Dynasty Startup Mock Draft – January 2020 (Part 1)

ROUND 1

1.01 – Christian McCaffrey (RB, Carolina Panthers)
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)

CMC has proven that he’s a bell cow in a league where the bell cow is becoming increasingly rare. There is no one behind him to steal reps or threaten his snap share. And he has essentially become QB-proof as he’s done it with Cam, Kyle Allen, and Grier the past 2 seasons. CMC is basically this entire offense; it all runs through him. In PPR leagues this year, CMC had under 10 points only 1 time (week 2), and has a floor of 20+ points, with a ceiling of 40+. No one this past year was more consistent than CMC, and more reliable on a weekly basis as his average ppg was just under 29 points (15 weeks).

McCaffrey also showed his versatility as he can do it on the ground (1,361 yards and 14 TDs) and through the air (933 yards and 4 TDs). Alvin Kamara is basically a poor man’s CMC (?). And with next year’s plan of a new HC and new QB, the outlook should be looking up for Christian. Plus, the emergence of DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel has helped to open up lanes for CMC. In any fantasy league format, whether this is 1QB, SF, redraft or dynasty, CMC is the one guy I want on my team no matter what. And with the first pick in the draft, he’s the only one I’m willing to go all-in on for next year and the future without worry or hesitation because at 23 years old he’s just coming into his prime.

1.02 – Lamar Jackson (QB, Baltimore Ravens)
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)

Valuing quarterbacks in dynasty leagues is tricky while it’s fairly standard practice to fade the position in single QB startup leagues. But in Superflex leagues, the position takes on tremendous importance. And in a draft with this much drafting talent, there are only so many places to gain an edge on my competition. I feel like this is one of them.

I chose Jackson over Patrick Mahomes, in part, for his rushing floor. It’s hard to ignore 1,213 yards and 7 touchdowns from your quarterback. Those numbers would have placed him 6th in the league behind Chris Carson… among running backs! That’s an advantage no other QB in the league provides and one that I simply couldn’t ignore. And I didn’t even mention his 36 passing touchdowns, which happened to lead the league.

1.03 – Saquon Barkley (RB, New York Giants)
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)

Saquon Barkley is going to retire as the greatest running back of all time. Is that as valuable as drafting the greatest quarterback of all time, Pat Mahomes? This past season will probably be the low point for the careers of both these young studs after seasons marked by injury, and moving into the 2020 season, they will be locked into everyone’s Top 4.

Every year, there is at least one player who destroys the fantasy landscape and stands head and shoulders above the rest. If you have this player, you’re guaranteed to make the playoffs, and your probability of winning a championship skyrockets. This past season, it was Christian McCaffrey. 2017-2018 it was Todd Gurley. Before that, it was David Johnson. MVP AP. CJ2K. Every year there is one unstoppable Juggernaut. Of all the players in the entire football landscape, professional and college, Saquon Barkley is the one I trust the most over the next decade. Saquon has multiple Juggernaut seasons in him.

I pass on Mahomes to take a 22-year-old running back fresh off of 1400 scrimmage yards. I expect 6 more years of elite play at the one position that can take over a fantasy season.

1.04 – Patrick Mahomes (QB, Kansas City Chiefs)
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)

Like Terminator mentioned above, when building a Superflex dynasty team, there is no more critical position to gain an edge than at QB. While an elite workhouse RB is generally needed to secure the bag, dynasty teams will not even compete for a playoff spot without consistency from the QB position in SF leagues. Not only is there scarcity at the position as a whole, the drop off in production and consistency is fairly dramatic between QB tiers.

Many expected Mahomes to regress, but (as of Week 16) he posted 3,857 passing yards with 25 TDs and 4 INTs while missing 2 games. If he was healthy all season, 4,000/30 was probably the outcome. Either way, Mahomes put up a solid season considering the injuries that hit the Chiefs as their playmakers (Mahomes, Kelce, Hill, McCoy) all missed games. Entering the 2020 season, Mahomes will be turning only 25 years old and will still be paired with Kelce and Hill.

Young, elite signal-callers who are the faces of the NFL (see Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson) are smash locks at the top of startup SF drafts. My decision became much more comfortable once L-Jax was taken at 1.02, and Mahomes fell to me here. Other than CMC being available at 1.04, either one of these QBs would be a steal, and I am surprised that I was able to take the reigning MVP to start my build.

1.05 – Michael Thomas (WR, New Orleans Saints)
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)

Like many others, in a dynasty startup, I tend to look for low-variance young players in the first two rounds whenever possible, and Michael Thomas is about the best wide receiver there is in both categories. Getting him at 1.05 was shocking, even for a Superflex league, since he is such a stud at the position. Also, when drafting in a startup dynasty league, I generally lean on wide receivers more than running backs since receivers tend to hold their value longer, so I had planned on taking a wide receiver if both Lamar and Patrick were gone, which they were. I was just surprised that CMC and Barkley both went ahead of Thomas, given his high level of production at a valuable position.

