Ray Flowers breaks down his fantasy football squad in the 14-team FSGA Champions League for the 2023 season. Will the trend of fading running backs early for wideouts continue? How aggressive will the room be in regards to drafting quarterbacks? How did Ray navigate the draft room and did he put together a solid squad? Read on to find out.
THE PARTICIPANTS
1. DFSKarma.com
2. Game Night Sports
3. RTSports
4. USAT Sports Weekly/Advance Local
5. PrizePicks
6. CBS Sports Digital
7. Fantasy Pros
8. FullTime
9. SiriusXM – Flowers
10. ESPN
11. US Integrity
12. Fantasy Alarm
13. Colton & The Wolfman
14. SCA Promotions
RULES
Roster Requirements: Maximum of 16 players at all times. There is no IR/DL.
Trading: None
Free Agent Acquisitions: A blind bidding format will be used for free agent allocations. Each team is allocated 100 mythical dollars, with which to spend on free agents throughout the entire season
SCORING
PASSING:
• 1 point every 25 yards Passing
• 4 points for every passing touchdown
• 2 points for every 2-Point conversion
• minus 1 point for every interception and fumble lost
RUSHING:
• 1 point every 10 yards Rushing
• 6 points for every rushing TD
• 2 points for every 2-Point conversion
• minus 1 point for every lost fumble
RECEIVING:
• 1 point every 10 yards Receiving
• 6 points for every receiving TD
• 1 point for every reception for RB’s, WRs & Tight Ends
• 2 points for every 2-Point conversion (rushing or receiving)
• minus 1 point for every lost fumble
KICKING:
• 1 point for every extra point
• 3 points for every field goal from 1-39 yards
• 4 points for every field goal from 40-49 yards
• 5 points for every field goal from 50-59 yards
• 6 points for every field goal of 60 or more
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS:
• 1 point for every sack
• 2 points for every interception or opponents’ fumble recovery
• 6 points for every touchdown (interception return, defensive fumble return, punt or kickoff return, blocked field goal return, blocked punt return). All special teams and defensive points are awarded to the team responsible, not the individual player.
• 2 points for every safety
• 6 points for a shutout by the entire team
• 3 points for allowing 2-10 points by the entire team
WEEKLY LINEUP
1 – Quarterback
2 – Running Backs
3 – Wide Receivers
1 – Tight End
1 – Flex Player (RB, WR or TE)
1 – Kicker
1 – Team Defense/Specials Team
6 – Reserves
DRAFT RESULTS
PRE DRAFT THOUGHTS: With pick #9, a decision has to be made. Do I take a wideout and then hope Nick Chubb is around in Round 2. ADP suggest that is certainly possible. If I could go WR/Chubb, I would love that outcome (I should note that, whether folks use it or not, the RT Sports ADP has Chubb at #9 overall, and that could push someone to draft him since it could appear that he’s failing past the rankings – even though ADP has him lower). Do I grab Bijan if he’s there in Round 1 and then look wideouts in Round 2?
ALL COMMENTS BELOW WERE WRITTEN LIVE, DURING THE ACTUAL DRAFT, SO YOU CAN FOLLOW MY THOUGHT PROCESS THROUGH ALL THE SELECTIONS MADE.
ROUND 1: Three RBs the first five picks… a bit unexpected there. Four of six. This is old school drafting right here, and completely non-ADP-2023. I went with Stefon Diggs after Kupp went one pick before me (shoot). I just don’t trust T. Hill – health and off the field (also health of Tua T.), and as much as I would normally be fine with taking a running back, I’m trying a new thing in 2023 by being more aggressive.
ROUND 2: This draft set in 2017? It’s all running backs, all the time, totally confounding ADP. I would consider Najee Harris here, but if he goes, I’m not sure I would go RB. I hate reacting early to a room, but with so many backs gone, it’s tough not to get sucked in a bit. Plus, you gotta play your draft. No way around that. Ultimately, I went with the only back in football with 270 carries the last two years – in Najee Harris. This is not the start I anticipated. I would be very interested in grabbing an elite QB in Round 3/4 given the way this draft started.
