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Andy Richardson

FanEx Draft

How deep is the running back position?

I'm participating in a FanEx Experts League draft. Ian's in one as well, the results of which he posted last week. Mine is into the 15th round, and he and I had similar draft positions (him 9th, me 8th). So interesting, I think, to see how our teams are turning out.

This is the Fanex League.. It includes three wide receivers, a flex and PPR scoring.

Ian and I agree that in this kind of league, having a couple of kick-ass wide receivers is critical. Had I been picking in the top 5, I'd probably have selected a running back, but with the 8th pick it was (I thought) an easy call to opt for the No. 1 wide receiver over the No. 7 running back. I debated a while between Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill, ultimately deciding on Adams. So I was pretty pleased to get Hill with my next pick at 2.05. Unexpected.

The problem with going this route in a draft is you're playing catchup at running back the rest of the way. When my 3rd-round pick came up, 19 running backs were off the board. I was considering Chase Edmonds or Josh Jacobs, and I don't believe there was a viable 3rd choice (I'm interested in Mike Davis, but thought I might be able to get him a round or two later). Maybe I could have gotten Edmonds a round later. Regardless, I had to go running back, and I personally like Edmonds more than Jacobs in PPR, for his role as a pass catcher, with the Raiders for some reason don't like Jacobs in. I picked Edmonds; whether or not I chose right, we'll see.

Ordinarily I wouldn't take a quarterback in Round 4, but I thought Josh Allen was too good to pass up. He went a round earlier in Ian's draft. I was thrilled to get Darrell Henderson at 5.08. He might be better than Edmonds. In Round 6 I went back to the WR pool with Brandon Aiyuk. In retrospect I could have maybe gone with Javonte Williams here, who I think will play in a busy committee with Melvin Gordon, my next pick. Gordon is a capable pass catcher, so he should be fine in PPR should I need him.

My next pick was another Bronco, Noah Fant, followed by the running back we're leaning will start in Detroit, Jamaal Williams. Straight off our board I could have taken him a couple of rounds earlier, but nobody else likes the guy. I should mention this selection occurred before Williams went out and averaged a yard per carry in Detroit's first exhibition, but whatever. He's healthy, he's getting half the work in Detroit, and a potential starting, pass-catching running back in the 9th round works for me.

From that point on it's been best available pass catchers, a backup QB with upside (Trevor Lawrence), and then a desperation running back choice who apparently is the heavy favorite to be the No. 2 for the Chargers, according to every camp report. The rest of the way I'll be looking at defense, kicker and backup running backs with a chance to do something.

In the table, my picks are in bold. Feel free to let me know where you think I messed up.

