who grades the graders? - btn draft analysis

DirtyMike & the Boys

Yahoo grade: B

Keepers: Aaron Jones (Round 8), DK Metcalf (Round 11)

"It's clear that DirtyMike & the Boys focused on collecting high-level talent, having compiled a relatively top-heavy collection of players. Collectively, the top players from each position are really strong, slated to score the 2nd-most points in the league. Meanwhile, the rest of the roster is a bit less inspiring, as they're predicted to put up a point total that would rank in the middle of the pack." Yahoo

DirtyMike & the Boys
1.	(1)	Saquon Barkley  (NYG - RB)
2.	(20)	JuJu Smith-Schuster  (Pit - WR)
3.	(21)	Allen Robinson II  (Chi - WR)
4.	(40)	Stefon Diggs  (Buf - WR)
5.	(41)	Cam Akers  (LAR - RB)
6.	(60)	Zach Ertz  (Phi - TE)
7.	(61)	Brandin Cooks  (Hou - WR)
8.	(80)	Aaron Jones  (GB - RB)
9.	(81)	Damien Harris  (NE - RB)
10.	(100)	Matthew Stafford  (Det - QB)
11.	(101)	DK Metcalf  (Sea - WR)
12.	(120)	Justin Tucker  (Bal - K)
13.	(121)	Tarik Cohen  (Chi - RB)
14.	(140)	Minnesota  (Min - DEF)
15.	(141)	Mike Williams  (LAC - WR)
16.	(160)	Jared Cook  (NO - TE)

Brent brings both of his top two picks from his last place finishing squad from last year. Second time is a charm, maybe? Overall, I like Brent's team. He has two extremely solid RBs either of which could lead the league in TDs this year. Beyond that, his back ups are kind of a dice throw with players who are trying to carve out the bulk of the carries in their own backfields. He also has WRs who will be relied on by their teams for production but there are some questions about whether those teams will produce the type of air raid offenses to light up fantasy this year. A solid job. Certainly a team that AJ could never have drafted. Yahoo nailed the grade here. A solid B foundation with room to grow during the season. 

black is for sunday

Yahoo grade: A+

Keepers: Lamar Jackson (Round 7), Kenny Golladay (Round 13), Mark Andrews (Round 13), James Conner (Round 14)

"Overflowing with WR Talent, Black is for sunday Have a Chance to Win this League" Yahoo

black is for sunday
1.	(2)	Ezekiel Elliott  (Dal - RB)
2.	(14)	Mike Evans  (TB - WR)
3.	(22)	David Johnson  (Hou - RB)
4.	(29)	Keenan Allen  (LAC - WR)
5.	(39)	Mark Ingram II  (Bal - RB)
6.	(42)	DeVante Parker  (Mia - WR)
7.	(59)	Jerry Jeudy  (Den - WR)
8.	(67)	Lamar Jackson  (Bal - QB)
9.	(95)	Tony Pollard  (Dal - RB)
10.	(102)	Chase Edmonds  (Ari - RB)
11.	(119)	Pittsburgh  (Pit - DEF)
12.	(122)	Mark Andrews  (Bal - TE)
13.	(130)	Kenny Golladay  (Det - WR)
14.	(139)	James Conner  (Pit - RB)
15.	(142)	Tua Tagovailoa  (Mia - QB)
16.	(159)	Miles Boykin  (Bal - WR)

The first thing that needs to happen is for some of my fellow managers to put some respect on my name. This season's draft was the year of the Hype Train with 6 rookies being drafted between rounds 5-7. Previous selections of early round rookies such as Julio Jones, AJ Green and Russell Wilson by yours truly set an early tone for how this keeper league would be played. Much like the Steve Nash Phoenix Suns or Chip Kelly Oregon Ducks, my team may never have won a championship but we have changed the way the rest of the league plays this game. I won the draft this year through pre-draft trades. And I didn't squander my advantage on draft day. That is mission accomplished. #TrustTheProphecy

the icon

Yahoo grade: B

Keepers: Courtland Sutton (Round 9), Nick Chubb (Round 12), Noah Fant (Round 16), Mecole Hardman (Round 12)