I’m not sure what numbers you need to read about Thomas, he’s been a fantasy stud for a few years now, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon. There is some concern about Brees retiring, but it doesn’t seem likely for at least the next few years. Therefore, lock Thomas in as a top 3 WR for at least 2-3 years in most leagues, which is easily worth a first-round startup pick.

1.06 – Chris Godwin (WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Create-A-Rank)

The basic strategy I employ in dynasty startups is quite simple. Load up on young stud WRs. They are very stable assets, and they tend to be the longest-lasting (except for QB). Chris Godwin is 23 years old and still has his full prime years ahead of him. I’m sure this pick will raise eyebrows for many, but to me, it’s a no brainer.

Normally I would trade the 1.06 to an owner with a zeal for one of those stud RBs (Zeke or Kamara). I would move back, acquire future assets, and still land Godwin in the 2nd. But Godwin was next on my big board, so in an a mock, you just pick your guy.

Godwin has been efficient since day one in the NFL, and this past season, he became even more efficient even in the face of WR1 usage. He posted over 70% catch rate and 11.0 yards per target in 2019. It’s hard for me to envision Godwin not being an elite WR play in fantasy for the next five years or so.

1.07 – Ezekiel Elliott (RB, Dallas Cowboys)
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)

Of the consensus top-4 who were drafted in 2019, only Ezekiel Elliott and Christian McCaffrey returned top-5 positional value by seasons end. Finding a running back to be the core of your team whose offense does not employ a committee approach is becoming harder and harder. Elliott is a true three-down back. In 2019, he was on the field for 85.7% of the Cowboys’ offensive snaps. Adding more security to Elliott’s value is the Cowboys have already invested highly in him after giving him a six-year, $90-million deal in September. With the amount of
running backs that will be unrestricted free agents in 2020, give me the security for years to come that this 24-year old brings, especially at the 7th overall pick.

As for on-field production, few players rival the consistency that Elliott offers. Aside from 2017, where he served a 6-game suspension, he has never finished with less than 1,350 rushing yards. He is also a weapon in the passing game for Cowboys, averaging 404 receiving yards per season. Elliott scored less than 10 PPR points only once this year (Week 10) but went over 20 points in 7 games. Consistent play week in and week out is what builds championships.

1.08 – DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Houston Texans)
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)

Hopkins was the pick here over Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara. Generally I build with a strong running back core but Wide Receiver longevity was a deciding factor here along with Dalvin Cook’s long injury history and Nuk’s’ stability at quarterback.

Hopkins has been stellar throughout his career, clearing 1100 yards in 5 of his 7 seasons and eclipsing 100 receptions 3 times. While most of his production has been despite subpar quarterback play, stability has arrived in the form of Deshaun Watson. That stability is another reason I was confident in selecting Hopkins at 8th overall. Since Watson entered the league, Hopkins hasn’t gone under 150 targets, 95 catches, or 1100 yards. Consistency like that as my cornerstone WR1? Giddy up!

1.09 – Alvin Kamara (RB, New Orleans Saints)
(Dan – @AWLSabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)

This choice really was between AK or Dalvin Cook for me. Dalvin showed how well he could play this year while AK had the worst year of his career. My deciding factor was that even though I’m not a staunch believer in guys being “injury prone,” Cook just hasn’t shown the ability to stay healthy. Kamara suffered through a brutal touchdown regression and played several weeks through a high ankle sprain which visibly zapped the burst he is most known for, and still finished as a top 10 running back.

With all of his negatives this season, he still finished with 4.7ypc and 94 targets. The reason people are so sour on him is the touchdown drop. Now, I’m not saying he can produce 13-18 touchdowns every season, but this season seems like the lowest output he will have for years to come. I really don’t feel the need to do a deep dive stats wise, AK is stud on a great offense, that showed the system can win regardless if Brees is in at QB or not. As long as Sean Peyton stays, solidifying a 24 year old running back in that offense- sign me up!

1.10 – Joe Mixon (RB, Cincinnati Bengals)
(Jake – @DaBeezyBFF – The Undroppables)

Pick 10 was a no brainer for me. Mixon is a top 5 RB going into 2020. One of the most electric RBs in the NFL, he had 278 carries for 1,137 yds. in 19. This was good for 4.1 YPC and 5 rushing TDs. He also caught 35 passes for 287 yds and 3 more TDs. He put these numbers up on one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Cincy is in a rebuild and they most likely draft Joe Burrow at # 1 overall, which is a huge upgrade to that offense. Rebuilding the line and adding a few playmakers and Cincy has a new offense which will run through Mixon. From weeks 8 through 16 he was seeing 15+ touches a game. Some more involvement in the passing game will only help his production. Workhorse RB1 in ‘20 with potential to finish in the top 5.

