IDP Mock Draft

Mock drafting is an invaluable part of the fantasy off-season as it helps gamers hone their art, and think twice about their player valuations when they are put under pressure as the pick timer runs down. Do you stick with the best player available, or resort to picking for roster need? I conducted an IDP mock over the last couple of weeks with some of the fantasy industry’s best and brightest defensive minds (listed below) to tackle some of those difficult questions, especially when you start adding in individual defensive players (IDP).

The league setup was PPR offensive scoring and balanced IDP scoring. Here’s the starting roster: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, DL, DL, LB, LB, LB, DB, DB and DFLEX. As always, participants deployed several different draft strategies in this mock, so let’s look at how it all broke down.

Team	Manager	Site(s)	Twitter
1	Eric Olinger	(Dynasty League Football)	@OlingerIDP
2	Evan Silva	(RotoWorld)	@EvanSilva
3	Matt Schauf	(Draft Sharks)	@DraftSharks
4	Sigmund Bloom	(FootballGuys)	@SigmundBloom
5	Jene Bramel	(FootballGuys)	@JeneBramel
6	Jeff Ratcliffe	(PFF)	@JeffRatcliffe
7	Ross Miles	(RotoWorld/PFF Fantasy)	@RossMilesNFL
8	Steve Gallo	(The Huddle)	@SteveGalloNFL
9	Jim McCormick	(ESPN)	@JMcCormickESPN
10	Gary Davenport	(Fantasy Sharks)	@FantasySharks
11	Jamey Eisenberg	(CBS)	@JameyEisenberg
12	Walton Spurlin	(Fantasy Sharks)	@WaltonSpurlin

Rounds 1-2

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
1.01	1	Eric Olinger	J.J. Watt		2.01	13	Walton Spurlin	DeMarco Murray
1.02	2	Evan Silva	Jamaal Charles		2.02	14	Jamey Eisenberg	Demaryius Thomas
1.03	3	Matt Schauf	Rob Gronkowski		2.03	15	Gary Davenport	Arian Foster
1.04	4	Sigmund Bloom	Adrian Peterson		2.04	16	Jim McCormick	Dez Bryant
1.05	5	Jene Bramel	Le’Veon Bell		2.05	17	Steve Gallo	Jeremy Hill
1.06	6	Jeff Ratcliffe	Marshawn Lynch		2.06	18	Ross Miles	Odell Beckham
1.07	7	Ross Miles	Julio Jones		2.07	19	Jeff Ratcliffe	Calvin Johnson
1.08	8	Steve Gallo	Eddie Lacy		2.08	20	Jene Bramel	Jordy Nelson
1.09	9	Jim McCormick	Antonio Brown		2.09	21	Sigmund Bloom	A.J. Green
1.10	10	Gary Davenport	LeSean McCoy		2.10	22	Matt Schauf	Justin Forsett
1.11	11	Jamey Eisenberg	Matt Forte		2.11	23	Evan Silva	Alshon Jeffery
1.12	12	Walton Spurlin	C.J. Anderson		2.12	24	Eric Olinger	Mike Evans

Notes: Lots of intrigue early in the draft with J.J. Watt going as the No.1 overall selection. The last few seasons have seen Watt creeping up draft boards, and last year he went in the third round in this very mock, but yet another utterly dominant season over his fellow defensive linemen sets Watt a class apart against his peers and has driven his value skywards. Value-based draft strategies would support the pick, but personally I am on the fence. You need to be a confident drafter with a good handle on offensive depth and sleepers to make up for passing on a running back or wide receiver in round one, so it’s not a strategy for everyone. Watt being the first player off the board wasn’t the only surprise early, as Jamaal Charles was taken second overall by Evan Silva, over Le’Veon Bell and Adrian Peterson who have typically been the first two backs selected, and Rob Gronkowski went third, despite Brady’s suspension still lingering at the time, significantly earlier than his late round one ADP. I made Julio Jones the first receiver taken on the basis that I have nothing between the top-five receivers, and Jones has several plus points such as a nice warm weather, indoor schedule to edge him ahead. I’d have loved to pair him with Arian Foster in the second round, but he went a few picks earlier so I doubled down on receivers in this PPR format by selecting Odell Beckham Jr. The hype train for Justin Forsett in PPR formats continues, as he goes as the 12th running back at 2.10 to Matt Schauf (who took Gronk). I was hoping he’s make it back to me in round three after going WR-WR.

