Kansas City Chiefs

Although the NFL preseason hardly matters, its commencing serves as a wake-up call for fantasy football players to begin draft preparation.

The New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs kick off the 2017 campaign on Sept. 7. Until then, fantasy contestants must keep track of all league happenings and practice with mock drafts.

Some major news unfolded on Friday, when the NFL officially suspended Ezekiel Elliott for six games after concluding its domestic violence investigation. The fantasy fallout is hardly the important element of this story, but it will alter the first round.

He consequently dropped to No. 17 in Yahoo Sports’ rankings, so let’s use that as a baseline for this two-round mock draft, simulated for a 12-team league with standard scoring. Then let’s examine the updated early strategy for someone drawing the No. 3 selection.

         

 

 

 

 

Mock Draft

1.1: David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

1.2: Le’Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

1.3: Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

1.4: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

1.5: Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons

1.6: LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills

1.7: Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1.8: Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

1.9: Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons

1.10: A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

1.11: Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers

1.12: Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

 

2.1: Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago Bears

2.2: Jay Ajayi, RB, Miami Dolphins

2.3: DeMarco Murray, RB, Tennessee Titans

2.4: Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

2.5: Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys

2.6: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

2.7: T.Y Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

2.8: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

2.9: Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

2.10: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

2.11: Marshawn Lynch, RB, Oakland Raiders

2.12: Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks

         

 

 

 

 

Round 1 Pick: Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Antonio Brown joins David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell as an easy top-three choice in all formats.

There’s no safer wide receiver on the board than the Pittsburgh Steelers star, who has caught a combined 481 receptions over the past four seasons. Having notched double-digit touchdowns three years in a row, he doesn’t depend on point-per-reception scoring. Yet the stipulation gives him a Secretariat-sized lead over all other wideouts.

Investors should not fret Martavis Bryant’s return. When they shared the field for 11 games in 2015, Brown tallied 99 receptions, 1,311 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Playing alongside a deep threat opens up the field for Brown, who had 22 catches of 20 or more yards last season.

His target share dropped all the way to 26 percent in 2016, but the 29-year-old would have led or tied the NFL in receptions for the third straight year if not for sitting out Week 17 with playoff seeding solidified. 

Business is still booming for Brown, so don’t pass up a sure thing with pick No. 3.

        

 

 

 

 

Round 2 Pick: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Todd Gurley possesses a far lighter track record. Taken as an early first-round pick in 2015, the running back averaged a bleak 3.2 yards per carry and scored just six touchdowns last year. Don’t expect to buy a bounce-back campaign at a discount. 

On individual talent, the 23-year-old remains a premier rusher. The Los Angeles Rams’ NFL-worst offense dragged him down last season, but a horrible unit couldn’t prevent him from averaging 99.5 yards per game.

With the Jeff Fisher era finally over, perhaps the Rams will resemble a 21st century offense. New head coach Sean McVay oversaw Washington’s No. 3-ranked unit as the offensive coordinator last year. Filling that role for the Rams is Matt LaFleur, who helped turn the Atlanta Falcons offense into a juggernaut.

Only four backs received more handoffs than Gurley’s 278. While he will stay a focal point of the offense, McVay expressed the importance of establishing a better balance to ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez.

“When you have a special player like Todd, you want to continue to find ways to get him involved but also be mindful of, ‘What is that fine balance between him being at his best and not wearing him out?'” McVay said. “That is something that we’re continuing to find out.”

Per the Ventura County Star‘s Joe Curley, McVay spoke fondly his young star’s offseason progress:

The Rams found some much-needed help. On Friday, as confirmed via Twitter, they enhanced their passing game by acquiring Sammy Watkins from the Buffalo Bills:

Drafters should gladly exchange some touches for fewer stuffed boxes and more red-zone visits. Beside, there’s no threat of Gurley splitting carries, and his overall volume won’t suffer too much if the Rams stay on the field longer.

Marshawn Lynch plays for a far superior Oakland Raiders offensive line, but he’s eight years older and slated for a smaller workload. He also averaged 3.8 yards per rush when last seen, in 2015, so a second-round investment is too steep a gamble.

Rather than hoping the 2014 version of Beast Mode returns, let’s see whether the 2015 Gurley resurfaces. Although he comes with more risk (and reward) than the typical Round 2 selection, the high volume raises his floor enough to warrant the wager.

         

 

 

 

 

Team Names

• Pickle Fitzpatrick
• Les Kirk Cousins Dangereux
• Any Pun on Dak Prescott (“Dak To the Future”) or Adam Thielen (“Hooked on a Thielen”)
• King of Jaelen Strong Style
• Jeremy Maclin, FBI
• Doyle Rules
• The Be Tajae Sharpes
• The Gurley Show with Lacy and Jordan
• Ajayi Another Day

Anyone searching online for a clever team name is missing the point. Where’s the fun in lifting someone else’s idea?

Picking “Gronky Kong” or “Demaryius Targaryen” is the equivalent to naming a child “John.” That’s fine, but don’t be surprised when other classmates have the same name. 

Puns on player names are often fun but not always necessary. Choosing one from a random internet list is like a getting a butterfly tattoo. Find something that’s meaningful to you, but don’t force it. 

Also on the avoid list: middle-school jokes and an actual NFL team name. At least make an effort.

        

 

 

 

 

League Names

• The Goulden Company (only works for this author and fellow Goulds)
• The Jeff Fisher League of Mediocrity
• 12 Angry Men (try deeper leagues with diversity)
• Dirty Dozen (shower on Sunday morning?)
• A League of Their Own
• A League Has No Name
• A Song of Matty Ice and Fire (are the Game of Thrones references getting old yet?)
• The Bullock Club

League names, meanwhile, are best reserved for inside jokes or generic group descriptions. Honestly, who even pays attention to the league’s title? This writer can’t recall the name of the intact league he joined back when Maurice Jones-Drew and Andre Johnson were first-round talents.

A league by any other name will still stink unless it consists of active and informed participants who understand that fantasy football is a fun diversion. Spend more energy on winning the league than naming it.

       

Note: All statistics obtained and calculated using data from Pro Football Reference.

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