Ian Allan answers your fantasy football questions. Special ginormous August edition -- the largest mailbag of the year. Why is Tom Brady overrated? Why no love for DeSean Jackson? What kind of fool would select a New England running back? And is Dalvin Cook the best of the rookies? Ian has all the answers (or at least thinks he does).
Question 1
I am in a 12-team dynasty league that is basically TD with very light yardage and I have the #1 overall pick. I have seen you list Cook and Fournette very close in your standings. If you were in my shoes who would you take?
Damon Duhon (Baton Rouge, LA)
I would select Cook. I like that he’s a factor as both a pass catcher and a runner, and I think he has a better chance for a long career. With his playing style, I don’t expect him to take as many punishing hits. Fournette is constantly looking to run people over, and it’s tough to keep those kind of backs healthy. But I would also recognize that it’s hard to successfully convert a No. 1 pick. If you take Cook, he needs to not only be better than Fournette, he must also be better than Joe Mixon, Christian McCaffrey, Corey Davis, Kareem Hunt, O.J. Howard, Mike Williams, and all the rest. I would select Cook, but if I could choose either Cook or the best of the other 11 players who’ll be chosen in the first round in your draft, I would take the field.
Question 2
Why no love for DeSean Jackson? You're latest rankings have him listed at #60, which seems about 20 spots too low. Behind Evans, shouldn't he be the team’s second most targeted receiver? I would think he has a good shot at 1000 yards and 6+ TDs in a pass friendly offense, production that I find hard to believe 59 other receivers are capable of.
JIM DILORENZO (Grand Rapids, MI)
No. They’ve got a ton of capable pass catchers. Mike Evans is the clear No. 1, and maybe even the best wide receiver in the entire league. Cameron Brate is a really clever pass catcher, particularly in the red zone. O.J. Howard is a wild card, but they could start getting him involved – in both of their preseason games, Howard has gotten red zone looks. Adam Humphries is an average slot receiver; he’ll see some balls. And they’ve got backs who can catch. So I’m very confident that Jackson in many games will be primarily a field-stretching decoy. They’ll run him primarily on deep routes, and he’ll hit some long plays, but he won’t be a consistent, heavily used option. They definitely won’t use him much at all in the red zone, which is the way it’s been with him everywhere he’s played. I am very confident he’ll finish short of 1,000 yards. I saw HARD KNOCKS the other night, and Jackson was pissed. He was livid that he had gone most of the day or practice and had seen only one ball. He was really frustrated, and was letting an assistant coach know about it. I would expect Jackson to be overdrafted in fantasy leagues.
Question 3
I'm skeptical of your Tom Brady ranking. He is 40, so a decline seems likely either this year or next based on the history of QBs older than 40. And I think we saw that in the Super Bowl. He had two weeks to prepare for an obviously crucial game against a bottom tier defense, and he only led his team to three points in the first three quarters while also throwing a pick-six. And watching the game, he repeatedly missed open receivers and took unnecessary sacks. Are you certain his decline won't come this year?
DAVID GARRICK (Coronado, CA)
I didn’t think he was terrible. Passed for 466 yards and 2 TDs. I haven’t seen a physical decline. Unlike Peyton Manning, where there was a noticeable lack of arm strength in his final few seasons, Brady is still making all the throws. And he’s got a remarkable cast around him. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t throw at least 36 touchdowns. Pass on him at your own peril.
Question 4
You've had Mike Gillislee rated as a potentially undervalued pick on draft day, and I see that he did return to practice this week. But his hamstring injury, the steady play of Rex Burkhead and the continued presence of Dion Lewis and James White show why it's fool's gold to draft any of those players before the seventh or eighth rounds. Gillislee will no doubt have his moments -- but so will Burkhead, Lewis and White because the Patriots change game plans and personnel from week to week. The only sure things on the Patriots' offense are Brady, Gronk (when healthy) and Gostkowski. Thoughts?
