FSGA National Conference experts draft recap

A pick-by-pick review of The Huddle’s team in a prominent industry league.

The Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association (FSGA) organizes several industry expert leagues, with the 14-team “Champions League,” hosted by RTSports.com, being the crown jewel.

I had the honor of competing in the premier grouping for a decade, making the postseason six of the past eight years, including a close loss in the finals. Among the reasons for my consistency is understanding the necessity to take calculated risks on draft day. Being afraid to take a chance or reach for a player — especially in this 14-team variant filled with excellent drafters — is a fast-track to being demoted from the league. Yeah, demoted. The bottom four teams get relegated to the next league down the chain.

Thus, there is a need to take bold actions at a level unprecedented in arguably any other professional draft. In short, I much rather take a chance reaching for some players I covet than playing it too safe. Of course, there’s a nuanced blend of risk to work into a roster design, but it all comes down to making intelligent gambles.

Unfortunately, my aggressive tendencies came back to haunt me last year, and I drafted a clunker that couldn’t be salvaged via the waiver wire. These leagues do not allow trades, so the draft’s importance is exaggerated.

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All of the FSGA leagues are performance-based, PPR scoring format, and drafting a live league this early in the summer makes for a fun tightrope walk in some regards. Drafting even into mid-July — mind you, this used to take place a month prior — forces gamers to make educated guesses on appropriate value of unsettled situations.

Since I was booted from the top league, my team now will compete in the “National Conference” league and have a chance to win my way back into the Champions group next year.

Full roster by round

Ovr Rnd Pos Player Tm
8 1:08 RB Bijan Robinson ATL
21 2:07 WR Garrett Wilson NYJ
36 3:08 WR Tee Higgins CIN
49 4:07 RB Alexander Mattison MIN
64 5:08 TE Kyle Pitts ATL
77 6:07 WR Kadarius Toney KC
92 7:08 RB Brian Robinson Jr. WAS
105 8:07 QB Aaron Rodgers NYJ
120 9:08 WR Van Jefferson LAR
133 10:07 WR Romeo Doubs GB
148 11:08 RB Tyjae Spears TEN
161 12:07 QB Jared Goff DET
176 13:08 RB Zamir White LV
189 14:07 WR Darius Slayton NYG
204 15:08 D/ST Miami Dolphins MIA
217 16:07 K Jake Moody SF

Pick-by-pick review

1:08) RB Bijan Robinson, ATL: I’m pleased Robinson was available at this point of the draft, and I expect a dual-threat role from the coveted rookie. Atlanta’s line is legit, and quarterback Desmond Ridder will do enough to keep defenses honest. I prefer to gamble on a breakout season from a talented rookie in a run-heavy offense rather than hope a proven veteran can hold up once again to the rigors of being a workhorse back (think Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs).

2:07) WR Garrett Wilson, NYJ: I entertained the idea of drafting Derrick Henry, but the 14-team format compelled me to acquire a true No. 1 receiver, and I didn’t see that being likely if I waited until Round 3. The decision paid off as no one else was left when I picked next that I would have offered top-10 possibility.

3:08) WR Tee Higgins, CIN: Higgins is an excellent No. 2 target, and he’s a surefire WR1 if Ja’Marr Chase were to miss time again. I probably would have gone with Terry McLaurin had he not been selected one pick before me, and the other consideration was Detroit Lions rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

4:07) RB Alexander Mattison, MIN: This one could be a pivotal selection as my RB2. Mattison takes over as the primary back following Dalvin Cook‘s release and has basically no proven competition for touches. I’m lukewarm on Minnesota’s offensive line, but any back with a chance for this kind of volume in an offense that has a dangerous passing game should produce at least No. 2 results.

5:08) TE Kyle Pitts, ATL: Maybe I’ve invested too heavily in Atlanta’s offense, but I expect this to be the surprise team of the NFC and perhaps the entire league. Pitts returns to health and should offer top-five results at the position. I wouldn’t be shocked if he challenges for the No. 2 spot behind Travis Kelce, either. With Drake London being the only other proven option, Pitts should shine. The other option was to wait and target Dalton Schultz later, which would have offered more value, but I preferred getting a share of Pitts after having already landed the Houston tight end in several drafts.

6:07) WR Kadarius Toney, KC: A true gamble, especially this early, Toney was the best boom-or-bust option remaining with enough upside to challenge for a WR1 finish. He has the talent and game-changing athleticism and is in a prolific offense with an elite quarterback, so the rest is on Toney to stay healthy.

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7:08) RB Brian Robinson Jr., WAS: Robinson was the last remaining back I was comfortable with as a No. 2 in case one of my starters went down for a long stretch. While he’s far from being a lock, there’s an opportunity, and Antonio Gibson hasn’t impressed me. The offensive line is shaky, and there’s a questionable quarterback situation, but Robinson gets a full offseason to make his mark.

8:07) QB Aaron Rodgers, NYJ: I agonized over Deshaun Watson vs. Rodgers with this pick. I’m confident in the former Green Bay star’s situation. The line is decent enough, his weapons are deep and diverse, and Rodgers has a chip on his shoulder. The 39-year-old not staying healthy is my biggest fear for his outlook.

9:08) WR Van Jefferson, LAR: A fourth receiver who has some upside for more, Jefferson was one of the few remaining options who jump out as a viable gamble for WR3/flex worth. LA has basically just TE Tyler Higbee behind Cooper Kupp in the aerial pecking order, which bodes well for the now-healthy Jefferson to pick up where he left off in 2021 prior to an injury-dampened 2022 flop.

