Last night, I did my first FFPC contest, a "Pros vs. Joes" format with six drafters who work in the industry and six non-industry ones who know the format well and presumably have had success in the past. It's a full PPR, best-ball league with a few quirks. For starters, active lineups consist of 1-QB, 2-RB, 2-WR, 2-FLEX, 1-TE, 1-K and 1-D, but TE get 1.5 PPR. It's also 28 rounds, so it goes deeper than your typical MFL. I drafted out of the seven spot, same place as for my NFFC Beat Chris Liss league. First prize is a free entry into their Main Event, worth $1700.
Here are the results:
Here's my thinking, round by round:
1.7 Julio Jones - It was a toss-up between him and A.J. Green. Green strikes me as lightly more durable, Jones has slightly more upside given the lack of competition for targets.
2.6 Jordan Howard - This was an agnostic pick, as Howard is one of the few unquestioned workhorse backs coming off a strong season left in Round 2. He's also got less wear and tear on him than many of the backs picked ahead of him.
3.7 Brandin Cooks - I had a tough choice between him, Todd Gurley and Jimmy Graham (with 1.5 PPR). I went Cooks because I think he has top-five-WR upside in New England, but RB are slightly more valuable in this format than in NFFC as you can start four of them. I also thought there was a small chance Graham dropped to Round 4, but I was quickly disabused of that hope when he went two picks later.
4.6 Terrelle Pryor - I was hoping for Christian McCaffery, but he went a few picks before me, so I had to choose between Pryor and Carlos Hyde. I have Hyde in a couple key places already, so I diversified and took Pryor who also has massive upside in the Redskins offense.
5.7 Dalvin Cook - I excoriated Vlad Sedler for taking Cook at the 4/5 turn in the Fantasy Index draft where he subbed for me, but here I am taking him eight picks later. That Latavius Murray is still not healthy means Cooks should at least have a chance to be the main back out of the gate, and he has the pedigree to so something with the opportunity.
6.6 Hunter Henry - My first concession to the 1.5 PPR for TE. Even so, it felt like a reach, but I don't think he would have come back to me as Delanie Walker, Martellus Bennett and Jack Doyle all went before my next pick.
7.7 Paul Perkins - My theory in best ball is to get backs you're pretty sure have definite roles because there's no way to replace them in season. Perkins is the clear starter in NY, and he has some pass-catching ability too, even if Shane Vereen will play on third downs.
8.6 John Brown - I've been getting him everywhere as I think he's a cinch for 1,000 yards and seven TDs if Carson Palmer stays healthy. Was torn between him and Duke Johnson, who's lining up as the Browns' slot receiver in camp, though.
9.7 Duke Johnson - Turns out I chose wisely, betting he'd be back. Then again, maybe Brown would have too.
10.6 Andy Dalton - I was hoping to wait longer on QB, but once Dak Prescott, Matt Stafford and Cam Newton went earlier in the round, I wanted to get my top remaining choice, Dalton.
11.7 Philip Rivers - You need at least two starting QB in this best-ball format, so I doubled up with the best player available in Rivers. I was still very thin at TE, but I'd rather fudge that position than QB.
12.6 O.J. Howard - The TE spot was becoming a wasteland with the likes of C.J. Fiedorowicz, Julius Thomas and even Jared Cook taken after my Rivers pick. I know rookie TE don't typically do much, but if ever there were an exception Howard might be it. (Cameron Brate went two rounds earlier.)
13.7 Ryan Tannehill - I like Tannehill's upside under Adam Gase (7.7 YPA last year), and while I didn't need a QB that desperately, I also wanted to punish all the wait-on-QB types who would have liked to snag him this late. Sure enough, the next pick was Alex Smith.
14.6 Breshard Perriman - Either Perriman has the goods or he doesn't. If he does, Mike Wallace and Jeremy Maclin won't be able to stand in his way of a monster season. If he doesn't, I'm hoping he has at least 3-4 long TDs in him this year.
15.7 Marqise Lee - One of the few players I've seen play live in college, Lee looked like he was moving at a different speed in the epic Stanford/USC game where Andrew Luck pulled it out in overtime. Hamstring issues hampered his first two seasons, but last year he was the only receiver able to overcome Blake Bortles.
16.6 Austin Seferian-Jenkins - He should be the Jets starter after a one-game suspension, and I was still thin at TE. The talent has always been there, just a matter of attitude. It cost me the Houston defense who went two picks later, but I was relieved to hear two other teams would have picked him that round had I passed on him.
17.7 Giants Defense - What can I say? I'm a Giants fan, but the unit is very good, and Steve Spagnuolo should have them in gear earlier in his second year back with the team.
18.6 Matt Prater - He's a very good real-life kicker, so I expect him to keep the job.
19.7 Dustin Hopkins - A good fantasy kicker last year, Hopkins is only so-so in real life, so there's some risk. But he was easily the top guy on the board at that point.
20.6 Bengals Defense - You should have at least two defenses and preferably more given their wide weekly variance.
21. 7 Bills Defense - They play the Jets twice.
22.6 Aaron Jones - With Ty Montgomery seeing early-down work, Jones might be the third-down back, and if Montgomery goes down, there's major upside here.
23.7 Seth DeValve - I needed a Seth DeValve in case my other TE don't pan out. Seriously though, he's a competent pass catcher on a team that released Gary Barnidge and has only a rookie, albeit a first-rounder, competing with him for looks.
24.6 Donnel Pumphrey - He's reportedly been a favorite of Eagles QBs in camp so far, and there's no one in Philadelphia that has the job totally locked down. Moreover, if you're casting an adult film, it's a no-brainer to take Pumphrey over (Wendell) Smallwood.
25.7 Paul Richardson - After Doug Baldwin, it's anyone's guess who the No. 2 WR in Seattle is.
26.6 Wayne Gallman - I don't normally like to handcuff, especially below-average running games, but in Round 26, it seemed like an easy call.
27.7 Taywan Taylor - We had a note on RotoWire saying he was fitting well in the slot. It's not like 31-year old Eric Decker is a lock to be relevant again.
28.6 Tyler Higbee - Tight end is my weakest position, so I figured I'd draft one more with a chance to start just in case.
My Roster By Position
QB: Andy Dalton/Philip Rivers/Ryan Tannehill
RB: Jordan Howard/Dalvin Cook/Paul Perkins/Duke Johnson/Aaron Jones/Donnel Pumphrey/Wayne Gallman
WR: Julio Jones/Brandin Cooks/Terrelle Pryor/John Brown/Breshard Perriman/Marqise Lee/Paul Richardson/Taywan Taylor
TE: Hunter Henry/O.J. Howard/Austin Seferian-Jenkins/Seth DeValve/Tyler Higbee
K: Matt Prater/Dustin Hopkins
D: Giants/Bengals/Bills