Paul Owers (Lake Worth, FL)
I don’t buy into the chameleon game plans narrative. The Patriots scored 19 rushing touchdowns last year; Blount scored all but one of them. James White was their passing-downs back for every game. Seems pretty consistent to me. Only question, I think, is whether Gillislee is good enough and durable enough to plug into that role. If he’s not, then it becomes more of the interchangeable parts offense that you fear.
Question 5
Which receiver in a ppr league should I take. Sammy Watkins or Keenan Allen?
Michael Forsberg ()
Keenan Allen, and I don’t think it’s close. If he can stay healthy (and I see no reason to believe he won’t) he might catch 80 passes. With Watkins, I think they might use him more as a deep threat, and I’m not confident how often they’ll be able to connect with him on those plays. This might sound strange, but in a PPR league – which is what you’re playing – I’m kind of thinking Cooper Kupp will finish with better numbers than Sammy Watkins. Kupp and Jared Goff definitely have a rapport, and I’m thinking the youngster will be catching 5-6 passes in a lot of games.
Question 6
In your 8-21 cheat sheet, Christian McCaffrey is projected with 15.4 FPG, which is third among running backs in that category. Overall rank, however, is 15th. Can you explain the reasoning for that wide of a ranking gap?
MIKE KOCIS (Jefferson Hills, PA)
McCaffrey has a two-tiered projection. The 15.4 number is what I expect he’ll do when he’s in a starting, featured role. Note that he’s projected to be in that role for two games this year. He’s not putting up the 15.4 until Jonathan Stewart gets hurt. In the other 14 weeks of the season, I’ve got McCaffrey at 8.6 points per game, where he’s a time-share back. For running backs, look not only at the projected points per game, but also at the projected number of starts. For second-string backs – Jonathan Williams, Tevin Coleman – you’re looking not at what they’re doing every week, but what they’ll do if the other guy gets hurt.
Question 7
I'm in two leagues that score passing, catching, and running TDs as six points. Given that what do you think about drafting a QB early?
Karl Scheel (Ingleside, IL)
Makes a lot of sense. When you go 6 points for TD passes, you can really hook up the offense behind a hot quarterback. In such a scoring system (in a general sense) I think you’ll see four quarterbacks chosen in the top 7 overall, and nine in the top 30. In a regular league, probably not more than six chosen in the top 30 (and even that might be pushing it). That’s just what my numbers/projections suggest is the right course.
| OVERALL TOP 30 PICKS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rk | Standard | 6-pt TDs |
| 1. | RB | RB |
| 2. | RB | QB |
| 3. | QB | RB |
| 4. | WR | QB |
| 5. | RB | WR |
| 6. | QB | QB |
| 7. | WR | QB |
| 8. | RB | RB |
| 9. | RB | WR |
| 10. | QB | RB |
| 11. | WR | RB |
| 12. | RB | WR |
| 13. | WR | RB |
| 14. | RB | WR |
| 15. | RB | QB |
| 16. | RB | RB |
| 17. | QB | RB |
| 18. | WR | RB |
| 19. | WR | QB |
| 20. | QB | WR |
| 21. | WR | WR |
| 22. | WR | WR |
| 23. | RB | WR |
| 24. | TE | RB |
| 25. | RB | TE |
| 26. | RB | RB |
| 27. | WR | QB |
| 28. | WR | RB |
| 29. | QB | QB |
| 30. | RB | QB |
Question 8
If you were talking a flyer late in a 14-team draft, half point PPR, 6 point TDs, and you could only choose between Indianapolis' Turbin or Mack, who would you take? Fantasy sites say Turbin is "having a great camp" but you know how that goes.
Trudeau Livaudais (Tuscaloosa, AL)
I noticed in the first exhibition game that Turbin looked comfortable – I was wondering if he might be their backup. He’s a good inside banger, and he knows the offense. But Mack looks like he might be special and dynamic, with his ability to make people miss. I would roll the dice on the possibility that he might develop into something. In reality, those guys probably both will play plenty this year. Could be a three-man backfield, and I would guess they’ll share time if Frank Gore breaks down (or pulls an Andre Johnson and walks up during the season). Mack is more explosive, but Turbin would be more likely to punch in 1-yard touchdowns (though the Colts probably won’t score many 1-yard touchdowns).
