Got fantasy football questions? Come to SB Nation's Fantasy War Room, or tweet @TheSackSBN for answers. Every Thursday, a few will be pulled and answered here. Today, we talk draft strategies, roster assessment, and we collectively grieve over the Josh Gordon ruling.
I answered a lot of great questions this week, but let me first get something off my chest.
There are at least 940 things about the Josh Gordon debacle that the NFL handled horribly, and admittedly far down that list-- but still part of it-- is that the shield hurled a proverbial wrench into fantasy football.
And man, that wrench hurt. Gordon's keeper value was already a bargain for leagues that base keepers off of the previous year's draft position. Instead, the Cleveland Browns are essentially a fantasy wasteland unless Bryan Hoyer or Johnny Manziel pull a rabbit out of their helmets. And the NFL's penalty for pulling rodents out of padded hats is 15 years. That's YEARS, not SEASONS, harf harf harf. It's true.
But honestly, I'm not even angry anymore. I'm just sad. Join me in my grief, and press play. Then, let's get to some questions.
@TheSackSBN where's Brandin Cooks ADP headed the last couple weeks? What about Justin Hunter? #fantasyfootball
— 2HandTouchIDP (@Roto_Project700) August 27, 2014
Cooks' ADP is in the tail end of the sixth-round, ahead of teammates Marques Colston and Pierre Thomas. This is optimism to the point of lunacy. The owners drafting Cooks that high are likely the same people who thought Robert Griffin III would be able to run at the start of 2013, just seven months after shredding his ACL. Or they're the ones getting tattoos reading "Cowboys 2015 Champions." LEARN TO BE NEGATIVE. Or at least develop healthy skepticism.
I touched on what to expect from rookie receivers in last week's edition, and Cooks would have to play out of his cleats to match the production of wide receivers that can be drafted near him. Keep in mind that Cooks plays on an offense that--despite its stratospheric output--fails to produce too many reliable options from week-to-week outside of Jimmy Graham and Drew Brees. None of what I say is a knock on Cooks himself, since I believe he has a fantastic future in the league. But he's in WR3 territory at his current ADP, and I'd prefer someone with a higher floor at that range. He's a bench option until he can prove otherwise.
As for Hunter, I'm all for drafting him. He has undeniable talent and is as good a candidate as any to make that second-year leap. He can also be had for peanuts with an 11th round ADP, making him one of the premier stashes* in fantasy football.
(*that's not to be confused with premier staches in fantasy football. There's only one)
@TheSackSBN .5 ppr, keep 3 @ $ value. Value deducted from $200 draft: Graham $39, J Cameron $4, Antonio B $11, Julio $10
— Ffballponderer (@ffballponderer) August 27, 2014
Graham is so tempting, but if you want to have an elite RB corps, then he throws a wrench in those plans. I'd much rather take my chances in the auction itself and keep Jordan Cameron for nothing, especially with the Josh Gordon suspension upheld. I know it's a small sample size, but during Gordon's two-game suspension a season ago, Cameron caught 14 of 20 targets for 203 yards and a touchdown. It's a new offense in Cleveland, but Cameron will be fed.
So to those who drafted Cameron before Gordon's suspension came down, congrats at getting him for cheap. Now he will cost not just an arm and a leg, but a unicorn's arm and a leg. I don't even think they have arms, despite being magical creatures. There should be arms.
That leaves Antonio Brown and Julio Jones, who could both finish in the top-5 at their position, and you're getting them both for just 10 percent of your budget. That's a no-brainer. Keep them.
I'd keep the corner of my eye on Wright, but just that. JUST THE CORNER. NO MORE. Because it's hard to imagine a seamless transition into Bill Belichick's offense this late in the game, so I wouldn't expect an immediate return. Wright still has plus receiving skills at the position, and he's not so much a tight end as he is a slot receiver. Despite that athleticism, it's hard to imagine him being high enough on the pecking order when Julian Edelman, Shane Vereen and
of course a healthy Rob Gronkowski are in the huddle as well. The New England Patriots don't have to be a pass-heavy offense to succeed, and if they get short on receiving weapons due to injury, don't assume that the next pass-catcher up is going to feast. We learned that in 2013.
There's even more of a crowd in Indianapolis, much to the distress of Dwayne Allen's fantasy owners. But unlike Wright, I think he will see more snaps and targets. Allen's ability to block and catch ought to have him on the field more than his counterpart Coby Fleener, who essentially plays a different position than Allen altogether despite them both being listed as tight ends. And until Trent Richardson learns to be more assertive than Tina Belcher when the ball's in his hands, the Colts should be near the top of the league in pass attempts once again.
Though Wright has good receiving ability, Allen's got just as much. I'll go with him as a stash since he has more value in the short-term.
@TheSackSBN Thoughts on my team? QB: Luck RB: Peterson, Rice/Richardson WR: AJ Green, J. Nelson TE: J. Thomas K: Gostkowski D: (match-ups)
— Tom Garrett (@TheAxisOfEgo) August 27, 2014
@TheSackSBN QB: Dalton RB: Rice/Richardson, Khiry Robinson, Steven Jackson WR: Mike Wallace, Eric Decker, Brandin Cooks, Justin Hunter
— Tom Garrett (@TheAxisOfEgo) August 27, 2014
You may have to do a little wheeling and dealing to stay afloat at some point during the season. Assuming you had a draft slot toward the top of the first round, there's not a ton you can do if all the RB-depth is plundered by the time it snakes back to you at the end of round two. But if that's the case, you did what you should have-and that's stock up on receiver talent, which you have for days.
I'd float the idea of trading Cooks for a solid RB2 and see if anyone bites. It's not likely they do, but now is the time since I think Cooks' value is as high as it will be all season long. Otherwise, I'd cross my fingers for an early breakout game from Wallace or Decker and then testing the trade waters at that point.
Hey, guys, thank you for reading this week's edition of The Sack. If you would like to be in next week's The Sack, please post your fantasy questions in the comments or tweet me at @TheSackSBN. Be sure to also visit SB Nation's Fantasy War Room so I can pull questions from there as well.
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