10:07) WR Romeo Doubs, GB: Jordan Love has to throw the ball to someone, and Christian Watson can’t do it all alone. Doubs is an interesting possession receiver who could threaten 1,000 yards and should be good for roughly six or so TD grabs. As a fifth wideout, one could do much worse.

11:08) RB Tyjae Spears, TEN: I missed out on my Robinson handcuff of Tyler Allgeier by eight picks, which stinks, but Spears is an exciting consolation prize. He’s already in the No. 2 hole behind Derrick Henry, an aging workhorse with an absurdly high odometer. One serious injury striking down the king and Spears could be a weekly starter.

12:07) QB Jared Goff, DET: Goff is good for a handful of starts if Rodgers is absent, and I wouldn’t be in a terrible spot if the former LA Ram had to enter my lineup for extended action. There’s nothing sexy about this one, but if Rodgers goes down, Goff is at least stable.

13:08) RB Zamir White, LV: While White is among the top handcuff options in the league, he’s also a strong standalone RB5 since Josh Jacobs unhappy with his contract coming off a massive workload.

14:07) WR Darius Slayton, NYG: The entire receiving corps situation is a mess in New York, and Daniel Jones is far from a complete product as a passer. With that, Slayton is established as a capable vertical weapon but could see Jalin Hyatt cut into his work during the year. Either way, this pick is all upside with no risk.

15:08) Def/ST Miami Dolphins, MIA: This defense has dramatically improved in the offseason, and while the division will be a slog, matchups with New England, Denver, Carolina, Las Vegas, Washington and Tennessee present strong opportunities for success.

16:07) PK Jake Moody, SF: Rookie kickers rarely fare well, yet here we are … the offense is the main reason for choosing Moody. He has kicked several clutch field goals in college (8-for-8 on game-winning kicks in the last two years). His leg isn’t typically regarded as being huge, but a 59-yarder in the 2022 national semifinal shows he has plenty of distance. If it turns out that I’m wrong on him, he’s a kicker, after all.

Roster composition

Pos Player Team Bye
QB Aaron Rodgers NYJ 7
QB Jared Goff DET 9
RB Bijan Robinson ATL 11
RB Alexander Mattison MIN 13
RB Brian Robinson Jr. WAS 14
RB Tyjae Spears TEN 7
RB Zamir White LV 13
WR Garrett Wilson NYJ 7
WR Tee Higgins CIN 7
WR Kadarius Toney KC 10
WR Van Jefferson LAR 10
WR Romeo Doubs GB 6
WR Darius Slayton NYG 13
TE Kyle Pitts ATL 11
PK Jake Moody SF 9
DT Dolphins MIA 10

Fantasy football mock draft series: June takeaways

Recapping a recent fantasy football PPR draft and more!

It is well into June, and fantasy football drafts are churning along. A recently hosted industry live draft is the source for this recap. Out of respect for the hosts of this draft, no reference will be made to its identity so the content remains fresh on their end, nor will the entire draft results be published here.

The blurbs about my team below were provided to the draft host and will appear in a magazine as part of a larger evaluation of the draft. Before getting into my individual picks, here are a few observations from a 12-team, PPR draft.

  • In last year’s iteration, Round 1 saw nine running backs, two receivers and a tight end come off the board. This time out, we saw seven running backs and five receivers, including Cooper Kupp going at No. 2 and Justin Jefferson as the third selection.
  • Six RBs came off the board in Round 2 in 2021’s draft, followed by one fewer receiver and another tight end. This year was no different.
  • The first QB came off the board in Round 3 last year, and Josh Allen was taken with the opening pick of Round 5 this time around. Justin Herbert went just two picks later, and only a pair of passers came off the board in the next 31 selections (Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes).
  • In the first 100 picks, eight QBs, 38 RBs, 45 WRs and nine TEs — no significant changes from the May version when six QBs, 39 RBs, 45 WRs and 10 tight ends.
  • This was the first time I had selected from the No. 1 hole, and there’s one and only choice to be made to create a stress-free situation.
  • Having the first pick meant my second and third selections were chosen consecutively, which effectively means the order is irrelevant. Coming out of the first three rounds with at least two running backs is almost always my plan when selecting in the first four spots. Wide receiver is so ridiculously deep that gamers can hold off, making the preferred strategy is to come out of the first three rounds with a single wideout.
  • Quarterback remains quite deep, too, with a viable starter being available into the 13th round. Tight end remains a little top-heavy, just like last year. Following the consensus top-six TEs — all of whom went in the first five rounds — the position gets really dicey. If you’re not comfortable playing the matchups, make sure to secure one of Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, Kyle Pitts, George Kittle, Darren Waller or Dalton Schultz.
  • I was not entirely sure what to expect for my first receiver entering the draft, since many owners in this league tend to favor wideouts early, but it worked out nicely as you’ll read in a moment.

Here’s a snapshot of the first 10 rounds broken down by number of positional picks:

1st: 7 RBs, 5 WRs
2nd: 6 RBs, 5 WRs, 1 TE
3rd: 7 RBs, 4 WRs, 1 TE
4th: 2 RBs, 8 WRs, 2 TEs
5th: 2 QBs, 4 RBs, 5 WRs, 1 TE
6th: 2 QBs, 1 RB, 7 WRs, 2 TEs
7th: 1 QB, 4 RBs, 5 WRs, 2 TEs
8th: 3 QBs, 6 RBs, 3 WRs
9th: 2 QBs, 3 RBs, 7 WRs
10th: 2 QBs, 5 RBs, 4 WRs, 1 TE

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My team

We were asked to write 35 words per pick to give a little insight as to our draft thoughts: