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Fanex Analysis Draft

Playing the end game (defenses and kickers)

I don’t understand the lack of respect for the kicker and defense positions. They’re not as important as quarterbacks and running backs. I get that. But at some point you’ve got to figure that it makes sense to pull the trigger on that position.

Case in point, this ongoing Fanex Analysis Draft. A large number of the guys in that league are determined to not select kickers and defenses until essentially forced to at the end of the draft.

That makes no sense. Little sense, at least. In the final four rounds we’re at the point where all but about 8-10 of those 48 players are going to be kickers and defenses. Does it not, then, to consider the possibility that it could be better to add the kickers and defenses just before the late-round rush?

That’s the route I went. I’m going to pick two more field players, but I’m figuring those two won’t be selected by anyone else (and if they are, the next-best alternatives are pretty similar). So I got in early on kickers and defenses.

I grabbed the No. 1 kicker on my board (Stephen Gostkowski) at 15.03 (this is a 20-round draft). At the end of the 16th round, the No. 4 kicker on my board (Steven Hauschka) was still available, so I added him as well. I then followed that with my No. 1 defense at pick 17.03, the Rams. St. Louis looks like a safe choice to rank in the top 4 in sacks, and I also think Tavon Austin is one of the top handful of kick returners; he’ll score 1-2 TDs on punt returns.

You may think it odd that I selected two kickers, but this is a no-moves and best-ball league. Carrying two is the correct move. Some owners will try to carry one kicker or one defense, but they’re wrong.

I spent a couple of hours researching this a year or two ago, trying to figure out whether one should carry one, two or even three players at those positions. I found that you get a very nice boost by carrying two, but that you don’t get much from that third player.

Case in point, Gostkowski and Hauschka. Gostkowski scored a league-high 158 points last year, while Hauschka also was good (140 points). But add them together and the total moves to 190 points for the 17 weeks. With that pair, I figure I’ll outscore most of the teams at this position by 30-50 points.

Next pick will almost certainly be a defense, where the same logic applies (more so, since the scoring is more uneven). Then I’ll close out by taking the two field players that I’m confident nobody else will select.

