Chris Giraldo, Jesus Martinez | Multi Sport Writers
It’s late July and Fantasy Football draft lobbies are now open. We can almost taste the return of Football and all the good stuff that comes with it. Many are wondering who to draft for your fantasy football team. People have different opinions, and different views on different players. That is why we are here, to make this 2016 season easier. Join us as Jesus Martinez and Chris Giraldo debate certain fantasy football topics, and ultimately assist you in a possible championship year. Are you ready?
Jesus: This year of fantasy football is very interesting? In many mock drafts we are seeing Wide Receivers taken BEFORE Running Backs. It is the first time in recent history that this is happening, which leads me to my first question..
Chris: Yes. There are 3 wide receivers that stand out to me, that are worth taking as top 5 picks- Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and Odell Beckham. The reason why I believe they should go this early, is because they’re all consistent performers and don’t have any questions surrounding them, unlike some of the top running backs.
Jesus: That is a good point. There are many Wide Receivers that can perform on a consistent basis. Looking at the board of WR’s, only two jump off as “elite.” Those being the two 1,800 yard receivers in Antonio Brown and Julio Jones. Besides that, no other WR has the numbers to be taken in the top 5 in this years draft. There were 27 WR’s who posted over 1000 yards in the 2015 season. You can wait a couple of rounds to get a consistent receiver with just about equal value (Kelvin Benjamin, Keenan Allen, Mike Evans) as a Top Receiver. As for running backs, there were only two who rushed over 1200 yards in 2015. Compared to the 10 in 2010, there is a clear issue with elite running backs in today’s NFL. But there are stars, such as Ol’ reliable AP, Devonta Freeman, David Johnson, etc. Therefore, running backs need to be selected early because of the uncertainty past the first round. Lock up elite running backs while you can.
Chris: I think a lot has to do with what draft pick you have. I still believe 6-7 backs should be taken in the first round but only 2 are worth taking with a top 5 pick.
Jesus: Every draft revolves around what pick you have in the order. If it’s early, you have the ability to take an elite player. Late in the order, and you may be forced to draft more towards depth than star power (I.E: Drafting Lamar Miller in round 1, and Keenan Allen in the 2nd round instead of AB and Brandin Cooks in rounds 1/2). But the golden ticket is with the first overall pick. It is the pick that could either carry your team to the promised land, a fantasy football title. Or, it could have you in the middle of the street holding a sign saying “I suck at fantasy football” because you finished dead last in your league, all because you picked Eddie Lacy. 
If you had the first overall pick in your Fantasy Football Draft, you would you select (Standard NFL scoring settings)?
Chris: The first overall pick is almost unanimous. That would be Antonio Brown and there is no way I’d pass up on him. In standard scoring settings, he led all WR/RB in scoring last year. He managed to do that despite not having his QB Big Ben for multiple weeks. If Ben Roethlisberger is healthy, Antonio Brown will have no trouble leading everyone in scoring. I might even go as far as saying, he will score 18-20 TDs in 2016. Brown also has a thing with putting up big games, there are some weeks where he absolutely explodes by putting up 200+ yards on 10 or more catches. For those who love PPR, the answer should be no different. The Steelers find different ways to feed the ball to their star receiver, whether that be on screens or going deep. Also, keep in mind, they will be without WR Martavis Bryant for the entire season and possibly Le’Veon Bell for 4 games, due to suspensions. That could lead to more targets for AB.
Jesus: I feel compelled to disagree with the fact that Antonio Brown shouldn’t be the first overall pick. Julio Jones is a better athlete, and completely dominated last year with the surge of Devonta Freeman. Although the first overall pick is not unanimous, it is clear that Antonio Brown should be selected. For the last three years, he has been consistently averaging 1500 yards and 10 TD’s. He is one player that will put up big numbers in a game, regardless whether who is covering him. Not to mention he can be used in special teams or the running game in a package. This is the player to select with the first overall pick.
Jesus: First overall picks hold elite players, but their are many sleepers in fantasy football. Those hidden gems could help lead your team during your playoff push. Example: David Johnson was selected late in 2015 drafts, some drafts didn't even select him. Those who were fortunate to keep him saw him explode late in the year, especially in Philly.
That being said, who are some sleepers to watch out in the 2016 year?
Chris: I’ll give you one RB and WR. A sleeper candidate at RB would be Duke Johnson, of the Browns. His numbers from 2015 aren’t flashy, I get that. But, what I like about him is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, that is where he is most dangerous. He had 534 receiving yards and 2 TDs. How effective he can be on the ground is still an unknown. However, I expect the Browns to give him more handoffs in 2016 because Isaiah Crowell was hardly effective last year. Don’t be surprised if he ends up being a top 15 RB. At the WR position, I’ll go with Giants receiver Sterling Shepard. He is expected to be the Giants WR2 and one thing that stands out about this kid, is his hands ( something ex Giants receiver Rueben Randle does not have). Shepard has been getting high praise all around the league, a member of the Giants coaching staff even confused him as Odell on tape. While I don’t expect him to be like his teammate in year 1, Shepard will be a good addition to the offense and will get a lot of targets, in the Giants pass-first offense. You may be able to snatch him in the double digit rounds and get a huge return for it.