Rounds 3-4

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
3.01	25	Eric Olinger	Randall Cobb		4.01	37	Walton Spurlin	Emmanuel Sanders
3.02	26	Evan Silva	Mark Ingram		4.02	38	Jamey Eisenberg	Jimmy Graham
3.03	27	Matt Schauf	Frank Gore		4.03	39	Gary Davenport	Alfred Morris
3.04	28	Sigmund Bloom	Andrew Luck		4.04	40	Jim McCormick	Aaron Rodgers
3.05	29	Jene Bramel	T.Y. Hilton		4.05	41	Steve Gallo	Travis Kelce
3.06	30	Jeff Ratcliffe	Brandin Cooks		4.06	42	Ross Miles	Jonathan Stewart
3.07	31	Ross Miles	Lamar Miller		4.07	43	Jeff Ratcliffe	Kelvin Benjamin
3.08	32	Steve Gallo	DeAndre Hopkins		4.08	44	Jene Bramel	Andre Ellington
3.09	33	Jim McCormick	C.J. Spiller		4.09	45	Sigmund Bloom	Robert Quinn
3.10	34	Gary Davenport	Jordan Matthews		4.10	46	Matt Schauf	Keenan Allen
3.11	35	Jamey Eisenberg	Melvin Gordon		4.11	47	Evan Silva	Andre Johnson
3.12	36	Walton Spurlin	Jeremy Maclin		4.12	48	Eric Olinger	Carlos Hyde

Notes: The first two quarterbacks go in rounds three and four, and it is Andrew Luck going before Aaron Rodgers. The industry as a whole is divided between the two and typically once one goes, the other is taken soon afterward. We had the second defensive player taken in round four and it’s another defensive lineman, Robert Quinn. Like elite, every-down running backs, there are only a handful of dominant edge-rushers, so their value is increased by their rarity. Melvin Gordon became the first rookie taken, but went after veteran Frank Gore (RB14) taken by Schauf, who now has popular veteran RB ‘sleepers’ Forsett and Gore on his roster. Gore’s ADP has been steadily rising over the last few months, but Schauf still took him a good round before most. I took my first running back in Lamar Miller in round three but would have been very tempted to pick Brandin Cooks if Jeff Ratcliffe had not selected him directly before me. There are concerns Miller can’t handle, or won’t be given a full workload, especially as he didn’t get over 20 carries in a single game last year, but he still finished as the No.9 RB last year, so has upside if leaned on. I also took my second running back in round four in Jonathan Stewart (RB19). Stewart has only had two seasons of over 200 touches, so relatively few miles on the clock considering he’s a 28-year old veteran. He was the No.14 running back over the final six weeks of the season (99 rushing yards per game) when the Panthers started giving him the majority of snaps and is an intriguing RB2 this year. C.J. Spiller is a very popular pick in PPR leagues with some fantasy analysts suggesting he could record as many as 80 receptions this year. He was the 16th running back taken which is close to his ceiling unless he can supplant Mark Ingram in rushing packages.

Rounds 5-6

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
5.01	49	Eric Olinger	Luke Kuechly		6.01	61	Walton Spurlin	Lavonte David
5.02	50	Evan Silva	Chandler Jones		6.02	62	Jamey Eisenberg	Amari Cooper
5.03	51	Matt Schauf	Golden Tate		6.03	63	Gary Davenport	DeAndre Levy
5.04	52	Sigmund Bloom	T.J. Yeldon		6.04	64	Jim McCormick	Ameer Abdullah
5.05	53	Jene Bramel	Todd Gurley		6.05	65	Steve Gallo	Martavis Bryant
5.06	54	Jeff Ratcliffe	Joseph Randle		6.06	66	Ross Miles	Charles Johnson
5.07	55	Ross Miles	LeGarrette Blount		6.07	67	Jeff Ratcliffe	Russell Wilson
5.08	56	Steve Gallo	Brandon Marshall		6.08	68	Jene Bramel	Rashad Jennings
5.09	57	Jim McCormick	Giovani Bernard		6.09	69	Sigmund Bloom	C.J. Mosley
5.10	58	Gary Davenport	Julian Edelman		6.10	70	Matt Schauf	Navorro Bowman
5.11	59	Jamey Eisenberg	Latavius Murray		6.11	71	Evan Silva	Allen Robinson
5.12	60	Walton Spurlin	Joique Bell		6.12	72	Eric Olinger	Sammy Watkins

