Last night we had the draft for the LeBron fantasy league. I'm not sure why it's named after LeBron. Regardless, I have grades for every single team in the league. We have expanded to twelve teams so the teams won't be quite as stacked as years past. Well lets just get to it. If there's a star by a players name it means they were a keeper from last season.
We will start with Austin Nader, team name: 6 God.
His team:
QB - Ben Roethisberger PIT
RB - Jamaal Charles KC*
RB - DeMarco Murray PHI*
WR - Jordy Nelson GB*
WR - DeAndre Hopkins HOU
TE - Zach Ertz PHI
FLEX - Keenan Allen WR SD
D/ST - Texans D/ST
K - Steven Hauschka SEA
BE - Jeremy Maclin WR KC
BE - Fred Jackson RB BUF
BE - Devonta Freeman RB ATL
BE - Nate Washington WR HOU
BE - Carson Palmer QB ARI
BE - Michael Crabtree WR OAK
BE - Zac Stacy RB NYJ
As Austin constantly brought up last night he is the two time runner up to the crown in the league. At this point he's the Phil Mickelson of the LeBron League. For me it depends on the expectations one has for their players. If someone drafts Big Ben expecting back-to-back six touchdown games like he had last year then
No qualms about his keepers of Charles, Murray, and Jordy Nelson. Charles is the best and the safest of those three. I feel it's easy to say Murray will have a down year in comparison to how he did last season. He also isn't behind the great Dallas O-Line. I like Jordy Nelson's talent but his upside is tied to Aaron Rodgers. That's not exactly an issue. Hopkins should emerge as the number one receiving threat with no Andre Johnson in the picture. Lets see if he puts it together. Keenan Allen is a nice flex with number two receiver upside. Zach Ertz is muh at tight end. It's hard to go against the Texans D when they have JJ Watt on their side. If Charles or Murray gets hurt he is in trouble. His back up running backs are snoozers. Fred Jackson maybe has this season on the tires but I can't count on to much from him. Freeman could be the starting running back. That also remains to be seen. Nate Washington's best days are behind him. There's no need for Palmer to be on your bench as a back up. He'll be available on the waiver wire unless he blows up. Crabtree is done, and Stacy hasn't done anything since his rookie year and the Jets have too many running backs as it is.
All that being said if Charles, Murray, and Nelson aren't putting up great numbers and if one of more gets hurt; he's screwed.
Grade: C+
Let's go to Andre Sobert, team name Creme Fraiche.
His team:
QB - Sam Bradford PHI
RB - Justin Forsett BAL*
RB - Lamar Miller MIA
WR - AJ Green CIN*
WR - Julio Jones ATL*
TE - Travis Kelcie KC
FLEX - Andre Ellington RB ARI
D/ST - Dolphins D/ST
K - Caleb Sturgis MIA
BE - Ameer Abdullah RB DET
BE - Allen Robinson WR JAC
BE - Nelson Agholor WR PHI
BE - Charles Johnson WR MIN
BE - David Cobb RB TEN
BE - Roy Helu RB OAK
BE - David Johnson RB ARI
Ah, Andre. And no not this Andre
His team is a bit of a hot mess. Bradford actually has a lot of upside in the Chip Kelly offense, but we've all seen him get hurt before. Not a big fan of Forsett this year especially as a number one fantasy running back. Lamar Miller is a solid number two with a bit of upside. AJ Green should absoultely kill it this season. Julio is good but his middle name is officially "if he's healthy". I am not a fan of having a tight end that isn't Gronk or Graham so to me one is reaching if he's gonna grab a tight end in a fairly early round. From 3-12 ish it's all the same. Some games it'll be 12 points and sometime it'll be three or four. When someone drafts a player like that in the early rounds it hurts the team's overall depth as seen here. The only guy I like on his bench is Abdullah but he's got Joique Bell in his way taking carries.
Not a big fan of this team.Only guy on there I trust is AJ Green
Grade: D+
Lets go to Kevin Zamfino, team name: Daisy Stop Barking.
