Sure, I felt like I was crashing a party at the Mount Rushmore of fantasy football when I found myself at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Gold Jacket lounge with the members of the Jim Brown division. But hey, I wasn't about to let that stop me from enjoying every second and having one of the most fun experiences of my fantasy football career at the King's X Classic. Not only was the incredible knowledge of football at the table extremely apparent, but that was easily equaled by the huge personalities and humor that filled the air with a tangible electricity. Of course, everyone at that table had been in more industry leagues than they care to remember, but this one had the prehistoric element of 12 people sitting around a table, which was always one of the highlights of any fantasy campaign before online drafts became the norm- but again, those personalities were setting me up to experience something special.
Well, I could intro this for hours, so I'll get my head out of the clouds and start the first of a few entries I'd like to share with anyone who cares to listen. Time to break things down…
The goal of these articles will be to see if any knowledge can be shared that may help others. Obviously, everyone's individual leagues will play out in their own way and trends can easily sail out the window, but the drafting was so solid at this table, that it deserves scrutiny that could be useful for others. (Note: The King's Classic is 0.5 PPR)
* Early round mayhem: Well, it wasn't zero RB or zero WR, but what I called this one was 1 RB/1 WR. There's no question that the first round was all about the RBs, and in typical fashion, 10 flew off the board, but as quickly as most nabbed their RB1, a quick reversal was coming. In the second round, just three RBs were selected while eight WRs and Gronk left just three owners boasting a pair of RBs.
* Actionable advice: We learn from these insiders that great teams can be built by getting both a high-end RB and WR right away, but if your draft sways that way, there's a contrarian play to be had. While others are snapping up a top WR, a number of strong RBs remain on the board, and owners can get a leg up at a position that will dry up quickly.
* While you were sleeping: Through three rounds, seven of the teams had a total at least two WRs/TEs while three others made sure to grab a second RB. It was clear that many owners felt that snagging the receivers early is the best value. However, two owners took advantage of that trend and added a third RB. Note: There are two flex spots in this league.
* Actionable advice: There 's certainly wisdom from the majority, as they feel that the high-end WRs/TEs are the best building blocks to win a league. But even in leagues with one flex, getting a third RB like Alex Collins or another potential starter could not only provide RB injury insurance, but starting three RBs provides a nice weekly floor. It also dries up the RB pool on owners who thought they could wait to get another RB.
* Two schools of thought: We've heard it over and over…wait on a QB, and to a degree, that held form when Aaron Rodgers was the first one selected with the first pick of the sixth round. But over the next 19 picks, five more were drafted, so almost half the league had a QB, which is probably three more than might be expected in an industry draft. Then, QB drafting got really quiet, as Drew Brees was the only QB selected between the eighth and 12th round. That left the 13th round for five owners to nab their starter.
* Actionable advice: As many the industry advocate, wait on QB, but the more popular that mindset becomes, there will be elite QBs available in the sixth and seventh rounds, so don't be afraid to grab an elite option once you have a solid corps of starting RBs and WRs. But once the very top options are gone, just wait awhile longer, unless you start to see owners snapping up backups and draining the talent pool.
That's all for now, but another article will continue breaking down the King's X Classic tomorrow.