Notes: Typical of most leagues that use defensive players, they started to come off the board with more regularity from round five onwards. Five linebackers and a third defensive end (Chandler Jones) all went during rounds five and six, with Luke Kuechly (LB1) going a full round before Lavonte David (LB2). In leagues that score tackles for loss, David would edge Kuechly, in leagues that don’t, it’s a wash between the pair. Four more rookies come off the board, with T.J. Yeldon one spot before Todd Gurley. Since we drafted there have been reports Gurley is participating in training camp and could play Week 1, making him great value in this spot. His ADP is sure to rise in the coming weeks and he’ll challenge Gordon to be the No.1 rookie selected in redraft leagues. My fifth round pick was LeGarrette Blount, after three running backs (the two rookies and Joseph Randle) went in the picks before me. Blount has been a surprisingly effective runner for the Patriots, as in his last 15 games (since Dec 2013) he has averaged 73 yards a game and one touchdown, which are low-end RB1 numbers in PPR formats, so missing on the upside of the rookies isn’t as big a deal as it first looks. Miller, Stewart and Blount aren’t the most attractive sounding RB corps, but I’m confident they can outperform public perception.

Rounds 7-8

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
7.01	73	Eric Olinger	Shane Vereen		8.01	85	Walton Spurlin	Ben Roethlisberger
7.02	74	Evan Silva	DeSean Jackson		8.02	86	Jamey Eisenberg	Jarvis Landry
7.03	75	Matt Schauf	Bobby Wagner		8.03	87	Gary Davenport	Peyton Manning
7.04	76	Sigmund Bloom	Justin Houston		8.04	88	Jim McCormick	Mike Wallace
7.05	77	Jene Bramel	Roddy White		8.05	89	Steve Gallo	Jamie Collins
7.06	78	Jeff Ratcliffe	Duke Johnson		8.06	90	Ross Miles	Jason Pierre-Paul
7.07	79	Ross Miles	Vincent Jackson		8.07	91	Jeff Ratcliffe	Nelson Agholor
7.08	80	Steve Gallo	Tevin Coleman		8.08	92	Jene Bramel	Anquan Boldin
7.09	81	Jim McCormick	Chris Ivory		8.09	93	Sigmund Bloom	Eric Decker
7.10	82	Gary Davenport	Greg Olsen		8.10	94	Matt Schauf	Doug Martin
7.11	83	Jamey Eisenberg	Cam Newton		8.11	95	Evan Silva	Sean Lee
7.12	84	Walton Spurlin	Martellus Bennett		8.12	96	Eric Olinger	Isaiah Crowell

Notes: Through eight rounds none of the fantasy analysts in the draft have utilized the Zero-RB approach, with everyone rostering at least two by this stage. Running a strict Zero RB draft strategy requires you to have utmost confidence and is not recommended for casual drafters. Even here none of the ‘best and brightest’ have tried it, although it was in the back of my mind as I picked Miller, Stewart and Blount. If I was pursuing a Zero RB strategy I’d have been looking at selecting Luck/Rodgers in round three, Graham/Kelce/best WR in round four and more upside receivers in rounds five and six. By the end of round eight only Ratcliffe, Jene Bramel and Jim McCormick have yet to select a defensive player. My first came in round eight, picking Jason Pierre-Paul. Despite his fireworks injury I have JPP in the same tier (albeit now at the bottom) with Robert Quinn and Chandler Jones who went in rounds four and five. Three rounds later Pierre-Paul screamed value when compared to the WR4 and RB4 left on my board.

Rounds 9-10

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
9.01	97	Eric Olinger	John Brown		10.01	109	Walton Spurlin	Telvin Smith
9.02	98	Evan Silva	Paul Posluszny		10.02	110	Jamey Eisenberg	Michael Floyd
9.03	99	Matt Schauf	Steve Smith		10.03	111	Gary Davenport	Larry Fitzgerald
9.04	100	Sigmund Bloom	Everson Griffen		10.04	112	Jim McCormick	Sheldon Richardson
9.05	101	Jene Bramel	Ezekiel Ansah		10.05	113	Steve Gallo	Breshad Perriman
9.06	102	Jeff Ratcliffe	Carlos Dunlap		10.06	114	Ross Miles	Mychal Kendricks
9.07	103	Ross Miles	Paul Worrilow		10.07	115	Jeff Ratcliffe	Karlos Dansby
9.08	104	Steve Gallo	Calais Campbell		10.08	116	Jene Bramel	Khalil Mack
9.09	105	Jim McCormick	Alec Ogletree		10.09	117	Sigmund Bloom	Greg Hardy
9.10	106	Gary Davenport	Muhammad Wilkerson		10.10	118	Matt Schauf	Von Miller
9.11	107	Jamey Eisenberg	Rob Ninkovich		10.11	119	Evan Silva	Cameron Jordan
9.12	108	Walton Spurlin	Cameron Wake		10.12	120	Eric Olinger	Zach Ertz

