As we inch closer to the hopeful start of the 2020 NFL season, it’s only natural for The Undroppables team and some friends to get together for a dynasty startup draft to earn bragging rights among the group. With commentary from members of the league on their thought process during the, we highlight some of our favorite picks made along the way.
League Rules
Teams: 16
Starting Lineup: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 3 FLEX, 1 SF
Relevant scoring settings: 6-pt passing TDs; PPR; 1.75 PPR for TEs; 0.1 points per carry (PPC)
View the entire draft: Click here for The Undroppables Dynasty Startup draft board
The Picks
Round 1, Pick 16 – Joe Mixon – RB, Cincinnati Bengals
“Joe Mixon was a solid grab for me over other available RBs for a few reasons. He offers stability and explosive power, and my thought process here leads me to believe that the Bengals offense will lean on him in both the run and pass game. In a PPR startup dynasty league, having a young RB who can productively catch out of the backfield is exciting! One other aspect of Mixon’s game is his ability to break tackles after contact. He is an elite talent primed to be a fantasy monster for years to come, and drafting him the 1.16 spot was an absolute steal for me. He’s my league winner this year (and beyond)!”
Round 2, Pick 9 – Chris Godwin – WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
“As the draft played out, the value at RB was definitely not the same as WR. I had pick 2.12 and at 2.09, Chris Godwin, DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, and D.J. Moore were still on the board. My eyes went straight to Godwin as I love his long term outlook with Bruce Arians as head coach, & Tom Brady at QB only helps. With Adams, Godwin, and Hopkins all gone by the time it got to my pick, I decided to trade up to get my guy Godwin.”
Round 3, Pick 15 – Odell Beckham Jr. – WR, Cleveland Browns
“Twelve wide receivers were selected before I called his name, but drafting Odell Beckham at 3.15 was a no-brainer. No, he wasn’t the flashy league-winner in 2019 that he had been in New York, but despite a nagging core muscle injury that impaired him all season, the wide receiver affectionately known as OBJ still balled out. He finished 2019 with the third-most air yards in the league, behind only Julio Jones and Mike Evans. He also managed to eclipse 1,000 yards and establish himself as one of QB Baker Mayfield’s favorite targets. A healthy outlook and the addition of downfield specialist Kevin Stefanski should have OBJ firmly back among the top ten, and possibly in the conversation for number one.”
Round 4, Pick 14 – Courtland Sutton – WR, Denver Broncos
“Courtland Sutton in the fourth round was a slam dunk pick in my opinion. He is one of the most slept-on fantasy players, for no other reason than fear of diminished opportunity. Last season, Sutton had nothing BUT opportunity, ranking top 20 in receptions, receiving yards, completed air yards, yards after catch, red zone receptions, and total touchdowns. Not only that, but he held a 23.5% target premium, (top 15 in the NFL) and a 35.1% dominator rating (top 5 in the NFL.) My favorite single predictor metric for next season, is yards per team passing attempt. Sutton ranked 9th in the NFL with 2.03 yards per team passing attempt, higher than players such as Julio Jones, Kenny Golladay, and Tyreek Hill. He’s only 24 years old, and even though the Broncos brought in rookies, they are still that: rookies. I’m not concerned about the cast of new additions or the number of players that are there. Quality > quantity, and we aren’t sure how much quality there actually is in Denver. The players left to choose from at wide receiver were Chark, Lamb, Kupp, and Allen. In terms of points scored throughout their career, I think the probability of Courtland being #1 out of that group is substantial.”
Round 5, Pick 16 – Darren Waller – TE, Las Vegas Raiders
“This pick felt like such a smash for me. In this league format, QBs and especially TEs are particularly valuable. I had already secured studs in Dalvin Cook, Miles Sanders and A.J. Brown, as well as one QB, Ryan Tannehill. I really needed to focus on the TE position. My next pick (after a trade with Stoner) was the 80th pick overall, and Darren Waller was staring me in the face. Waller was outstanding last season. He caught 90 of 117 targets (77%) for 1145 yards (9.8 yards per target). I think he remains a high-end TE1 for the next couple of seasons.”
Round 6, Pick 3 – Terry McLaurin – WR, Washington Redskins
“A polished and disciplined route runner as displayed in his rookie year, McLaurin was able to post strong numbers working within a poor offense. McLaurin led the 2019 rookie class with 58 receptions while finishing 2nd among rookies with 919 receiving yards and 15.8 yards per reception. With a current ADP as the WR25, (following a WR25 finish in PPR during his rookie year), McLaurin is an easy add for me here. His biggest obstacle to an unlimited ceiling is the QB play of McLaurin’s former college teammate, Dwayne Haskins. If the Buckeye duo can develop in year two, the sky is the limit for McLaurin. Regardless, in a dynasty setting I am always adding talent with minimal emphasis on situation, as things change rapidly in the NFL.”
Round 7, Pick 2 – Henry Ruggs III – WR, Las Vegas Raiders
“At this point of the draft I felt good about my QB and RB situation, but I only had one WR (DJ Chark). Two of the three picks before me included rookie WRs, so I decided to join the trend and draft Ruggs. I know the analytics community does not like Ruggs, and I have my own reservations as well. But in a league this size, I want a player that has the big play ability to win me a week. It’s possible Ruggs tips a few matchups in my favor this season with just one play.”
Round 8, Pick 1 – Tyler Higbee – TE, Los Angeles Rams
“Entering the 8th round, I wanted to turn my attention to the tight end position. This is a good range to grab a TE and I’m happy I did after seeing the run of TEs drafted after my pick. While it’s a bit of a risk since Higbee doesn’t have a long history of production, he quietly became the only TE in NFL history with five straight games of 7+ receptions and 80+ receiving yards. With the Rams moving on from Brandin Cooks, it appears Higbee could maintain the role that allowed him to achieve those numbers down the stretch in 2019.”
Round 9, Pick 2 – Brandin Cooks – WR, Houston Texas
“Before his 2019 season became marred by concussion injuries, Brandin Cooks had over 110 targets and 1,000 receiving yards each of the previous four seasons. He’s a model for year-over-year consistency, which lends itself well to dynasty. Cooks may be onto his fourth team, but he’ll still have an elite quarterback throwing him the ball in Deshaun Watson. With upside of Cooks becoming the #1 WR on the Texans, he’s a great fit as the fourth wide receiver on my fantasy roster.
Round 10, Pick 11 – Damien Williams – RB, Kansas City Chiefs
“D Willy,” as I call him, to me represented the most upside, and I needed running back depth at this point badly. Running backs that went after him included Anthony McFarland, Tony Pollard, and Alexander Mattison. To me, Williams presented the best flex/bye week fill-in I could get at this point. Even with the team drafting Clyde Edwards-Helaire, I believe he will still get at least 40% of the teams touches and possibly more than that at the start of season. Williams knows the scheme, is adept at blocking and route running, and overall fits well with this team. CEH is the future, but I don’t see them “benching” Williams. They are paying him and will use him accordingly.
More Info
Again, if you’d like to see the entire draft, you can click here for The Undroppables Dynasty Startup draft board
If you’re interested in deep dives on individual team drafts, hit up the managers at their Twitter profiles linked above, or you can tweet at us collectively at @TheUndroppables
See you on Twitter!
