Roundtable: Staff Picks
Jesse Pantuosco: Now that we’ve all had a few drafts, what players do you find yourselves gravitating to?
For me, it’s Chris Ivory. His ADP is late in the sixth round and I think people are undervaluing him. He was a top-20 back last year and had a great preseason with 17 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown (5.8 yards per carry). Most importantly, he’s the Jets’ go-go guy on the goal line, so there’s plenty of touchdown potential. I’ve been grabbing him in as many leagues as possible. How about you guys?
Evan Silva: Agree on Ivory. Much later in drafts obviously but I've been taking late dart throws at Allen Hurns, Kenny Britt, and Dorial Green-Beckham just as WR5/6 types.
Nick Mensio: Jonathan Stewart is the guy for me. I already loved his 4th-round ADP coming into training camp, and it's only been helped by his quiet summer and preseason. The main takeaway for me is that Stewart has stayed healthy, which hasn't been the case the past few years. He's clearly "the guy" in Carolina and should be leaned on even more following Kelvin Benjamin's torn ACL. Expect the Panthers to run it as much as they can.
Graham Barfield: I can't stop drafting Tevin Coleman in the 7th round. I get that he has limitations and flaws as a runner, but he's walking into a massive opportunity share in Atlanta and is coached by one of the best OCs in the entire league. Devonta Freeman is Coleman's only real competition, but he is likely best suited as a change-of-pace back or at the very least isn't a three-down back. The upside massively outweighs the downside risk with Coleman this year.
Raymond Summerlin: Allen Robinson, Brandon Marshall and Charles Johnson are a trio I have ended up with in several drafts. I view all three as solid WR2s with upside, but all three are being drafted well outside the top 20 at the position. I have written plenty about why I like Marshall and Johnson, so I will focus on Robinson.
The best thing to like for Robinson is the opportunity. In his eight starts last season, Robinson averaged nine targets a game and did not see fewer than seven in any contest. The Jaguars’ lack of offense limited him to just two touchdowns over that stretch, but he still posted PPR WR3 numbers five of eight weeks and finished with WR2 numbers three times. The only thing Robinson was really missing was touchdowns. A talented receiver with a big frame and explosive physical attributes, Robinson profiles as a player who should dominate in the red zone, though he did not get many chances last season. The arrival of Julius Thomas could limit his chances again this year, but Thomas is not healthy right now and the Jaguars’ offense should improve in Blake Bortles’ second season. Both of those things mean Robinson should improve on the zero targets he saw inside the 15-yard line last year. Robinson has a 90-1,200-12 season in him. While I do not think he will reach that plateau this season, 80-1,000-8 is a real possibility.
Pantuosco: Funny you should mention Robinson because I’ve drafted his teammate T.J. Yeldon twice in the last week. Alabama backs are always a coin flip. Eddie Lacy turned out great. Trent Richardson, not so much. But I like Yeldon and I think he’s a value pick at his fifth-round ADP.
I have concerns about his usage because the Jaguars are going to be behind a lot, but I think that’s offset somewhat by his three-down role. Jacksonville didn’t draft Yeldon to be a committee back. He’s their go-to guy. And like Ivory, he’s going to get first crack at goal-line carries. If you want to cheat a bit and go for wide receivers or maybe even a quarterback in rounds two through four, Yeldon should be available in round five.
Patrick Daugherty: The one guy I feel like I have to have is Jordan Matthews. He's gotten third-round expensive, so I've been missing out in some places, but he's the one guy I've really gotten willing to "reach" on. Also still preaching The Book of Murray. Pretty sure I own Jeremy Maclin in every league I've done.
Yeldon was a guy I wanted to own across the board, but he had sort of an AWOL summer. I've had a tendency to keep "waiting" on him, and not get him.
