Ten Yahoo Fantasy team members recently conducted a 10-team draft do-over, half-point-per-reception mock, and all the picks are in the cool graphic up top. Scroll to the right of the graphic above to see the complete results of the draft.
The NFL is always a snow globe league, where we're constantly shaking an object and watching all the particles resettle. Sure, 2023 is the weirdest season, because every fantasy football season is weird in its own way.
With that in mind, we decided it was time to do a redraft. Ten Yahooligans assembled on Monday for a 15-round affair, filling a standard roster. We're aiming to start a quarterback, two running backs, two receivers, one tight end, a flex, a kicker and a defense. The benches are five deep, and there would be two spots for IR-eligible players.
How have the values shifted since the start of the season? What themes and strategies came forward? Read on, intrepid fantasy player.
Team 1 (pod producer Collin Brennan): The Kids are Alright
Collin lucked into the first pick and had his choice of the McCaffrey-Jefferson lottery (he preferred Christian McCaffrey, which also would have been my preference). The rest of his roster was highlighted by a signature QB (Josh Allen, pick 20), and a ton of rookies (Puka Nacua at 21, Zay Flowers at 40, Sam LaPorta at 61). Collin also worked an interesting Indianapolis gambit, securing both Jonathan Taylor (41) and Zack Moss (100). And because Collin is an unapologetic Dallas fan, he broke the seal at DST with the Cowboys at 101.
Verdict: Nacua will need to be the real thing to make this receiver room hold up, but if he is — and if something strong emerges from the Indianapolis backfield — this would be a difficult team to beat. McCaffrey and Allen could easily be the classes of their positions.
Fun Pick: Puka Nacua, 21
Volatile Pick: Jonathan Taylor, 41
Team 2 (social editor Trevor Lewis): Robust WRs, value RBs
Trevor rolled with a Jefferson, DeVonta Smith, Patrick Mahomes start, and also took Tyler Lockett and Amari Cooper inside the Top 62 picks (Cooper was a screaming value). This means he needs some good luck with his backfield, anchored by Aaron Jones (39) and Raheem Mostert (42). I'll admit my patience has worn thin with Cam Akers and Javonte Williams, his next two backs. But perhaps Jaleel McLaughlin (139) was the steal of the draft.
Verdict: This team didn't invest draft capital at running back, but that's also the easiest position to get lucky at. Hunter Henry also might be a stretch as a tight end starter, though that position gets awfully thin in a hurry.
Value Pick: Amari Cooper, 62
Variance Pick: Raheem Mostert, 42
Team 3 (analyst Andy Behrens): Value pounding the draft
Andy scooped up a number of solid picks on players who seemed to fall later than they should — Josh Jacobs at 18, De'Von Achane at 43, James Conner at 63, even Courtland Sutton at 98. Of course Behrens wouldn't be Behrens without some Iowa angle; George Kittle sure blocks a lot these days, but I can't complain when he lasts to the eighth round. Behrens believes in the fast starts from Brandon Aiyuk (23) and Nico Collins (38), and I think he's right.
Verdict: Andy loaded up on the critical RB/WR slots early, then still did well semi-waiting for Tua Tagovailoa (58) and Kittle. And perhaps I've buried the lede, he also has Tua paired with his first overall pick, Tyreek Hill. There's a good chance Andy would dunk on this league for a while, but we're not playing it out, so we'll never know.
Believe Pick: Nico Collins, 38; De'Von Achane, 43
Predictable Pick: George Kittle, 78
Team 4 (analyst Dalton Del Don): Prioritizing the onesies
After a strong start of Tony Pollard and Chris Olave, Dalton went for vanity picks at the one-fill spots, snapping up Mark Andrews in the third round and accepting the absurd gift of Jalen Hurts at pick 37. But did Del Don get enough juice at the receiver spot? As much as I love Olave, the quarterback play in New Orleans could be a problem. Deebo Samuel is a heck of a talent (you knew Dalton would get some Niners), but he might be the third-best skill player on his own team. Christian Watson is an interesting throw at pick 64, if he can stay healthy. I'm not sure that Jerry Jeudy or DeAndre Hopkins are in the circle of trust, but at least they were affordable.