Question 9
DEVONTA FREEMAN HAD A CONCUSSION LAST YEAR AND NOW ANOTHER. I REALLY LIKE HIM. I'VE HAD HIM FOR 2 YEARS. AND WOULD LIKE TO REDRAFT HIM. SHOULD I BE CONCERNED? DO YOU FORSEE HIS VALUE DROPPING. MY DRAFT IS SUNDAY AT NOON. YOUR THOUGHTS. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND KNOWLEDGE.
DARREN CASTILLO ()
I START GETTING WORRIED WHEN PLAYERS HAVE SUFFERED MULTIPLE CONCUSSIONS. IT MAKES ME WORRY THAT THEY MIGHT BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE THAN OTHER PLAYERS. BUT I’M NOT READY TO PUT FREEMAN IN THE HIGH-RISK GROUP. HE MADE IT THROUGH ALL OF LAST YEAR WITHOUT ANY INJURIES (HE MISSED ONE GAME PREVIOUSLY WITH A CONCUSSION, BUT IT WAS BACK IN 2015).
Question 10
TD-only keeper league. At RB, I have Blount & Howard. At WR, I have Dez and Thomas (NO). Which two would you keep? I was leaning toward Howard & Dez.
Henry Brooks (Tampa, FL)
Blount might score a bunch of touchdowns, but he also could quickly fall out of favor – an old, fat, slow guy that might not fit their offense. A couple of area publications are wondering if he’ll even make the team. Maybe 10-12 TDs, but maybe not even on an NFL roster in October. So he’s out. Howard is a young, up-and-coming back, but he’s playing on a lesser team. He scored only 7 TDs in the 13 games he started last year, and three of those were in a bad-weather game against a really bad and disinterested San Francisco team that had by far the league’s worst run defense. So I’m thinking I’d go with the two upper-level receivers.
Question 11
10-team league. All TDs worth 6 points. Which player would be best for #3 pick: Aaron Rodgers, LeVeon Bell, or Antonio Brown? David Johnson will be picked first. In 20 year history of league, exactly zero teams have won league after selecting QB in 1st round.
P M (Undisclosed Location - Central Asia , AE)
You’ve got the four guys correctly identified. Johnson-Bell-Brown-Rodgers. That’s the way I grade it. With 6 points for TD passes, I’m not opposed to selecting a quarterback in the first round. With that kind of scoring system, you get a quarterback who’s throwing 40-plus touchdowns and it can really make a difference. You quote the cute stat about no team selecting a quarterback in the first round ever winning the thing, but I would be more interested in seeing the documentation of how teams have fared with quarterbacks who had a hand in at least 40 touchdowns. When Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees have had big seasons, how have those teams done?
Question 12
I noticed you guys are very high on Freeman this year. What do you see that places him up so far - for a back in a committee?
JAMES KIRER (Plainfield, IL)
Almost every running back is in a committee of some short. Freeman will get plenty of carries, and he’s also heavily involved as a pass catcher. The Falcons ran the ball on 11 plays at the 1-yard line last year, and Freeman had all 11 of those carries. Over the last two years, he’s averaged 106 total yards per game (3rd-most in the league), with 26 TDs in 29 games (2nd-most in the league). There’s Johnson and Bell, and then Freeman is very much in the conversation.
Question 13
Could you update some of your sleepers and busts from your magazine? For example, Paul Perkins was one of your sleepers back in May, but so far he has been unimpressive and his offensive line isn't very good, so is he still a sleeper? Just curious if you've updated your sleeper/bust list by adding or removing any players. I usually end up trying to get these players in my drafts.
