Showing You How It’s Done.
Alex Scantleubry put his fantasy philosophies to the test in a preseason draft. This is what went down.
Several weeks ago, I wrote a story detailing the process I go through when drafting fantasy football teams.
A process I might add that has been wildly successful for me in the past. Just saying.
Last week, as I was sitting around bored and unable to sleep I decided to take a crack at drafting early in the pre-season. The results could only be described as mind-boggling.
As the draft was getting ready to start I ended up with the third overall selection in the first round. I always take receivers with my first and second round picks. I was able to turn those two picks into Odell Beckham Jr. (1st) and Brandin Cooks (2nd). I skipped over selecting Julio Jones (whom I had last year) and Antonio Brown to select Beckham. Why you ask? Well, the addition of Brandon Marshall to the Giants roster is going to take a lot of that double coverage off of OBJ, allowing him to be the most explosive offensive player in the NFL. Oh, and I managed to snag Brandon Marshall as well with my 12th round selection, giving me the one-two punch combo if needed.
Rounds three and four are for running backs — or a tight end, but only if Gronk is still kicking around and you manage to snag him at that point. I grabbed Houstan Texan’s running back Lamar Miller (3rd round) and San Fran speedster Carlos Hyde (4th round). Both of them are going to be the primary run threats for their respective teams this year, and with a 49er’s team on the rebuild, they are going to rely heavily on the run game this coming season.
I went for the tight-end in the fifth round. Low-and-behold, my main man Jordan Reed of the Washington Redskins was still sitting on the board, so I scooped him up with a smile and a nod. I usually like filling my quarterback spot in the sixth, but with the way I was watching the draft unfold, seven teams had already drafted QBs — leaving my first choice Matt Stafford available- so I decided to let it ride for a few more rounds. I drafted Spencer Ware from KC in the sixth round, and then grabbed Stafford, who I didn’t want to risk going another round for.
I always choose my defense based on their divisional opponents. I managed to snag the Texans in the eighth round. Houston, who plays in the AFC South, will play six games against the Colts, Jaguars, and Titans. With a healthy JJ Watt returning to the lineup, I like my chances.
I started filling up my bench in round nine and I managed to grab some killer steals in the late rounds including; Kelvin Benjamin, Brandon Marshall, and Bilal Powell.
Draft Breakdown:
1st round: Odell Beckham Jr. — WR New York Giants
2nd round: Brandin Cooks — WR New England Patriots
3rd round: Lamar Miller — RB Houstan Texans
4th round: Carlos Hyde — RB San Francisco 49ers
5th round: Jordan Reed — TE Washington Redskins
6th round: Spencer Ware — RB Kansas City Chiefs
7th round: Matt Stafford — QB Detroit Lions
8th round: Houstan Texans Defense (AFC South)
9th round: Bilal Powell — RB New York Jets
10th round: Kelvin Benjamin — WR Carolina Panthers
11th round: Theo Riddick — RB Detroit Lions
12th round: Brandon Marshall — WR New York Giants
13th round: Cameron Meredith — WR Chicago Bears
14th round: Matt Prater — K Detroit Lions
15th round: Kenny Britt — WR Cleveland Browns
This team has a sneaky chance to be the best roster I put together all year.
Alex Scantlebury is a multi-sport contributor for TheOcho.ca. Aaron and Riley would like to thank him for giving them an extra hour each week to spend on Bleacher Report while he was teaching. Follow Alex on Twitter at @pen_ink_page.
