Live 12-team PPR Fantasy Draft

The 2014 Apex Fantasy Football League is an industry competition comprised of an impressive cast of fantasy football writers. Apex's Asher Molk and Mike Braude were kind enough to invite me into this year's event. The draft began Saturday, August 2. I thought Rotoworld readers would enjoy it if I essentially live blogged the draft over the coming days.

The league will be played out, so this isn't just a mock draft. It's the real deal. Apex uses a starting lineup of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 FLEX (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, and 1 DEF. It's a standard, 12-team PPR league with four points awarded per passing touchdown. Here is a link to Apex's full scoring system. I'm drafting from the eighth slot in this one.

First Round

1. Davis Mattek -- Jamaal Charles
2. Denny Carter -- LeSean McCoy
3. Jonathan Bales -- Matt Forte
4. John Sarmento -- Adrian Peterson
5. Chet Gresham -- Calvin Johnson
6. Mike Braude -- Demaryius Thomas
7. JJ Zachariason -- Eddie Lacy
8. Evan Silva -- Dez Bryant
9. Mike Clay -- DeMarco Murray
10. Rich Hribar -- Montee Ball
11. Sal Stefanile -- Jimmy Graham
12. Shawn Siegele -- A.J. Green

Round One Thoughts: This is a pretty standard first round in an industry draft. Perhaps the lone mild surprise was Hribar taking Ball tenth overall. This is a PPR league where receivers, tight ends, and high-catch-total running backs have enhanced value. Ball has been a below-average producer in the receiving game dating back to Wisconsin. We're picking nits here, of course. I think Ball could push for 40 more carries than Knowshon Moreno handled last season, and probably catch 40-45 passes if he plays well and stays healthy. In Denver's offense, Ball has No. 1 overall fantasy running back upside. This was a pretty rock-solid first round.

Second Round

13. Shawn Siegele -- Julio Jones
14. Sal Stefanile -- Rob Gronkowski
15. Rich Hribar -- Le'Veon Bell
16. Mike Clay -- Brandon Marshall
17. Evan Silva -- Jordy Nelson
18. JJ Zachariason -- Antonio Brown
19. Mike Braude -- Alshon Jeffery
20. Chet Gresham -- Giovani Bernard
21. John Sarmento -- Julius Thomas
22. Jonathan Bales -- Arian Foster
23. Denny Carter -- Andre Ellington
24. Davis Mattek -- Keenan Allen

Round Two Thoughts: Doubling down on Gronk and Graham was a strategy Ross Tucker and I discussed on Episode 2 of the Fantasy Feast Podcast. Sal is employing it, and it'll be interesting to see how the rest of his team turns out. JJ loves small wide receivers, old running backs, and Alex Smith. I'm not even kidding. Securing Ball and Bell, Hribar has solidified running back with high TD potential in both spots. Three tight ends went off the board in the top-21 selections. No quarterbacks, and in an industry league we might be waiting awhile at that position. Quarterbacks typically go late in these drafts. Mattek, Clay, and Zachariason both started RB-WR. Carter, Bales, and Hribar started RB-RB. Siegele, Braude, and I started WR-WR. Sarmento started RB-TE. Chet started WR-RB. Sal, of course, started TE-TE.

Third Round

25. Davis Mattek -- Alfred Morris
26. Denny Carter -- Andre Johnson
27. Jonathan Bales -- Doug Martin
28. John Sarmento -- Michael Floyd
29. Chet Gresham -- Marshawn Lynch
30. Mike Braude -- Randall Cobb
31. JJ Zachariason -- Zac Stacy
32. Evan Silva -- Jordan Cameron
33. Mike Clay -- C.J. Spiller
34. Rich Hribar -- Victor Cruz
35. Sal Stefanile -- Pierre Garcon
36. Shawn Siegele -- Larry Fitzgerald

Round Three Thoughts: Zachariason told me I sniped him on Jordy in the second round, and he settled for Antonio Brown. He returned the favor in round three, where I badly wanted Stacy. I settled for Cameron, who I prioritized over a few receivers and backs because Cameron is clearly, in my opinion, the best remaining tight end with a significant drop-off thereafter. I feel decent about my start, with Dez, Jordy, and Cameron all as high-volume pass catchers in what I see as a league that enhances the value of those kinds of players based on scoring and starting lineup. TE-TE drafter Sal went with Garcon as his WR1. Bales was the lone owner to go RB-RB-RB, landing Matt Forte, Arian Foster, and Martin. Fellow RB-RB beginner Carter made Andre Johnson his WR1. Hribar was the third RB-RB starter and went with Cruz. Selfishly, I'd love to see a tight end run soon, although I wouldn't bet on another TE going in the next two rounds. Still no quarterbacks.