Verdict: I'd like a better wide-receiver base, but Pollard has an uncapped ceiling and Dalton at least has a puncher's chance at having the best QB/TE slots in the league. He also snapped up some post-hype picks with Justin Fields (104) and Kyle Pitts (124). This should be a contending team if enough of the receivers hit, though finding wideout help off the wire in the middle of the year is generally very difficult.
Volatile Pick: Chris Olave, 17
Value Pick: Brian Robinson, 57
Team 5 (analyst Dan Titus): Own the WR room, take falling Bengals
Although I'd prefer a WR-heavy strategy if we started 3/4 of them every week (rather than the 2/3 required here), I'm nonetheless envious of a start that reads Stefon Diggs, Ja'Marr Chase (pick 16; the room was scared by the Joe Burrow slump) and Calvin Ridley. Titus then pivoted to target-hog tight end T.J. Hockenson before assembling a backfield (Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Alexander Mattison).
Verdict: If Joe Burrow gets healthy or figures it out, this team contends. If the Bengals go down as the signature shipwreck of 2023, this team is in trouble. Burrow wasn't drafted in this mock, and I get it. But that doesn't mean he can't take a sad song and make it better.
Falling Value Picks: Ja'Marr Chase 16, Joe Mixon 45
Fun Pick: Anthony Richardson, 65
Team 6 (social editor Aaron Tan): Kelce and a QB punt
If Cooper Kupp comes back quickly, this could be a gorgeous roster. Brock Purdy is acceptable as a last-round punt at QB, and Aaron loaded up the backfield after the Travis Kelce start — we'd all love to be rostering Kenneth Walker III, David Montgomery and emerging Isiah Pacheco. But if Kupp doesn't hit the ground running, this wideout room is a collection of players held back by a variety of things (Terry McLaurin might have quarterback issues, Adam Thielen the same, Jordan Addison isn't quite relevant yet, and Diontae Johnson and Jameson Williams are coming off layoffs).
Verdict: Because the middle class of running back is surprisingly deep this year (ah, the comfort of lowered expectations), I'd prefer this roster took one more primary wideout before that third running back. But a healthy and productive Kupp would be a wonderful fix.
Play to Win Pick: Cooper Kupp, 26
Mr. (Almost) Irrelevant Pick: Brock Purdy, 146
Team 7 (fantasy contributor Jorge Martin): LA is my lady
Man, it's frustrating to draft next to Jorge Martin. He's always taking guys I want. Bijan Robinson was a nifty value at seven — I think he could have made sense as early as third overall — and Jaylen Waddle (27) was another scooped value. Jorge has ties to the LA area, which might explain why four of his picks play in that city (target monster Keenan Allen, Justin Herbert, Tyler Higbee, Quentin Johnston). I'd want a tight end a tier above where Higbee likely falls, but a roster build on fortified RB/WR rooms always looks formidable to me on draft day.
Verdict: If we did this exercise in a month, I suspect Allen and Waddle would both go higher, perhaps a lot higher. And James Cook is a fascinating pick at 34; if the Bills give him a little goal-line equity, he's a needle-moving player. This roster has a nice mix of youth and experience, and there's a fun QB/WR hookup in the first five rounds. I'd happily go to battle with this core.
Falling Value Picks: Rhamondre Stevenson 67, Drake London 74, Najee Harris 87
Intriguing Upside Pick: James Cook 34
Team 8 (analyst Scott Pianowski): Fill the heavy spots, punt the onesies
I wasn't locked into any specific strategy picking this late in Round 1, I was going to go where the draft allowed me. The path turned into robust RB and WR rooms, using my first eight picks on those positions. Despite punting at QB and TE, I feel fine with Kirk Cousins (set up for a carnival; indoor games, his defense stinks) and Evan Engram (the most under-appreciated of the above-fold tight ends). I also like the age balance of my running back room; if you worry about the odometer of Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara (I can't unsee those 13 catches), I can point to stock-rising Breece Hall and Rachaad White.