ROUND 3: So, quarterback here? If not, I would be highly tempted to go WR as I’m not really in the TE game at this point of a draft. Will the room hit wideouts hard now, or will they continue to go rouge and grab signal callers? Andrews just went, after three straight wideouts. The way this draft is going, I’m almost thinking WR/RB might be the way I have to go. Reason being, if I skip two rounds of running backs, and the room keeps doing what they are doing, it’s gonna get tight at RB. As I write that, four running backs go to start the third round. What is going on here? Wow is this draft different than how things are playing out elsewhere in the fantasy universe. Heck, I’m just going with DK Metcalf. He’s bound for some natural TD regression this year, in the positive sense, and I’m going anti-old-school-Ray, and pushing the running backs. Not surprising to have 1RB/2WR in the first three rounds… that is the split I was thinking about pre-draft… just surprised at who the players are and the order they were drafted.
ROUND 4: Mahomes just went toward the end of the third round. Since my RB might end up being thinner than I expected, I will be tempted to go Allen/Hurts here for that elite QB. Still, I could wait until the next round and hope that Burrow/Herbert fall. Hurts just went so Allen has to be coming off before I pick. Deebo/Dameon kinda where I’m thinking given that fact (there went Deebo). Three WRs/1RB would be the 2023 draft plan, vs. 2/2 which would be old school, and clearly what most of the league was thinking about doing this year. I’m leaning QB/WR/RB in that order. Two picks away. With Samuel/Pierce gone, right before my pick was Pierce, I grabbed the third guys I was considering in Josh Allen. I did not go into this one planning on Allen/Diggs as a combo, but with the way the draft was playing out, I felt kinda compelled to go Allen given that all my WR/RB targets were taken, and because the RB class evens out at this point of the draft. Now the wait to see if the room slow plays QB, and if it does, like it often does in expert drafts, I might regret Allen a wee bit. Still, the potential for 30 point weeks at any time is hard to pass on in the 4th round.
ROUND 5: Burrow went in the 4th round, making me feel a bit better. There goes Lamar (assuming Herbert will go soon too). So, RB or WR? Normally in 2023, you could wait on runners, but this league has been voracious in grabbing backs (I will have to look up the number of RBs vs. ADP when the draft is done). I would love to take Javonte Williams here, risk and all with his health, with the thought that I would have to push ADP to get Perine if I do. At wideout, Evans is the last top-25 wideout on my board and… shoot, there went Javonte. There goes Conner. What is going on here? The running back love is crazy in this draft, like, wow. Don’t know if love it, but gotta play the league… so A.J. Dillon is the call as the league is blowing up running backs. And shoot. Herbert was still sitting there as the last QB I really wanted with this pick.
ROUND 6: Debating Dallas Goedert for an advantage on the field at TE. Since I’m a bit thin at RB, I’m also eyeing Pacheco here. There went Kittle two picks before me, so I’m getting one of my guys. The question is will one go before me? Answer neither – Kamara. I went Isiah Pacheco even though I wanted to go Dallas G. I played the draft, and got my third running back. Even with the hyper aggressive room for backs, Harris-Dillon-Pacheco would have been a pretty ideal 1-2-3 at RB for me in a 14-team league. Again, just not the way I thought it would come down. Still, provided I don’t get skunked at tight end, I think this just might turn out OK. Breath Ray.
ROUND 7: Thinking probably the way to go here will be – wideout. There are still a couple of tight ends I would be very comfortable with at this point and I’ve got my elite QB. Going with RB last round leaves WR as the normal fit. Would love it if Pickens fell to me here. Crap. Just as I write the sentence, he’s grabbed. I could go Toney here, top wideout of the Chiefs it seems, but I don’t trust him to play weekly and I did take Pacheco last round. Courtland Sutton, in an offense that figures to be light years better this year than the rudderless ship last year, is a solid WR3 in a 14-team league (certainly so according to our rankings). Crap again – there went Sutton. So eloquent I am tonight. There went Pat F. who was a consideration here (or better next round). Go big or go home? Make a pick Ray would never make, ever? What the hell. Kadarius Toney it is. Could go nuclear, could play six games. Don’t love the RB/WR thing either, but at least it is the Chiefs, the best offense in football. This is likely to be the pivotal pick of the entire draft right here folks.
ROUND 8: Everyone is in on Watson in GB, but Romeo Doubs is going to lead the team in catches, right? I’m tempted to grab him here, and then circle back to Warren in Round 9. Of course, you know that if I plan to do that, it won’t happen. LOL. It might be smartest to grab Warren here to cuff my first back up. With the way the room is handling the position, I’m thinking about that move since I know folks don’t handcuff their own backs, but it just seems wrong at this point. Doubs is the same team as Dillon though, which isn’t ideal. Ugh. I went Romeo Doubs. Might as well just blow up the traditional Ray build in the FSGA, right? Plus, I needed someone close to Toney in the rankings so I could breath a wee bit easier given his uncertainty.
