THIS LOOK- BACK DRAFT IS HOT
FANTASY FOOLS With hindsight on our side, here’s how picks should have gone in ’ 17
Ah, yes. August 2017. It was a simpler time then, full of magic and wonder and endless possibilities.
Wouldn’t it be great if you knew then what you know now?
You probably would have put everything you owned in bitcoin. You wouldn’t have gotten your hopes up so high for “The Last Jedi.” And you sure would’ve used your first- round pick on anyone but David Johnson.
Sadly, there are few do- overs in life and none in fantasy football. At least not in the seasonlong version that God intended for us to play. But there sure is plenty of 20/ 20 hindsight. Yes, friends, it’s time to adjust our rearview mirrors as we explore what could have been with my oft- imitated, always- controversial yet magically delicious Perfect Draft: The Final Judgment.
As always, we start with a few key parameters. We will draft from the middle ( fifth) position in a 10- team non- keeper league. We’ll use a standard scoring system that starts one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers and one tight end, flex, kicker and team defense. We disregard Week 17 because no league should be vying for a championship then.
Now, with the fifth pick of the 2017 Perfect Draft, we should have selected …
Round 1: Todd Gurley, RB, Rams: Gurley led countless fantasy teams to a title, and the vast majority of his grateful owners snagged him in the second or third round. But since Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown are already off the board, we’ll go ahead and grab the Fantasy MVP a bit early.
Round 2: Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots: Leonard Fournette got the call here in our midseason review, but nagging injuries cost the rookie in the second half. Gronk had his issues, too, including a one- week suspension. But he’s still the most dominant tight end of his generation.
Round 3: DeAndreHopkins, WR, Texans: What happens when you wait until the third round to take your first wideout? Fantasy’s top receiver* just might fall in your lap! (* In all fairness, Brown’s late- season injury made this statement possible.)
Round 4: KareemHunt, RB, Chiefs: The electrifying rookie slumped through a rough midseason patch, but he rediscovered his mojo in time for the fantasy playoffs. Keenan Allen delivered nicely from this spot, as well.
Round 5: Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs: Hunt’s playmaking teammate embodies the cliché that he’s “a threat to score every time he touches the ball.” It’s a shame we have to pass on Mark Ingram here.
Round 6: RussellWilson, QB, Seahawks: It wasn’t always pretty, and he had his off weeks. But in the end, Wilson was the top QB in Fantasyland. Then again, when virtually an entire offense runs through one guy, perhaps it’s not that surprising.
Round 7: Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles: CarsonWentz’s go- to target will serve us well when Gronk misses time. He’s also an excellent flex option.
Round 8: ChrisHogan, WR, Patriots: Hogan stepped into the role vacated by Julian Edelman and produced consistently as one of Tom Brady’s most trusted targets in the first half. We’ll miss his contributions down the stretch.
Round 9: Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings: We’re not thrilled with how he finished the season, but Thielen was money most of the way. The PPR hero offered superior value from his late draft slot, but you can bet he won’t come so cheap next year.
Round 10: CarsonWentz, QB, Eagles: We’ll hate losing him at the end ofWeek 14, but we’ll enjoy the ride for most of the season.
Round 11: Jaguars’ defense/ special teams. Jacksonville led— or was among the top three— in virtually every defensive category and, consequently, racked up more fantasy points than any other unit.
Round 12: Marvin Jones, Jr., WR, Lions: He was hardly the model of consistency, but Jones managed to amass more than 1,000 yards and eight TDs through Week 16.
Round 13: Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots: The New England backfield is notoriously difficult to predict, but Lewis emerged as the team’s go- to tailback down the stretch.
Round 14: Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints: Among the favorites for Fantasy Rookie of the Year honors, Kamara was a bit player in the New Orleans offense until Adrian Peterson was shipped off to Arizona. After that, laissez les bons temps rouler!
Round 15: CooperKupp, WR, Rams: Just for kicks, let’s grab Jared Goff’s favorite receiver late. We’ll never start him, but we’ll keep him out of our competitors’ lineups.
Round 16: Alex Smith, QB, Chiefs: Raise your hand if you thought Smith would be a topthree fantasy QB at the end of the season. Yeah, sure you did.
Round 17: Greg Zuerlein, K, Rams: Mopping up for the NFL’s top- scoring offense helps make you an elite fantasy kicker. We’ll have to get by in the finale without Zuerlein after a herniated disk put him on injured reserve.