This article is part of our Fantasy Football Draft Strategy series.
With the NFL preseason and cut-downs past us, the second day of September marked my annual entry into the NFFC Classic Online draft.
NFFC will continue to host drafts through Saturday, Sept. 9, offering multiple formats and other high-stakes leagues, including the NFFC Primetime and the RotoWire Online Championship.
The folks at NFFC report that it's been another record year for both contests, with the Primetime slated to top 1,000 teams with a $250,000 grand prize and the RotoWire Online Championship set to surpass 5,000 teams with a $250,000 grand prize.
There are still openings available every day for both contests, but please note that spots are limited!
Let's take a look at the team that I assembled Saturday afternoon in a 14-team, 20-round, third-round reversal draft.
My fellow players in these leagues really know their stuff, so I tried to set some basic goals and expectations at the top of the selection process. Unlike last year when I was clearly targeting an elite TE in the second round, this time around I knew I'd either get one with my top pick (Travis Kelce) or start off with a top tier WR or RB. After that, I just went with the flow of the draft with my roster build, while making sure that I have a viable early season lineup, supplemented by some sleepers who could emerge down the road.
For the second year in a row, I drew the No. 6 pick overall, a slot I don't mind this season since I had a clear-cut top six players on my draft board. With that in mind, I figured I'd be satisfied with whoever was still there in my slot. I suspected that I'd be looking at either Tyreek Hill, Austin Ekeler or Travis Kelce. Sure enough, once Stefon Diggs went fifth overall, I had to decide between my No. 2 ranked RB (Ekeler) and the TE (Kelce) that probably would have won me this league in 2022 if he hadn't been snagged one pick before me! The choice was Ekeler, and as long as he stays healthy he provides this squad with a solid foundation.
As things progressed, I was hoping one of my preferred WRs would slide to me in Round 2, but the ones I was targeting the most predictably flew off the board, which left me looking at the awesome, but banged-up Cooper Kupp, as well as DK Metcalf and Tee Higgins. Meanwhile, Derrick Henry was still there, but I've sworn off the RB/RB approach in this format, so I pivoted and took QB Josh Allen. Whether going for a signal-caller at pick No. 23 was a mistake or not remains to be seen, but this year you have to be aggressive if you want to roster one of the top options at the position.
As the draft unfolded, I managed to assemble (hopefully) functional RB and WR corps, but those are obviously areas I'll look to shore up via free agency. I was pleased to wind up with TE Kyle Pitts, a player who didn't live up to his ADP last year, but has a good chance to surpass it in 2023. Getting him eased the pain of passing on Kelce out of the gate.
I'm generally satisfied with my initial starting lineup in such a deep format and understand that I'll have to find a hidden gem or two in FAB, but I think I have a competitive team that should stay that way as long as I manage to come up with some solid in-season pickups
Below is the full draft board, followed by some round-by-round commentary about my picks:
Rd. 1, pick 6 – RB Austin Ekeler, LAC – He's the clear-cut top back on his team and can do it all while being a focal point of a strong offense. This feels like a nice start...
Rd. 2, pick 23 – QB Josh Allen, BUF – Fresh news on Kupp's hamstring injury led to him being available in this slot, but I was concerned enough to give him a miss and went with Allen over a group of wideouts I had ranked similarly. So after landing my No. 2 ranked RB, I get my No. 2 ranked QB and at least I have a chance for stability at two key positions.
Rd. 3, pick 37 – WR DJ Moore, CHI – I had to take a WR here and Moore was the one I liked the most out of a thinned-out group. His upside depends on Justin Fields' continued development as a passer, but someone needs to make plays in the Chicago offense and that someone figures to be Moore.
Rd. 4, pick 48 – RB Joe Mixon, CIN – Another running back who should see ample work in a good offense was the call in Round 4 and as long as he's available, the Bengals figure to keep Mixon busy on a weekly basis.
Rd. 5, pick 65 – WR Tyler Lockett, SEA – I had Mike Evans and Christian Kirk queued up before this choice, but Lockett is a player who keeps on ticking in Seattle's offense, and I'll take the steady production he offers.
