On August 2nd, 12 members of the Footballguys staff got together for the site's 8th mock draft of 2017. Below is the league scoring format and bylaws. This draft mirrors the setup and format of the Footballguys Players Championship Draft Experts League.
League Parameters
- 12 teams
- 28 roster spots
- Starting Lineup
- 1 quarterback
- 2 running backs
- 2 wide receivers
- 1 tight end
- 2 flex (either a running back, wide receiver, or tight end)
- 1 team defense
League Scoring
- Offensive Players
- 4 points - passing touchdown
- 6 points - rushing/receiving touchdown
- 0.05 points - passing yard
- 0.1 points - rushing/receiving yard
- 1 point - reception RP, WR
- 1.5 point - reception TE
- Team Defense
- 6 points - touchdown
- -1 point - interception
- 2 points - turnover recovered
- 5 points - safety
- 1 point - sack
- 12 points - Offensive points against: 0-0
- 8 points - Offensive points against: 1-6
- 5 points - Offensive points against: 7-10
- 0 point - Offensive points against: 11-99
- 6 points each - Number of Defensive and Special Teams Touchdowns
THE DRAFT ORDER
The draft order was created randomly. After the first round, the draft continues in a regular serpentine manner. Click here for the Full Draft, pick by pick.
- Maurile Tremblay
- Aaron Rudnicki
- Matt Williamson
- Jeff Tefertiller
- Matt Bitonti
- Mark Wimer
- Keith Roberts
- Devin Knotts
- Jason Wood
- Jeff Haseley
- Stephen Holloway
- Andy Hicks
Starting with Maurile Tremblay from the 1.01 spot, Dan Hindery provides an unbiased evaluation of each team's draft performance followed by each owner answering a series of questions about their draft and strategies.
Maurile Tremblay - SLOT 1
| PICK | OVR | SELECTION |
| 1.01 | 1 | Johnson, David ARI RB |
| 2.12 | 24 | Hopkins, DeAndre HOU WR |
| 3.01 | 25 | Thomas, Demaryius DEN WR |
| 4.12 | 48 | Rudolph, Kyle MIN TE |
| 5.01 | 49 | Crabtree, Michael OAK WR |
| 6.12 | 72 | Sanders, Emmanuel DEN WR |
| 7.01 | 73 | Coleman, Tevin ATL RB |
| 8.12 | 96 | Luck, Andrew IND QB |
| 9.01 | 97 | Mariota, Marcus TEN QB |
| 10.12 | 120 | Brate, Cameron TBB TE |
| 11.01 | 121 | Forte, Matt NYJ RB |
| 12.12 | 144 | Stewart, Jonathan CAR RB |
| 13.01 | 145 | Shepard, Sterling NYG WR |
| 14.12 | 168 | Smith, Alex KCC QB |
| 15.01 | 169 | Mahomes, Patrick KCC QB (R) |
| 16.12 | 192 | Lee, Marqise JAC WR |
| 17.01 | 193 | Lockett, Tyler SEA WR |
| 18.12 | 216 | Barnidge, Gary FA TE |
| 19.01 | 217 | Steelers, Pittsburgh PIT Def |
| 20.12 | 240 | Bills, Buffalo BUF Def |
| 21.01 | 241 | Hopkins, Dustin WAS PK |
| 22.12 | 264 | Lambo, Josh LAC PK |
| 23.01 | 265 | Dolphins, Miami MIA Def |
| 24.12 | 288 | Ellington, Andre ARI RB |
| 25.01 | 289 | Johnson, Chris ARI RB |
| 26.12 | 312 | Higbee, Tyler LAR TE |
| 27.01 | 313 | Novak, Nick HOU PK |
| 28.12 | 336 | Inman, Dontrelle LAC WR |
Overall Strategy
RB2 by committee
Best Pick(s)
Andrew Luck (8.12, QB7) and Marcus Mariota (9.01, QB8) Drafting at the turn can often be a disadvantage when it comes to positional runs. You can also flip it into a big advantage by anticipating the runs and being the one to start them. Maurile did that here by kicking off a big run on quarterbacks in the 9th and 10th round. By being first to the punch, he was able to get tremendous value on Luck and Mariota and land two high upside QB1 options.
Worst Pick(s)
Patrick Mahomes (15.01, QB27) After Luck and Mariota, Maurile wisely grabbed a third quarterback (Alex Smith at 14.12). Three solid starting quarterbacks is the target in a deep best ball league like this. The decision to handcuff his QB3 at this point in the draft is a bit puzzling however. Even if Smith loses his job late in the season (or gets hurt), Maurile is still in great shape with Luck and Mariota. Plus, there’s not much upside here either. Even if Smith gets replaced, Mahomes is unlikely to have big weeks in which he outperforms Luck/Mariota by a significant margin. Stopping at three quarterbacks would have been ideal. But if using a fourth quarterback pick, a starter like Brian Hoyer would have been a better pick.
Evaluation
Drafting first and landing David Johnson is a big advantage in 2017. It’s not just his unmatched upside. He also comes with a weekly floor which makes you feel great about having one of the two running back spots filled each week. Johnson allows you to go somewhat light at RB2, which is the direction Maurile went. After Johnson, Maurile was able to land four highly dependable veteran receivers with solid upside. DeAndre Hopkins, Demaryius Thomas, Michael Crabtree and Emmanuel Sanders all came within the first six rounds and have top-15 upside. Kyle Rudolph is another safe, high-floor veteran who is capable of big numbers in this TE-Premium format. Maurile’s team is loaded at just about every position and should be a leading contender in this league.
post-draft questions
What was your overall strategy in this 28-roster FPC Best Ball draft? How do you think you pulled it off? What were the key picks (by you or others)?
Knowing that I had 28 roster spots to work with, I wanted at least three each of quarterbacks, kickers, and defenses. Weekly variance at those positions is high enough that, in a best-ball format, quantity becomes as important as quality. Quantity is helpful at every position, of course, but every team will have enough running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends that it should be pretty rare to start a player at one of those positions who scores fewer than five fantasy points. Meanwhile, a single injury can force a team with only two quarterbacks to take a zero during the healthy player's bye week. Two injuries can be permanently devastating. Kickers and defenses will seemingly randomly score fewer than five points one week and more than 15 points the next. Having three instead of two greatly reduces the chance of having to take a very low score there in a given week.
With the rest of my roster, I wanted balance. I wanted strength at every position. After grabbing David Johnson with the first pick, I was willing to grab running backs, wide receivers, or tight ends with the next handful of picks in whatever order made sense based on how the draft unfolded. I seemed to personally value wide receivers more than other drafters did compared to running backs and tight ends, so I spent four of my next five picks (after David Johnson) grabbing wide receivers. We'll see how things play out, but I believe that, league wide, wide receivers will occupy more flex spots than running backs or tight ends. Comparing wide receivers with running backs drafted in the same rounds, wide receivers generally have the advantage because of the point-per-reception scoring. And aside from the very top tight ends, I think a similar comparison shows wide receivers to have the advantage over tight ends as well because the extra 0.5 points per receptions given to tight ends is insufficient to make up for their generally lower production.
So I let other owners spend more than I thought worthwhile on running backs and tight ends in rounds 2-6 while I mostly accumulated wide receivers.
It ended up working out pretty well, I think, because (a) landing David Johnson gives me a nice head start on finding two productive running backs each weak, and (b) I ended up with a tight end I like in Kyle Rudolph at a price I was happy to pay for him.
After using my first seven picks to select two running backs, four wide receivers, and a tight end, I doubled up at quarterback with my next two picks and ended up starting something of a run. It's generally good to be at the top of a run rather than the bottom (unless you have everyone in that run ranked about evenly).
On the whole, I like the team I finished with, but I am second-guessing a few of my decisions. As I said up top, I wanted three quarterbacks. When I was picking at the Round 14/15 turn, I had Alex Smith ranked significantly ahead of the other options available -- as long as he remains the starter. But drafting Smith forced me to draft Patrick Mahomes as well because I'm not confident that I can predict how long Smith will hold Mahomes off. And I figured: 28 roster spots is an awful lot. I'm not feeling any scarcity when it comes to spots on my bench.
But in hindsight, even though I like Alex Smith significantly better than Jared Goff, I'm not sure at all that I like Alex Smith better than Jared Goff plus Devontae Booker, or Jared Goff plus DeAndre Washington.