His team:
QB - Aaron Rodgers GB*
RB - Todd Gurley STL
RB - Latavius Murray OAK
WR - Demaryius Thomas DEN*
WR - Brandon Marshall NYJ
TE - Rob Gronkowski NE*
FLEX - Ryan Matthews RB PHI
D/ST - Ravens D/ST
K - Connor Barth DEN
BE - Larry Fitzgerald WR ARI
BE - Darren McFadden RB DAL
BE - Anquan Boldin WR SF
BE - Andre Williams RB NYG
BE - Donte Moncrief WR IND
BE - Terrance Williams WR DAL
BE - James Starks RB GB
Oh, Kevin. Since we have a the League thing going on, no not this Kevin
This team isn't very good in my book. Rodgers is a stud of course. He's the best QB in the league. I like the wide outs. Thomas is a number one guy for sure and Marshall is a number two with nice upside. Gronk is awesome of course. After those guys though it's real rough. Gurley is not a number one. He could be at the end of the year potentially, but to start the year there's just no way. Not a big fan of what I've seen from Murray in Oakland. Ellington is nice as a flex play but it seems that Bruce Arians isn't as high on him as he was last year. His bench is all bad. Unless Eddy Lacy get hurt Starks is useless. Fitzgerald and Boldin are done. McFadden hasn't shown anything good in years. Moncrief is a better real life player than fantasy.
Grade: C-
Let's go to Ben Thomas, his team is named: Kobe Salad Tossers
His team:
QB - Russell Wilson SEA*
RB - Jonathan Stewart CAR
RB - Joseph Randle DAL
WR - Alshon Jeffery CHI*
WR - T.Y. Hilton IND*
TE - Jordan Cameron MIA
FLEX - Isaiah Crowell CLE
D/ST - Bills D/ST
K - Mason Crosby GB
BE - Roddy White WR ATL
BE - Arian Foster RB HOU
BE - Doug Baldwin WR SEA
BE - Jameis Winston TB QB
BE - Rueben Randle WR NYG
BE - Reggie Bush RB SF
BE - Heath Miller TE PIT
Oh gosh, Ben. You already had wide out on lock but you weren't able to get a good enough running back. Carolina never sticks with one guy. Unless Randle can do what Murray did last year he is a low end RB 2. I love the receivers in Jeffery and Hilton. Not a fan of reaching for Cameron. I'm a fan of Crowell in NFL football. Fantasy remains to be seen. As a Browns fan I want him to be the number one guy but reports out of camp at this time say no one is really emerging. It's early in the process of course though. I like Arian Foster as a lottery ticket kind of guy but if more comes out he could be drop-able with the flick of the wrist. There's no need for Winston on the bench taking up a roster spot. Ditto for Heath Miller.
Not a fan of this squad either.
Grade: D+
Now let's check out Ben Lowry's team, his team is named: Zack Johnson Banged Ur Mom
His team:
QB - Eli Manning NYG
RB - Matt Forte CHI*
RB - T.J. Yeldon JAC
WR - Calvin Johnson DET*
WR - Kelvin Benjamin CAR
TE - Jimmy Graham SEA*
FLEX - Vincent Jackson WR TB
D/ST - Cardinals D/ST
K - Matt Prater DET
BE - Kevin White WR CHI
BE - Julius Thomas TE JAC
BE - Doug Martin RB TB
BE - Duke Johnson RB CLE
BE - Percy Harvin WR BUF
BE - Ray Rice RB FA
BE - Danny Woodhead RB SD
What I think Eli is might be a top QB since we have 12 teams. Would I want him? Well no. He doesn't have much of an upside. Forte might be coming to the end of the road. If he has a good season I wouldn't be surprised. He has a little more value in PPR. TJ Yeldon's value is up in the air. I wouldn't want to start him week one. He could have some value. This team had Denard Robinson have some big games last season. He could be a RB2 at some point this year, but I wouldn't start him if I had other options. Calvin is a stud of course. Benjamin should be a nice WR2 with good upside. I was a major fan of Jimmy Graham in New Orleans. I still like him because he has raw talent. He's going to a team that was one play away from winning back-to-back super bowls. I don't see them changing their offense much. Maybe now they can throw from the one yard line and be successful. I still like Graham but his value is now more so tied to touchdowns then it has been in years past. Jackson's not bad as a flex. Kevin White is hurt for now. I don't think this injury will linger as long as he gets some time to rest. Julius Thomas is a guy I am very down on. He goes from Peyton Manning to Blake Bortles. I would think he's their number one receiving option. That being said he is on a much worse team. If he's still on this fantasy team in a few weeks it's a mistake. His only value is when he's in the lineup. I would look to trade him if I was Ben for an upgrade at running back. He does nothing on the bench. Doug Martin is a nice flier. Same goes for Harvin. This teams running back issue will be a reason they struggle.
