I started this blog to follow different draft strategies and see how they panned out. While some of the strategies such as the All Bye Week Strategy(every player on the team had their bye week the same week) burned right in front of my eyes each week, other strategies provided me with a playoff spot. I originally drafted three teams around having two wide receivers on the same team. The players I drafted for each team were Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker, Julio Jones and Roddy White, and Randall Cobb and James Jones. I had to really make some moves to make my Falcon and Packer wide receiver teams stable because of all the injuries between those players, but the funny thing is that the only team that didn’t make the playoffs out of that group was the Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker team. I had a 94 Point Strategy( https://captainjackfantasyfootball.wordpress.com/94-point-strategy/ ) team that made the playoffs, and I had a Quarterback First Strategy (https://captainjackfantasyfootball.wordpress.com/qb-first-pick-draft-strategy/ ) that finished first with a 10-3 record. Out of my 8 teams, four made the playoffs. I will analyze this more in depth in the off season, but I wanted to see what common characteristics, if any, that my teams who made the playoffs shared.
Quarterback First Strategy 10-3 (Rankings are by position for scoring leaders in ESPN standard leagues)
QB- Drew Brees 2nd
RB- Reggie Bush 7th
RB- Fred Jackson 11th
RB- Gio Bernard- 14th
RB- MJD 15TH
RB- Trent Richardson 41th
RB- Andre Brown 43rd
WR- Torrey Smith 15th
WR- Riley Cooper 22nd
WR- Keenan Allen 23rd
WR- Steve Smith 38th
TE- Jordan Cameron 4th
TE- Coby Fleener 12th
D- Bengals 3rd(tied with Chiefs)
D- Chiefs 3rd
Amount of players owned at each position: QB-1, RB-6, WR-4, TE-2, D-2
2 Wide Receivers Same Team Strategy
9-4
QB- Andrew Luck 7th
QB- Nick Foles 17th
RB- Adrian Peterson 2nd
RB- Reggie Bush 7th
RB- Fred Jackson 11th
RB- Mark Ingram 59th
WR- Eric Decker 11th
WR- Keenan Allen 23rd
WR- Cecil Shorts 30th
WR- Rueben Randle- 32nd
WR- Nate Burleson- 88th
TE- Jordan Cameron 4th
TE- Gronk 11th
D- Chiefs 3rd
D- Bills 11th
Amount of players owned at each position: QB-2, RB-4, WR-5, TE-2, D-2
2 Wide Receivers Same Team Strategy
10-3
QB- Drew Brees 2nd
RB- Jamaal Charles 1st
RB- Adrian Peterson 2nd
RB- Zach Stacy 19th
RB- Ben Tate 24th
RB- Chris Ogbonnaya- 51st
WR- Vincent Jackson 13th
WR- Larry Fitzgerald 15th
WR- T.Y. Hilton 20th
WR- James Jones 46th
WR- Jarret Boykin 56th
WR- Danny Amendola 71st
WR- Percy Harvin 164th
TE- Jordan Cameron 4th
D- Panthers 1st
Amount of players owned at each position: QB-1, RB-5, WR-7, TE-1, D-1
94 Point Strategy Team 8-4-1
QB- Andrew Luck 7th
QB- Nick Foles 17th
RB- Adrian Peterson 2nd
RB- Knowshon Moreno 3rd
RB- DeMarco Murray 12th
RB- Gio Bernard 14th
RB- MJD 15th
RB- Ben Tate 24th
RB- Shane Vereen 53rd
WR- T.Y. Hilton 20th
WR- Riley Cooper 22nd
WR- Steve Smith 38th
TE- Jimmy Graham 1st
D- Chiefs 3rd
D- Bills 11th
Amount of players owned at each position: QB-2, RB-7, WR-3, TE-1, D-2
Are you still reading? These teams are very unique and special little snowflakes, but do they have any damn thing in common? Here is what I noticed.
QB– For quarterback, I have a top ten quarterback on every single team.
RB– For three of those teams, I had the first pick in the draft and I picked Adrian Peterson who is the number 2 running back. Each team has at least two top twenty running backs as well as at least 1 top five running back. I have on team with four top 20 running backs, and one team that has five.
WR- Out of the four teams, three teams only have 1 top 20 WR, and one team has two.
TE– I have a top 5 tight end on each team.
D– Each team has a top 5 defense.
Between trades and waiver wire picks up, I made a minimum of 15 acquisitions and a maximum of 31. I had the most trade and waiver wire activity with my Two Wide Receivers Same Team strategy.
I was starting to think that the new trend in fantasy football would be to take wide receivers in the first round because of their consistency, but three of my playoff teams only have 1 top 20 wide receiver. What this seems to state to me is that if you can draft the right running backs for your team, they can help to carry your team. With that being said though, it can be a crap shoot to find the right running backs for your team, and your position in the draft will play a large part in this as well. If you do not have an Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, or a Reggie Bush on your team and drafted Ray Rice, Trent Richardson, or C.J Spiller, you will most likely have a very hard time winning games. Your team may end up with a 6-7 or 7-6 record, but that first player you draft needs to be a top 5 player at his position. While running backs seem to be the main feature of my teams, strong quarterbacks, tight ends, and defenses are what brings everything together. Of course you would love to have a top 10 player at every starting spot on your roster. That is a given. What this might mean though is that you change your draft strategy around for next year and you can take advantage of what is out on the board. If your team can get by with having 1 top twenty receiver, you might be able to draft running backs or a tight end in the 4th and 5th round, and you could pick up Torrey Smith in the 6th.
The most telling tale of this data will be when I compile the information from my loosing teams. I will have a complete comparison to see what works and what doesn’t, but I think there are some pretty helpful nuggets for next year for these stats.
This is the breakdown of my fantasy playoff teams, but what about you? Do you have more elite wide receivers who helped you get into the playoffs? Do you have super strong running backs and wide receivers but a weak quarterback?
Until next time
C.J.
Categories: Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Strategy
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