NFFC Online Championship Draft Diary
For those of you not familiar with the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC), they are the longest running high stakes fantasy competition in the industry, with buy-ins ranging from $125 to $20,000, and formats that include standalone leagues to large overall competitions with thousands of teams.
The most popular league is the $350 buy-in Online Championship, which is a PPR and premium quarterback scoring format, with 12 teams vying for $2200 in league prizes. This format is popular due to the large overall prizes that arise from multiple leagues sending two teams each to compete in a three-week end-of-season Total Points Playoff. Last season, 2,148 teams (179 leagues) entered the contest with the Overall Champion cashing for a cool $100,000.
In this draft, my friend and I drafted seventh out of the 12 teams; with the PPR scoring and ability to start four wide receivers, we targeted a big receiver to start out the team.
1.07 Julio Jones (wide receiver/Atlanta) – Jones is actually our top-ranked wide receiver this year, so we were happy to get him at the seventh pick after Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant and the big four running backs, Adrian Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy and Jamaal Charles were selected.
2.06 A.J. Green (wide receiver/Cincinnati) – We had hoped to get DeMarco Murray or Jeremy Hill at this pick to give us a strong receiver/running back combo to start out, but they were the two picks right in front of us; Green is a decent consolation prize as he has been a stud for years. People are penalizing him too harshly for an injury plagued 2014.
3.06* DeAndre Hopkins (wide receiver/Houston) – Lamar Miller and Justin Forsett were potential targets here, but both were taken before our pick; so we grabbed the top receiving target in Houston, who will be without workhorse running back Arian Foster for some time. Our top three picks have potential for 300+ receptions combined.
*The NFFC employs a Third Round Reversal format, so the draft order flips in the third round, which is why we picked sixth in both the second and third rounds.
4.07 Andre Ellington (running back/Arizona) – Jonathan Stewart was our intended target here, but he went off the board at 4.05; Ellington is not a target of ours, but with the PPR format and an improved offensive line for the Cardinals, his big play ability was worth a gamble here considering the need for a running back.
5.06 Melvin Gordon (running back/San Diego) – I am not sold on Gordon being a quality fantasy pick this year, but after being a third rounder early in the draft season, his stock has dropped enough that this pick will not hurt too bad if he ends up a bust; we had hoped to get Arian Foster or Doug Martin here, but both were taken at the end of the fourth round.
6.07 Chris Ivory (running back/New York Jets) – Ivory was the other player we debated at 5.06 with Gordon, so getting him at 6.07 was a no-brainer.
7.06 Sam Bradford (quarterback/Philadelphia) – This may seem early to some, but with the premium quarterback scoring (six point touchdowns and one point per 20 yards passing) there were already nine quarterbacks off the board at this point; we felt Bradford offered more upside than Eli Manning or Ryan Tannehill, who were the top options left at the position.
8.06 Kendall Wright (wide receiver/Tennessee) – Wright looks to be the main safety blanket for rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota, with the pair showing a great rapport in the preseason. A return to 80+ receptions is likely and gives us a low-risk Flex option.
9.07 Bishop Sankey (running back/Tennessee) – The injury to rookie running back David Cobb makes Sankey a stronger choice in drafts; he had already shown some promise in the preseason, but now with newcomer Terrance West as the backup, the known quantity in Sankey will draw more touches.
10.06 Tyler Eifert (tight end/Cincinnati) – One of my favorite tight end targets headed into the season, his stock unfortunately began to rise after reports were glowing in the preseason. Eifert is not Rob Gronkowski, but with a first round pedigree, his size and agility compare very favorably to the All-Pro (Gronk is 15 lbs heavier, but both are 6’6” with 4.68 40-times). There is a chance Eifert can become the next stud fantasy tight end.
11.07 David Johnson (running back/Arizona) – Johnson gives us a good looking rookie to handcuff with Andre Ellington. DeVante Parker (wide receiver/Miami) was a target here, but was taken two picks before this pick.
12.06 Texans defense-special teams – This is a little earlier than normal for us to select a defense/special teams, but we did not see any other glaring needs at this point. Seattle, Buffalo, St. Louis and Philadelphia had already been selected. We think Houston is a top three choice at the position, so we dove in.
13.07 Danny Amendola (wide receiver/New England) – Amendola will man the second wide receiver role for at least the first six weeks while Brandon LaFell is on the Physically Unable to Perform List. The rules in the league also allow you to retroactively start New England or Pittsburgh players after the Week 1 Thursday Night Game is played – this gives us a free look at Amendola as a potential Flex option.
14.06 James Jones (wide receiver/Green Bay) – The Packers needed some wide receiver depth, so when Jones was released by the Giants, Green Bay reacquired him to give Aaron Rodgers a familiar target to help replace Jordy Nelson. Our WR5/WR6 have Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers throwing to them, could be worse.
15.07 Ladarius Green (tight end/San Diego) – Green gives us some early season options at the position, plus a useful Week 4 Flex option with a home game against Cleveland (Wright, Sankey, Amendola & Lewis on bye).
16.06 Vernon Davis (tight end/San Francisco) – San Francisco will likely need to throw more this year than in previous years due to loss of defensive personnel likely leading to more time playing from behind; Davis should see a surge in usage this year.
17.07 Dion Lewis (running back/New England) – The likely replacement for Shane Vereen as the third down back in New England, Lewis gives us some upside, plus another free look during the Week 1 Thursday Night Game.
18.06 Brandon McManus (kicker/Denver) – The kicker for the Broncos has been a good fantasy play for decades, so why not?
19.07 Indianapolis defense/special Teams – One of my favorite defense/special teams value picks this year; an improved defensive unit with a great early schedule facing quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Marcus Mariota, Blake Bortles and Brian Hoyer during the first five games. Return man Josh Cribbs will also be on the roster for the whole season.
20.06 Mark Sanchez (quarterback/Philadelphia) – We thought about grabbing another quarterback here, such as Marcus Mariota, but ultimately decided Sanchez gives us much more value if Bradford goes down. We will need a waiver quarterback for the Week 8 bye, but Sanchez ensures we have the Philadelphia quarterback for the rest of the season.
Final Roster
round selected in parentheses
QB: Sam Bradford (7)
QB: Mark Sanchez (20)
RB: Andre Ellington (4)
RB: Melvin Gordon (5)
RB: Chris Ivory (6)
RB: Bishop Sankey (9)
RB: David Johnson (11)
RB: Dion Lewis (17)
WR: Julio Jones (1)
WR: A.J. Green (2)
WR: DeAndre Hopkins (3)
WR: Kendall Wright (8)
WR: Danny Amendola (13)
WR: James Jones (14)
TE: Tyler Eifert (10)
TE: Ladarius Green (15)
TE: Vernon Davis (16)
K: Brandon McManus (18)
D/ST: Houston Texans (12)
D/ST: Indianapolis Colts (19)
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