Grade: C
Now someone who will not win, you heard it here first, Dan Janning, team name Blue Sea Unpackers.
His team:
QB - Teddy Bridgewater MIN
RB - Adrian Peterson MIN*
RB - Eddie Lacy GB*
WR - Antonio Brown PIT*
WR - Sammy Watkins BUF
TE - Kyle Rudolph MIN
FLEX - DeSean Jackson WR WSH
D/ST - Jets D/ST
K - Dan Carpenter BUF
BE - Martavis Bryant WR PIT
BE - Tre Mason RB STL
BE - Torrey Smith WR SF
BE - Joe Flacco QB BAL
BE - DeAngelo Williams RB PIT
BE - Tyler Eifert TE CIN
BE - Cordarrelle Patterson WR MIN
Well for starters I didn't know Danny became a Vikings fan. Four Vikings guys? I would only want AP personally. I think Bridgewater could be a top 12 QB, in a few years. Two top 5 running backs should help. Brown is a top 5 WR. I like Watkins' talent. Who's throwing him the ball though? Rudolph is just another average to below average starting tight end. I haven't like Jackson since leaving Philly. His kicker is hurt. Bryant is only a starter if the Pitt offense blows up. Tre Mason had value last year. I think those carries are going to their first round pick Todd Gurley. Torrey Smith is done. Flacco just isn't a good fantasy QB to begin with and he has no need to be on a bench. DeAngelo Williams is only valuable while Bell is out. Eifert does nothing on the bench as a backup tight end. Patterson could come back to relavance. I'm not counting on it though.
I like the backs but not much else.
Grade: C
Let's go to Brian Daley, his team is named: Hail To The R-Words
QB - Teddy Bridgewater MIN
RB - Adrian Peterson MIN*
RB - Eddie Lacy GB*
WR - Antonio Brown PIT*
WR - Sammy Watkins BUF
TE - Kyle Rudolph MIN
FLEX - DeSean Jackson WR WSH
D/ST - Jets D/ST
K - Dan Carpenter BUF
BE - Martavis Bryant WR PIT
BE - Tre Mason RB STL
BE - Torrey Smith WR SF
BE - Joe Flacco QB BAL
BE - DeAngelo Williams RB PIT
BE - Tyler Eifert TE CIN
BE - Cordarrelle Patterson WR MIN
Well for starters I didn't know Danny became a Vikings fan. Four Vikings guys? I would only want AP personally. I think Bridgewater could be a top 12 QB, in a few years. Two top 5 running backs should help. Brown is a top 5 WR. I like Watkins' talent. Who's throwing him the ball though? Rudolph is just another average to below average starting tight end. I haven't like Jackson since leaving Philly. His kicker is hurt. Bryant is only a starter if the Pitt offense blows up. Tre Mason had value last year. I think those carries are going to their first round pick Todd Gurley. Torrey Smith is done. Flacco just isn't a good fantasy QB to begin with and he has no need to be on a bench. DeAngelo Williams is only valuable while Bell is out. Eifert does nothing on the bench as a backup tight end. Patterson could come back to relavance. I'm not counting on it though.
I like the backs but not much else.