1.11 – Dalvin Cook (RB, Minnesota Vikings)
(Paul Lundgaard – @PauliesSleepers – The Undroppables)

I always say going in to draft season that “my only plan is to not have a plan”. I want the draft to come to me to make sure I don’t miss value and build the best team that I can. Drafting with these sharks was challenging and when my pick came up I decided, despite the Superflex and TE premium format, that I wanted to come out of the first turn with
a workhorse RB and Elite WR. Despite his injury risk, I chose 24 year old Dalvin Cook. Weeks 1-14 he was the RB2 on a point per game basis. When he is out there, he is winning you games. And he has to finish a full season at some point, right? Right?? I digress.

1.12 – Deshaun Watson (QB, Houston Texans)
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)

Drawing the 1.12 draft slot, I was hungry for a QB with one of my two picks, knowing that many would fly off the board before the 3.12 came back around to me. Luckily, only 2 QBs were previously selected, leaving the top second tier QB, Watson, to me.

In 2017, as a rookie, Watson threw 19 touchdowns in 7 games. Let’s look at the numbers since Week 1 of 2018: 8,017 yds, 52 TD, 21 INT, 100.6 Rating. Averaging 22 fantasy points per game in his short career, there’s no denying he’s one of the bright and upcoming stars in the NFL.

Having a top 3 QB is a major bargaining chip in SuperFlex leagues and I simply could not pass him up. Had Watson gone before this pick I would have passed on drafting a QB with either of my first two picks. In an attempt to protect their star QB, the Texans must continue to address their offensive line woes. Regardless, Watson will perform as QB1 for years to come and is a great foundation block to build my team around.

ROUND 2

2.01 – Nick Chubb (RB, Cleveland Browns)
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)

Chubb sits top 3 in the league for rushing attempts in 2019 with 298. He turned that into 1,494 yards (Highest total for any Browns RB since the great Jim Brown), a respectable 5 yards per carry. PFF gave Chubb a 88.6 grade overall in 2019 (Best among all RBs) making this his 2nd straight year as PFF’s highest-graded RB. Chubb averaged 3.9 yards after contact, per carry, and broke an astonishing 64 tackles. We also saw Chubb receive additional targets in his second year, going from 29 in 2018 to 49 in 2019. These numbers were still achieved despite Kareem Hunt siphoning touches away from the talented second year pro. Chubb added an additional 120 touches from a year ago and seems like a perfect “Bell Cow” back.

The Browns are built to establish the run and have a top 5 Dynasty RB in Nick Chubb. This makes him a great RB1 for my roster, knowing the RB pool will dry up before reaching me again 23 picks later.

2.02 – Davante Adams (WR, Green Bay Packers)
(Paul Lundgaard – @PauliesSleepers – The Undroppables)

This worked out pretty well as Adams was my other choice at 1.11. Another player coming off an injury riddled season, but neither of my first two picks would I consider “injury prone.” Adams is Aaron Rodgers’ first read on every passing down and he would have been the WR3 for 2019 had he stayed healthy with his stats projected over a full season. Adams averaged a
whopping 10.58 targets/game to cement his elite WR status and Rodgers still has at least two seasons left in my opinion and Adams is a young 27. My strategy for the first turn worked out well. The reason I wanted one of each RB/WR here is that the next time around, had I failed to get one, there would not be a bell cow back or Elite WR on the board.

2.03 – Tyreek Hill (WR, Kansas City Chiefs)
(Jake – @DaBeezyBFF – The Undroppables)

Round 2. I usually go RB back to back but my targets were gone so i went with one of the fastest WRs in the game. Tyreek had a crazy offseason but proved again to be a dominant force on the field. 58 rec for 860 yds and 7 TDs averaging 14.8 yds per catch in 12 games. He’s not just a deep threat but has turned into one of the best route runners in the game. With Patty Mahomes at the helm he’s a bet to bounce back in 2020 as a surefire WR1.

2.04 – Russell Wilson (QB, Seattle Seahawks)
(Dan – @AWLSabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)

I had so many different possibilities with this pick, but honestly I wanted to hedge against a possible QB run. Normally I wouldn’t want to be making a pick with this mindset, but in a dynasty superflex startup, this really is the one position I don’t want to fall too far behind the pack. I have seen what can befall a team when their QB position is not up to par with the rest of the league- it is rarely pretty. By securing a top end quarterback here I felt comfortable I could build the rest of my team and be ok losing out on a position player so early.

Now the pick itself was between Russell Wilson or Kyler Murray. That is something a few months ago I would never have imagined writing. But Murray showed some real ability this year and made me a believer when I was not one going into the season. Kyler’s age and that offense were very compelling to me, but Wilson is still young at 31 and has a proven track record that I couldn’t ignore. All he has done is throw for nearly 4k yards and 30 touchdowns every year, and now with Lockett, Metcalf, and Dissly (some foreshadowing here), Wilson looks to have a solid group of weapons to utilize in evolving this passing game for the next several years.