Notes: I timed picking Pierre-Paul just right as 17 players of the players taken in rounds nine and ten were IDPs, including a run of three defensive ends before my selection of Paul Worrilow in round nine. There was an interesting quirk of coincidence when all three Cardinals receivers were taken over these two rounds as well, with John Brown the first off the board, and Michael Floyd went one pick before Larry Fitzgerald. Four game suspensions to Sheldon Richardson (DL12) and Greg Hardy (DL13) couldn’t dissuade Jim McCormick or Sigmund Bloom from taking them higher than their projections suggest. Although they will offer owners a scoring advantage on a points-per-game basis, and be crucial during the fantasy playoffs, their teams will need to draft depth on the defensive line earlier than ideal to cover their absence.

Rounds 11-12

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
11.01	121	Eric Olinger	Olivier Vernon		12.01	133	Walton Spurlin	D’Qwell Jackson
11.02	122	Evan Silva	Fletcher Cox		12.02	134	Jamey Eisenberg	Lawrence Timmons
11.03	123	Matt Schauf	Clay Matthews		12.03	135	Gary Davenport	Tre Mason
11.04	124	Sigmund Bloom	Brandon LaFell		12.04	136	Jim McCormick	Brian Quick
11.05	125	Jene Bramel	Derrick Johnson		12.05	137	Steve Gallo	Demario Davis
11.06	126	Jeff Ratcliffe	Jelani Jenkins		12.06	138	Ross Miles	Kyle Williams
11.07	127	Ross Miles	Drew Brees		12.07	139	Jeff Ratcliffe	Nigel Bradham
11.08	128	Steve Gallo	Keenan Robinson		12.08	140	Jene Bramel	Matt Ryan
11.09	129	Jim McCormick	Kiko Alonso		12.09	141	Sigmund Bloom	Jordan Cameron
11.10	130	Gary Davenport	Jurrell Casey		12.10	142	Matt Schauf	Devonta Freeman
11.11	131	Jamey Eisenberg	Harrison Smith		12.11	143	Evan Silva	James Laurinaitis
11.12	132	Walton Spurlin	Torrey Smith		12.12	144	Eric Olinger	Matthew Stafford

Notes: This stage of the draft, as with the previous few rounds, can make or break your season. The balance of offensive and defensive players has shifted towards IDPs as owners look to grab starters rather than offensive bench warmers. Between rounds 9-12, 33 players (69 percent) have been defensive, including 18 linebackers and 14 defensive ends. It’s a careful balance of picking the best player available versus your roster’s need, while also not getting caught short by a run at any particular position. Owners executing a ruthless Zero RB strategy can start striking for their running backs here while other owners are looking elsewhere, and Tre Mason (12.03) and Devonta Freeman (12.10) – the only two backs taken in these four rounds - are typical candidates. Despite talk of the Saints becoming more of a rushing-based offense, I selected Drew Brees in round 11, as the 7th quarterback off the board. I still like Brees as a top-five quarterback this year and it had been three rounds since Peyton Manning had been taken, so he stood out as a value pick. Kyle Williams is one of my favorite IDP sleepers this year and I needed a DL2. 17 defensive ends had already been taken and I wasn’t prepared to wait on him any longer. Harrison Smith was the first defensive back taken, by Jamey Eisenberg at the tail end of round 11.

