As explained in the article Real Time Fantasy Sports: Introduction there are many league types to play on Real Time Fantasy Sports.  I entered a few leagues in each format and on Wednesday night I took part in my first All Pro league draft.  The All Pro league draft is your typical 12-team PPR format that many of you already play with your friends, co-workers and family.  The rosters sizes are set at 16 with the starting lineups consisting of the following:

  • Quarterback
  • Running Back x 2
  • Wide Receiver x 2
  • Tight End
  • Flex
  • Kicker
  • Defense
  • Bench x 7

For many of my home leagues I typically play with three wide receivers but that’s just a personal preference as the chance to score more points is always fun.  Upon entering the draft room I saw that I had the 8th overall pick.  I have already been a part of a few fantasy drafts this season but have never drafted later than the 5th overall pick so I was somewhat excited to draft a little later and see what kind of team I could pull out.  With that being said let’s look at the team I ended up being able to put together.

First Round, 8th Pick: Julio Jones WR, ATL

So this league took a surprising turn almost from the jump with Devonta Freeman going 4th overall and A.J. Green going 7th overall which lead to Julio Jones falling to me at pick No.8.  I have been a little gun shy when it comes to drafting Julio Jones this season, in fact I have passed on him in favor of Mike Evans in a draft already this season as I wonder about his health and potential regression from Matt Ryan this season but the value at No.8 was too good to pass up in a PPR format no less.

Second Round, 17th Pick: Jordan Howard RB, CHI

I seriously considered going with Todd Gurley with this pick as I have taken him in a few drafts already but decided to go with Bears RB Jordan Howard instead.  Howard is coming off an impressive rookie season which saw him rush for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns while adding 29 catches on 50 targets for 298 yards and another score.  The Bears offense does not figure to be too inspiring this season but according to Pro Football Focus they have the 5th best offensive line in the league.  That type of offensive line play bodes well for the likes of Jordan Howard and what figures to be a run first offensive game plan by the Bears.  Howard’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield is also a plus given that this is a PPR league.

Third Round, 32nd Pick: Isaiah Crowell RB, CLE

Six running backs went off the board after I drafted Howard in the second Round, yet Isaiah Crowell was not one of them despite his rankings and therefore I snagged him in the third round.  As I previously stated I love taking running backs with strong offensive lines and according to the article from Pro Football Focus that I previously reference the Cleveland Browns will enter the season with the No.2 ranked offensive line in football.  Crowell himself is coming off a career year where he rushed for 952 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 40 catches for 319 yards.  Again, in a PPR league I am looking for backs that have the ability to pick up some extra points in the passing game and while Duke Johnson figures to be involved in the passing attack this season I still figure Crowell gets his share as well.  The Browns went ahead and named rookie DeShone Kizer the team’s starting QB for this upcoming season which I actually think could play well for Crowell as I would expect the Browns to lean on their running attack behind that offensive line while having Kizer play more of a game manager role like the Cowboys ran with Dak Prescott last season.

Fourth Round, 41st Pick: DeAndre Hopkins WR, HOU

After drafting running backs with back-to-back picks I wanted to grab my second wide receiver and found myself staring a DeAndre Hopkins.  Hopkins of course is coming off a “disappointing’ season which saw him catch 78 passes on 150 targets for 954 yards and four touchdowns.  I use quotations around disappointing because the down year was not at all his fault but rather the horrid play at quarterback that the Texans put forth last season.  Heading into 2016 Hopkins was a first Round, pick thanks to his 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2015 season.  I am strong believer in bounce back performances from guys and I think whether it is Tom Savage or rookie Deshaun Watson at quarterback this season that Hopkins is going to return to being a legitimate WR1 in fantasy so to take him in the fourth Round, of a PPR league and pair him up with Julio Jones I couldn’t be happier with my two wide receiver slots.

Fifth Round, 56th Pick: Ameer Abdullah RB, DET

It took until the fifth Round, for the draft to really dictate the pick I was going to make as another six running backs went off the board since I took Hopkins.  My focus here was to get some depth at running back and potentially a flex starter so I reached about a Round, early based on average ADP and took Lions running back Ameer Abdullah.  I was an owner of Abdullah last season and was thrilled with his Week 1 performance which saw him carry the ball 12 times for 63 yards and add five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown.  Unfortunately, Abdullah went on to suffer a season ending injury in Week 2 and that was that.  As is the trend with my running backs I like the fact that Abdullah can catch the ball out of the backfield and while the Lions will rely heavily on Theo Riddick on passing downs there is still opportunity for Abdullah to earn some PPR love in early down situations.  There is certainly risk here with this pick and if not for the lack of starting running back depth really left in this draft I might have looked to go elsewhere.

Sixth Round, 65th Pick: Jarvis Landry WR, MIA

To me this was a major gift as I was really close to taking Landry with each of my last two picks but ultimately decided against it for the reasons explained above but for some reason when it came time for me to make my sixth Round, selection he was still on the board and I just had to grab him.  In a PPR format Landry currently has an average ADP of 43.6 so to get him at pick No.65 is certainly a bargain.  This is a player that is averaging 102 catches, 1,100 yards and four touchdowns in each of the last two seasons.  In standard leagues 1,100 yards and four touchdowns in meh but in PPR leagues you add in those 100 catches and you are looking at a WR2 in most formats with WR1 upside if he can find the end zone a few more times.  I don’t truly understand the fall here to be quite honest.  I do not think highly of Ryan Tannehill as a QB and while Jay Cutler is no great shakes I am not convinced he is much worse to be quite honest.  The possible emergence of Devante Parker is ever present but that was the case last season as well and Landry still produced.  To me there was zero risk with taking Landry here and he will likely be my starting flex play for most of the season.