2.05 – Aaron Jones (RB, Green Bay Packers)
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)

As a conductor on the Aaron Jones steam engine since 2017, my Co-host Ty (@tnfftyrell) would love this pick! Finishing as the RB2 in PPR formats this season, Aaron Jones’ draft stock will be a hot topic as we move through the offseason. Detractors will point to his almost sure regression from his 19 touchdowns (16 rushing, 3 receiving). They’ll also point to the presence of Jamaal Williams and Green Bay’s willingness to utilize him in passing situations, as evidenced by Williams’ 39 receptions on 45 targets. What they’ll fail to highlight is the fact that Jones soaked up 68 targets of his own in a revamped Green Bay offense. An offense that targeted running backs almost 30% of the time, using backs as their second priority in the passing game and the top priority when Adams went down.

I also considered Josh Jacobs or Kyler Murray in this spot but I went with Jones due to his All-World talent, that passing game efficiency, and his attachment to a potent offense with a veteran signal caller on a contending team. Aaron Rodgers and Co. should have 2 to 4 years of quality production left for fantasy owners and I want a piece of the pie. Another factor was the roster build. I drafted a WR in the first round and the stud running backs were becoming sparse. Jones showed elite traits this season and I’m confident he’ll continue to be featured as a receiving threat and I know he can produce even when sharing carries. I’ve now solidified my top Wideout and running back. The roster building fun is about to begin.

2.06 – Josh Jacobs (RB, Oakland Raiders)
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)

I will be the first to admit; this is not a pick I saw coming after going RB in the first round. I would have loved for Russell Wilson to fall to me here, but he went two picks before mine, causing me to pivot. My initial reaction was to go with a wide receiver, but after taking a hard look, I had more questions than answers. Odell Beckham, Mike Evans, and JuJu Smith-Schuster all have their own issues when it comes to quarterback play, and Amari Cooper might not even be in Dallas in a few months. Yes, they all are fantastic players, but at the time of this draft, I have enough reservations to wait for some of the players breaking out this year.

Let’s play a game, shall we?
Player A) 201 carries for 957 yards (4.76 avg) & 7 TDs
Player B) 185 carries for 830 yards (4.48 avg) & 8 TDs

Player A is Josh Jacobs, and Player B was Saquon Barkey in 2018. Both stats are through 11 games played. Are you surprised? I know I was when I first made this comparison back in mid-November. While the receiving numbers aren’t there, the production on the ground was. While missing 3 games with an injury, Jacobs still had 242 rushes for 1150 yards and 7 touchdowns. If you take those rushing yards for a 16 game average, he would have finished with just over 1,400 yards on the season – good enough for 3rd best in 2019. Jacobs came into the NFL with so much tread on his tires after seeing less than 300 total touches during his time at Alabama. At only 21 years old, Jacobs will be Jon Gruden’s workhorse for years to come, and I fully expect for them to work on his pass-catching ability in the offseason.

2.07 – Leonard Fournette (RB, Jacksonville Jaguars)
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Create-A-Rank)

Getting Fournette as the RB10 in this draft seems like great value. He is a former rookie 1.01 with top 10 NFL draft capital. He had 100 targets this past season and in a PPR format, targets are king. Fournette was 5th in the NFL in carries inside the 20 and inside the 10, yet he only has 3 TDs to show for it.

I make this pick hoping the targets are sticky and the TD regression applies. While my strategy is to load up on young WRs, it certainly doesn’t hurt to find value at the RB position when it shows itself. Fournette is 24 years old, and should remain a bell-cow back for another few years.

2.08 – Dak Prescott (QB, Dallas Cowboys)
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)

Since I already had my stud WR on the roster, I was targeting a few players with my second-round pick. Unfortunately, they were all taken before me. Both Watson and Wilson, the #3 and #4 QB in my rankings for Superflex, went before my pick, as did other young running backs like Chubb, Jones, Jacobs, and Fournette. Not gonna lie, I was a little on tilt, but decided that I couldn’t wait for my first QB any longer and decided to take Dak Prescott at 2.08.

Dak has been severely underpaid by the Cowboys for years, thanks to a team-friendly rookie deal, but he’s about to get his money. I would be shocked if Dallas lets Dak walk and pays WR Amari Cooper instead. Prescott should see a 3 to 4 year deal with significant money, meaning he will be the franchise quarterback playing behind one of the best offensive lines in all of football, at least for the next 2-3 years. Add in Zeke and defenses won’t be able to key on the passing game as much as they should, leaving Dak open to pick apart secondaries for years to come. Welcome to the squad, Dakota.