Rounds 13-14

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
13.01	145	Eric Olinger	Eric Kendricks		14.01	157	Walton Spurlin	Fred Jackson
13.02	146	Evan Silva	Ryan Shazier		14.02	158	Jamey Eisenberg	Demarcus Lawrence
13.03	147	Matt Schauf	Marcell Dareus		14.03	159	Gary Davenport	Cameron Heyward
13.04	148	Sigmund Bloom	Kenny Stills		14.04	160	Jim McCormick	Brandon Marshall
13.05	149	Jene Bramel	Preston Brown		14.05	161	Steve Gallo	Jerry Hughes
13.06	150	Jeff Ratcliffe	Bishop Sankey		14.06	162	Ross Miles	Morgan Burnett
13.07	151	Ross Miles	David Cobb		14.07	163	Jeff Ratcliffe	Kevin White
13.08	152	Steve Gallo	Ryan Mathews		14.08	164	Jene Bramel	DeAngelo Williams
13.09	153	Jim McCormick	Charles Johnson		14.09	165	Sigmund Bloom	Jerod Mayo
13.10	154	Gary Davenport	Danny Trevathan		14.10	166	Matt Schauf	Aaron Donald
13.11	155	Jamey Eisenberg	Knile Davis		14.11	167	Evan Silva	Tom Brady
13.12	156	Walton Spurlin	Corey Liuget		14.12	168	Eric Olinger	Rueben Randle

Notes: After taking the first defensive player (J.J. Watt at 1.01), Eric Olinger was also the first to select a defensive rookie, linebacker Eric Kendricks (LB28). Kendricks looks set to take over an every-down middle linebacker role for the Vikings and this is a great spot to grab him. We’ve seen rookie linebackers excel in recent seasons, but taking Kendricks’ upside as a LB3 (he’s an LB2 on Olinger’s roster) could pay dividends. The Tennessee running back duo of Bishop Sankey and David Cobb went back to back in round 13 to Ratcliffe and me, respectively. Both players have their vocal supporters and detractors, and both have been touted as potential breakout candidates. Sankey’s popularity has been rising in recent weeks, but whether either of them can emerge as having fantasy value remains to be seen. Handcuff RBs were in hot order in the previous two rounds, seeing Ryan Mathews, Knile Davis and Fred Jackson all selected as owners look to round out their roster depth in the second half of the draft with upside. The first two DTs came off the board in Marcel Dareus (DL19) and Aaron Donald (DL25). Both are viable, high floor DL2/3s in leagues that combine DTs and DEs.

Rounds 15-16

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
15.01	169	Eric Olinger	Darren McFadden		16.01	181	Walton Spurlin	Antonio Gates
15.02	170	Evan Silva	Eli Manning		16.02	182	Jamey Eisenberg	Davante Adams
15.03	171	Matt Schauf	Tony Romo		16.03	183	Gary Davenport	Kendall Wright
15.04	172	Sigmund Bloom	Stephen Tulloch		16.04	184	Jim McCormick	Michael Bennett
15.05	173	Jene Bramel	Ndamukong Suh		16.05	185	Steve Gallo	Ryan Tannehill
15.06	174	Jeff Ratcliffe	Mario Williams		16.06	186	Ross Miles	Stephone Anthony
15.07	175	Ross Miles	Michael Johnson		16.07	187	Jeff Ratcliffe	DeVante Parker
15.08	176	Steve Gallo	Geno Atkins		16.08	188	Jene Bramel	Pierre Garcon
15.09	177	Jim McCormick	Julius Thomas		16.09	189	Sigmund Bloom	Vic Beasley
15.10	178	Gary Davenport	Curtis Lofton		16.10	190	Matt Schauf	Terrance Williams
15.11	179	Jamey Eisenberg	Vontaze Burfict		16.11	191	Evan Silva	David Johnson
15.12	180	Walton Spurlin	Marques Colston		16.12	192	Eric Olinger	Jerrell Freeman

Notes: Those waiting on quarterbacks have started to grab their guy as we see seven taken between picks 14.11 – 17.12, including Silva selecting Tom Brady (QB10) at 14.11, before following up immediately with Eli Manning (QB11) at 15.02. That triggered Schauf to select Tony Romo (QB12) with the next pick. I really like Jene Bramel’s pick of Pierre Garcon in round 16. He’s a player I’d been considering for several rounds, but had gone with roster need in Michael Johnson as an upside DL3 (round 15), and Morgan Burnett screamed value to me in round 14, three rounds after Harrison Smith was taken. Retrospectively defensive backs slipped across the board and it was another four rounds before Reshad Jones and Eric Weddle were selected, who are closely matched with Smith and Burnett, so Garcon, or another offensive player would have been a better selection. Darren McFadden went ten rounds after Joseph Randle, highlighting the huge shift in opinion on who wins out in the battle to be the Cowboys’ No.1 running back.