Fourth Round

37. Shawn Siegele -- Vincent Jackson
38. Sal Stefanile -- Roddy White
39. Rich Hribar -- Peyton Manning
40. Mike Clay -- Shane Vereen
41. Evan Silva -- Toby Gerhart
42. JJ Zachariason -- Reggie Bush
43. Mike Braude -- Michael Crabtree
44. Chet Gresham -- Wes Welker
45. John Sarmento -- Rashad Jennings
46. Jonathan Bales -- Aaron Rodgers
47. Denny Carter -- Torrey Smith
48. Davis Mattek -- Bishop Sankey

Round Four Thoughts: I was hoping Roddy would slip to me here, but I thought TE-TE starter Sal did especially well to snap him up. I think Roddy returns low-end WR1 value or better in PPR this season. I grabbed Gerhart as my first running back and will hope he gets lots of volume. He's always been a plus pass catcher; Gerhart was a starting outfielder on Stanford's baseball team, and in Minnesota regularly replaced Adrian Peterson on passing downs. He should be a steady scorer on about 20 touches per game. Mr. "Zero RB" himself, Siegele, started this draft WR-WR-WR-WR, landing A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Larry Fitz, and Vincent Jackson. The first quarterback goes to Hribar at 4.3. Hribar's team is Montee Ball-Le'Veon Bell-Victor Cruz-Peyton. Sal's is Graham-Gronk-Garcon-Roddy. Like Siegele, Apex's own Braude started WR-WR-WR-WR with Demaryius-Alshon-Randall Cobb-Crabtree. In this format, Braude has the makings of an incredibly strong team assuming he can pluck some mid- and late-round value backs and/or is savvy on the in-season waiver wire.

Fifth Round

49. Davis Mattek -- Cordarrelle Patterson
50. Denny Carter -- Trent Richardson
51. Jonathan Bales -- Eric Decker
52. John Sarmento -- Drew Brees
53. Chet Gresham -- Jeremy Maclin
54. Mike Braude -- Joique Bell
55. JJ Zachariason -- Ryan Mathews
56. Evan Silva -- Mike Wallace
57. Mike Clay -- Kendall Wright
58. Rich Hribar -- Ben Tate
59. Sal Stefanile -- Pierre Thomas
60. Shawn Siegele -- DeSean Jackson

Round Five Thoughts: Let's examine a team we haven't mentioned much yet. Sarmento began this draft Adrian Peterson, Julius Thomas, Michael Floyd, Rashad Jennings, and Brees. Taking Floyd at 3.04 was an obviously-aggressive move, while some fantasy analysts like Sarmento are higher than I am on Jennings. I think Sarmento did get good value with AP, Julius, and Brees. He smartly was the third owner to draft a quarterback, cleaning up that Peyton-Rodgers-Brees top tier. In this format where high-volume pass catchers are premium scorers, Sarmento may have to find some mid- and late-round values. Circling back to TE-TE starter Sal, Stefanile opened with Graham-Gronkowski-Garcon-Roddy-Pierre Thomas. Thomas is a member of New Orleans' three-headed running back monster, but caught 77 passes last season and has enhanced value in this scoring system. Thomas also figures to be counted on to handle the majority of the backfield receiving chores vacated by the Darren Sproles trade.

Sixth Round

61. Shawn Siegele -- T.Y. Hilton
62. Sal Stefanile -- Lamar Miller
63. Rich Hribar -- Percy Harvin
64. Mike Clay -- Julian Edelman
65. Evan Silva -- Rueben Randle
66. JJ Zachariason -- Marques Colston
67. Mike Braude -- Stevan Ridley
68. Chet Gresham -- Matthew Stafford
69. John Sarmento -- Frank Gore
70. Jonathan Bales -- Chris Johnson
71. Denny Carter -- Dwayne Bowe
72. Davis Mattek -- DeAndre Hopkins

Round Six Thoughts: You won't see this strategy very often in your friends & family drafts: Siegele started WR-WR-WR-WR-WR-WR. That's six wide receivers, namely A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald, Vincent Jackson, DeSean Jackson, and T.Y. Hilton. Keep an eye on how Siegele attacks the middle and late rounds. He doesn't have a quarterback, running back, or tight end yet. Mr. Chet Gresham was the lone owner in this league to start WR-RB, landing Calvin Johnson and Giovani Bernard in rounds one and two. Chet has followed up with an RB-WR-WR-QB approach (Marshawn Lynch, Wes Welker, Jeremy Maclin, Stafford). Lynch in the third round stands out as tremendous value. Welker and Maclin could pay big-time dividends if they stay healthy. Chet made Stafford the QB4 off the board, a little over one round after Sarmento picked off Brees. Meanwhile, Zachariason is gobbling up running backs. Through round six, JJ has begun RB-WR-RB-RB-RB-WR (Eddie Lacy, Antonio Brown, Zac Stacy, Reggie Bush, Ryan Mathews, Marques Colston).