2.09 – George Kittle(TE, San Francisco 49ers)
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)

A pair of mini RB runs cleared the remaining top-end workhorse RBs with @DynoGameTheory taking the last one I’d consider in the 2nd round when he took Fournette. In terms of wide receivers, the pool is deep in this tier so WR was an easy fade for me. That left me with taking another quarterback or looking for a tight end.

In this TE premium league, I found another opportunity to zig while others zagged and took George Kittle. The tight end position has been troublesome for years and although consideration as a “TE1” means little, Kittle comfortably sits at the top by himself with even Kelce a somewhat distant second. Although the 49ers play a run-dominant brand of football, Kittle is San Francisco’s top receiving threat and their passing offense is built around that. The elite TE posted 85 receptions for 1,053 yards and 5 TDs. And although he ended up second to Kelce in total PPR points scored with 222.5, they both averaged the same points per game (15.9) while Kittle missed 2 games. Kittle is also four years younger than Kelce. Starting a Superflex, TE premium dynasty team by filling the 2 most scarce positions with arguably the 2 best players, my foundation is complete.

In hindsight, I could have taken Kyler Murray and been extremely happy with the QB4 in dynasty to round off the quarterback position but shoring up TE while my expert leaguemates scramble in the later rounds for Tyler Higbee as their starting tight end, I’ll be smashing high upside RB and WR plays.

2.10 – Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, Cleveland Browns)
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)

Drafted before the firing of Freddie Kitchens, this was a pick based on hope. Circumstances change, injuries heal, but 27 year old talent does not disappear. Odell Beckham Jr. is the best wide receiver in the game when he is healthy. Although he has dealt with nagging injuries over the last few seasons, the hernia is not a long term concern. Moving forward, I expect the chemistry with Baker to start to click as they both learn to work towards ownership of their team, and I expect Jimmy Haslam to invest in an offensive mind who is able to use all of the other expensive offensive assets.

The WR spot is my focus here and I am happy to grab one of the two elite guys (Mike Evans) left at the position. I hope to see Kyler Murray slide to me on the turn to make it a clean Superflex Big 3.

2.11 – Mike Evans (WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)

Despite missing the season’s final three games with a severe hamstring pull, Mike Evans managed to surpass 1,000 yards for the sixth consecutive season to open his career. Hall of Famer Randy Moss in the only other wide receiver to accomplish that feat. Evans is on record, via the Tampa Bay Times, stating that he hopes to “stay healthy next year and surpass him” as the first player to go 7-for-7 to start his career.

Quite frankly, Evans shouldn’t have been available here and his availability made this selection a no-brainer.

2.12 – Derrick Henry (RB, Tennessee Titans)
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)

Derrick Henry is the unsexy pick of the first 2 rounds, but drafting the 2019 rushing title holder at 2.12 is too good of a value to pass up, especially if I’m following the same consistent player approach to this draft (and every draft thanks to @BobLung). Henry finished the season as the RB3 in standard formats (hell of a prediction by @FFBallBlast) and RB5 in PPR. Henry hit these numbers by averaging 16 ppg (15 weeks) with 1 game missed to injury and only 2 games below 10 fantasy points. In the 2nd half of the season he turned it on again with a floor of 23 points, repeating his thrashing of Jacksonville in week 12. And while most fantasy leagues are finished by week 16, Henry still turned in an amazing week 17 performance to help the Titans clinch a playoff appearance and the rushing title with 211 yards and 3 TDs.

At 25 years old, Henry is in his prime and has at least 2-3 solid years left, more than enough to warrant a 2.12 pick here. He had a consensus ADP of RB19 in PPR formats coming into 2019, and would be the RB11 in this draft who could once again be a top 8 RB in 2020. Even in PPR formats, Henry has proven he can carry the load and although he may be more of a plodder that comes on hot in the 2nd half of the season, that 2nd half boom is good enough to be a league winner. And when compared to the remaining RBs on the board (Miles, KJ, MG3, and Gurley) he has the highest upside with a good O Line and solid defense.

ROUND 3

3.01 – Travis Kelce (TE, Kansas City Chiefs)
(Tommy Mo – @2on1FFB – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)

Again, consistency, consistency, consistency. No other TE has been more consistent the past 5 years than Travis Kelce. That’s what I want in my draft. And I want to take top value players at the lowest value I can get them before missing out on drafting them. The TE position has lacked depth in recent years and I’ve always preached to roster as many top 5 players at each position as possible. Kelce has finished his 4th straight year as the top TE in the class with a steady average of 131 targets, 1,182 yards, and 6.75 TDs the past 4 years. While his numbers slightly dipped this year from last year, his usage in the offense did not change as he averaged a 86.87% snap share all year.