Jason Howes (Stewartville, MN)
Agreed that Perkins now looks more like a player to avoid rather than a player to target. I am also cooler on Pierre Garcon. I was thinking he would catch 85-plus balls, but he’s been quiet in the preseason. Marquise Goodwin has looked like their better, more complete receiver. I’m not pulling the plug on Garcon (I still have him well above Goodwin) but would be reassuring to see him catch a handful of balls on Sunday night.
Question 14
In a dynasty football league setting, who would be better: Jamison Crowder or Tyreek Hill?
Chris Erickson ()
Hill. I like his explosiveness, and I think they’re really going to try to get him the ball. I think the quarterback situation might also be better – Patrick Mahomes looks like he’s for real, while Kirk Cousins has had some issues with closing drives (and might not even be with that team next year).
Question 15
As always, thanks for the great product. I'm interested in the last bastion of "bell-cow" backs. Who are your top ten?
Phil Eichorn (Rocky River, OH)
For a bell-cow back, I’m looking for 20-plus touches per game. I’m looking for backs who stay out there on pretty much every down. I don’t think there are 10 of them. There’s David Johnson, LeVeon Bell, Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon. That’s five. Maybe Jay Ajayi and Dalvin Cook. I would have called Jordan Howard a bell-cow back a week ago, but I think the Bears are serious about mixing in Tarik Cohen as a speedy change-of-pace option.
Question 16
Should I follow the cheat sheet calculated for Yahoo public 1 to 200 rank, or use the PPR rankings. The 30 rankings for calculated for Yahoo public is different than the first 35 rankings in the PPR scoring. My first 4 drafts are bad. Comments by Yahoo on my teams have placed me to finish 9 or 12th.
Dennis Burke (Mesa, AZ)
In early July each year, I look at the league requirements for all of the different setups – NFL.com, Yahoo, ESPN, etc. – looking at how many will be drafted at each position. Using that data, I set the supply-demand numbers. (That is, the number of players chosen at each position, and how many of those guys should be made a priority.) Those figures can be looked at (and adjusted) in the auction section of the scoring profile (in the custom rankings area). So those are the ones to use. The PPR rankings you’re seeing in the pdf file each week are geared more to a generic PPR ranking. In a broad sense, they would assume more players being drafted overall, with each team starting 2 RB and 3 WR each week. As far as Yahoo panning your teams, I can’t speak to that. Not sure what the criticisms are. I would assume that you’re drafting many players that we’ve identified as being undervalued – Larry Fitzgerald, Zach Ertz, Isaiah Crowell and Emmanuel Sanders, perhaps. The Yahoo grader doesn’t like those players and gives your team the thumbs down. That’s fine by me. At this point, I’m not trying to pick teams that are applauded by others. I’m just trying to put together the best squad I can.
Question 17
Our league has a mid-season draft after Week 7, with each team keeping 5 players from its first-half roster. Of course, everyone wants to draft players who will produce all year, but that can't always happen. Are there players you think will be particularly productive through mid-October, and others you think will be better later in the year? Obvious candidates would include players suspended for several games to start the year, and players who will fill in for them. Who else?
eric pryne (Vashon, WA)
I suppose you could pay more attention to byes. Most teams won’t have a bye in that window; they’ll be playing seven games. But the others have only six games. If you had two comparable players, I suppose it would make sense to select the one playing 14 percent more games. And you can look at schedules. For Weeks 1-7, the Dolphins and Colts project to play the easiest schedules, but those are offenses you’d probably like to avoid. More notably, the Seahawks, Patriots, Panthers and Cardinals have favorable early schedules. The Chargers, Bucs, Giants, Saints, Texans and Kansas City have the hardest early-season games. On the chart below, if a team has a bye prior to Week 8, I’ve put a black dot next to the name.
| STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Weeks 1-7) | |
|---|---|
| Team | Points |
| Miami | 25.43 |
| Indianapolis | 24.63 |
| • Seattle | 24.13 |
| New England | 23.92 |
| Carolina | 23.66 |
| Arizona | 23.48 |
| Tennessee | 23.47 |
| NY Jets | 23.44 |
| Minnesota | 23.36 |
| LA Rams | 23.35 |
| • Washington | 23.25 |
| Baltimore | 23.08 |
| • Detroit | 23.07 |
| • Dallas | 22.97 |
| • Denver | 22.91 |
| • Buffalo | 22.90 |
| • Cincinnati | 22.85 |
| Jacksonville | 22.76 |
| Philadelphia | 22.75 |
| San Francisco | 22.60 |
| Oakland | 22.52 |
| Chicago | 22.50 |
| • Atlanta | 22.43 |
| Pittsburgh | 22.37 |
| Green Bay | 22.13 |
| Cleveland | 22.05 |
| • Houston | 21.94 |
| • New Orleans | 21.72 |
| Kansas City | 21.67 |
| NY Giants | 21.21 |
| Tampa Bay | 21.07 |
| LA Chargers | 20.40 |
Question 18
I am in a 12 team PPR dynasty league. I have the 3rd pick. I am pretty sure Fournette and Mixon are going 1 and 2. I'm considering Davis and McCaffrey here. I want to know your thoughts and if possible a top-10 rookie dynasty list.
Joe Tristano (Winona, MN)
Corey Davis might be good. Or he might not even be the best rookie receiver on his own team (I think Taywan Taylor looks very good). I would be looking to select Dalvin Cook No. 1. Minnesota’s offensive line will be better (not great, but better), and I think he’ll be productive as both a runner and a pass catcher. Sam Bradford likes to check the ball down, and I think Cook will gobble up a lot of those balls – caught 4 passes in his first preseason game. If Cook is gone, I’d be mulling the other three running backs, probably going with McCaffrey.
Question 19
Curious of your thoughts on drafting Martavis Bryant? Likelihood that he will be reinstated and stay out of trouble?
Sarah Clark (Sherman Oaks, CA)
I think he looks good. I saw him make a nice downfield catch against the Falcons, and they also gave him the ball on a reverse. He's been able to stay out of trouble for a good amount of time, undergoing regular testing. Should be a productive player.
Question 20
I am in a keeper league and went all in with no keepers. The way we do it, is if you have no keepers you and other teams with less than three drafts until the fourth round. Then all teams are in the draft at that point. Therefore, I will get two of these five players if I so choose: Todd Gurley, A.J. Green, Jordan Howard, Rob Gronkowski and Dalvin Cook. Those are the five highest rated by Fantasy Index. Who should I target?
DAVID VAZQUEZ (Fort Myers, FL)
Good call. I like the look of Gurley and Cook. Both play on offenses that will be improved, and wouldn’t surprise me if both end up being top-5 players at their positions. I think I’d take them over Howard, who was great last year but isn’t much of a pass catcher, plays on a lesser team and should cede some playing time to Tarik Cohen. Not sure of the scoring system, but Gronk is one of the very best tight ends, and Green should be one of the top half-dozen wide receivers.
Question 21
I have noticed that you have moved Sanu up in your WR rankings for the past couple ranking updates. Any new insights for this increase? I'm thinking of dropping Kenny Britt for Sanu.
Chris Clay (Long Beach, CA)
Nothing earth shattering. Both Julio Jones and Taylor Gabriel have sat out the first two preseason games, and while they were out, Sanu made impressive catches. Looked pretty solid. With Gabriel being more of an unknown quantity who came up big last year, living on deep balls, it got me wondering whether Sanu might be better than him this season. Similar in value, I think, to Kenny Britt.
Question 22
I'm in 12-team, TD-only, best-ball league. What difference would adding best-ball to that sheet make in player drafting positions?