Seventh Round

73. Davis Mattek -- Jordan Reed
74. Denny Carter -- Brandin Cooks
75. Jonathan Bales -- Golden Tate
76. John Sarmento -- Sammy Watkins
77. Chet Gresham -- Greg Olsen
78. Mike Braude -- Reggie Wayne
79. JJ Zachariason -- Emmanuel Sanders
80. Evan Silva -- Jeremy Hill
81. Mike Clay -- Ray Rice
82. Rich Hribar -- Justin Hunter
83. Sal Stefanile -- Andrew Luck
84. Shawn Siegele -- Bernard Pierce

Round Seven Thoughts: Bales very much took a contrarian "old-school" approach to this draft, something at which he hinted in a recent column that I believe is an absolute must-read. He was the only owner to start RB-RB-RB. Bales has gone QB-WR-RB-WR since, for a lineup of Matt Forte, Arian Foster, Doug Martin, Aaron Rodgers, Eric Decker, Chris Johnson, and Golden Tate through seven rounds. He stole Rodgers late in the fourth. Much of the fantasy community is down on Foster, Martin, Decker, and Johnson, so Bales may have seen them as undervalued. He has four running backs, giving himself some protection against injury at that volatile position. Bales does not have a WR3 or a TE1 yet. We should also look at Clay's draft. He's gone RB-WR-RB-RB-WR-WR-RB (DeMarco Murray, Brandon Marshall, C.J. Spiller, Shane Vereen, Kendall Wright, Julian Edelman, Ray Rice), prioritizing highly productive pass catchers. Clay's roster seems to deemphasize touchdowns, but his picks have a common theme and were obviously well-thought out. I'm skipping ahead, but Clay goes on to take Jason Witten in round eight -- another guy who could easily catch 80-plus balls this year.

Eighth Round

85. Shawn Siegele -- Terrance West
86. Sal Stefanile -- Terrance Williams
87. Rich Hribar -- Kelvin Benjamin
88. Mike Clay -- Jason Witten
89. Evan Silva -- Andre Williams
90. JJ Zachariason -- Vernon Davis
91. Mike Braude -- Steven Jackson
92. Chet Gresham -- Darren Sproles
93. John Sarmento -- Cecil Shorts
94. Jonathan Bales -- Tavon Austin
95. Denny Carter -- Marvin Jones
96. Davis Mattek -- Nick Foles

Ninth Round

97. Davis Mattek -- Danny Woodhead
98. Denny Carter -- Dennis Pitta
99. Jonathan Bales -- Greg Jennings
100. John Sarmento -- Fred Jackson
101. Chet Gresham -- Kyle Rudolph
102. Mike Braude -- Jordan Matthews
103. JJ Zachariason -- Kenny Stills
104. Evan Silva -- Cam Newton
105. Mike Clay -- Mike Evans
106. Rich Hribar -- Carlos Hyde
107. Sal Stefanile -- Jarrett Boykin
108. Shawn Siegele -- Robert Griffin III

Tenth Round

109. Shawn Siegele -- Devonta Freeman
110. Sal Stefanile -- Khiry Robinson
111. Rich Hribar -- Aaron Dobson
112. Mike Clay -- Tom Brady
113. Evan Silva -- Jay Cutler
114. JJ Zachariason -- Anquan Boldin
115. Mike Braude -- James White
116. Chet Gresham -- Markus Wheaton
117. John Sarmento -- Ladarius Green
118. Jonathan Bales -- Danny Amendola
119. Denny Carter -- Martellus Bennett
120. Davis Mattek -- Josh Gordon

Eleventh Round

121. Davis Mattek -- Knile Davis
122. Denny Carter -- Andre Holmes
123. Jonathan Bales -- Zach Ertz
124. John Sarmento -- Colin Kaepernick
125. Chet Gresham -- Tony Romo
126. Mike Braude -- Matt Ryan
127. JJ Zachariason -- Riley Cooper
128. Evan Silva -- Ahmad Bradshaw
129. Mike Clay -- Brian Hartline
130. Rich Hribar -- Maurice Jones-Drew
131. Sal Stefanile -- Lance Dunbar
132. Shawn Siegele -- DeAngelo Williams

