League Overview

This is my entry into the Thunderdome Fantasy Football League. It’s my fourth season in this league and I finished in fourth place last season.

This is a sixteen team league and we roster 2 QBs, 4 RBs, 4 WRs, 2 TEs, 2 Ks, 2 Team Defenses & 2 LBs. We only draft 16 rounds, plus a keeper, meaning one roster spot is left open, it’s the team owner’s choice what that spot is, but most of us leave the second LB spot open to fill on the waiver wire.

The keeper can be any player from the previous season. It doesn’t count as a draft pick unless we decide to keep the same player two years in a row, then it costs you the first round pick.

We utilize a ladder draft system, meaning the team that picks first in a particular round, picks 16th the next round and every other team moves up one slot.

My Draft

I finished fourth last season, which gave me the 13th overall pick.

Keeper- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

Round 1- Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Round 2- Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Round 3- Luther Burden III, WR, Chicago Bears

Round 4- Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

Round 5- Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Round 6- Oronde Gadsden, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

Round 7- Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Round 8- Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans

Round 9- Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Tennessee Titans

Round 10- Chase McLaughlin, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Round 11- Cam Ward, QB, Tennessee Titans

Round 12- New York Giants Defense

Round 13- Tre Harris, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Round 14- Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns

Round 15- Tyler Bass, K, Buffalo Bills

Round 16- Tennessee Titans Defense

Running Backs

Running back is my number one priority in every fantasy draft. I feel it’s the most important position in fantasy football. RBs can score nearly as much as WRs and it’s not nearly as deep a talent pool. On top of that, there is a limited number of true workhorse running backs. I think it’s important to draft a minimum of two running backs before the end of the fourth round in any draft.

That being said, the presence of Gibbs as my keeper lessened the need for me to draft a running back in the first round. I considered a WR with the 13th pick, but after Detroit‘s Amon-Ra St. Brown & Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb went with the 11th & 12th picks, there were none I was interested in at that point.

TE was another consideration, but I had hopes of landing Chicago’s Colston Loveland in the second or third round, so I passed and went with the top RB on my board, Chase Brown.

I’m quite happy with the RB duo of Gibbs and Brown. Both are dual threats out of the backfield and the clear lead backs for their respective teams.

There is, however, one problem. They both have a week 6 bye. This made it important to target two more running backs in rather short order.

Taking Zach Charbonnet in the fifth round may not solve my bye week conundrum, since he might not return from his ACL injury in time. The value, however, was too good to pass up. Charbonnet should be back up to full speed in time for the fantasy playoff push, which coincides with the time that rookie running backs hit the proverbial wall. Charbonnet’s only competition for touches, when healthy, is rookie Jadarian Price.

Woody Marks was also good value in the 8th round. He’ll split carries with David Montgomery, but Marks is the Houston back with the higher upside.

Overall, I’m pleased with my running backs. If I can survive the week 6 bye and if Charbonnet makes it back on the field sooner rather than later, this should be a solid group.

Tight Ends

I was targeting Colston Loveland, which is why I didn’t strongly consider Trey McBride or Brock Bowers in the first round. Unfortunately, this league has four other Bears fans besides me. Loveland was the first TE off the board with the sixth pick in the second round.

I was considering a WR in the second round, but once McBride went with the tenth pick, I focused on Bowers. The drop off in production, coupled with the rise of risk in the next tier of TEs, compelled me to go with Bowers.

I had Bowers last season, when healthy he is a monster. Fully capable of finishing the season as TE1.

I really wanted a second WR before getting a second TE, but the board didn’t fall my way. One lesson I’ve learned is that I shouldn’t be averse to using a TE as my flex play.

I felt that Oronde Gadsden was the best player on the board when I went on the clock in the sixth round. It didn’t hurt that I had already drafted his QB, which gives me a chance of doubling down on some TDs.

This is my strongest position group, as both my tight ends are starting caliber, with Bowers being truly elite if he stays healthy. I will probably start both many weeks.

Wide Receivers

It’s not that I don’t value WRs, it’s that I think the position group is deeper than the others. I considered WR in both the first and second round, but I opted for other positions that offered greater value.

I really like Luther Burden III, not just because I’m a Bears fan, but because he showed great promise as the season wore on. I think he’s due for a breakout. I’m not sure having him as my WR1 is the wisest decision, since his value is mostly due to my own projections AND he’s been dealing with a groin injury in the preseason.

