Fantasy Football Forum - Week 1

Each week, we’re setting aside this space for all things fantasy football related. You have a tough start/sit decision? Bring it here. You want to brag about a longshot that paid off? Head to the comments. Did you suffer a bad beat because a kicker made 7 field goals against you? Post your sob story. Advice is free and of course remember the rule - you get what you pay for.

The fourth of my four fantasy football leagues is a live auction draft during the first game of the season. It’s a great wrap to the fantasy draft season and a solid way to kick off the football season. I was vaguely aware of a sloppy football game going on around me as I waded through an ever-shifting market of slot receivers and goal line backs. As the dust settles on my draft season, I see a few names on multiple teams - surely a sign that these are the guys who will make or break my fantasy year.

Michael Thomas shows up on three of my squads. I’ve made no secret of my love of Thomas and a slightly different draft position in the WCG league would have made it a perfect 4 for 4. He’s a threat to finish as the #1 WR. His teammate, Alvin Kamara, shows up on two of my squads as a keeper. He is central to my early advantage in both of those leagues.

Derrick Henry, Dion Lewis, and Marcus Mariota show up on two squads each. I mentioned on Lester’s podcast, T-Formation Conversation, that I was in on the Titans for a rebound year. Mariota is just a backup in those two leagues but I’ll be counting on production from Henry and Lewis. I nabbed Corey Davis in just one league, but I think that’s a sneaky good selection.

I have former Bear Greg Olsen on two squads - he was a disaster last year coming back from injury so this is a bit of a hope that he’ll return to his former productive self. Keenan Allen will be featured on two squads and it’s a bit of a shock it isn’t all four. He’s consistently one of my top targets, but there’s no more discount at the draft table. I made plays for Julian Edelman in two leagues as well, thinking he’ll pay off when the calendar turns to October.

Finally, Deshaun Watson will lead two of my squads into the year as the QB. While I preached waiting on QBs all off-season, I ended up with the following starters/backups: Watson/Mariota, Brees/Mariota, Wilson (no backup), and Watson/Ryan/Dalton in a two QB league. So, for all my talk, I abandoned it when some value presented itself. I suppose I’m all in on Watson, as I predicted him to take the league MVP award in our staff predictions. He was dynamite for me last year and sometimes I can’t shake good feelings from the past. Time will tell.

On the flip side of it, I’m surprised I have no shares of Jay Ajayi after my aggressive rankings in the preseason (and he showed up with 2 scores last night). I had a goal of getting one share of each of the top Bears targets and succeeded with he exception of Jordan Howard.

What about you? Who is the key to your fantasy football season? Did you miss out on anyone you really wanted a piece of or did you execute the perfect draft?

For emergency fantasy football decisions, hit me up @gridironborn