Grade: C
Let's go to Brian Daley, his team is named: Hail To The R-Words
His team:
QB - Peyton Manning DEN*
RB - Melvin Gordon SD
RB - Rashad Jennings NYG
WR - Odell Beckham Jr NYG*
WR - Emmanuel Sanders DEN
TE - Jason Witten DAL
FLEX - Amari Cooper WR OAK
D/ST - Broncos D/ST
K - Dan Bailey DAL
BE - Michael Floyd WR ARI
BE - Chris Ivory RB NYJ
BE - DeVante Parker WR MIA
BE - Robert Griffin III QB WSH
BE - Jordan Reed TE WSH
BE - Brian Quick WR STL
BE - Jonas Gray RB NE
First thing I see is a lot of Denver, New York Giants, and Dallas. I'm not a fan of having multiple guys from the same team unless it's a great offense. That's at least the case for Denver. I like Peyton. I think he will hold up at least through the regular season. Not a fan of the backs. Gordon could emerge as a rookie though. Jennings has always been an average back to me. Beckham will be good but there's no way he duplicates what he did last year, right? Sanders is a great WR2. I love the upside of Amari Cooper. I like Ivory although who knows who'll get the ball for the Jets. This team isn't very deep. RGII and Jordan Reed are showing the Washington fandom of Brian. They shouldn't be rostered. I don't trust Patriot running backs. I've been burned too many times.
Nice team but not much depth.
Grade: C+
How about we check out Joe 'Papa Z' Zamfino's team, his team is named RG3's House Taking A Dump. (My favorite name that's not my own by the way)
His team:
QB - Drew Brees NO*
RB - Marshawn Lynch SEA*
RB - C.J. Spiller NO
WR - Brandin Cooks NO
WR - Andre Johnson IND
TE - Martellus Bennett CHI
FLEX - LeGarrette Blount RB NE
D/ST - Packers D/ST
K - Cody Parkey PHI
BE - Tony Romo QB DAL*
BE - Steve Smith Sr WR BAL
BE - Antonio Gates TE SD
BE - Stevie Johnson WR SD
BE -Jay Ajayi RB MIA
BE - Dwayane Bowe WR CLE
BE - Terrance West RB CLE
Not sure the reasoning behind keeping two top 10 QBs. I think we've already seen the best of Spiller. I also don't like having Brees, Spiller, and Cooks all on one fantasy team. They've been a great offense in the past. I don't see them being that great this season. Cooks will still be good though. I really want to know what kind of Andre Johnson we will see after he begged to get out of Houston. I think I illustrated my thoughts on Pats running backs in the last recap. Like I said earlier there's no reason to have Romo on the bench. Steve Smith is done. Gates is suspended and I don't think he's a starting tight end anymore anyway.
Not a fan of this team at all.
Grade: D
Now we have Jon Oh's team, named Deflate Theez Nuts.
His team:
QB - Cam Newton CAR
RB - Le'Veon Bell PIT*
RB - C.J. Anderson DEN*
WR - Julian Edelman NE
WR - Brandon LaFell NE
TE - Greg Olsen CAR
FLEX - Alfred Morris RB WSH
D/ST - Seahawks D/ST
K - Justin Tucker BAL
BE - Alfred Blue RB HOU
BE - Breshad Perriman WR BAL
BE - Matt Stafford QB DET
BE - Kenny Stills WR MIA
BE - Owen Daniels TE DEN
BE - Montee Ball RB DEN
BE - Dorial Green-Beckham WR TEN
QB - Cam Newton CAR
RB - Le'Veon Bell PIT*
RB - C.J. Anderson DEN*
WR - Julian Edelman NE
WR - Brandon LaFell NE
TE - Greg Olsen CAR
FLEX - Alfred Morris RB WSH
D/ST - Seahawks D/ST
K - Justin Tucker BAL
BE - Alfred Blue RB HOU
BE - Breshad Perriman WR BAL
BE - Matt Stafford QB DET
BE - Kenny Stills WR MIA
BE - Owen Daniels TE DEN
BE - Montee Ball RB DEN
BE - Dorial Green-Beckham WR TEN
Aside from the fact no one will understand what his team name means in a decade. Cam should improve from last season. I don't think he was ever 100% healthy. He should be healthy at least for the first part of the year. He's got nice backs. Bell and Anderson are both top 10-12 backs. Although Bell is suspended for a few games he should be able to plug in either Blue or Morris. His wide outs are bad. If the Patriots have an offense for the ages that move will work out otherwise not so much. I like Morris as a flex play. He reached badly for the Seahawks D. I don't expect much out of Perriman. Stafford does nothing for you on the bench. Stills is too much of a boom or bust kind of player. You'll be happy when he has 130 yards and 2 TD's but other wise it's 3 for 37 game after game if anything. He reached for Olsen even though he could be a top 5 tight end again. Ball is a nice handcuff for Anderson. I don't have any idea what to expect out of Green-Beckham, but then again I don't know who does know what to expect out of him.