"We've heard of Stars-and-Scrubs, but is there such a thing as Scrubs-and-Scrubs? The top players from each position on The icon, collectively, are forecasted to score the 2nd-fewest points in Playoffs!?! 2020. Unfortunately, the rest of the roster isn't any prettier, as those players are predicted to combine for a point total that ranks in the middle of the pack." Yahoo

the icon
1.	(3)	Clyde Edwards-Helaire  (KC - RB)
2.	(18)	A.J. Brown  (Ten - WR)
3.	(23)	Amari Cooper  (Dal - WR)
4.	(38)	Kyler Murray  (Ari - QB)
5.	(43)	T.Y. Hilton  (Ind - WR)
6.	(63)	Ronald Jones II  (TB - RB)
7.	(78)	Ryquell Armstead  (Jax - RB)
8.	(85)	Courtland Sutton  (Den - WR)
9.	(96)	Darrell Henderson Jr.  (LAR - RB)
10.	(98)	Jalen Reagor  (Phi - WR)
11.	(103)	Mecole Hardman  (KC - WR)
12.	(116)	Nick Chubb  (Cle - RB)
13.	(123)	La'Mical Perine  (NYJ - RB)
14.	(138)	Chicago  (Chi - DEF)
15.	(143)	Brandon Aiyuk  (SF - WR)
16.	(158)	Noah Fant  (Den - TE)

Yahoo was obviously grading this team on a curve. Apparently, Overbay must be remote learning for this school year. This is a manager who has made the playoffs 11 times in 19 years. When he throws on the Playoffs?!? official league gear on draft day, others should feel fear. On draft day this year, however, the strategy was less than clear. Is he trying to win this year? Is he stockpiling talent for a future run? This franchise is the most consistent in the entire league. But it feels directionless right now. The good news for the icon is that given the many strange circumstances surrounding this season, the draft may mean less than ever this year. 

The Maccabee

Yahoo grade: A

Keepers: Michael Gallup (Round 9), Dak Prescott (Round 11), Chris Carson (Round 14), Austin Hooper (Round 16)

"Coming into the draft with a solid draft position (No. 4 overall), expectations were high for The Maccabee. But those expectations disappeared quickly after they drafted, as this team looks to be on track for a lackluster 6th-place finish in Playoffs!?! 2020. Some good news: the team is especially strong at the wide receiver position, as Michael Thomas, Terry McLaurin, and Michael Gallup are expected to combine for the 3rd-highest point total of all starting WR groups in the league." Yahoo

The Maccabee
1.	(4)	Michael Thomas  (NO - WR)
2.	(17)	Jonathan Taylor  (Ind - RB)
3.	(24)	Calvin Ridley  (Atl - WR)
4.	(31)	Melvin Gordon III  (Den - RB)
5.	(37)	Terry McLaurin  (Was - WR)
6.	(50)	D'Andre Swift  (Det - RB)
7.	(57)	Diontae Johnson  (Pit - WR)
8.	(64)	John Brown  (Buf - WR)
9.	(77)	Latavius Murray  (NO - RB)
10.	(84)	Michael Gallup  (Dal - WR)
11.	(97)	Aaron Rodgers  (GB - QB)
12.	(104)	Dak Prescott  (Dal - QB)
13.	(124)	San Francisco  (SF - DEF)
14.	(137)	Chris Carson  (Sea - RB)
15.	(144)	Hayden Hurst  (Atl - TE)
16.	(157)	Austin Hooper  (Cle - TE)

Strong at WR but somewhat weak at RB in a year in which the expert consensus is to do the opposite, Aaron zigged just as everyone else zagged. Going for the best player available and getting Michael Thomas is a move no one can question. But because of the draft order, Aaron will be relying on players to crowd team mates out of their backfields and take the lion's share of the work. Or he could be well-positioned to take advantage of injuries or sickness in a year that we expect to be unpredictable. I wouldn't have gone as high as an A for A A ron. But I do think this team is plenty adequate.