Twelfth Round

133. Shawn Siegele -- Christine Michael
134. Sal Stefanile -- Chris Ivory
135. Rich Hribar -- C.J. Anderson
136. Mike Clay -- Philip Rivers
137. Evan Silva -- Marqise Lee
138. JJ Zachariason -- Robert Woods
139. Mike Braude -- Charles Clay
140. Chet Gresham -- Darren McFadden
141. John Sarmento -- Stevie Johnson
142. Jonathan Bales -- Kenny Britt
143. Denny Carter -- Da'Rick Rogers
144. Davis Mattek -- Charles Johnson

Thirteenth Round

145. Davis Mattek -- Stephen Hill
146. Denny Carter -- Mark Ingram
147. Jonathan Bales -- Davante Adams
148. John Sarmento -- Miles Austin
149. Chet Gresham -- James Starks
150. Mike Braude -- Ka'Deem Carey
151. JJ Zachariason -- Doug Baldwin
152. Evan Silva -- Heath Miller
153. Mike Clay -- Cody Latimer
154. Rich Hribar -- Dwayne Allen
155. Sal Stefanile -- James Jones
156. Shawn Siegele -- Eric Ebron

Fourteenth Round

157. Shawn Siegele -- Travis Kelce
158. Sal Stefanile -- Dexter McCluster
159. Rich Hribar -- Garrett Graham
160. Mike Clay -- Donte Moncrief
161. Evan Silva -- Bryce Brown
162. JJ Zachariason -- Russell Wilson
163. Mike Braude -- Ronnie Hillman
164. Chet Gresham -- Theo Riddick
165. John Sarmento -- Charles Sims
166. Jonathan Bales -- Jared Cook
167. Denny Carter -- LeGarrette Blount
168. Davis Mattek -- Jerick McKinnon

Fifteenth Round

169. Davis Mattek -- Alex Smith
170. Denny Carter -- Carson Palmer
171. Jonathan Bales -- Mike Williams
172. John Sarmento -- Allen Robinson
173. Chet Gresham -- Seahawks DEF
174. Mike Braude -- Ben Roethlisberger
175. JJ Zachariason -- Roy Helu
176. Evan Silva -- Andre Brown
177. Mike Clay -- Knowshon Moreno
178. Rich Hribar -- Hakeem Nicks
179. Sal Stefanile -- Jerricho Cotchery
180. Shawn Siegele -- Tyler Eifert

Sixteenth Round

181. Shawn Siegele -- Delanie Walker
182. Sal Stefanile -- Rams DEF
183. Rich Hribar -- Patriots DEF
184. Mike Clay -- Antonio Gates
185. Evan Silva -- Chris Polk
186. JJ Zachariason -- Donald Brown
187. Mike Braude -- Johnny Manziel
188. Chet Gresham -- Latavius Murray
189. John Sarmento -- Buccaneers DEF
190. Jonathan Bales -- Austin Seferian-Jenkins
191. Denny Carter -- Brian Quick
192. Davis Mattek -- David Ausberry

Seventeenth Round

193. Davis Mattek -- Stedman Bailey
194. Denny Carter -- Eagles DEF
195. Jonathan Bales -- 49ers DEF
196. John Sarmento -- Steve Smith
197. Chet Gresham -- Stephen Gostkowski
198. Mike Braude -- Panthers DEF
199. JJ Zachariason -- Jets DEF
200. Evan Silva -- Lorenzo Taliaferro
201. Mike Clay -- Andrew Hawkins
202. Rich Hribar -- Malcom Floyd
203. Sal Stefanile -- Harry Douglas
204. Shawn Siegele -- Jarvis Landry

Eighteenth Round

205. Shawn Siegele -- John Brown
206. Sal Stefanile -- Matt Prater
207. Rich Hribar -- Kenbrell Thompkins
208. Mike Clay -- Isaiah Crowell
209. Evan Silva -- Broncos DEF
210. JJ Zachariason -- Rod Streater
211. Mike Braude -- Coby Fleener
212. Chet Gresham -- Odell Beckham
213. John Sarmento -- Jeff Janis
214. Jonathan Bales -- Steven Hauschka
215. Denny Carter -- Geno Smith
216. Davis Mattek -- Brandon Bolden