Although Kelce is 30, the opportunities for him will continue into 2020 and beyond as the TE position is the slowest to mature and has a relatively long shelf life. Kelce has so much value in fantasy that although he is consistently the TE1, he’s also finishing 2019 as the WR6 in scoring in PPR formats. And although I still don’t have a WR1 on my team, the value was too good here to pass on not only THE best TE in the game but also a consistent top 10 WR with one of the best QBs throwing to him. Oh! And the best part of all is it’s a TE premium scoring league so bonus points to the best pass catching TE in the league.

3.02 – Kyler Murray (QB, Arizona Cardinals)
(Randal K – @FF_Terminator – The Undroppables)

I wanted Titans bruiser Derrick Henry in this spot. But when Tommy Mo selected Henry (and his 18 touchdowns) right in front of me, I decided to pivot to a different strategy. Wide receiver wasn’t really an option here because there was too much talent left at the position. And after Henry there is a tier break for me. So that ruled out RB. Back to QB we go. Like Jackson, Cardinals rookie Kyler Murray provides a nice safe rushing floor. He managed 544 yards and 4 touchdowns in his inaugural campaign while throwing the ball a whopping 549 times! A terrible defense should ensure the Cardinals throw plenty once again in 2020. Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury is building his “Air-Raid” offense around the dynamic signal caller and the Cardinals front office has surrounded him with young talent. He should continue to improve, even if veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald decides to ride off into the sunset. I now have a decided advantage at arguably the most important position in this league.

3.03 – Carson Wentz (QB, Philadelphia Eagles)
(JetPack Galileo – @JetPackGalileo – Fantasy Football Astronauts)

Shoot for the moon and you’ll land among the stars? Carson Wentz is a nice fall back option for a young QB building block after seeing Terminator lock up his QB room with elite assets. After a disappointing season, where his weapons struggled to stay on the field and hold onto the ball, I’m looking for a bounce back from Wentz. The offensive line is built for long term dynasty success (the best youth and talent combination in the league), and I believe they’ll be adding multiple receiving weapons with the most stacked WR draft class since 2014. The stability that the offensive line and aggressive head coach provide gives me enough reason to invest in Wentz as my dynasty QB1. I’m happy to have a guy who will be around for the next 10 years.

3.04 – JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers)
(Chalk – @101chalk – The Undroppables)

I waited for wide receiver until round 3 and it paid off as JuJu was still on the board after the turn. Even after a down season, I have JJSS as the WR6 in dynasty with Big Ben returning for at least a season or two. JuJu only finished with 552 receiving yards this year but before Roethlisberger was lost, Smith-Schuster started off the season on a good note with 6-78 and 5-84 showings. And while the production wasn’t there, neither were the targets or the talent at quarterback.

Nor Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges are the long-term solutions after Roethlisberger so we can only hope that Big Ben plays strong for the next couple of seasons while the Steelers retool the next franchise QB. Regardless, these are the times to lock in premium young studs who will only be 23 years old when the 2020 season starts at a discount: during times of uncertainty with the QB situation and when a stud is coming off a disappointing season. It’s easy to forget that it was only last offseason when JuJu had the same hype and backing as an elite WR as Chris Godwin enjoys today. Sure JuJu’s trade value is low but I didn’t draft him to trade him. I love him as a cornerstone WR on any dynasty team.

3.05 – Evan Engram (TE, New York Giants)
(Andrew Hall – @AndrewHallFF – Pro Football Network)

As the draft snaked back around, I was definitely eyeing my first RB but realized that only one went in this next turn: Derrick Henry. I can probably wait, right? This is a TE premium league, and both Kittle and Kelce went between my picks, which sort of forced my hand. I started WR-QB and wouldn’t mind having a nice balanced start to the team, so I went with Evan Engram as my TE1.

Engram is being undervalued at the moment, mainly because of his injury. At the start of the 2019 season, there were doubts about his quarterback in Daniel Jones, but he’s come on strong and seems to have no issue throwing the rock. Engram is a stud at a position where studs are even harder to find, making him the obvious choice for a dynasty startup behind Kittle and Kelce. Now he just needs to stay healthy…

3.06 – Amari Cooper (WR, Dallas Cowboys)
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Create-A-Rank)

Amari is a top 5 or 6 Dynasty WR for me, so getting him at WR9 feels like value. Either way he fits the plan: Draft a stable of young WRs that can grow together and hopefully reach their prime together over the next several seasons.

Amari is still only 25 years old and has yet to reach his full potential. Admittedly, he scares me a little, but there is simply too much talent and opportunity to pass up in RD 3.

I strongly considered Miles Sanders or DJ Moore here. Sanders would definitely be a target of mine in the 3rd round if I were to be doing a startup this offseason. After I took Fournette in the 2nd, it made me shy away from him at 3.06, as I thought he might sneak by. But not with this crew. You’ll need to nab Sanders in round 3 if you want to get him.