The Institute

Yahoo grade: A+

Keepers: Kenyan Drake (Round 6), George Kittle (Round 12), Alvin Kamara (Round 13)

"The Institute are in for a rude awakening in Week 9 when they have three players on a bye (Joe Mixon, Odell Beckham Jr., and Tyler Boyd). Black is for sunday, your Week 9 opponent, will have a full squad with no players getting the week off." Yahoo

The Institute
1.	(5)	Joe Mixon  (Cin - RB)
2.	(16)	Odell Beckham Jr.  (Cle - WR)
3.	(25)	DJ Moore  (Car - WR)
4.	(32)	Deshaun Watson  (Hou - QB)
5.	(49)	Antonio Gibson  (Was - RB)
6.	(56)	Tyler Boyd  (Cin - WR)
7.	(58)	Kenyan Drake  (Ari - RB)
8.	(65)	CeeDee Lamb  (Dal - WR)
9.	(76)	AJ Dillon  (GB - RB)
10.	(83)	Tom Brady  (TB - QB)
11.	(105)	Buffalo  (Buf - DEF)
12.	(118)	George Kittle  (SF - TE)
13.	(125)	Alvin Kamara  (NO - RB)
14.	(136)	T.J. Hockenson  (Det - TE)
15.	(145)	Parris Campbell  (Ind - WR)
16.	(156)	Antonio Brown  (NE - WR)

This is a squad that is well balanced between veterans and rookies, between reliable stars and young up-and-comers. VZ took advantage of his pre-draft keeper position and drafted solid talent to build a deep squad that can potentially see some of his reserves end up in the starting lineup if they pop or if his team deals with injuries or sickness. Yahoo ranked this team as the favorite to win the league this year no doubt striking fear into the heart of The Commish. But I can't say I disagree even if he did literally phone in his last 3 picks.

K Rabbits

Yahoo grade: B+

Keepers: Davante Adams (Round 3), Kareem Hunt (Round 11)

"With a projected record of 1-13 (1,461 points), this team scares no one." Yahoo

K Rabbits
1.	(6)	DeAndre Hopkins  (Ari - WR)
2.	(15)	Adam Thielen  (Min - WR)
3.	(26)	Davante Adams  (GB - WR)
4.	(35)	Le'Veon Bell  (NYJ - RB)
5.	(46)	Raheem Mostert  (SF - RB)
6.	(55)	Darren Waller  (LV - TE)
7.	(66)	Julian Edelman  (NE - WR)
8.	(75)	Drew Brees  (NO - QB)
9.	(82)	James White  (NE - RB)
10.	(86)	Sterling Shepard  (NYG - WR)
11.	(106)	Kareem Hunt  (Cle - RB)
12.	(115)	Joe Burrow  (Cin - QB)
13.	(126)	Matt Breida  (Mia - RB)
14.	(135)	Robby Anderson  (Car - WR)
15.	(146)	Jerick McKinnon  (SF - RB)
16.	(155)	Tee Higgins  (Cin - WR)

According to Yahoo, the K Rabbits have once again managed to draft the oldest team in the league. Sometimes it feels like Kris thinks he will get more points if his players expire from old age before the season ends. In some ways, I think that Yahoo's assessment of this team is unduly harsh. I actually like his receivers and think that Waller is a nice get at the TE slot. He's really going to have to figure out the RB spot and that might be harder than ever this season. If Bell is still on the Jets by November, I'll be shocked. That's a wild card that could make or break Krabs' season. I'd mark this team an incomplete.