FANEX DRAFT
PkPosTmPlayer
1.01RBCARChristian McCaffrey
1.02RBNOSAlvin Kamara
1.03RBMINDalvin Cook
1.04RBTENDerrick Henry
1.05TEKCCTravis Kelce
1.06RBDALEzekiel Elliott
1.07RBGBPAaron Jones
1.08WRGBPDavante Adams
1.09RBPITNajee Harris
1.10RBNYGSaquon Barkley
1.11RBCLENick Chubb
1.12RBINDJonathan Taylor
2.01RBLACAustin Ekeler
2.02WRBUFStefon Diggs
2.03WRSEADK Metcalf
2.04RBCHIDavid Montgomery
2.05WRKCCTyreek Hill
2.06WRARIDeAndre Hopkins
2.07WRATLCalvin Ridley
2.08WRLACKeenan Allen
2.09RBWASAntonio Gibson
2.10RBCINJoe Mixon
2.11WRTENA.J. Brown
2.12RBKCCClyde Edwards-Helaire
3.01RBSEAChris Carson
3.02RBDETD'Andre Swift
3.03WRMINJustin Jefferson
3.04QBKCCPatrick Mahomes
3.05WRDALCeeDee Lamb
3.06RBBALJ.K. Dobbins
3.07RBPHIMiles Sanders
3.08RBARIChase Edmonds
3.09TELVRDarren Waller
3.10WRTBBMike Evans
3.11RBLVRJosh Jacobs
3.12WRCHIAllen Robinson
4.01WRDALAmari Cooper
4.02WRWASTerry McLaurin
4.03TESFOGeorge Kittle
4.04RBHOUDavid Johnson
4.05QBBUFJosh Allen
4.06WRLARRobert Woods
4.07WRTBBChris Godwin
4.08RBMIAMyles Gaskin
4.09TEATLKyle Pitts
4.10WRCARDJ Moore
4.11WRLARCooper Kupp
4.12QBBALLamar Jackson
5.01TEBALMark Andrews
5.02QBARIKyler Murray
5.03WRSEATyler Lockett
5.04WRPITDiontae Johnson
5.05RBATLMike Davis
5.06WRCINTee Higgins
5.07RBJACTravis Etienne
5.08RBLARDarrell Henderson
5.09WRNOSMichael Thomas
5.10QBDALDak Prescott
5.11WRTENJulio Jones
5.12QBLACJustin Herbert
6.01WRNYGKenny Golladay
6.02QBGBPAaron Rodgers
6.03RBCLEKareem Hunt
6.04WRMINAdam Thielen
6.05WRSFOBrandon Aiyuk
6.06WRPITChase Claypool
6.07QBTBBTom Brady
6.08WRCLEOdell Beckham
6.09WRCINJa'Marr Chase
6.10RBDENJavonte Williams
6.11TEDETT.J. Hockenson
6.12WRCINTyler Boyd
7.01RBNYJMichael Carter
7.02WRDENJerry Jeudy
7.03QBSEARussell Wilson
7.04RBJACJames Robinson
7.05WRPITJuJu Smith-Schuster
7.06RBNEPDamien Harris
7.07QBTENRyan Tannehill
7.08RBDENMelvin Gordon
7.09WRKCCMecole Hardman
7.10RBSFORaheem Mostert
7.11TEWASLogan Thomas
7.12TEGBPRobert Tonyan
8.01WRHOUBrandin Cooks
8.02WRDENCourtland Sutton
8.03WRCLEJarvis Landry
8.04WRMIADeVante Parker
8.05TEDENNoah Fant
8.06RBTBBRonald Jones
8.07RBSFOTrey Sermon
8.08RBTBBLeonard Fournette
8.09WRTBBAntonio Brown
8.10TEPHIDallas Goedert
8.11RBBUFZack Moss
8.12WRCARRobby Anderson
9.01WRLACMike Williams
9.02RBHOUPhillip Lindsay
9.03WRPHIDeVonta Smith
9.04WRCHIDarnell Mooney
9.05WRJACLaviska Shenault
9.06WRMIAJaylen Waddle
9.07WRATLRussell Gage
9.08RBDETJamaal Williams
9.09RBWASJ.D. McKissic
9.10WRJACMarvin Jones
9.11RBGBPAJ Dillon
9.12RBARIJames Conner
10.01TEMIAMike Gesicki
10.02WRLVRHenry Ruggs
10.03RBINDNyheim Hines
10.04RBLARXavier Jones
10.05WRDALMichael Gallup
10.06WRJACD.J. Chark
10.07TELARTyler Higbee
10.08WRSFODeebo Samuel
10.09QBATLMatt Ryan
10.10WRWASCurtis Samuel
10.11WRNYJCorey Davis
10.12WRMIAWill Fuller
11.01TENYGEvan Engram
11.02WRBALRashod Bateman
11.03RBLVRKenyan Drake
11.04TENEPJonnu Smith
11.05QBMINKirk Cousins
11.06TETBBRob Gronkowski
11.07TEDALBlake Jarwin
11.08TEMINIrv Smith
11.09RBNEPRhamondre Stevenson
11.10RBNEPJames White
11.11QBLARMatthew Stafford
11.12TEPHIZach Ertz
12.01WRBUFEmmanuel Sanders
12.02TELACJared Cook
12.03TEPITEric Ebron
12.04QBPHIJalen Hurts
12.05WRNOSMarquez Callaway
12.06RBBUFDevin Singletary
12.07RBDALTony Pollard
12.08RBBALGus Edwards
12.09RBPHIBoston Scott
12.10QBCINJoe Burrow
12.11WRINDT.Y. Hilton
12.12WRINDMichael Pittman
13.01RBNOSLatavius Murray
13.02RBTBBGiovani Bernard
13.03TENOSAdam Trautman
13.04PKKCCHarrison Butker
13.05QBWASRyan Fitzpatrick
13.06WRLVRBryan Edwards
13.07WRNOSTreQuan Smith
13.08QBJACTrevor Lawrence
13.09WRNYGDarius Slayton
13.10WRBUFCole Beasley
13.11D/STLARRams D/ST
13.12PKBALJustin Tucker
14.01D/STTBTampa Bay D/ST
14.02PKBUFTyler Bass
14.03D/STINDColts D/ST
14.04QBPITBen Roethlisberger
14.05RBLACJustin Jackson
14.06WRNYJElijah Moore
14.07QBSFOTrey Lance
14.08D/STWASWashington D/ST
14.09WRARIChristian Kirk
14.10RBCARChuba Hubbard
14.11RBMINAlexander Mattison
14.12WRBALMarquise Brown
15.01QBCHIJustin Fields
15.02WRGBPRandall Cobb
15.03QBCLEBaker Mayfield
15.04RBTENDarrynton Evans
15.05RBSEARashaad Penny
15.06WRBUFGabriel Davis

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