ROUND 9: We usually can’t have nice things in this world, but I’m hoping Warren makes it back to me here. At least I can feel good about Doubs given that wideouts went with 5-of-7 picks after Doubs. If not, I would be tempted to grab E. Mitchell with the Niners, if I don’t go tight end. Mitchell went, so we are two picks from Warren to secure the Steelers backfield. One pick away. It worked. Jaylen Warren is on the squad.
ROUND 10: I would like to grab D. Shultz here. He’s not a star, but the offense they are running in Carolina this year, with DeMeco Ryans running the show, should give Schultz a shot at 70 catches. He’s the last guy left at the position I trust for somewhat consistent weekly production here in a PPR setup where he has a chance to lead the Texans in catches. Shoot. Went three picks before me. Dang it. Isiah Hodgins ends up being the choice (over Kmet). Hodgins caught four passes in 5-straight to end the season before going 8-105-1 in the playoff win over the Vikings. He’s got a chance to lead the Giants in receptions this season, though the wideout room is crowded.
ROUND 11: Terrace Marshall would be a solid add at this point, but I will wait and hope he’s still there later. The backs are basically handcuff-o-rama at this point, and I could grab Kmet if he were to fall (he won’t). I talked earlier about not punting TE, and I basically have ended up in that spot WIRH 12 taken as I write this sentence. So, it’s WR/TE/RB this round, realizing that I would love to bolster all three groups, but only have two picks to make (that’s science). Even if I want a WR here, my team build could prob use RB or TE. Kendre Miller could end up making… of course. Just went two picks before me before I could finish typing the Kamara will get suspended sentence. There’s been a couple of those – right before me pick things. I fully expect Josh Jacobs to play in Week 1, but what heck, give me Zamir White. Still, lots of smoke with Jacobs and contract and workload talk, so if you draft him it is a must to get White too.
ROUND 12: Cole Kmet, Mr. Stone Hands, time? Is there really any difference from Kmet and TE#15? Is he likely to catch 75 passes for eight scores? The only concern is that people in this league, for some reason I’ve never figured out, often take two tight ends. Don’t draft two tight ends as you’re locking yourself into two rosters spots of mediocrity with virtually no shot at the proverbial upside. It just makes no sense. Team #12 just took their second TE too. Why? As I write that, Team #14 takes their second TE. Throw another dart at a backup RB? Grab Marshall with an aging Thielen and injury prone Chark? Dang it. Cole Kmet is gonna be the choice as this was another pick made, not cause I really wanted to, but because I had to play the draft. At least he has a late bye (Week 13), so as long as he’s OK I can’t worry about having to get another guy to give me 10 points a week until late in the year. As I write that, second tight ends continue to fly off the board.
ROUND 13: So Terrace Marshall or the running back bingo route? Note taking a second TE, and no need to take a second QB with Josh Allen having a late bye either. Though, being honest now, Russell Wilson just sitting there… that’s a mistake by the room that I almost want to jump on. There he went (finally). I’ve been talking about him for a while, so let’s do it – Terrace Marshall who continues my youthful/talented/growth crew at wideout.
ROUND 14: Will take kicker and defense the last two rounds, so this is time for my one running back dart. Went with Zach Evans who isn’t a name a lot of folks are talking about right now, but Cam Akers really gonna lead the Rams’ backfield in 2023? We also know that the Rams’ RB spot is a money position in fantasy football.
ROUND 15: Defense. I drafted one. Pittsburgh Steelers.
ROUND 16: Kicker. I drafted one. Michael Badgley. Hopefully he is the Lions kicker.
*Round in parenthesis.
QB: Josh Allen (4)
RB: Najee Harris (2), AJ Dillon (5)
WR: Stefon Diggs (1), DK Metcalf (3), Kadarius Toney (7),
TE: Cole Kmet (12)
FLEX: Isiah Pacheco (6)
K: Michael Badgley (16)
DEF: Pittsburgh Steelers (15)
BENCH: Romeo Doubs (8), Jaylen Warren (9), Isiah Hodgins (10), Zamir White (11), Terrace Marshall (13), Zach Evans (14)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Here is the full draftboard.
