Aug. 14, 2014.
This is a standard 2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft I took part in with 11 other members of the forum and followers on Twitter. As usual, I’ll have analysis of my picks, as well as the best and worst selections from each two rounds. In a new addition this year, David Wipperman (forum member Ragnarok, a.k.a. Rags) will break down the best and worst teams from the mock draft.
Just a heads up that we have 2014 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts every Wednesday evening. Check out the fantasy mock draft thread for details.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: I have to drop Demaryius Thomas in my rankings. Not because I don’t think highly of him or anything, but because he has terrible synergy with Montee Ball. Both players are in the 10-15 range, and getting both of them is not a promising situation. I hate having running backs and receivers from the same team. I took Thomas without thinking, so I was stuck with taking a receiver again in 2.03, which I didn’t want to do after last week’s mock. If I had to do this over, I’d go A.J. Green or Dez Bryant at 1.10, followed by Ball at 2.03.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: I’ll give ghdvc credit for taking Ball. I’m also a big fan of Antonio Brown, Giovani Bernard and Jordy Nelson at the end of the second round. There’s great value with them there.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 1-2: Two players atop my updated Fantasy Football Busts list went in the first round: Marshawn Lynch and Demarco Murray. Lynch is almost guaranteed to have regression, while Murray can’t ever stay healthy.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: I as hoping for Zac Stacy, Andre Ellington, Julius Thomas or Drew Brees to fall to me. None of them did. This is why you don’t want to draft toward the end this year. All of the value is atop Round 3.
Ryan Mathews is a decent starting running back if healthy, but he probably won’t last. At least Andrew Luck will be dependable.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: I mentioned Stacy, Ellington, Thomas and Brees. All were great picks, as were Alshon Jeffery, Vincent Jackson and Randall Cobb.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 3-4: Reggie Bush is also in my bust list. He just sucks. C.J. Spiller and Toy Gerhart will give their fantasy owners headaches this year. At least Gerhart isn’t being chosen in the third round anymore.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: My second and third running backs. Stevan Ridley is risky because he can disappear if he fumbles, but he’s an OK gamble at the end of the fifth round. Maurice Jones-Drew, meanwhile, rests atop my Fantasy Football Sleepers list.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: I wanted Lamar Miller, but Comma Chameleon stole him away from me. I also would have considered Marques Colston at 6.03 if I wasn’t hurting for a running back.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 5-6: I can’t get behind Frank Gore in the fifth round. He was awful last year, and his touches will just continue to drop. However, the worst pick in these two rounds should stick out. Brandin Cooks!? I like Cooks’ long-term outlook, but he is a mega reach in the middle of the sixth frame.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: I have Dennis Pitta ranked near a bunch of tight ends who went in this round, so I guess I’m getting decent value for him. As for Reggie Wayne, I’m fine with him as my WR3/flex. He’s reportedly healthy coming off last year’s injury.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: The tight end I actually wanted here was Kyle Rudolph. I would have considered Terrance Williams as well. However, I was angriest when both Steven Jackson and Bernard Pierce went off the board. I wanted either of them, but opted for Pitta at 7.10 because neither PLEB nor “y” had a tight end. So much for that strategy.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 7-8: What’s up with the rookie receivers going so early? Taking Sammy Watkins in the seventh round is not a good idea. As with Brandin Cooks, Watkins should be a very good player down the road, but not so much this year.
Meanwhile, I’d harp on Chris Johnson being a wasted pick again, but I feel like I’ve written about that a billion times this summer.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: I was set to take Terrance West and then Khiry Robinson… and then the computer, picking for gdhvc, selected the former. I went with Robinson instead, but couldn’t figure out whom to select in Round 10 in time. The first name I saw was Mark Ingram. I don’t think that’s a terrible choice, given how great he looked in the preseason opener, but I’d prefer Christine Michael. If this were a real draft, I would’ve had my sleepers page open as a reminder.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: Zac Price deserves credit for Michael, and I suppose the computer should be praised for West. Otherwise, I liked the Darren McFadden pick. Russell Wilson also provides good value. Meanwhile, Carlos Hyde is growing on me. “G” took him as a handcuff for Frank Gore, but Hyde could end up having a big season.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 9-10: Again with the rookie receivers going too early. Kelvin Benjamin should not be a ninth-round pick. Knowshon Moreno, meanwhile, shouldn’t be going in the 10th. He may not even make the team.
Going with a defense here is a bad idea, by the way. You should be rotating your defenses unless you’re in a pay-per-transaction league.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: I really wanted Kenny Britt in the 11th round, but Leelee robbed me. Cecil Shorts is hurt, but he could produce WR3-type numbers once he gets healthy. Andre Holmes is Matt Schaub’s favorite receiver.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: Leelee’s Britt choice, of course. I was also a fan of Justin Hunter. Again, if I had my sleepers page open, I may have considered him over Shorts.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 11-12: Marvin Jones won’t be around until Week 5 or so, which means he’s a wasted pick in the 12th round. That’s the only selection I hated.
MY PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: I missed out on my favorite backup quarterbacks, so I had to settle for Ryan Tannehill. That’s not a bad consolation, considering how fantastic he looked in the preseason opener. Defense, kicker, whatever.
BEST PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: Looking for players with upside, Lance Dunbar really sticks out because of DeMarco Murray’s poor durability. Tyler Eifert could be a good pick as well with Marvin Jones hurt.
WORST PICKS, ROUNDS 13-15: Players with no upside in these rounds include James Jones (he’s had an awful offseason), as well as Jimmy Garoppolo, though Leelee chose him because he’s handsome (in her words; not mine, I swear).
My Fantasy Team:
QB – Andrew Luck, Colts
RB – Ryan Mathews, Chargers
RB – Stevan Ridley, Patriots
WR – Demaryius Thomas, Broncos
WR – A.J. Green, Bengals
RB/WR – Maurice Jones-Drew, Raiders
TE – Dennis Pitta, Ravens
K – Mason Crosby, Packers
DEF – Rams Defense
BN – Reggie Wayne, WR, Colts
BN – Khiry Robinson, RB, Saints
BN – Mark Ingram, RB, Saints
BN – Cecil Shorts, WR, Jaguars
BN – Andre Holmes, WR, Raiders
BN – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Dolphins
I’m still kicking myself over the aforementioned blunder I had at the end of the first round. I’m going to drop Demaryius Thomas just because of that. At any rate, my running backs are weak, but I’m pretty solid everywhere else. I’m not a huge fan of this team, but I don’t hate it either.
Best and Worst Fantasy Teams:
By David Wipperman (Rags)
Not available this week.
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