Rounds 17-18

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
17.01	193	Eric Olinger	Roy Helu		18.01	205	Walton Spurlin	Ryan Kerrigan
17.02	194	Evan Silva	Danny Woodhead		18.02	206	Jamey Eisenberg	Charles Sims
17.03	195	Matt Schauf	Colin Kaepernick		18.03	207	Gary Davenport	Jay Ajayi
17.04	196	Sigmund Bloom	Dwayne Allen		18.04	208	Jim McCormick	Eric Weddle
17.05	197	Jene Bramel	Kyle Rudolph		18.05	209	Steve Gallo	Johnathan Cyprien
17.06	198	Jeff Ratcliffe	Jason Witten		18.06	210	Ross Miles	Delanie Walker
17.07	199	Ross Miles	Gerald McCoy		18.07	211	Jeff Ratcliffe	T.J. McDonald
17.08	200	Steve Gallo	Philip Rivers		18.08	212	Jene Bramel	Tyler Eifert
17.09	201	Jim McCormick	Reshad Jones		18.09	213	Sigmund Bloom	Dont’a Hightower
17.10	202	Gary Davenport	Daryl Smith		18.10	214	Matt Schauf	Terrance West
17.11	203	Jamey Eisenberg	David Harris		18.11	215	Evan Silva	Austin Seferian-Jenkins
17.12	204	Walton Spurlin	Teddy Bridgewater		18.12	216	Eric Olinger	Thomas Davis

Notes: At this point you’re generally trying to draft based on roster need, with consideration for value, while people also start grabbing their sleepers they don’t want to miss on. Roy Helu, Charles Sims, Jay Ajayi and Terrance West are all prime examples as players that would have significant value boosts if they inherited a starter’s role through injury or poor play. Those waiting on tight end are also making moves in this last third of the draft, with 12 being selected between rounds 15-19. I grabbed Delanie Walker in round 18 over Austin Seferian-Jenkins after seeing Kyle Rudolph and Jason Witten go in round 17. I selected DT Gerald McCoy as my fourth defensive lineman in round 17 despite not requiring a defensive tackle. He’s got double-digit sack potential, and is a lock to break 40 total tackles, which are DL2 numbers. He gives me a high-floor, safe option versus more risky DL3 Michael Johnson. I love Walton Spurlin’s pick of Teddy Bridgewater (QB16) who I’m hoping takes a step forwards and posts a low-end QB1 season this year.

Rounds 19-20

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
19.01	217	Eric Olinger	K.J. Wright		20.01	229	Walton Spurlin	Charles Woodson
19.02	218	Evan Silva	Owen Daniels		20.02	230	Jamey Eisenberg	Matt Jones
19.03	219	Matt Schauf	Brandon Graham		20.03	231	Gary Davenport	Damontre Moore
19.04	220	Sigmund Bloom	Josh Hill		20.04	232	Jim McCormick	Jacquies Smith
19.05	221	Jene Bramel	Tyrann Mathieu		20.05	233	Steve Gallo	Antrel Rolle
19.06	222	Jeff Ratcliffe	Larry Donnell		20.06	234	Ross Miles	Zach Brown
19.07	223	Ross Miles	Sio Moore		20.07	235	Jeff Ratcliffe	Anthony Barr
19.08	224	Steve Gallo	Donte Moncrief		20.08	236	Jene Bramel	Avery Williamson
19.09	225	Jim McCormick	Sean Weatherspoon		20.09	237	Sigmund Bloom	James Ihedigbo
19.10	226	Gary Davenport	Victor Cruz		20.10	238	Matt Schauf	Eric Berry
19.11	227	Jamey Eisenberg	Coby Fleener		20.11	239	Evan Silva	Heath Miller
19.12	228	Walton Spurlin	Barry Church		20.12	240	Eric Olinger	Andy Dalton

Notes: I needed some linebacker depth heading into the final six rounds and was delighted to be able to grab two of my favorites in Sio Moore and Zach Brown. Moore was on pace for a borderline LB1 season before his hip injury, while Brown has put up impressive numbers in limited playing time, and now he is being projected as a three-down inside linebacker. Larry Donnell looks like great value in the 19th round considering he was the TE12 last year and finished the year slow. Rankings become less relevant at this stage of a draft and it’s important to look for upside. Great examples are Victor Cruz, Matt Jones and Eric Berry. Cruz and Berry are returning from long layoffs and are somewhat unknown quantities, but have been top players at the positions before, while Jones has been subject to a large amount of off-season hype.

