decided to go with Metcalf for a couple of reasons, not least of which was the Wilson stack. I believe Wilson will continue to be an elite Quarterback for years to come. Metcalf is only 22 years old (a year younger or more from the next few wide receivers off the board) should be a major benefactor throughout Wilson’s career. Now he was obviously aided playing time-wise and option wise with the injury to Dissly (especially in the endzone), but he still saw 100 targets and put up 900 yards and seven touchdowns, all with a pretty dismal catch rate of 58%.
A little less volume, but more efficient with his looks seems very realistic to me. And what is nice, we already have a great example of that with his counterpart Tyler Lockett. Wilson may not throw as much as others, but he does throw a very fantasy-friendly pass. Stacking recipients of those passes is something I would like to do. O and for what it’s worth, Lockett is set to be a free agent after the 2021 season at 29/30 years old for 2022. Metcalf could find himself as the WR1 for Wilson in the not so distant future.
6.05- Terry McLaurin – WR, Washington
(Travis – @TSeel14 – True North Fantast Football)
What a season for Terry F1 McLaurin! Missing 2 games due to injury, McLaurin finished 2019 as the WR27 with 58 receptions on 93 targets for 919 yards and 7 touchdowns. That performance cannot be discounted when you consider he endured season long Quarterback uncertainty on an offense not only stuck, but camped out in the mud.
While Washington historically has an appetite for dysfunction, they believe they have a future franchise quarterback in Dwayne Haskins (McLaurin’s college teammate in case you didn’t know) and their recent hiring of Ron Rivera as Head Coach is an encouraging sign for them gaining stability. Washington will surely look to add passing game weapons which should only help McLaurin as he seemed like the only show in town at times this season and could benefit from another threat drawing defensive attention. Second year breakouts for Wide Receivers are becoming a common trend so I wanted to make sure I was a year early on McLaurin’s because his price is only going to go up!
Roster build wise, Terry McLaurin as my WR2 feels risky given the current state of the offense. I was happy to bet on the talent and thought I’d be able to adequately stock up in the coming rounds. Having McLaurin’s youth and upside will be great for my team’s long term outlook.
6.06- Deebo Samuel – WR, San Francisco
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)
I’ll be honest; I love this pick so much. I needed a WR2 to pair with A.J. Brown and to grab Deebo Samuel in the 6th to be that guy is as good as I could have hoped. Once he got rolling in San Francisco, Samuel was a yardage monster. Samuel finished the season as the second-best wide receiver in yards after the catch/reception at 8.3 yards, only behind A.J. Brown (8.9).
He finished the regular season with 57 catches for 802 yards, 159 rush yards, and six touchdowns, highlighted by an eight-game stretch with 697 scrimmage yards to end the year. Samuel fits everything I want in a WR when building a team. Young, advanced route tree, hyper-talented, and doesn’t require red zone targets to have a solid week. Take him in this range and enjoy the production for years to come.
6.07 – Cam Newton – QB, Carolina
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Createarank.com)
Risk/Reward and positional scarcity. These are the two main reasons for taking Cam Newton in this spot. Unless you think he is never playing again, Cam will be back and given a full opportunity to lead a team. If it’s Carolina, I’d like that. DJ, CMC and crew are a great supporting cast. But even if it’s somewhere else, he still has QB1 upside and with his rushing history, he has a pretty safe floor. The injuries are scary as hell, but they are baked into the price here. Cam at QB19 is never happening if we know he is fully healthy.
The QBs are getting a little thin and I always want to leave a Superflex dynasty startup with at least three starting QBs. And with only 32 to go around, it gets thin quickly.
6.08- Christian Kirk – WR, Arizona
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)
Back on the clock and looking for a WR. I fully expect Larry Fitzgerald to retire this off-season, but even if he doesn’t, WR Christian Kirk should be a perfect WR2 for my team. He’s young and growing alongside a young gunslinging quarterback on a high-powered offense. Kirk had a quiet 2019. I think he’s in for big things in dynasty and should be considered a high upside WR2 in most formats.