The other decision I'm second-guessing myself on came ten rounds later when, at the 24/25 turn, I selected Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson as handcuffs to David Johnson. Again, the fact that I had 28 roster spots to work with factored into that decision. I wouldn't have done it in a shallower league. My thinking was that if David Johnson is lost for the season I'm probably done anyway, but if he's lost for four or five weeks, having Ellington or Johnson step in and give me at least a few points could be enough to keep me afloat during that period. And I still approve of the general idea -- the problem is that the specific players involved give me no confidence that they'll actually give me a few points if and when David Johnson is out. Maybe it will be Kerwynn Williams. Maybe it will be a free agent off the street like Rashad Jennings or DeAngelo Williams. Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson have low ceilings -- which is fine in the 25th round -- but the fact that they also have low floors make them pretty unappetizing. (Not that there were any attractive options left at that point anyway. It was pretty deep in the draft.)
I would say that the key pick for me was David Johnson. It was an easy one, but it ended up shaping my entire draft because during the first half-dozen rounds I found myself seeing more value in wide receivers than in running backs as a rule. If I'd had the third or fourth pick instead of the first and selected Antonio Brown, I suspect that I would have ended up with a pretty weak group of running backs on the whole, which would have scuttled my plan to accumulate balanced strength at all the skill positions.
Aaron Rudnicki - Slot 2
| PICK | OVR | SELECTION |
| 1.02 | 2 | Bell, Le'Veon PIT RB |
| 2.11 | 23 | Cooper, Amari OAK WR |
| 3.02 | 26 | Miller, Lamar HOU RB |
| 4.11 | 47 | Allen, Keenan LAC WR |
| 5.02 | 50 | Tate, Golden DET WR |
| 6.11 | 71 | Walker, Delanie TEN TE |
| 7.02 | 74 | Anderson, C.J. DEN RB |
| 8.11 | 95 | Perkins, Paul NYG RB |
| 9.02 | 98 | Carr, Derek OAK QB |
| 10.11 | 119 | Fiedorowicz, C.J. HOU TE |
| 11.02 | 122 | Manning, Eli NYG QB |
| 12.11 | 143 | Jones, Marvin DET WR |
| 13.02 | 146 | Palmer, Carson ARI QB |
| 14.11 | 167 | Charles, Jamaal DEN RB |
| 15.02 | 170 | Allen, Dwayne NEP TE |
| 16.11 | 191 | Hurns, Allen JAC WR |
| 17.02 | 194 | Seahawks, Seattle SEA Def |
| 18.11 | 215 | Nelson, J.J. ARI WR |
| 19.02 | 218 | Prater, Matt DET PK |
| 20.11 | 239 | Falcons, Atlanta ATL Def |
| 21.02 | 242 | Anderson, Robby NYJ WR |
| 22.11 | 263 | Hauschka, Steven BUF PK |
| 23.02 | 266 | McNichols, Jeremy TBB RB (R) |
| 24.11 | 287 | McDonald, Vance SFO TE |
| 25.02 | 290 | Cowboys, Dallas DAL Def |
| 26.11 | 311 | Boldin, Anquan FA WR |
| 27.02 | 314 | Gordon, Josh CLE WR |
| 28.11 | 335 | McCown, Josh NYJ QB |
Overall Strategy
Balanced
Best Pick(s)
Keenan Allen (4.11, WR21) Injuries in each of the past two seasons will scare many drafters away from Allen, which provides an opportunity to get a top potential top-15 producer outside of the top-3 rounds. All the news out of San Diego is extremely positive when it comes to Allen’s recovery from a torn ACL that ended his 2016 season in Week 1. He should be the clear top target in San Diego and could go right back to putting up 20+ points per game.
Worst Pick(s)
Josh Gordon (27.02, WR104) The investment at this point in the draft is minimal, but it is not wise to squander late round picks on extreme long shots like Gordon. Adding a third Kicker would have been the better play. Kicker (and Defense) scoring is high variance from week-to-week. With 28 roster spots, it makes sense to shoot for three (or even four) at both spots. You’re more likely to get a couple random big weeks from your third kicker than cash in a lotto ticket like Gordon. In short, don’t throw away those late rounders if you haven’t secured three DST and PK.