Nice running backs+Cam. Otherwise it's a wasteland.
Grade: C-
Nice running backs+Cam. Otherwise it's a wasteland.
Grade: C-
Next we have one of two newcomes. These next two players got to draft their teams in full since they didn't already have keepers. First up we have Nayhome T, team name is GREENDUN DOGFIGHTERS (yes, it was in all caps)
His team:
QB - Tom Brady NE
RB - Mark Ingram NO
RB - Joique Bell DET
WR - Victor Cruz NYG
WR - Jordan Matthews PHI
TE - Delanie Walker TEN
FLEX - Mike Wallace WR MIN
D/ST - Chiefs D/ST
K - Adam Vinatieri IND
BE - Matt Ryan QB ATL
BE - Kendall Wright WR TEN
BE - Pierre Garcon WR WSH
BE - Charles Sims RB TB
BE - Josh Hill TE NO
BE - Denard Robinson RB JAC
BE - Jermaine Kearse WR SEA
This team isn't making the playoffs. They will finish either last or next to last. Austin, get a trophy like this ready for him.
His first two picks were Tom Brady and Victor Cruz. I loved Cruz in years past but he is trying to come back from a horrific injury. I don't like any of his running backs. Not a fan of Mike Wallace. Matt Ryan is a good QB but I wouldn't have reached for him knowing Brady will be back after a few games. Josh Hill could be the starting tight end in New Orleans. His buzz has cooled off though. This team isn't very good to put it nicely.
Grade: F
QB - Tom Brady NE
RB - Mark Ingram NO
RB - Joique Bell DET
WR - Victor Cruz NYG
WR - Jordan Matthews PHI
TE - Delanie Walker TEN
FLEX - Mike Wallace WR MIN
D/ST - Chiefs D/ST
K - Adam Vinatieri IND
BE - Matt Ryan QB ATL
BE - Kendall Wright WR TEN
BE - Pierre Garcon WR WSH
BE - Charles Sims RB TB
BE - Josh Hill TE NO
BE - Denard Robinson RB JAC
BE - Jermaine Kearse WR SEA
This team isn't making the playoffs. They will finish either last or next to last. Austin, get a trophy like this ready for him.
His first two picks were Tom Brady and Victor Cruz. I loved Cruz in years past but he is trying to come back from a horrific injury. I don't like any of his running backs. Not a fan of Mike Wallace. Matt Ryan is a good QB but I wouldn't have reached for him knowing Brady will be back after a few games. Josh Hill could be the starting tight end in New Orleans. His buzz has cooled off though. This team isn't very good to put it nicely.
Grade: F
And finally we have the other noob in Michael Stephenson, team name: Team Stephenson. (how original)
His team:
QB - Andrew Luck IND
RB - Jeremy Hill CIN
RB - Frank Gore IND
WR - Randall Cobb GB
WR - Jarvis Landry MIA
TE - Dwayne Allen IND
FLEX - Shane Vereen RB NYG
D/ST - Rams D/ST
K - Stephen Gostkowski NE
BE - Bishop Sankey RB TEN
BE - Marques Colston WR NO
BE - Malcolm Floyd WR SD
BE - Boom Herron RB IND
BE - Colin Kaepernick QB SF
BE - Jaelen Strong WR HOU
BE - Cecil Shorts III WR HOU
Now this guy wasn't at the draft. He had cross country or something. So he phoned in most of his picks. Personally, I think it's bull crap. You show up to the draft or you're on auto draft. None of this draft for me crap. Anyway, he's got a nice squad. Luck will be a top 5 QB. Hill should be top 15 if he stays on the roll he was on at the end of last year. I think Gore's done but he's been done for three years. Cobb is a good WR1, Landry not so much. Vereen isn't as valueable in non-PPR and not being in the New England offense. His bench isn't great. Sankey could get the carries for the Titans. Colston is done. Floyd is a nice flier. Kaep has no value on the bench behind luck because he'd only play one week anyway.
