Quarterbacks are a key element in drafts this year. There are a lot of very good ones, so you’ve got to be careful where you pick them. There definitely will be some good values at this position. I had a chance to do some field research on this topic in a best-ball draft on the FootballGuys.com website last week.
This is a 12-team league. It’s PPR scoring, with 3 WRs and a flex, along with 2 RB, and one at the other positions – QB, TE, Def. There are no kickers. Teams select 20 players, and there are no roster moves. What you pick is what you get, and your starting lineup is automatically tabulated each week.
Going into this draft, my focus was to grab lots of pass catchers. In this kind of format, I expect most teams (definitely mine) will be starting 4 WR most weeks. And players at that position tend to do a better job than running backs at staying healthy.
Quarterbacks, I think, don’t matter so much. Give me any two of the top 20, I figure, and the team should be fine.
I picked from the 9th spot, and things unfolded for me nicely. I was hoping Kareem Hunt would still be there at pick 1.09, and he was. I wasn’t crazy about selecting Keenan Allen at 2.04 (missed Michael Thomas by one pick, and I might have picked him at 1.09 if Hunt hadn’t been there). I followed that up with three more wide receivers.
I was watching others to gauge when I might have to move on a quarterback. I was able to squeeze in two more receivers I like at 9.09 and 10.04, then I figured I’d better at long last address the quarterback position. I went with Philip Rivers and Alex Smith in the 11th and 12th. Both of these guys are among my top 6, in part because this league also subtracts 2 points for each interception.
There was one other quarterback in my top 20 who lasted all the way until 16.04. It bugged me to see Andy Dalton sitting there, so I took him as well as an insurance policy. I was planning to select only two quarterbacks, but he was just too good to pass up.
A bunch of quarterbacks went much earlier, including Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz, but I’m very comfortable with what I have at the position. In general, I think the best route at the quarterback position this year is to wait, making sure you really like the value you’re getting with who you’re picking.
| FOOTBALLGUYS BEST-BALL DRAFT | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick | Pos | Tm | Player |
| 1.09 | RB | KC | Kareem Hunt |
| 2.04 | WR | LAC | Keenan Allen |
| 3.09 | WR | OAK | Amari Cooper |
| 4.04 | WR | PIT | JuJu Smith-Schuster |
| 5.09 | WR | TEN | Corey Davis |
| 6.04 | TE | MIN | Kyle Rudolph |
| 7.09 | RB | NE | James White |
| 8.04 | RB | IND | Marlon Mack |
| 9.09 | WR | PHI | Nelson Agholor |
| 10.04 | WR | SEA | Tyler Lockett |
| 11.09 | QB | LAC | Philip Rivers |
| 12.04 | QB | WAS | Alex Smith |
| 13.09 | RB | PHI | Corey Clement |
| 14.04 | RB | PIT | James Conner |
| 15.09 | D | HOU | Houston |
| 16.04 | QB | CIN | Andy Dalton |
| 17.09 | RB | SEA | Chris Carson |
| 18.04 | D | TEN | Tennessee |
| 19.09 | WR | IND | Ryan Grant |
| 20.04 | TE | SEA | Ed Dickson |
I wasn’t sure how to handle the final two rounds in this draft. One option was to select both of Baltimore’s rookie tight ends. The Ravens ranked 3rd in tight end receptions last year, so I’m sure either Hayden Hurst or Mark Andrews will significantly outperform where they’re selected. (Neither of those guys was even drafted). But closing with two tight ends would have locked me out of selecting Ryan Grant, whom I like as a seventh receiver.
I also considered Michael Roberts, who could be a sneaky breakout-type guy for the Lions. Roberts was a red zone machine in his final season at Toledo, scoring 16 touchdowns (5 more than teammate Kareem Hunt). But I went the safe route with Ed Dickson, who I’m certain will be starting for Seattle.
—Ian Allan