Verdict: I made a couple of "bet on talent" depth picks at WR, thinking DJ Moore can overcome the Chicago stench, and the Arizona infrastructure is good enough for Marquise Brown to keep producing. What's left in the Henry and Kamara tanks will probably determine how far this team goes.
Flip Flop From Summer Pick: Alvin Kamara 33
QB-agnostic Picks: DJ Moore 48, Marquise Brown 73
Team 9 (editor Jason Klabacha): Robust RBs, betting on comebacks
If I told you in August you could draft a team of Austin Ekeler and Saquon Barkley, and mix in a possible waiver-wire RB hero (Kyren Williams), you wouldn't believe it. Of course Jason was able to do this because of backfield injuries, but if Ekeler and Barkley return hale, this roster could shred. Jason certainly wasn't afraid of nicked-up players, also rostering Mike Evans and Tee Higgins. Trevor Lawrence was a surprising value at pick 72, and I thought Tank Dell (89) lasted far longer than he should have.
Verdict: It comes down to health; if this team gets a good medical runout, the upside is the moon. Of course it's always a little risky to draft this many players who are already hurt to some extent, but if you want to win a competitive league, you can't be afraid to take chances.
Play to Win Pick: Saquon Barkley 32
Surprising Value Picks: Trevor Lawrence 72, Tank Dell 89
Team 10 (analyst Matt Harmon): Receivers on brand
You could have guessed that Matt, the CEO of Reception Perception, would start with two vanity wideouts (CeeDee Lamb, Davante Adams) and backfill with some of his personal favorites (Michael Pittman, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Mims, Jaxson Smith-Njigba). Somehow Harmon also landed an interesting running back group (D'Andre Swift, Travis Etienne, Jahmyr Gibbs), and wasn't bad at the onesies (Lamar Jackson fell to 50, and Dallas Goedert was shunned, lasting until pick 91).
Verdict: You know a Harmon team will always crush at receiver, and this backfield also looks intriguing. If Jackson is back to rushing for touchdowns, he's a plus quarterback, and maybe Zach Wilson will pepper Garrett Wilson enough to make us happy (Garrett Wilson should never go as late as pick 70, I don't care who the quarterback is). I'm officially worried about Goedert, but maybe betting on talent was the right way to go, and the draft price was right. There's a ton of upside on this roster.
Crush November Picks: Marvin Mims 110, Jaxon Smith-Njigba 111
Falling Value Pick: Dallas Goedert, 91
TL;DR
General Draft Takeaways
Most teams placed at least a semi-priority on running back.
Most teams either went vanity with the QB/TE spots, or waited. There wasn't as much shopping in the middle round.
The room believes in the Rams, even Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee.
The room is petrified of Joe Burrow's current play (and perhaps, his injury status).
Most of the out-of-nowhere September stars were drafted proactively (Tank Dell a rare exception).
Your cheatsheet
This is what our collective cheatsheet would look like, based on the draft results
Quarterbacks
QB1 Josh Allen
QB2 Patrick Mahomes
QB3 Jalen Hurts
QB4 Justin Herbert
QB5 Lamar Jackson
QB6 Tua Tagovailoa
QB7 Anthony Richardson
QB8 Trevor Lawrence
QB9 Kirk Cousins
QB10 Justin Fields
QB11 Deshaun Watson
QB12 Brock Purdy
Runnings Backs
RB1 Christian McCaffrey
RB2 Tony Pollard
RB3 Bijan Robinson
RB4 Austin Ekeler
RB5 Derrick Henry
RB6 Kenneth Walker III
RB7 Josh Jacobs
RB8 Kyren Williams
RB9 D'Andre Swift
RB10 Travis Etienne Jr.
