My Football Portfolio

All six of my football drafts (four ottoneu, one CBS, one Yahoo) are now over, so like I did with baseball I thought it might be interesting to see the players I own the most shares of:

QB Andy Dalton (4)- Dalton never seems to get the respect he deserves, I think he’s an average QB1 at best and an excellent QB2 at worst

QB Alex Smith (4)- Smith is boring, but he’s a safe QB that offers solid QB2 performance basically for free

QB Russell Wilson (3)- The Seahawks QB seems to be going as about the 4th QB in ottoneu auctions, but I think it is easy to make a case that he belongs in front of every QB besides Cam.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (2)- Like Smith, Fitzmagic is often overlooked, but the Jets QB finished as QB #11 last year. I don’t think he will be quite as good this year, but should be a solid QB2

RB Tevin Coleman (4)- I actually think Coleman is the most talented back in the Falcons backfield, and could have done just as well as Freeman did last season if not for injuries. I love him as a high upside handcuff or hedge against a Freeman injury or stumble.

RB Le’Veon Bell (2)- The suspension hurts, obviously, but don’t fall into the trap of valuing a suspended player just by total points, since it undersells the impact the player will make when they get back on the field.

RB Matt Forte (2)- Forte is getting old (for a RB), but he is still a dynamic receiver, and that is very valuable in .5 PPR or full PPR leagues. I think he’s a borderline top 12 RB at a bargain.

RB Jeremy Langford (2)- I don’t love Langford, but there are so few RB in the modern NFL that aren’t in a time share or in a specialized role that I think the Bears RB can be a solid RB2 based on role and volume alone.

RB Ameer Abdullah (2)- Coleman and Abdullah were both rookie RB I liked a lot going into last season, and both had some injury issues that I believe masked their true potential. The Lions RB job is Abdullah’s to lose, and I think he will perform well as a low end RB2.

RB Jerick McKinnon (2)- Don’t sleep on McKinnon, especially if you are a Peterson owner. If anything happens to AP, I think McKinnon could breakout in a big way.

RB Shane Vereen (2)- A low upside RB, but one with a high floor in PPR due to his prowess catching the ball. He’s gone really cheap in some of my drafts.

RB Chris Thompson (2)- Matt Jones is banged up, and I think Thompson could grow beyond his third down back role if given the opportunity.

RB Shaun Draughn (2)- Draughn definitely qualifies as a sleeper, but he is a good receiver and the 49ers will be throwing the ball a ton as they figure to trail in almost every game this season.

RB C.J. Prosise (2)- Given the attrition rate of RB, and the fact that rookie RB come into the league basically at peak, I think it is a very good idea to target multiple rookie/2nd year RB at the back of your roster. Prosise isn’t my favorite rookie RB, but the price has been right and the situation in Seattle is ideal for a RB.

TE Dwayne Allen (3)- Allen no longer has to compete with Coby Fleener for targets and playing time, and Luck should bounce from a poor 2015 in what figures to be a pass happy offense. Those factors combine to make Allen a cheap but attractive borderline TE1.

TE Greg Olsen (2)- Olsen is a stud, and while he’s likely to regress with an improved WR situation in Carolina, he’s still a clear top three TE.

WR Brandin Cooks (3)- Cooks was a top 12 WR last year in only his second season, and he’s clearly the top target of Drew Brees. I expect a repeat of last season.

WR DeAndre Hopkins (2)- I don’t love the QB situation in Houston, and I think Hopkins was due for a visit from the regression monster, but he’s still an extremely talented WR that could repeat his WR #6 finish.

WR Jordy Nelson (2)- There is obviously some risk here with Nelson coming back from a knee injury suffered in preseason last year, but with a full year to recover and Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball, I think he is a solid top 12 WR.

WR Jeremy Maclin (2)- Like his QB Alex Smith, Maclin is boring and oft overlooked. Maclin seems like a lock for a top 20 WR finish in PPR formats, but his average price at auction has made him a very good bargain.

WR Larry Fitzgerald (2)- Fitzgerald may be 33, but WR have a much better decline phase than RB do, so I think it’s reasonable to expect him to be a top 24 WR again this year after finishing as WR#9 last season.

WR Torrey Smith (2)- We know the 49ers are going to be losing a lot of games, and that means they should be passing the ball frequently, but who is going to catch those passes? With Bruce Ellington on IR, that leaves Smith even more entrenched as the clear primary target in the offense. He’s not a great WR, but I think Smith can back into a WR3 finish.

What kickers do you own?

I own two Gostkowski’s and two Boswell’s. Plus a Tucker and a Carpenter. By season’s end I probably won’t own any of them anymore.