FANEX ANALYSIS DRAFT
PickPosNameTeam
1.01RBMatt FortePanizo
1.02RBJamaal CharlesHolm
1.03RBLeSean McCoyAllan
1.04RBAdrian PetersonAdams
1.05WRCalvin JohnsonCannon
1.06RBMarshawn LynchRito
1.07RBEddie LacyHarmon
1.08TEJimmy GrahamCahill
1.09WRA.J. GreenKellogg
1.10WRBrandon MarshallNease
1.11WRDemaryius ThomasDolfi
1.12WRDez BryantSchauf
2.01RBDeMarco MurraySchauf
2.02RBLeVeon BellDolfi
2.03WRAlshon JefferyNease
2.04RBArian FosterKellogg
2.05RBGiovani BernardCahill
2.06WRJulio JonesHarmon
2.07WRAntonio BrownRito
2.08RBDoug MartinCannon
2.09QBPeyton ManningAdams
2.10WRRandall CobbAllan
2.11WRJordy NelsonHolm
2.12QBDrew BreesPanizo
3.01RBMontee BallPanizo
3.02RBZac StacyHolm
3.03WRJulian EdelmanAllan
3.04RBReggie BushAdams
3.05TEJulius ThomasCannon
3.06WRWes WelkerRito
3.07RBAlfred MorrisHarmon
3.08RBC.J. SpillerCahill
3.09WRKeenan AllenKellogg
3.10RBBishop SankeyNease
3.11WRAndre JohnsonDolfi
3.12RBAndre EllingtonSchauf
4.01RBShane VereenSchauf
4.02WRPierre GarconDolfi
4.03RBRyan MathewsNease
4.04RBBen TateKellogg
4.05QBAaron RodgersCahill
4.06WRPercy HarvinHarmon
4.07TERob GronkowskiRito
4.08QBMatthew StaffordCannon
4.09WRDeSean JacksonAdams
4.10WRRoddy WhiteAllan
4.11WRVictor CruzHolm
4.12WRVincent JacksonPanizo
5.01WRCordarrelle PattersonPanizo
5.02WRMichael CrabtreeHolm
5.03WRLarry FitzgeraldAllan
5.04WRT.Y. HiltonAdams
5.05RBToby GerhartCannon
5.06WRMike WallaceRito
5.07WRHakeem NicksHarmon
5.08TEJordan CameronCahill
5.09TEVernon DavisKellogg
5.10RBChris JohnsonNease
5.11QBAndrew LuckDolfi
5.12WRMichael FloydSchauf
6.01WRTerrance WilliamsSchauf
6.02RBRashad JenningsDolfi
6.03RBKnowshon MorenoNease
6.04RBJoique BellKellogg
6.05RBTrent RichardsonCahill
6.06RBFrank GoreHarmon
6.07RBRay RiceRito
6.08WRJeremy MaclinCannon
6.09WRSammy WatkinsAdams
6.10RBPierre ThomasAllan
6.11QBNick FolesHolm
6.12WRTorrey SmithPanizo
7.01RBFred JacksonPanizo
7.02RBSteven JacksonHolm
7.03QBTom BradyAllan
7.04TEJordan ReedAdams
7.05RBDanny WoodheadCannon
7.06WRKendall WrightRito
7.07RBDarren SprolesHarmon
7.08QBCam NewtonCahill
7.09QBMatt RyanKellogg
7.10QBRobert Griffin IIINease
7.11TEJason WittenDolfi
7.12WRGolden TateSchauf
8.01TEGreg OlsenSchauf
8.02RBMaurice Jones-DrewDolfi
8.03WREric DeckerNease
8.04WRMike EvansKellogg
8.05WRJustin BlackmonCahill
8.06QBColin KaepernickHarmon
8.07QBTony RomoRito
8.08WRMarques ColstonCannon
8.09WRRueben RandleAdams
8.10RBStevan RidleyAllan
8.11QBRussell WilsonHolm
8.12WRReggie WaynePanizo
9.01STSeattle Panizo
9.02TEDennis PittaHolm
9.03TEKyle RudolphAllan
9.04RBTerrance WestAdams
9.05QBJay CutlerCannon
9.06RBDarren McFaddenRito
9.07WRRiley CooperDolfi
9.08WREmmanuel SandersCahill
9.09WRJustin HunterKellogg
9.10TECharles ClayNease
9.11QBPhilip RiversHarmon
9.12QBAndy DaltonSchauf
10.01QBCarson PalmerSchauf
10.02WRDeAndre HopkinsHarmon
10.03QBBen RoethlisbergerNease
10.04QBRyan TannehillKellogg
10.05WRTavon AustinCahill
10.06TEZach ErtzDolfi
10.07QBEli ManningRito
10.08WRDwayne BoweCannon
10.09RBTre MasonAdams
10.10RBLamar MillerAllan
10.11WRCecil Shorts IIIHolm
10.12TEMartellus BennettPanizo
11.01WRAnquan BoldinPanizo
11.02WRMarvin JonesHolm
11.03WRBrandin CooksAllan
11.04RBBernard PierceAdams
11.05WRDanny AmendolaCannon
11.06RBDeAngelo WilliamsRito
11.07WRKelvin BenjaminHarmon
11.08WRJordan MatthewsCahill
11.09WRBrian HartlineKellogg
11.10QBJoe FlaccoPanizo
11.11WRGreg JenningsDolfi
11.12WRKenny StillsSchauf
12.01RBChristine MichaelSchauf
12.02QBAlex SmithDolfi
12.03RBKhiry RobinsonNease
12.04RBAndre WilliamsKellogg
12.05WRJarrett BoykinCahill
12.06RBKaDeem CareyHarmon
12.07WRJosh GordonRito
12.08WRChris GivensCannon
12.09RBJeremy HillAdams
12.10WRMarkus WheatonAllan
12.11WRJames JonesHolm
12.12RBDavid WilsonPanizo
13.01PKMatt PraterPanizo
13.02TEEric EbronHolm
13.03QBSam BradfordAllan
13.04WRAaron DobsonAdams
13.05TEGarrett GrahamCannon
13.06TEHeath MillerRito
13.07TELadarius GreenHarmon
13.08WROdell BeckhamCahill
13.09WRJarvis LandryKellogg
13.10TECoby FleenerNease
13.11RBChris IvoryDolfi
13.12TEDelanie WalkerSchauf
14.01RBDexter McClusterSchauf
14.02RBCarlos HydeHarmon
14.03WRRobert WoodsNease
14.04QBTeddy BridgewaterKellogg
14.05WRDoug BaldwinCahill
14.06STSan Francisco Dolfi
14.07QBEJ ManuelRito
14.08WRJerricho CotcheryCannon
14.09WRMiles AustinAdams
14.10TEJared CookAllan
14.11RBKnile DavisHolm
14.12RBMark IngramPanizo
15.01QBRyan FitzpatrickNease
15.02RBJacquizz RodgersHolm
15.03PKStephen GostkowskiAllan
15.04TEAntonio GatesAdams
15.05PKJustin TuckerCannon
15.06PKPhil DawsonRito
15.07TEDwayne AllenHarmon
15.08QBJosh McCownCahill
15.09RBDevonta FreemanKellogg
15.10STCincinnatiNease
15.11WRSteve SmithDolfi
15.12QBJake LockerSchauf
16.01WRKenny BrittSchauf
16.02WRMarqise LeeDolfi
16.03PKBlair WalshNease
16.04TETim WrightKellogg
16.05WRCody LatimerCahill
16.06WRMarquess WilsonHarmon
16.07RBJonathan StewartRito
16.08QBGeno SmithCannon
16.09WRAndrew HawkinsAdams
16.10PKSteven HauschkaAllan
16.11QBJohnny ManzielHolm
16.12TEJermichael FinleyPanizo
17.01WRStevie JohnsonPanizo
17.02PKDan BaileyHolm
17.03STSt. Louis Allan
17.04TEJace AmaroAdams
17.05STNew England Cannon
17.06PKShayne GrahamRito
17.07STHouston Harmon
17.08PKMason CrosbyCahill
17.09STKansas City Kellogg

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index