RB11 Saquon Barkley
RB12 Alvin Kamara
RB13 James Cook
RB14 David Montgomery
RB15 Aaron Jones
RB16 Jonathan Taylor
RB17 Raheem Mostert
RB18 De'Von Achane
RB19 Joe Mixon
RB20 Isiah Pacheco
RB21 Breece Hall
RB22 Dameon Pierce
RB23 Brian Robinson
RB24 Jerome Ford
RB25 James Conner
RB26 Rhamondre Stevenson
RB27 Rachaad White
RB28 Jahmyr Gibbs
RB29 Khalil Herbert
RB30 Alexander Mattison
RB31 Miles Sanders
RB32 Cam Akers
RB33 Javonte Williams
RB34 Jaylen Warren
RB35 Najee Harris
RB36 Zach Charbonnet
RB37 Zack Moss
RB38 Tyler Allgeier
RB39 Roschon Johnson
RB40 Tyjae Spears
RB41 Gus Edwards
RB42 Kenneth Gainwell
RB43 Elijah Mitchell
RB44 Keaton Mitchell
RB45 Jaleel McLaughlin
RB46 Rashaad Penny
Wide Receivers
WR1 Justin Jefferson
WR2 Tyreek Hill
WR3 Stefon Diggs
WR4 A.J. Brown
WR5 CeeDee Lamb
WR6 Davante Adams
WR7 Amon-Ra St. Brown
WR8 Keenan Allen
WR9 Ja'Marr Chase
WR10 Chris Olave
WR11 DeVonta Smith
WR12 Puka Nacua
WR13 Brandon Aiyuk
WR14 Calvin Ridley
WR15 Cooper Kupp
WR16 Jaylen Waddle
WR17 DK Metcalf
WR18 Nico Collins
WR19 Zay Flowers
WR20 Deebo Samuel
WR21 DJ Moore
WR22 Mike Evans
WR23 Michael Pittman Jr.
WR24 Chris Godwin
WR25 Terry McLaurin
WR26 Tyler Lockett
WR27 Amari Cooper
WR28 Christian Watson
WR29 Adam Thielen
WR30 Tee Higgins
WR31 Garrett Wilson
WR32 Marquise Brown
WR33 Drake London
WR34 Christian Kirk
WR35 Jakobi Meyers
WR36 Romeo Doubs
WR37 Jerry Jeudy
WR38 Jordan Addison
WR39 Tank Dell
WR40 Jahan Dotson
WR41 George Pickens
WR42 Diontae Johnson
WR43 Tutu Atwell
WR44 DeAndre Hopkins
WR45 Courtland Sutton
WR46 Gabe Davis
WR47 Joshua Palmer
WR48 Jameson Williams
WR49 Michael Thomas
WR50 Elijah Moore
WR51 Marvin Mims Jr.
WR52 Jaxon Smith-Njigba
WR53 Rashee Rice
WR54 Skyy Moore
WR55 Jayden Reed
WR56 Quentin Johnston
WR57 Rashid Shaheed
WR58 Michael Wilson
WR59 Robert Woods
Tight Ends
TE1 Travis Kelce
TE2 Mark Andrews
TE3 T.J. Hockenson
TE4 Darren Waller
TE5 Sam LaPorta
TE6 George Kittle
TE7 Evan Engram
TE8 Dallas Goedert
TE9 Hunter Henry
TE10 Jake Ferguson
TE11 Tyler Higbee
TE12 Dalton Kincaid
TE13 Kyle Pitts
Kickers
PK1 Justin Tucker
PK2 Jake Moody
PK3 Harrison Butker
PK4 Tyler Bass
PK5 Jake Elliott
PK6 Cameron Dicker
PK7 Brandon Aubrey
PK8 Jason Sanders
PK9 Younghoe Koo
PK10 Jason Myers
Defenses
DST1 Dallas
DST2 San Francisco
DST3 Philadelphia
DST4 Cleveland
DST5 Baltimore
DST6 Buffalo
DST7 Kansas City
DST8 New York
DST9 Detroit
DST10 Pittsburgh
The six best QBs not drafted (by roster tag): Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Geno Smith, C.J. Stroud
The most rostered fields players not drafted: Pat Freiermuth (hurt, which explains that), Dalvin Cook, AJ Dillon, David Njoku, Cole Kmet, Kareem Hunt, Brandin Cooks, Jerick McKinnon, Antonio Gibson, Samaje Perine, Jamaal Williams, Ezekiel Elliott, Joshua Kelley.
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