Jesus: Very interesting prospects to keep an eye on. To continue on with the trend of former Miami Hurricane players, Oakland Raiders Tight End Clive Walford is someone that you should take in later rounds if given the opportunity. He has all qualities that you can look for in a Tight End, as he is able to block very well and catch the ball. But it is his receiving traits that make him unique. Since Michael Rivera was released, the spot is his to lose. With him only 24 (1 year in the league), he has a lot of time to develop with what looks like a long time teammate in QB Derek Carr. The two have a lot of good chemistry and could see a lot of TD connections
together. Since Walford has a long, bulky frame (6’4, 258 lbs), expect to see his numbers double, possibly triple. Realistically, 500 yards and 8 TD’s doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
Chris: I like the Walford pick, he was up there with Will Tye as the best rookie TE in the NFL last year. One can only assume he’ll be a better player in 2016.
Jesus: Rookies take time to develop into the stars they can possibly become. For Walford, Johnson, Sterling, they have unlimited potential. Then there are other prospects who come in and have an immediate impact, as was the case for rookie Todd Gurley. There is another player who has a lot of expectation coming into the league. His name is Ezekiel Elliot, RB out of Ohio State.
What do you think of all the hype Ezekiel Elliot is getting in the fantasy football world? Is it too much? Or is he really the real deal?
Chris: In no way am I trying to bash Elliot, he’s one heck of a player and was unbelievably fun to watch at Ohio St. I just don’t get how he high he’s going in drafts and how high most Fantasy experts have him. Some have him as high as the 8th best player in fantasy and going in the middle of the first rounds. It has always been said, rookie running backs don’t make an immediate fantasy impact. Yes, he is playing behind the best OL in football and is expected to get a huge workload, some reports say 375 carries. I think that is way too much. Only one running back had 300+ carries last year, that was Adrian Peterson and he only had 327. Everyone saw how Todd Gurley broke onto the scene and performed at an elite level in 2015, as a rookie. That might be one of the reasons Elliot is getting so much hype. But I think a lot has to do with the fact he’s a Cowboy. Bottom line is, I feel he’s worth taking at the end of the first but not ahead of Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson, David Johnson and even Rob Gronkowski.
Jesus: There is no denying that Elliot has talent. Two 1800 yard seasons and 20 TD’s in his sophomore and junior years. The fourth overall pick in this years draft. There is pressure when you are a first round pick. Then there is added pressure when you are a first round pick as a RB. In the last five years, we have seen 3 Running Backs selected in the first round. Ezekiel Elliot is one of them. The other two, All-Pro and ROY Todd Gurley (2015, 10th overall), and an underwhelming Melvin Gordon, the Heisman Finalist and 2000 yard rusher from Wisconsin. The difference? Zeke has everything in his advantage. He wasn’t selected as the fourth overall pick to stay on the bench. He is a skill player, and a really good one. Not to mention the Dallas Cowboys Offensive Line, which is a dream come true for any aspiring RB. The line that gave Tony Romo an abundance of time to find open receivers in his game winning drive vs New York back in 2014. The same line that gave Demarco Murray the franchise record for most rushing yards in a season (over 1800 yards), injury prone Darren McFadden 1100 yards. This same line draws comparisons to the “Great Wall of Dallas,” rumoured to be the greatest line to block for one of the best running backs in Emmitt Smith. But wait, because here is the kicker. Zeke is getting comparisons to Emmitt, because of their similar build and identical circumstances. Both had success at the collegiate level, drafted in the first round by the same team. But Zeke is quicker (4.4 in the 40), bigger (6 ft to 5’9), and overall a better athlete than Smith (not overall, looking at measurements). So who's to say that Zeke can’t take advantage of a REALLY GOOD situation. I will make a bold prediction, and say that Zeke needs to be taken as a top 5 pick, possibly 3rd overall.
What’s your opinion on taking QBs early and when is the right time to select one?
Chris: I’m completely against taking a QB in the early rounds or even the middle ones. The best way to go is stacking WRs, RBs and grabbing a TE in the first 7-9 rounds. I rather do some form of a WR-RB-WR-RB-WR-RB-TE combo and then look for a QB unless there’s a a WR/RB up there who I believe would be good depth to my roster. Sure, everyone would love to have Cam Newton or Aaron Rodgers. But the QB position might be the deepest one in all of fantasy. You can add someone like Eli Manning, Kirk Cousins or Blake Bortles in rounds 9-12. They are all top 10 fantasy QBs, and will give you production close to the likes of Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Plus, you should carry 2 QBs, so if you take Andy Dalton in round 9 and then take Jameis Winston in round 13, you’ll have a good QB combination where you can play the matchups and end up getting good production. So, take my advice, stack up RBs and WRs the first 8-9 rounds and then take a QB. Also, if you can, matchup a QB and WR (Dalton-Green, Eli-Odell, Romo-Dez).
Jesus: I rarely agree with Chris on anything. But when it comes to fantasy football knowledge, it's a 1-2 punch. Agree with him on this. There is no QB you should take early at all. You focus on getting quality RB/WR’s, afterwards get a good TE’s, and then focus on QB’s. Reason being is that there is a lot of value when looking at QB’s. All players have deep value, and can perform well on a consistent basis. Why pick Cam Newton in Round 3 when Eli Manning (30 pts less) is available at Round 11? This is what the NFL consists of nowadays; pass happy QB’s who put up big stats. Not even Aaron Rodgers, who usually finishes as the best QB in fantasy football (#1 or #2 for 6 straight years; not including the year of his injury) is worth getting early. Focus on the important positions first.
That will be all for Fantasy Football. Join us next week on part 2 of the weekly series, as we discuss the status of Adrian Peterson, the one dynastsy player everyone should own, and more.
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