Rounds 21-22

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
21.01	241	Eric Olinger	Landon Collins		22.01	253	Walton Spurlin	Connor Barwin
21.02	242	Evan Silva	Bruce Carter		22.02	254	Jamey Eisenberg	Earl Thomas
21.03	243	Matt Schauf	Malik Jackson		22.03	255	Gary Davenport	Da’Norris Searcy
21.04	244	Sigmund Bloom	Antoine Bethea		22.04	256	Jim McCormick	Benardrick McKinney
21.05	245	Jene Bramel	Joe Flacco		22.05	257	Steve Gallo	Aldon Smith
21.06	246	Jeff Ratcliffe	Sam Bradford		22.06	258	Ross Miles	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
21.07	247	Ross Miles	Kam Chancellor		22.07	259	Jeff Ratcliffe	Kenny Vaccaro
21.08	248	Steve Gallo	Michael Griffin		22.08	260	Jene Bramel	Calvin Pryor
21.09	249	Jim McCormick	Cameron Artis-Payne		22.09	261	Sigmund Bloom	Darren Sproles
21.10	250	Gary Davenport	Jordan Reed		22.10	262	Matt Schauf	Dwayne Bowe
21.11	251	Jamey Eisenberg	Carson Palmer		22.11	263	Evan Silva	Donte Whitner
21.12	252	Walton Spurlin	Marvin Jones		22.12	264	Eric Olinger	Tyvon Branch

Notes: 11 of the players taken in rounds 21 and 22 were defensive backs, and I took two of them in Kam Chancellor and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. I’m not worried about having both Packers safeties as both showed they can be productive alongside each other last year, but I do wish I’d have known multiple projected DB1s would still be available in round 21. Hindsight is 20/20 and no draft looks perfect when you look back over your decisions. Truth be told I’d have taken Sam Bradford as a backup QB if Ratcliffe hadn’t sniped me, despite not being a fan of drafting a backup QB or TE in short bench situations. Most leagues only start one QB and one TE, so there are usually plenty of options on the waiver wire, so stack your roster on draft day with upside WRs and RBs, and be ruthless in cutting one of them when you need a bye-week QB or TE during the season.

Rounds 23-24

Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name		Rd	Ovr	Owner	Name
23.01	265	Eric Olinger	Chris Long		24.01	277	Walton Spurlin	Theo Riddick
23.02	266	Evan Silva	T.J. Ward		24.02	278	Jamey Eisenberg	Rolando McClain
23.03	267	Matt Schauf	Charles Tillman		24.03	279	Gary Davenport	Christian Jones
23.04	268	Sigmund Bloom	Glover Quin		24.04	280	Jim McCormick	Montee Ball
23.05	269	Jene Bramel	Jeron Johnson		24.05	281	Steve Gallo	Sam Barrington
23.06	270	Jeff Ratcliffe	Prince Amukamara		24.06	282	Ross Miles	Andre Williams
23.07	271	Ross Miles	Cody Latimer		24.07	283	Jeff Ratcliffe	Johnathan Hankins
23.08	272	Steve Gallo	Charles Clay		24.08	284	Jene Bramel	Randy Gregory
23.09	273	Jim McCormick	Leonard Williams		24.09	285	Sigmund Bloom	Ladarius Green
23.10	274	Gary Davenport	Jay Cutler		24.10	286	Matt Schauf	Virgil Green
23.11	275	Jamey Eisenberg	Jeremy Langford		24.11	287	Evan Silva	Reggie Nelson
23.12	276	Walton Spurlin	Rashad Johnson		24.12	288	Eric Olinger	Corey Graham

Notes: Entering the final two rounds I’m looking purely for offensive upside at receiver and running back as although I like my top end talent at both positions, my bench is shallow at both positions. Thankfully two second year players in Cody Latimer and Andre Williams were available for me, although I was close to picking Patriots RB James White as a handcuff of sorts for Blount. Williams’ short-yardage potential won me over. Ratcliffe’s selections of Prince Amukamara and Johnathan Hankins also jump out as particularly astute, as both are overlooked for flashier names. Amukamara could be the No.1 fantasy cornerback at the end of the season, while Hankins quietly had 50 total tackles and seven sacks last season in his first as a starter.