CRAIG LEEDY (Sacramento, CA)
Not a ton, I think. You want guys who are playing. Every player potentially should add an oar to the water. In a standard league, I might draft a few wide receivers and carry a lot of handcuff running backs – guys like Jonathan Williams and Branden Oliver, where you’re positioning yourself to benefit from injuries. In a best-ball format, probably fewer of those guys and more emphasis on players that you know are starting and will contribute here and there (even if they’re not that good). Guys like Taylor Gabriel, John Ross and Ted Ginn aren’t superstars, but you know they’ll hit on some long touchdowns at some point. At quarterback, kicker and defense, I would want to carry two players each – I wouldn’t want to carry three at those spots.
Question 23
Will there be a updated Dynasty rankings this week? Was wondering if you could rank the rookie running backs since there are so many. Also, which rookie running backs do you like for this season. Thanks
BRIAN ROWELL (Saint Johns, MI)
Yes. I’ve been hitting the dynasty rankings every Thursday. On the weekend product (which goes out late Sunday night) I focus on the 2017 projections. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I take some time and sift through the dynasty rankings. Those are published in the Thursday edition of the product.
Question 24
I'm in a league that awards 1 pt for every 10 RETURN yards. 6 pts per TD. Tyreek Hill was the #2 WR in this league last year. I think he is only returning punts this year? Anyway, who are my best targets this year? Looking for players who will return and also be on the field regularly. Ginn in NO? Lockett? Thanks!
Jeff Noordhoff (Indialantic, FL)
They’ve been treating Tyler Lockett with kid gloves, but when they start playing for real, I believe he’ll be returning both punts and kickoffs; that’s how he’s listed on their depth chart. Marqise Lee will start for Jacksonville, and he’ll probably return kickoffs again (545 yards last year, including a touchdown). I believe Kansas City will pull Hill off kickoff returns, and I’m not sure he’ll even be full-time on punts. Chargers have Travis Benjamin listed as the punt returner. Darren Sproles will return punts and also play as a third-down type back. The Eagles probably will use Wendell Smallwood or Nelson Agholor on kickoff returns, and those guys might also play a lot on offense. Golden Tate should return punts for the Lions. For Washington, Jamison Crowder will return punts and Chris Thompson (third-down back) will return kickoffs. Those are the guys I’d be looking at.
Question 25
Dynasty, PPR league. Rookie draft. I am rebuilding, have Winston, Prescott, Elliott, not much else. I have the first and third pick in draft. Who would you take first and what might be the two best choices at the third spot? In addition, would you trade Dak Prescott for two 2018 first rounders, which are likely to be in first half of the round best case and mid-round worst case?
Wayne Ellefson (Madison, WI)
I like the idea of trading Prescott. You’ve got two good players playing the same position, so it would be nice to move one of them for something of value. Prescott looks like he’ll be a top-10 quarterback for years, but you should be able to find/develop another one. The offer of two first-round picks is substantial. As for the picks this year, I would choose Dalvin Cook No. 1 overall. He looks like another LeSean McCoy, who’ll be productive both as a runner and a pass catcher. For the other choice, I’d be selecting one of the other running backs – Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey or Joe Mixon. I don’t see a big difference between the three. Fournette is a big, violent freight train who’ll run over some people, but I don’t know that he’ll ever catch many passes, and this is PPR. He also might have problems staying healthy. McCaffrey has been busting a lot of plays for the Panthers – also looks like he could be a McCoy-type back. Mixon has some of those qualities. I’d probably select McCaffrey today, but I could change my mind based on what I see in the third preseason games. (Fournette won’t play, but maybe something of note happens with the Panthers or Bengals.)
Question 26
I'm in a 10 team league with 16 roster spots that allows only 2 add/drops in the season (a nod to the pre-internet era). Is there a scenario where it would be advantageous to "punt" one week and go all-in on players with the same bye week (6 teams off weeks 8, 9, and 11 this season) rather than taking a wider distribution of bye weeks?
