MYPFFL.com - Fantasy Excellence since 1997
MYPFFL.com - Fantasy Excellence since 1997
You spent "money" at the draft. You put out big bids on big names - played cautious on others and ended up still able to get some good assets for your roster. You might have taken a flyer on someone for a buck and they are exploding.
In this lovely little article, we explore what you did in the draft from a value standpoint. Who is your surprise? Who is just trucking along? Who is that player you paid a ton for but they haven't even been started?
This week, we visit the West Division, where Gabe has been trying to hold on to a lead all season but keeps on getting stuck in the muck.
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Keeper
Randy had very few choices at keeper this season - which is sometimes a spot where an owner might think of forgoing a keeper pick altogether. But Randy is smart enough to know that, after throwing out 283pts in 2021 that there was a chance that Deebo could spark an offense again. Well, he hasn't exactly done that - currently sitting at 117pts and averaging 11.7pts per dollar. He didn't expect a massive season, but I can think of at least a few WRs who went less than $10 who are greatly outshining Deebo.
Most Expensive Player
Out of his 12 game so far this season, Davante Adams had a great outing in three of them. At $17, and after three very nice seasons, Randy surely expected more than the 174pts he has put up so far. Yeah, that is just about 10ppd, but it sure seems like the hint metal object is struggling in comparison to players at a similar price. Not at all a disaster - but Randy expected more than this.
Best Value
I could try and spin some yarn about the Philly DST only costing $3 and make it look shiny and all - but the truth is that Randy had some big losses this season in the realm of points. With the third-worst point total on the year, Randy just hasn't gotten anybody to hit and push his point total up. He got a few things back from the Mark Andrews trade at just the right time, but that is about it on his front after a Kirk Cousins injury doomed his season. Yeah, he was 4-1 in those first five games - and has been 1-6 since. If Cousins had stayed healthy, he would likely be featured here.
Worst Value
When you have a player who had an amazing 2021 - but was limited in 2022 due to injury - you hope to get those numbers back. But with the addition of Jaylen Warren and the lackluster resyof the Steelers offense this season, throwing $15.50 to Najee Harris look pretty bad in retrospect. Only grabbing 5.7ppd is not what you want out of your... your best RB? Oh gosh. Now Najee has come on as of late - so maybe he makes up some of that - but oof.
Biggest Surprise
It has to be his trade with Avery - which, at the time, was viewed by some as being very good going Avery's way. Randy only got Sam Howell and a recently picked-up Pat Freiermuth in return for Ridder and MARK ANDREWS??? And then the injury happened to even the playing field kinda, because not many were looking at Howell to be all that good. He isn't all that good - but I guess he is better than not playing at all like Andrews...
Keeper
Getting Christian McCaffrey in the keeper round was very much a steal - especially since he can be kept for two more seasons. That's a lot of saving with spending $30 total on a guy for 3 years for the value he can get you in just one season. If CMC had cost $30, we would still be bragging about him being a value pick at almost 10ppd - but instead, he is scoring 28.2ppd, which is a number reserved for good DSTs and such. Massive keeper here.
Most Expensive Player
Gabe spread his money around a lot at the draft - using $21 on two QBs in the Top 10 and somehow thinking that was a good idea. His most expensive player was not expensive - Cooper Kupp at $14. After being out for 4 weeks, Kupp came in very hot and bothered - throwing up 56pts in his first two games back. Since then, though, he has only been in single digits. At 5.7ppd, he is, essentially, Najee Harris (but just a bit cheaper, so not even as good as Najee Harris).
Best Value
2023 has proven to be a year where the TE position is very much being devalued. Luckily for Gabe, he got one of the good ones in George Kittle. He only cost $$9 and, when you compare him to a Mark Andrews, who cost $7.50 more, Gabe got a steal. Scoring more points than Andrews, Gabe got himself a 16.2ppd player when he needed to fill out all of his WRs and TEs with just $41 left to go. Kyle Pitts cost the same as Kittle. Yikes.
Worst Value
Spending $10 on Drake London seemed like a good idea at the time. He only had $12 left and needed a stud - but the studs were going fast. It didn't take long for Gabe to trade him away, though, to Daniel, and that worked out okay, it seems, because London is only 6.9ppd right now and is a member of John's bench. After only getting 25pts in 4 games last season, I don't know that anyone expected London to be amazing. But that's what happens at the end when you have spread all your money around at the draft, I guess. 6.9ppd - all of which went to other teams.
Biggest Surprise
Draft day trade are very rare - but it happened this season, as Gabe traded away $21 in QBs (Dak and Tua) to Krystof for $17.50 in QBs (Lamar and Huntley). The logic works - why battle yourself at starting QB every week when you can get a higher-ranked guy you will start for the first 12 weeks non-stop? I am sure Gabe isn't too sad - Tua has scored just a little less (although would have more than Lamar Jackson if he was started in Week 12) - but Krystof turned that Dak guy (and Mike Evans) into Jahmyr Gibbs and Chris Olave. So the trade kinda looks like Lamar Jackson and his backup for Tua, Gibbs and Olave. And, well, look at Dak now...
Keeper
Back when they were the Stay Fresh Cheese Bags, Danny shocked the room with a keeper pick nobody expected - Matt Stafford. I am not saying that Stafford was a bad choice - his 2021 season was epic at 422pts - but... Yeah, it was a bad choice. I said it. He is averaging 20ppd - which in most positions is not actually bad - but there was so much still out there to get at the end of the Keeper round that it seems like he was just rushed and picked a guy at random. Hell, he could have gotten Dak or Jackson or Herbert or...