TEAM Grade: C+
And now the team of yours truly, team name: Austin Top/ Danny Bottom
My team:
QB - Ryan Tannehill MIA
RB - LeSean McCoy BUF*
RB - Carlos Hyde SF
WR - Dez Bryant DAL*
WR - Mike Evans TB
TE - Ladarius Green SD
FLEX - Golden Tate WR DET
D/ST - Vikings D/ST
K - Blair Walsh MIN
BE - Gio Bernard RB CIN
BE - Tevin Coleman RB ATL
BE - Eric Decker WR NYJ
BE - Davante Adams WR GB
BE - John Brown WR ARI
BE - Darren Sproles RB PHI
BE - Knile Davis RB KC
QB - Andrew Luck IND
RB - Jeremy Hill CIN
RB - Frank Gore IND
WR - Randall Cobb GB
WR - Jarvis Landry MIA
TE - Dwayne Allen IND
FLEX - Shane Vereen RB NYG
D/ST - Rams D/ST
K - Stephen Gostkowski NE
BE - Bishop Sankey RB TEN
BE - Marques Colston WR NO
BE - Malcolm Floyd WR SD
BE - Boom Herron RB IND
BE - Colin Kaepernick QB SF
BE - Jaelen Strong WR HOU
BE - Cecil Shorts III WR HOU
Now this guy wasn't at the draft. He had cross country or something. So he phoned in most of his picks. Personally, I think it's bull crap. You show up to the draft or you're on auto draft. None of this draft for me crap. Anyway, he's got a nice squad. Luck will be a top 5 QB. Hill should be top 15 if he stays on the roll he was on at the end of last year. I think Gore's done but he's been done for three years. Cobb is a good WR1, Landry not so much. Vereen isn't as valueable in non-PPR and not being in the New England offense. His bench isn't great. Sankey could get the carries for the Titans. Colston is done. Floyd is a nice flier. Kaep has no value on the bench behind luck because he'd only play one week anyway.
TEAM Grade: C+
And now the team of yours truly, team name: Austin Top/ Danny Bottom
My team:
QB - Ryan Tannehill MIA
RB - LeSean McCoy BUF*
RB - Carlos Hyde SF
WR - Dez Bryant DAL*
WR - Mike Evans TB
TE - Ladarius Green SD
FLEX - Golden Tate WR DET
D/ST - Vikings D/ST
K - Blair Walsh MIN
BE - Gio Bernard RB CIN
BE - Tevin Coleman RB ATL
BE - Eric Decker WR NYJ
BE - Davante Adams WR GB
BE - John Brown WR ARI
BE - Darren Sproles RB PHI
BE - Knile Davis RB KC
I think Tannehill is going to be a steady QB1. Rex Ryan will run the ball so much so I like the continued value of McCoy. As an Ohio State fan I got to see a lot of Carlos Hyde and I think he can be a stud. I haven't seen it in the NFL but I've seen him be a great back. Dez is a top 10 WR. Evans has upside as a WR2. Ditto for Golden Tate. The Lions throw so much that it helps his value. Ladarius Green should be fine during the Gates supspension if nothing else. There's always quality tight ends on the waiver wire. Gio Bernard could be the starter in Cincy again and is a better pass catcher than Hill. Coleman could be the starter in Atlanta. I watched him tear up my BG Falcons as a member of the Indiana Hooisers last college season. Adams has Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball to him. John Brown is a sleeper for me. Not to mention he went to Pittsburgh State. Shout out to the Gorillas (the one and only). Sproles has had fantasy value before and Knile Davis become a top 10 guy if Charles goes down.
My dear, dear friend Phil Holtz gave my team a B-. On Twitter he said, "Stacked at wide receiver but lacking elsewhere. " Not a bad evaluation, but I'm hoping one of my backup running backs pops.
Well that's all she wrote folks.
You can find me on Twitter @TheLanceMorris
You can follow our league as well @LeBronFantasyFB
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