On top of that, pairing him with Thomas puts my WR corps in a good place. I could have picked Thielen or Hilton but both of them are just as risky and are a few years older. When building a new dynasty team everyone tends to prefer youth, so the odds of Kirk making it back to me feel low. Gotta get my guy here.
6.09- Marlon Mack – RB, Indianapolis
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)
As I inadvertently went “Zero RB” for the first 5 rounds, focusing on the core pieces of QB and TE along with some young WR talent, I decided to seek the best RB value on the board and came across the intersection of the next 2 picks (Hunt and Carson). Along with Mack, these 3 backs are in the same tier, each possessing immense upside coupled with potentially troublesome question marks. Mack finds himself in a struggling offense and lacks pass catching upside. At the same time, Mack posted over 1,000 yards rushing while averaging over 17 touches a game and never coughed up the ball.
Hunt is a restricted free agent under the Browns control and without a lead role, he is stuck as a low-end RB2 at best. I am just a little concerned that the Browns do something terrible and overpay another talented (but unnecessary) RB. And I love Carson but the guy just can’t hold onto the ball and that is a pet-peeve of mine which caused me to go with Mack (although in hindsight, Carson was probably the right call here).
6.10- Kareem Hunt – RB, Cleveland
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)
After locking up studs at each position, I feel comfortable gambling here. Instead of gambling on injury (Chris Carson) I’m rolling the dice on talent in Kareem Hunt. Although it is risky, I believe a team will make a trade for the Pro Bowler. Soon as he touched the field in Cleveland, he found fantasy relevance as a “second stringer.”
Kareem had a phenomenally high snap share over the last 8 games at 59.9% (compared to Nick Chubb’s 63.9%). He even outsnapped Chubb 3 times. As incompetent as Kitchens was, he knew he had to give Kareem reps, the talent is undeniable. At just 24 years old, my risk is minimized by Kareem’s youth. Whether 2020 or 2021, Kareem will be on a new team and find himself back in elite territory.
6.11- Chris Carson – RB, Seattle
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)
Despite missing the season’s final week with a fractured hip, Seattle’s Bell Cow closed 2019 with 1,498 yards and nine total touchdowns. I’m beyond thrilled to have waited this long to address the running back position. I wind up with a guy as solid as Carson. Some of my competitors wondered loudly what my strategy would look like after waiting this long. I actually considered waiting for one more round. With Tommy having already spent a 3rd round pick on Travis Kelce I was confident my second option (TE Austin Hooper) would come back to me.
What many of my competitors seem to have forgotten is that in this hypothetical dynasty league we still have a rookie draft to navigate. It is loaded with running back talent! If the last few years have taught us anything it’s that rookie running backs almost always have an immediate impact. And they are much easier to find/replace than stud quarterbacks. So with the combination of a steady vet or two and some rookies, I believe I’ll have more than enough punch from my RBs!
6.12- Le’Veon Bell – RB, New York Jets
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)
My strategy for drafting is always to go with consistency for a minimum of five rounds, but ideally as long as you can with consistent players still on the board. After that, go upside. You might be wondering where Le’Veon Bell fits into that strategy. A talented RB like Bell is bound to have a resurgence in his 2nd year back in the game. Even though 2019 wasn’t stellar for Bell, he was still the RB16 in PPR formats and his numbers should improve in 2020 either because Gase finally figures out how to use a RB, or because Bell feels even more comfortable running behind this O Line.
I’ve now drafted my 3rd player 26+ years old in the first six rounds of this dynasty startup draft. If I can get three years of high production out of them I’m happy. Additionally, since I like to have teams with 3 solid RBs, Bell still has the running and pass-catching ability to put up RB1/2 numbers. With plenty of skill position players on the roster, an offseason investment in the offensive line would bode extremely well for Bell and Darnold. Plus, worst-case scenario, Gase doesn’t want Bell back next year. He lands on a team that can really use his talent, a low-risk move since he’s the RB3 on my team.
Check back soon for Rounds 7-10!