Most Expensive Player
Derrick Henry was coming off of a pretty darn good season in 2022 - scoring 304pts for Leslie and having been on her team since 2019. It seemed like a safe bet that he would be a Top 10 RB in the PFFL again this season. But he has had his struggles this year and has only put up 156pts. That isn't bad at all - but for $27, that means that he has a 5.8ppd number and, if you have been reading this article from the beginning, you will know that that just isn't good enough these days.
Best Value
There isn't one - I mean, unless you think that drafting a guy like Joshua Dobbs for 50 cents was a bargain. I guess it is better than the $1 it would have cost to pick him up on waivers. The fact remains that he hasn't even started the guy so I cannot really go to bat for the draft pick that doesn't start in any game.
Worst Value
If you sepnd $10 on a player - but never put him in your lineup - are you really playing the right way? I know Diontae Johnson gets injured and stuff, but he was Danny's second-most-expensive WR and he is just there riding pine. He would have scored 74pts right now and that would have made at least an average of 7.4ppd - bad but not horrible. Still, $10 on that guy who you don't ever start. Why?
Biggest Surprise
I mean, it would be easy to say "Matt Stafford", but he is actually playing and scoring some points. It isn't great but it will do. But the reality is that Danny has the fewest points in the league and has played a very easy schedule. He has 5 wins - but only 1PP to show for that. He still has a chance to get into the playoffs with this mess. I think that is what has surprised us all - his luck this season.
Keeper
Yep - this was a good one. Tyreek Hill has been lighting things up this season, and is sure t obe Andrew's keeper again next season thanks to already hitting 31.3ppd on the year. He has a shot at making a record happen with his 313 (DEEEEE-TROOOOOIT - look it up) and he has a chance to get to 400 if he lights i up the next two weeks. Golly, I would venture to argue that this pick was bigger than even CMC.
Most Expensive Player
Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields were drafted on the same team - a stange turn of events that locked him into spending $37 on the QB position. That is a lot more than the Dak/Tua/Kyler draft from Gabe. Odd rookie flexes and all - but his $18.50 on Lawrence is... um... well it WAS kinda going not so hot at the beginning of the season. In the last two weeks, though, he has put up numbers. He got Geno Smith back for him (and others), but that isn't working out great either.
Best Value
A good rookie is hard to come by at the TE position, but Sam LaPorta has proven to be the real deal. At only $3, Andrew took a risk and it paid off in spades. Half his games are great and the other half are average, but that is better than a bunch of nothing that most of the rest of the league is getting at TE. 43ppd is an epic number overall - and Andrew knows that he can spend a little and get a lot. That's probably what he should have done at QB.
Worst Value
If you read the previous team's analysis, you can see how I beat up on Danny drafting someone for $10 and never actually starting him. Then I get here and Danny's mistake is a minor error in comparison to Justin Fields. The man has yet to take a snap for Andrew and he cost a whopping $17.50, so yeah, that is obviously a 0ppd event. Think about all the money he could have spent on a real RB with that kind of flow!
Biggest Surprise
I get it that it is tough to pay attention to everything going on in the league and all, but only making 3 waivers in a season is sure to send your team to the dumpster. With a ton of chances to use the EWP to get a RB who actually scores points, he instead has chosen to start Jerrick McKinnon SIX TIMES. I just don't know what to do with that - starting a guy who doesn't even appear in most rankings instead of improving your team a buck at a time is silly. He hasn't made a waiver since October 3 and the three people he picked up were Allen Lazard, Tony Jones Jr. and Latavius Murray. Yeah... That's not... Ooof. Does he know he can pick up a player at any time?
Keeper
Say what you will about passing up CMC and drafting Jalen Hurts - it has worked out just fine and dandy. Jalen has been on fire this season with both his arm and legs - to the tune of 323pts. That is more than a lot - if not all - keepers. And he gets to keep him again next season. At 32.3ppd, Steven was able to grab someone to carry his team each week and not even think about replacing him unless there is a bye. Solid stuff.
Most Expensive Player
Travis Etienne has had a pretty solid season so far - scoring a lovely 186pts and sitting pretty as the second-best player on this roster. $18.50 is still pretty low for your most expensive player, and Etienne will go for more next season, I am sure, but averaging 10ppd is a nice rip at RB. He isn't one of the elite guys but if you can count on someone like that, you did pretty well with teh price point where he was drafted. Only 4-5 stinkers in the bunch of weeks.
Best Value
I don't think anyone looks at the Chicago Bears and sees greatness this season - but one guy, Cole Kmet, has been doing his part. Again, TE was a tough position this season, and all of their scores feel a little lower than they have been in previous years. But Kmet has been fairly solid with just a few stinkers along the way. He is throwing out 32.3ppd and that is nothing to sneeze at - getting value at TE is a great way to build a team around someone. Too bad he didn't do that building thing.
Worst Value
Sure, he spent $10 on Anthony Richardson and, even without his injury, he wouldn't have been started except in Week 10. That was insurance, though, on his keeper, so it works out better than the Dak/Tua and Fields/Lawrence drafts. But the real loss is the Jamaal Williams fiasco in NOLA. He just set a new Lions record in TDs last season and, well, he isn't doing a dang thing. Only 5pts from him this season and he cost $9 so... 0.56ppd. Yikes! $18 on Tee Higgins is an honorable mention, but at least he has 3.9ppd.
Biggest Surprise
Every team needs to have at least one solid player at every position to make the whole thing worthwhile - and Steven has that in Hurts, Etienne, Hollywood, Kmet and the Dolphins DST. Still, no effort is being put in at Kicker and, frankly, RB2 and WR2. You would think that he would have found a trade partner or at last have made some EWP moves to fix the sinking ship, but he only has 7 waivers on the season. After scoring only 32pts in Week 10, the alarm bells didn't ring loud enough, I guess.