The Commish

Yahoo grade: A

Keepers: Dalvin Cook (Round 2), Alexander Mattison (Round 13), Rob Gronkowski (Round 16)

"For the last three weeks of the season, The Commish® have one of the best schedules in Playoffs!?! 2020 according to projected records with a late-season strength of schedule rated as the 2nd easiest. Despite that, for the season as a whole, The Commish® have drawn a pretty fair schedule that rates as the 7th toughest." Yahoo (Seriously, what is up with Jeff's algorithm?)

The Commish®
1.	(7)	Miles Sanders  (Phi - RB)
2.	(19)	Dalvin Cook  (Min - RB)
3.	(27)	Robert Woods  (LAR - WR)
4.	(34)	DJ Chark Jr.  (Jax - WR)
5.	(47)	J.K. Dobbins  (Bal - RB)
6.	(54)	David Montgomery  (Chi - RB)
7.	(62)	Zack Moss  (Buf - RB)
8.	(74)	Jarvis Landry  (Cle - WR)
9.	(87)	Deebo Samuel  (SF - WR)
10.	(94)	Matt Ryan  (Atl - QB)
11.	(107)	Tyler Higbee  (LAR - TE)
12.	(114)	Emmanuel Sanders  (NO - WR)
13.	(127)	Alexander Mattison  (Min - RB)
14.	(134)	Carson Wentz  (Phi - QB)
15.	(147)	Harrison Butker  (KC - K)
16.	(154)	Rob Gronkowski  (TB - TE)

Maybe The Commish should have pressed further into his quest for a starring role in musical theater. As much as I would love to don 2020 as the beginning of Jimmy's decade of discontent, I actually like the way he pursued his strategy in the draft. He is the king of pretending to be on tilt to try to get the rest of us to let our guards down. (Also, he buys way too many jerseys off Amazon. You don't need one for every pick.) I really like Woods and Chark as potential top 10 WRs this year. And grabbing two rookie RB lottery tickets in Moss and Dobbins is the type of move that shows why Jimmy has dominated this league over two decades. Don't let him pretend that he doesn't know what he is doing. He knows exactly what he is doing. History has its eyes on you. I'd give this draft an A but his team a B+.

showmedamoney!

Yahoo grade: B

Keepers: Christian McCaffrey (Round 1), Austin Ekeler (Round 6)

"If you can't handle the heat, get out of the draft room. Showmedamoney! wilted under the pressure of this draft. Picking No. 8 overall, they were clearly not ready. On a positive note, the team is notably tough at running back, as Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler are expected to combine for the highest point total of all starting RB groups in the league. Showmedamoney! are predicted to finish 7th in Playoffs!?! 2020 with a record of 6-8 (1,602 points)." Yahoo

showmedamoney!
1.	(8)	Christian McCaffrey  (Car - RB)
2.	(13)	Chris Godwin  (TB - WR)
3.	(28)	Cooper Kupp  (LAR - WR)
4.	(33)	Russell Wilson  (Sea - QB)
5.	(48)	A.J. Green  (Cin - WR)
6.	(53)	Austin Ekeler  (LAC - RB)
7.	(68)	Phillip Lindsay  (Den - RB)
8.	(73)	Tevin Coleman  (SF - RB)
9.	(88)	Evan Engram  (NYG - TE)
10.	(93)	Justin Jefferson  (Min - WR)
11.	(108)	Jamison Crowder  (NYJ - WR)
12.	(113)	Josh Allen  (Buf - QB)
13.	(128)	Baltimore  (Bal - DEF)
14.	(133)	Justin Jackson  (LAC - RB)
15.	(148)	Anthony Miller  (Chi - WR)
16.	(153)	Greg Zuerlein  (Dal - K)

Continuing along the theme of this league as Yahoo's Lake Woebegone where all the children are above average, Billy's strongest picks were keepers. Unfortunately, no one has ever won the championship before with a first round keeper. It makes sense for Billy to try to ride the coat tails of a top notch RB to another fantasy championship. After all, it was Adrian Peterson who brought him to fantasy glory in that inaugural season. No doubt that this squad has two beasts at the starting RB positions. But looking back at the draft, what did he add to those building blocks? Not sure he did enough.