Rd. 6, pick 76 – TE Kyle Pitts, ATL – It was either punt on TEs or take Pitts at this stage, and I think he'll do some good things in an Atlanta offense driven by a trio of young playmakers; specifically Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Pitts.
Rd. 7, pick 93 – RB Dalvin Cook, NYJ – After taking Cook sixth overall in this contest last year, I get him 87 slots later this time. He'll be sharing touches with Breece Hall, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Jets ease Hall -- who's coming off a major knee injury -- back in, which should lead to early-season opportunities for Cook. That's a context that led to me holding off on the tumbling Jonathan Taylor, who lasted until pick No. 99. That could be a huge bargain, but Taylor's status is already causing me headaches in a couple of other leagues, given all the uncertainly attached to him.
Rd. 8, pick 104 – WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, NE – I considered Kadarius Toney here, but Smith-Schuster -- who's essentially replacing Jakobi Meyers -- has a chance to be a volume guy for QB Mac Jones and thus should have a solid weekly floor in his first season with New England.
Rd. 9, pick 121 – RB De'Von Achane, MIA – Odell Beckham was an option here, and so were Samaje Perine and Ezekiel Elliott, but I went for upside with the speedy Achane. He's dealing with a shoulder issue, but as long as that doesn't linger, he could factor in rather quickly, given that Jeff Wilson will start the season on IR and miss at least four games.
Rd. 10, pick 132 – WR Marvin Mims, DEN - Elliott was still available (he went with the next pick), but rostering only three wideouts this late in the draft was unsettling, so I went with another young player who could make a quick splash due to working in a Denver WR corps that's been impacted by multiple injuries.
Rd. 11, pick 149 – RB Elijah Mitchell, SF – A number of RB darts were thrown after I took Mims, so I got in on that run here and took Mitchell, who works behind Christian McCaffrey, this year's consensus top back. McCaffrey played a full slate in 2022, but he's had injury issues in the past, so taking his backup is worth a try.
Rd. 12, pick 160 – WR Rondale Moore, ARZ – At this point I need additional WR depth and Moore is player who figures to see his share of snaps in an offense that no longer features DeAndre Hopkins. Arizona's QB situation is pretty fluid, but if Moore clicks with whoever fills in for Kyler Murray, there's a chance he yields dividends.
Rd. 13, pick 177 – TE Greg Dulcich, DEN – By the time this pick rolled around, there weren't any players I was especially eager to land in this range, so I decided to grab the best available TE. I went with Dulcich in the hopes that his pass-catching ability meshes well with Russell Wilson, who could bounce back in 2023.
Rd. 14, pick 188 – QB Matthew Stafford, LAR – Backup QB time. My options were limited this late in the game, but hopefully Josh Allen stays healthy and I only need Stafford on Allen's bye week.
Rd. 15, pick 205 – Team D, NE – In hindsight, I probably should have gone with Chase Brown here, given that Joe Mixon is on my team, but I thought I could get him a round later. Instead I took the New England defense, which led to...
Rd. 16, pick 216 – Team D, NYJ – Another Team D! Pickings were slim here, so I covered that base, knowing that my last four picks would include a kicker and three long shots who may end up being drop candidates when it's time to make moves.
Rd. 17, pick 233 – WR Parris Campbell, NYG – I don't know what to make of the Giants' wideout pecking order, but I figured that Campbell has a chance to be a contributor if he can stay on the field, so I took a flyer on the 2019 second-rounder.
Rd. 18, pick 244 – QB C.J. Stroud, HOU – The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is insurance for my QB insurance. It may take a while for Stroud to become a reliable fantasy contributor, but at least there's some upside to be had.
Rd. 19, pick 261- Team Kicker, PHI – I didn't get in on the early kicker run, but the Eagles are a good team and their bye is Week 10, so they'll do just fine.
Rd. 20, pick 272 – TE Noah Fant, SEA – As Round 20 darts go, Fant isn't a bad one, but I'll be on the lookout for RB depth once the season starts, so I may not be able to afford the luxury of rostering three TEs for long.
If you've made it this far in this NFFC recap, thanks for checking it out and best of luck in all your leagues and contests this season.