3.07 – Josh Allen (QB, Buffalo Bills)
(Tommy Garrett – @TommyGarrettPFN – Pro Football Network)

2019 was just another example that you want to draft a quarterback with a rushing upside to help boost their floors. While not as elusive as QBs who went before him, such as Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, or Kyler Murray, Josh Allen still finished 3rd in the NFL amongst QBs in rushing yards along with 9 touchdowns. Inside the 10-yard line, Allen’s size and athleticism strike a scary resemblance to what we saw in Cam Newton in his prime.

Although he can at times struggle with accuracy, Allen completed nearly 60% of his passes and showed some welcomed development in his decision making compared to his 2018 rookie campaign. I fully expect him to take another step in the right direction and hope the Bills add some talent to the WR position, maybe even in the upcoming draft. In a SuperFlex format, it is imperative to get your starting quarterbacks when you can, as you never know when the run will hit. Given the group of drafters assembled for this mock, this was a pick I could not afford to pass on.

3.08 – Aaron Rodgers (QB, Green Bay Packers)
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Football)

As I mentioned when I went over my second round pick, I thought I could still get quarterback value by waiting until the third round, and I think it paid off. Aaron Rodgers may not be the top 5 lock he once was, he still finished this season 12th with over 4000 yards, with 26 touchdowns and only threw 4 interceptions. Rodgers was also top 5 in red zone pass attempts, and deep ball attempts, so there are scoring opportunities to be had.

With Davante Adams and Aaron Jones providing the only reliable juice, the Packers are likely to re-tool the offense this offseason. With added weapons and a healthy season from Adams, Aaron Rodgers can still get it done as a fantasy QB1.

3.09 – Baker Mayfield (QB, Cleveland Browns)
(Dan – @AWLSabermetrics – 2on1: Fantasy Sports)

There was a slight run on guys I was hoping would come back to me (looking at you Tommy Garrett), but this pick piggybacks a lot off my previous one. The entire Browns team had a down year, but it is also something that if you listened to some sharp follows on Twitter, a few guys were predicting it. Super teams and Free Agency champions rarely ever produce the way the offseason hype machine pumps them up.

I don’t think 2019 is the true Baker Mayfield, Sophomore slumps happen, and I think people are way too keen to just throw the baby out with the bathwater after one bad season. He is still only 24 years old, his career is not now set in stone. I have a feeling the 2020 Browns and beyond will be much better versions of themselves than 2019. A slice of humble pie and not buying into their hype as much as they did will go a long way (and some offensive linemen).

I also am benefiting that only a few minutes before I was up for my pick the Browns canned Freddie Kitchens, who by all accounts, was very much not getting the job done. Even to the point apparently Kitchens was calling plays that were not being put into action by Monken during the week leading up to the game. The Browns have already been linked to a few hot coaching prospects, and are surely one of the most attractive landing spots with all of the skill players they have. I have the Browns as all strong bounce-back candidates in 2020, and this time last year I would not have gotten Baker this late. I will take advantage of the down year and bank on a big improvement for years to come.

3.10 – D.J. Moore (WR, Carolina Panthers
(Jake – @DaBeezyBFF – The Undroppables)

D.J. Moore was my 3rd round pick and in a Dynasty and I was stoked to see him here at this spot. As a rookie in 18 he looked like a difference-maker and in 19 he did not disappoint. He finished 19 with 87 rec for 1175 yds and 4 TDs on 135 targets. 135 targets. That’s a big number. On top of it the targets where coming from a Rookie QB. He’s phenomenal after the catch and is a threat to take it to the house on any given play. At 22 years old this kid is going to be a top WR in the league in no time. Big target in Dynasty.

3.11- Julio Jones (WR, Atlanta Falcons)
(Paul Lundgaard – @PauliesSleepers – The Undroppables)

There was a decent run on QBs since I picked last (fine by me) and no one really jumping off the page as a “must draft” at that position. Same for TEs, although I considered Zack Ertz
here as I do like having an Elite TE in a premium scoring format. But I have Julio Jones staring me in the face and if you follow me on Twitter, you know I am a huge fan. He is 30, but we have seen Elite WRs continue to produce into their early 30s. I watch every Falcons game and I saw no dip in performance on the field whatsoever. In fact, his 99/1394/6 2019 campaign was better than 2016 and 2017! Julio only missed one game this year which now makes only 4 missed games In the last 6 years for a guy that still sometimes gets labeled as an injury risk, which stems way back from the early part of his career. He was the WR3 this year so I now have the potential of having 2 top 5 WRs. At the end of the 3rd round, this is a steal!

3.12 – Kenny Golladay (WR, Detroit Lions)
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)

In 2019, Golladay was primed for a big year as Matthew Stafford’s WR1. Unfortunately, Stafford season ended at the halfway point. However, 2nd and 3rd string QBs wouldn’t be enough to detour Golladay from being the WR9 in PPR (WR3 Standard).