Seventh Round, 80th Pick: Andrew Luck QB, IND

Does the fact that Luck has no timetable to return to practice and likely to miss Week 1 of the NFL season scare me?  Sure, a little bit.  The fact remains however that Luck is coming off a solid season which saw him complete 63.5-percent of his passes for 4,240 yards with 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also added 341 yards and two touchdowns on the gRound, to boost his overall fantasy production.  Luck did all that over 15 games making it likely had he played all 16 games that his passing totals would have increased by a few hundred yards.  I was very happy with the players I had at the skill positions on my roster heading into this pick and felt that Luck provided a high risk/high reward opportunity to nab what could very well be a Top 5 QB when finally healthy with the idea to draft another QB with my next pick as well to not only offer some protection in case the Luck pick fails but to also provide some potential trade bait for later in the season.

Eighth Round, 89th Pick: Jimmy Graham TE, SEA

There were questions as to whether or not Graham was going to be healthy enough to play in Week 1 as he recovered from a torn patellar tendon which ended his 2015 campaign and because of this his draft stock fell.  Fortunately for those who took a chance and drafted Graham in 2016 he turned out to be quite alright as he finished among the Top 5 tight ends in fantasy, catching 65 passes for 923 yards and six touchdowns.  He showed chemistry with QB Russell Wilson and finished as the team’s No.2 receiver behind Doug Baldwin.  I look for Graham to continue to develop that chemistry with Wilson and expect him to once again be the No.2 receiving target behind Doug Baldwin.  For me, being able to draft a potential Top 5 tight end at this point seemed like a no brainer.

Ninth Round, 104th Pick: Derek Carr QB, OAK

This is my security blanket behind Andrew Luck.  Not too shabby right?  Carr is coming off a huge season which saw him complete 63.8-percent of his passes for 3,927 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions over 15 games.  Of course injury cost Carr the final game of the season so while his numbers might not be jumping off the page you can trust that they likely would have improved had he gotten a chance to play.  The Raiders boast one of the league’s top offensive lines and receiving groups with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree at receiving and newly signed Jared Cook figuring to start at tight end.  Should Luck miss time then I am perfectly happy with Derek Carr who many figure will take that next step in his development this season and could very well be my team’s starting QB all season long.  Either way I feel like this pick has solidified my QB position heading into the season.

10th Round, 113th Pick: Jordan Matthews WR, BUF

The Bills are an interesting case this season as there are reports that the team is looking to trade both Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy after having already traded away Sammy Watkins.  Following the trade of Sammy Watkins the Bills acquired Jordan Matthews from the Eagles and he figures to take over as the Bills No.1 receiving option this season.  I actually like Tyrod Taylor as a QB and while the Bills offense figures to once again be very run oriented they will have to pass the football and I expect Matthews to be targeted often.  Matthews was solid during his tenure with the Eagles, averaging 78 catches for 930 yards and seven touchdowns per 16 games.  I am not sure exactly what to expect from Matthews but I have no problem grabbing what should be a team’s No.1 receiving option at pick 113.

11th Round, 128th Pick: Robert Kelley RB, WAS & 12th Round, 137th Pick: Chris Thompson RB, WAS

I am combining the analysis on these two picks for obvious reasons.  First, both are running backs and second they both play for the Washington Redskins.  However, the serve different purposes on the Redskins with Rob Kelley figuring to be the early down back while Chris Thompson is the team’s receiving back which in PPR leagues is certainly valuable. I was shooting for some extra depth at running back here if that was not obvious and liked both players.  I took Kelley first because he is the projected starter and early down back but was perfectly fine with taking Chris Thompson when it was my turn to draft in the 12th Round.

13th Round, 152nd Pick: Arizona D/ST & 14th Round, 161st Pick: Carolina D/ST

With just four picks remaining I decided to go ahead and draft my first team defense and chose the Cardinals who have plenty of playmakers on the defensive side of the football and play in a division with some questionable offenses in the Rams and 49ers as well as the Seahawks who have the worst offensive line in football.  The Cardinals are also dangerous on special teams where they can return kicks and punts for touchdowns.  I decided to double up on my defense with my very next pick and went with the Carolina Panthers defense.  They have made some improvements this season and they will give me the option to mix and match with Arizona should they not play up to expectations.

15th Round, 176th Pick: Brandon McManus K, DEN

Every season I usually find myself with the Broncos kicker as I get enamored with the elevation and the 50+ yard field goals.  McManus was on the board and well let’s be honest here, it’s just a kicker.

16th Round, 185th Pick: Evan Engram TE, NYG

I actually thought about taking Engram before I drafted the Cardinals defense but I figured a backup tight end was not too pressing of a need so I was very happy to see that he was still on the board for my last pick.  I love the size and athleticism this kid brings to the tight end position as he figures to be a matchup nightmare for most linebackers and safeties.  While he is currently listed second on the Giants depth chart at the position I figure his ability to make plays will have him more involved in the offense as the season moves along.

You can see the entire draft board below and If you are interested in joining a Real Time Fantasy Sports league then click the following link http://www.Rtsports.com/alarm, sign up and starting winning real cash this season while playing fantasy football.