Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Fantasy football draft season is upon us, so we know what that means. It's time to do some mock drafts to prepare us for the drafts that really matter, and can put cash in our pockets. I wrote this column last year and it seemed to get a lot of good feedback, so why mess with a good thing?
Here's how this works. Each week I will draft a different fantasy team and I will change my draft position to highlight the types of teams one can build depending on where they are drafting. For this week's exercise, I participated in a mock draft in which I drafted with the No. 7 overall pick. Later this week I'll draft at the end of the round. If you missed my article last week when I drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, you can read it here.
I always advise people to participate in as many mocks as they can before drafting, but not everyone has the time. If that's the case for you, I'll do all the leg work participating in dozens of mock drafts, and you can sit back and learn the positives and negatives of each draft slot. These are PPR drafts, by the way. Let's get started.
I did a few drafts selecting from the No. 7 overall position, but I chose to write this one up because it's a great example of how different each draft can be. I was expecting to take a RB here, but Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson were shockingly already taken. For the record, I'm out on David Johnson, but I have no problem taking Bell as early as pick No. 4. With Ezekiel Elliott still holding out, things are volatile in Round 1. If Elliott returns before the preseason is over, I have no problem with him going No.1.
Okay, now that we got all that out of the way let's get to my pick. I took Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins at No.7 and it was only between him and Davante Adams, for me. I love Adams, but with a new coaching staff in Green Bay, I felt more comfortable with Hopkins.
With my second pick things got interesting. I typically one RB and one WR with my first two picks, but Travis Kelce fell to me in Round 2. I was hoping Nick Chubb would make it back to me, but he was taken right before I picked. I considered Mike Evans and Dalvin Cook, but instead I went with Kelce. I worry about Cook's health and the addition of RB Alexander Mattison. With Gary Kubiak involved in the offense in Minnesota, I know all about his affinity for bigger backs like Arian Foster, and Mattison has some similar traits coming in at over 220 pounds. I think Cook will still be the starter, but he may share some carries.
To be honest, I was terrified at what my RB group would look like waiting until Round 3 to pick my first one, but Damien Williams fell right in my lap, so I was thrilled. Some may be concerned about having two players on the same team, but not when both players are on an offense like the Chiefs.
I truly believe Williams has Top 5 upside, and that's what you have to shoot for when taking a RB in the first three rounds. The other players I would have considered in Round 3 were T.Y. Hilton and Amari Cooper, both players have concerns. Like Cooper's foot injury and Hilton's dependence on the health of Andrew Luck.
With my pick in the fourth round I was happy to take the best WR or RB available, and I went with Seahawks grinder Chris Carson. Seattle is one of the most run-heavy teams in the NFL, and Carson should get a ton of opportunities. Some of the other players I was considering were Cooper Kupp, Mark Ingram, and Tyler Lockett. Since I already had an elite WR, I decided to take another RB.
Moving on to the fifth round I was extremely happy to see Tevin Coleman available. He has Top 10 upside in Kyle Shanahan's offense and Jarvis Landry and Tyler Boyd weren't that appealing to me.
Next up, I decided to roll the dice on Josh Gordon in the sixth round. I was definitely targeting a WR here, and I knew I could grab another WR in Round 7 if Gordon flames out again. Just like my last mock draft, I'm waiting on QB until the double digit rounds, and I already have my TE. This allows me to keep piling up WRs and RBs.
In Round 7 my plan really came together. I was thrilled to draft Panthers WR Curtis Samuel, who has been the talk of camp in Carolina. I'm really feeling the Panthers offense this year.
Round 8 I decided to add more depth at WR with Lions pass-catcher, Marvin Jones. Round 9 I drafted some insurance for Damien Williams when I selected Chiefs RB Darwin Thompson. There are rumors that Carlos Hyde won't make the team, so I like Thompson to be the guy if Williams doesn't pan out. Running backs in Andy Reid's offenses have been pure gold regardless of where he was coaching. Brian Westbrook, Jamaal Charles, Kareem Hunt. Need I say more?
In Round 10 I grabbed yet another WR with Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Packers are high on him, and his speed excites me a lot more than Geronimo Allison's possession receiver skill set.
I finally grab my QB in Round 11. I don't love Jameis Winston, but as a fantasy QB, the guy puts up numbers and has great weapons to throw to. Plus, their defense is beyond terrible, so I expect him to be chasing points almost every week. I finished my draft grabbing some depth at RB with Dolphins RB Kalen Ballage and Bills RB Devin Singletary. I also added Jimmy Garoppolo in Round 14 just in case Winston doesn't work out.
Takeaways
I really like this team. This squad doesn't have the star power that many covet, but taking a TE early will give your roster a different look. Here's what my starters will look like.
QB Jameis Winston (Round 11)
RB Damien Williams (Round 3)
RB Chris Carson (Round 4)
WR DeAndre Hopkins (Round 1)
WR Josh Gordon (Round 6)
TE Travis Kelce (Round 2)
FLEX Tevin Coleman (Round 5) or I can go with Curtis Samuel (Round 7)
I have tons of depth and some excellent starters. I waited until Round 3 to take my first RB and I still think I'm pretty strong at the position.
A lot of my team's success may depend on Josh Gordon, but I added a lot of depth behind him just in case he goes 'Josh Gordon' on me.
Final thoughts
Fantasy owners are still getting a feel for the first and second rounds. Guys like Le'Veon Bell, Travis Kelce, and even Todd Gurley are being drafted in Round 1 and Round 2 depending on who you're drafting against. Be prepared to see some curveballs in the first few rounds. For my final Mock my Mock, I will draft at the end of Round 1, and I will not take a TE early. We'll see what my roster looks like when I wait on TE until the bitter end. Or who knows, maybe I'll grab one in the middle rounds.
Be sure to check out my radio show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5. We're on every Sunday from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.