KayakPirates

Yahoo grade: A

Keepers: Derrick Henry (Round 3), Patrick Mahomes (Round 6)

"Although they were stuck with the No. 9 overall selection, KayakPirates remained unfazed, building a roster capable of dominating any team in Playoffs!?! 2020. KayakPirates are projected to finish with a record of 7-6-1 (1,590 points), good enough for 3rd." Yahoo

KayakPirates
1.	(9)	Todd Gurley II  (Atl - RB)
2.	(12)	Tyreek Hill  (KC - WR)
3.	(36)	Derrick Henry  (Ten - RB)
4.	(45)	Will Fuller V  (Hou - WR)
5.	(52)	Devin Singletary  (Buf - RB)
6.	(69)	Patrick Mahomes  (KC - QB)
7.	(72)	Kerryon Johnson  (Det - RB)
8.	(89)	Marvin Jones Jr.  (Det - WR)
9.	(92)	Preston Williams  (Mia - WR)
10.	(99)	Christian Kirk  (Ari - WR)
11.	(109)	Bryce Love  (Was - RB)
12.	(112)	Hunter Henry  (LAC - TE)
13.	(129)	Ryan Tannehill  (Ten - QB)
14.	(132)	Indianapolis  (Ind - DEF)
15.	(149)	Laviska Shenault Jr.  (Jax - WR)
16.	(152)	Jeff Smith  (NYJ - WR)

Jeff pulled off the trade heard 'round the world prior to the draft bringing over potentially the game's best player in exchange for a third round pick. The question others managers had was if the price was worth it. The question I have is do you really want to be relying on the balky knees of Todd Gurley and Will Fuller as two of your first four picks. History would suggest not. This team looks like the most likely roster to be extremely thin and relying on all 3 IR spots by midseason. 

Jerry's Belt Buckle

Yahoo grade: B

Keepers: Josh Jacobs (Round 3), Tyler Lockett (Round 11), Marquis Brown (Round 16)

"Jerry's Belt Buckle undoubtedly know how to pick 'em, and Newton has the best chance among the keepers to take it up a notch. Following a season in which he threw for 572 yards with 1 INT in 2 games, totaling 12 fantasy points, Newton is projected to score 310 fantasy points with the Patriots. That makes him a valuable No. 1 QB for this squad." Yahoo

Jerry's Belt Buckle
1.	(10)	Julio Jones  (Atl - WR)
2.	(11)	Travis Kelce  (KC - TE)
3.	(30)	Josh Jacobs  (LV - RB)
4.	(44)	Leonard Fournette  (TB - RB)
5.	(51)	Jordan Howard  (Mia - RB)
6.	(70)	Sony Michel  (NE - RB)
7.	(71)	Cam Newton  (NE - QB)
8.	(79)	Darius Slayton  (NYG - WR)
9.	(90)	Henry Ruggs III  (LV - WR)
10.	(91)	Boston Scott  (Phi - RB)
11.	(110)	Tyler Lockett  (Sea - WR)
12.	(111)	Daniel Jones  (NYG - QB)
13.	(117)	N'Keal Harry  (NE - WR)
14.	(131)	New England  (NE - DEF)
15.	(150)	Ito Smith  (Atl - RB)
16.	(151)	Marquise Brown  (Bal - WR)

Chris is always one to surprise. And after starting with probably playoff-level keepers, his draft played out a little more quirky than to be expected. He built in good RB depth and grabbed Kelce to help him make up for a lack of top flight WRs. This team's season likely hinges on Cam Newton. But there are worse places to be than relying on a Patriots QB to win you games. Just ask the Patriots.

Preseason BTN Power Rankings

1. black is for sunday (Yeah, I said it.)

2. The Institute

3. The Commish

4. DirtyMike & the Boys

5. KayakPirates

6. The Maccabee

7. Jerry's Belt Buckle

8. K Rabbits

9. showmedamoney!

10. the icon