Mike Freeman ()
I think so. You’ve got limited ability to change the roster – just two moves all years. So you’ve got to make the draft picks count. When picking between players that you think are similar in value – Robert Kelley, Paul Perkins and Spencer Ware, perhaps – better to focus on the guy you actually want, rather than the one with the best bye week. Perhaps be looking to lock down some situations, rather than looking at individual players. (With the running backs, for example, perhaps choose Ware and Kareem Hunt, feeling that you’ll have Kansas City’s running back for the bulk of the 17-week season.)
Question 27
PPR league. I can keep Ty Montgomery (10th rd), Mike Crabtree (10th rd), or Dak Prescott (17th rd). I was leaning towards Montgomery but am now considering Crabtree or Dak.
DOUGLAS BROWN (Fort Gratiot, MI)
Agreed. All three guys are in play. You can either have a top-15 RB or WR for a 10th-round pick, or a top-10 quarterback in the 17th round. All are great choices, and it’s close enough that I’d want to take a look at Montgomery in his third preseason game. He’s been a little off thus far – ineffective against Philadelphia, including a fumble, and then out hurt. I’d be more comfortable with him if I saw him come out and put together a couple of good series – convincing me that he’s not going to quickly regress into being a part-time back (sharing time with Jamaal Williams).
Question 28
Keeper question. PPR league. Isaiah Crowell for a 6th or Spencer Ware for a 9th?
James Thompson (Sacramento, CA)
I like Crowell. Browns have done nicely with their offensive line, giving him a chance to maybe become a top-10 RB.
Question 29
Draft coming up Saturday. Currently rostering Crowell, but opportunity to grab McCoy. I can trade Crowell for McCoy, but to make up the difference in value I would need to give up a 2nd round for a 3rd round this year and then next year a 3rd round for a 6th. Not sure the difference is that big between the two players. Thoughts?
Adam Bergeron (Salem, NH)
I like Crowell; I think he’s for a real. McCoy is better, but I wouldn’t want to give away those valuable draft picks.
Question 30
I have the 2nd pick in a twelve team two player keeper league. I am keeping Leveon Bell and Gronk. Tight ends are valuable in this league because they get a point every six yards while RBs and WRs get a point every ten yards. This league is not PPR, but it does give more points for longer TDs. The first pick will be Fournette. I think the four rookies this year all look good. (Cook, McCaffery, and Mixon included) I think one of them may end up being special, but I'm unsure which one it will be. I'm still not sure which one I will pick. Would you trade Gronk for another first round pick? By trading I could have Bell and two of the rookies which increases my odds of drafting the best rookie RB. Starting lineups in this league include one RB, WR, and TE. You also have two RB/WR flex spots so starting 3 RBs is an option. Play for this year with Gronk or trade for the future? Also, how would you rank the rookies in this scoring format?
kevin rogers (Kenner, LA)
Agree on the four rookie running backs. They all look good. For me, I would select Cook ahead of the others – I’m comfortable with him in the No. 1 spot. I don’t see a huge amount of difference between the others. Gronkowski is healthy and ready to role. I haven’t run the stats through the custom scoring to see what he looks like relative to running backs in your unconventional scoring system, but you may want to just roll with him and try to win the league this year.
Question 31
I was thinking of keeping Jordan Reed for $16 but I think that’s too high and I can let him go and spend that money on something better. I love Reed though and when healthy he is Gronk-like. If I was to keep Reed I then would draft Vernon davis for $1.00 and keep him on my bench. Then I lose a bench spot and when the bye week comes I am kinda screwed.
michael minarik (New York, NY)
I don’t think you need to carry a handcuff tight end. If Reed gets hurt, you’ll be able to pick up a replacement tight end (Vernon Davis or somebody else) without much trouble.
Question 32
In a standard scored fantasy league, who is better: Blount from last season (who scored 225 points), or Gillislee this season?
Anuj Agarwal ()
The question appears to be, would I rather have 2016 LeGarrette Blount or 2017 Mike Gillislee? I will take Blount. He didn’t catch many passes, but he ran for 1,161 yards and 18 TDs. Even if Gillislee plays well, stays healthy and exceeds expectations, he probably won’t finish with numbers that are as good.