I desperately needed a WR2 when I went on the clock in the seventh round. Luckily, there was still a WR available that I felt had considerable upside. Xavier Worthy has high end WR2 potential, though he may have to operate without Patrick Mahomes for part of the season.

The eighth and ninth rounds saw the start of the team defense and kicker runs, but I resisted the urge to join both because I needed another RB, which I got by taking Woody Marks in the eighth, and I still only had two WRs. I got my third in the ninth round.

I targeted Wan’Dale Robinson with the plan of adding his QB as my backup in a later round. Robinson won’t be a WR1, but he can give me some good weeks and could become a solid WR2.

The fourth WR I took was an upside gamble, but one that pairs with my QB1. Tre Harris looks unlikely to garner any starts for me, right now, but if he realizes his potential, this could end up being a very good pick.

WR is easily my weakest position group, but that was partly by design. I think receivers are the easiest position to find and upgrade on the waiver wire, if needed. There is potential in my WR group, but I will have my eye on waivers every week.

Quarterbacks

I had Justin Herbert on my roster last season, and he had a good season for me, so I wasn’t hesitant to draft him again. I had to go quarterback in the fourth round, or risk having to make a bad choice in the sixth. I’m happy with Herbert.

Cam Ward in the eleventh round was a package deal with Wan’Dale Robinson. Tennessee has a favorable matchup during Herbert’s bye week and Ward offers the upside that I like to target in later rounds.

I like my QBs, Herbert is a solid starter and Ward has upside to go along with a favorable matchup in the one week I will definitely need him.

Kickers

My opinion of the value of kickers has been improving over the last few years. I used to think a kicker was a kicker. It was the last position I filled every year. Then, fifty yard field goals became normal.

This league used to greatly reward kickers that hit fifty yard field goals, maybe too much. The rules were tweaked a bit for this season, but it still pays to have a kicker with a big leg.

I might have considered going with a kicker earlier than the tenth round if I didn’t think I had needs at RB & WR. I considered it a stroke of luck that Chase McLaughlin was still on the board. He tied for the league lead in made 50 yard field goals last season.

In a smaller league, I’d never roster a second kicker, but it’s a necessity here. The main caveat for my backup kicker is having a different bye week than my first kicker. After that, I look for a big legged kicker on a good offense. Buffalo’s Tyler Bass fit the bill, for me.

Kickers won’t make or break a fantasy football season, but a good kicker can win you a game or two. McLaughlin has the leg to steal a game or two for me.

Team Defense

In contrast to kickers, my opinion of the value of team defenses in fantasy football has plummeted. In a smaller league, I’d just draft a defense based on week one matchup and stream defenses throughout the season. I can’t do that in a 16 team league, I need to roster two defenses and hope for the best.

The run on defenses started in the eighth round, and I stayed out of it until the twelfth round. I didn’t get an elite fantasy defense, but I think the New York Giants have the potential to rack up a lot of sacks.

With my last pick in the draft I selected the Tennessee Titans defense. On paper, this isn’t a good defense, but new head coach Robert Saleh has been a defensive wizard over the years, and I think he could coax some improvement out of them.

Team defense isn’t one of the strengths of my team, but that was by design. By neglecting the position, I think I made other positions stronger and I think that will have more of an effect on my season than having an elite fantasy defense.

Linebacker

This is little more than a throwaway position, though the LB can spell the difference between a win or a loss in a close matchup. Even still, I place little value here and it’s the last position I draft. I have to have all my starters in place before I even consider taking a LB.

I was quite happy to land Carson Schwesinger as my LB. He had a great rookie season and seems poised to be among the league leaders in tackles, which is all you can hope for in fantasy football.

I have one roster spot available and that is allocated for a second LB. I’ll probably wait a week or two into the season before adding one, though.

Roster Review

I liked my draft. I think I set myself up well to make another playoff run. Justin Herbert, Jahmyr Gibbs & Brock Bowers return for another season with the Trash Pandas, hopefully Bowers can stay healthy.

My wide receiver group is weak, weaker than I thought last season’s was coming out of the draft, but that group greatly disappointed. There’s upside there, but I’m going to be keeping an eye on the waiver wire.