Finishing the season with 65 receptions, 1,190 yards (2nd straight 1,000+ yard season) at 18.0 yards per catch (3rd in NFL) and 11 TDs (Lead NFL), ahead of the likes of OBJ, Hopkins, and Cooper. In 2019, Detroit ranked 10th in passing yards per game (243.8), Golladay led the NFL in deep targets (37).

With Marvin Jones Jr aging and having more health issues, and rookie TE Hockenson not having the impact most expected. We could see Golladay’s target share jump up towards 25% in 2020. With a healthy Stafford, Golladay is a lock for Top 12 production for years. I feel confident having him as my WR1 at the end of the 3rd round.

ROUND 4

4.01 – Matt Ryan (QB, Atlanta Falcons)
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)

Ryan has been a Top 10 (Avg) quarterback through his 11 years as a pro, throwing 20+ TDs every single year, and now 9 seasons straight of 4,000+ yards. He is a model of health, having gone 9 seasons straight with 16 starts until missing week 8 of 2019.

Atlanta has an elite passing game in addition to 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 3 more years with the Falcons.

I negated the stress of a QB run by locking up my QB2 on this turn. After selecting Ryan, 7 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, now allowing me to also focus on hammering flex position players.

Shout out to Paulie for sniping me heading into the turn. I was hoping to lock up the Julio/Ryan stack, but not disappointed that Golladay fell to me.

4.02 – Courtland Sutton (WR, Denver Broncos)
(Paul Lundgaard – @PauliesSleepers – The 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. AJ Brown, DJ Moore, and Courtland Sutton were all considered here and 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 8 per game. He is only 24 and if we see a “3rd year leap” next season coming off of his 72/1112/6 2019, I could have the most lethal WR core in this league.

4.03 – Miles Sanders (RB, Philadelphia Eagles)
(Jake – @DaBeezyBFF – The 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 but 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 and he got the lion’s share of the carries. Finishing the year with 179 attempts for 818 yds and 3 TDs. He added 50 rec on 63 targets for 509 yds and 3 more Tds. He showed he was capable of handling a 3 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 2020 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. The 2019 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 because I wasn’t trusting of coming back from an ACL tear as quickly as he did. Man, I was 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 Lions)
(Travis Seel – @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 Titans)
(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 Jaguars)
(Scott – @DynoGameTheory – Create-A-Rank)

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 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 Vikings)
(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’ve been a huge fan of Diggs’ route running and playmaking ability and he is a fun player to have on your team so I am 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 quarterback in Kirk Cousins.

However, even in an up and down season, Diggs continued to show his upside in several weeks and ultimately finished as the WR24 in PPR, averaging 14.1 points per game. Diggs posted over 1,100 receiving yards and 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 Steelers)
(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 the 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 and 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 Bears)
(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 and 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 @FantasyFBstoner puts it, the most disrespected WR in the game. ARob was the 8th scoring 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 Seahawks)
(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 fluke 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 only looking a few years down the road. I also feel there’s always time in the distant 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 Falcons)
(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 less 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 Ravens)
(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 with a crazy high amount of points per snap. While regression is possible in 2020, I am concerned here with only one number: 23 – The age of both our Pro Bowl heroes, Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews. Like quarterback, tight end is a position where I’m happy to settle with a top-end option that I can plug and forget. Andrews owners will be able to do just that with the youngest QB-TE pairing in the league.

5.04 – Jimmy Garoppolo (QB, San Francisco 49ers)
(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 eye dropping 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 but I really want to build this team for the long haul, and seriously consider 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 – Create-A-Rank)

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. I don’t think 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 Buccaneers)
(Travis Seel – @TSeel14 – True North Fantasy Footballl)

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 Vikings)
(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. 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, 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 Lions)
(Jake – @DaBeezyBFF – The Undroppables)

I went after the value at RB and Wr early in the draft but now I had too get a QB. Matthew Stafford was the guy. He only played in 8 games this year but he looked good in those 8 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 too 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 – The 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 Cowboys)
(D Brown – @DBrownFF88 – Sons of Dynasty, The Undroppables)

In 2019, Gallup had the breakout many were hoping for by eclipsing 1,000 yards with an impressive 16.8 yards per catch(10th). He more than doubled his 2018 production as we continued to see Amari Cooper perform with weekly inconsistency. The Cowboys will have to decide if they want to sign Cooper long term. In my opinion, the Cowboys should tag him in a “prove it” year. If the Cowboys decide to move on, Gallup becomes the WR1 in Dallas.

The creativity that Kellen Moore brought to Dallas as OC is evident when looking at the numbers. The Cowboys set a franchise record for most yards (6,904) and most passing yards (4,751) in a season. We have seen Dak’s 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.