Perfect Draft Series: Drafting 12th in a 12 Team League

Aug 07, 2013

I find that the fantasy football community too often looks for expert analysis to reinforce rather than inform their opinions. This isn’t to say you’re stubborn, but like any warm-blooded human, you have your opinions and you’ve come to what you feel are rational and logical conclusions.

Relying on PC Drafter, as wonderful as it is, really asks you to set aside your predisposed draft strategies and fully formed player outlooks in order to maximize your team using math. Disregarding your long-held fantasy football belief system isn’t easy. It takes fortitude, maturity and emotional complexity. So kudos to you if you decide to use PC Drafter, it is an excellent tool to hone your drafting skills.

Every year, I inevitably go all over the web and participate in mock drafts to get a feel for where players are drafted. I don’t know why really. Without fail, someone will drop out after the first round. By Round 10, there might only be two or three guys still drafting. Why bother wasting your time with these mocks if nobody is going to take them seriously? Don’t even get me started on auction mocks.

PC Drafter constantly has updates to their projections and average draft position (ADP) numbers. You might allow the computer to do a mock in the morning and see completely different results in the evening. There is no reason to completely succumb to its recommendations, but it will steer you in the right direction. I can only speak for myself but I will often lock myself into taking a certain position regardless of what is going on around me in a draft. Maybe I feel like I really need a WR and I’ll have my tunnel vision transfixed on that position only. PC Drafter will be that necessary tap on the shoulder letting me know that there might be more value elsewhere, which is invaluable during a draft.

In this mock draft, I had the 12th pick in a 12-team standard scoring league. There are 15-man rosters with the following starting lineup: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 RB/WR flex, 1 TE, 1 DEF and 1 K.

Round 1, Pick 12: RB Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins
It is a long wait picking at either end of the draft. After these first two picks, 22 players will come off the board. Some drafters say they feel like they can control or dictate the direction of the draft with their back-to-back selections. That’s a bit of a stretch as far as I’m concerned.

Despite gaining more yards than everybody not named Adrian Peterson and scoring the second-most rushing TDs, Morris persists as a bit of a first round afterthought. You can blame the fickle and well-tanned Mike Shanahan for that. Coming off a season with 346 touches is also a concern; especially with a depth chart chock full of young talent. Every back can be nitpicked though. Morris doesn’t offer much as a receiver, but this isn’t a PPR league. As long as he retains the goal-line work and a strong majority of the rushes on first and second down, Morris can still meet this draft position’s value.