Evaluation
Aaron took a pretty straight-forward, balanced approach and grabbed value with most of his picks. Aaron’s team has a strong floor with plenty of built in upside as well. It isn’t far-fetched to think that his top three receivers (Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Golden Tate) could each catch 100+ passes. Aaron also scored impressive depth at running back with C.J. Anderson and Paul Perkins as his RB3 and RB4.
post-draft questions
What was your overall strategy in this 28-roster FPC Best Ball draft?
Matt Williamson - Slot 3
| PICK | OVR | SELECTION |
| 1.03 | 3 | Elliott, Ezekiel DAL RB |
| 2.10 | 22 | Fournette, Leonard JAC RB (R) |
| 3.03 | 27 | Mixon, Joe CIN RB (R) |
| 4.10 | 46 | Jeffery, Alshon PHI WR |
| 5.03 | 51 | Wilson, Russell SEA QB |
| 6.10 | 70 | Bennett, Martellus GBP TE |
| 7.03 | 75 | Jackson, DeSean TBB WR |
| 8.10 | 94 | Moncrief, Donte IND WR |
| 9.03 | 99 | Prosise, C.J. SEA RB |
| 10.10 | 118 | Taylor, Tyrod BUF QB |
| 11.03 | 123 | Coleman, Corey CLE WR |
| 12.10 | 142 | Doctson, Josh WAS WR |
| 13.03 | 147 | Seferian-Jenkins, Austin NYJ TE |
| 14.10 | 166 | Conner, James PIT RB (R) |
| 15.03 | 171 | Goff, Jared LAR QB |
| 16.10 | 190 | Treadwell, Laquon MIN WR |
| 17.03 | 195 | Funchess, Devin CAR WR |
| 18.10 | 214 | Giants, New York NYG Def |
| 19.03 | 219 | Williams, Jonathan BUF RB |
| 20.10 | 238 | Lewis, Dion NEP RB |
| 21.03 | 243 | Conley, Chris KCC WR |
| 22.10 | 262 | Swoope, Erik IND TE |
| 23.03 | 267 | Bears, Chicago CHI Def |
| 24.10 | 286 | Rogers, Eli PIT WR |
| 25.03 | 291 | Henderson, Carlos DEN WR (R) |
| 26.10 | 310 | Barth, Connor CHI PK |
| 27.03 | 315 | Williams, Chad ARI WR (R) |
| 28.10 | 334 | Kaepernick, Colin FA* QB |
Overall Strategy
All In on the Rookie Running Backs
Best Pick(s)
Ezekiel Elliott (1.03, RB3) Elliott has been falling into the mid-first in many recent drafts due to the uncertainty regarding a possible suspension. While it is understandable to seek safety with someone like Antonio Brown at 1.03, Elliott remains the best choice. His upside is through the roof. Not only is he an elite talent running behind the league’s best line, but his passing game usage is expected to increase in year two. He could miss a game or two and still outscore the top receivers. Plus, the depth at receiver makes it easier to fill the position with quality options in the mid-late rounds. If it’s close, lean towards drafting an RB over a WR early.
Worst Pick(s)
Russell Wilson (5.03, QB4) The uncertainty surrounding Andrew Luck’s health makes Wilson a reasonable choice as the fourth quarterback off the board. But he probably would have made it back around to Matt’s selection in the sixth round and was a reach at 5.03. Quarterbacks like Cam Newton in the 9th round or Kirk Cousins in the 10th were much better values with similar upside. With the depth of the quarterback position, it makes more sense to wait until the 8th-11th rounds and grab a pair of top-20 passers.
Evaluation
Matt went all-in on the rookie runners, using 2nd andc3rd round picks on Leonard Fournette and Joe Mixon. One of the hottest debates on fantasy twitter is whether the rookie running backs have shot up draft boards too high in recent weeks. Some would argue that Mixon at 3.03 is a reach. If you believe one or more of the top four rookie backs (Fournette, Mixon, Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook) are elite talents that can make an immediate fantasy impact, don’t be scared to take your shot and grab them early. If you don’t, someone else will. The Elliott/Fournette/Mixon start to the draft carries risk, but the upside is immense and worth rolling the dice on. If Mixon and Fournette both hit, this team could be tough to beat.