I was lucky enough this year to be invited to the CryptoStreet Podcast fantasy football league and man ...it’s been like playing poker in 2004. Okay, this is out of the norm, so I am going to just eliminate it from the basics, someone in my league waived Dalvin Cook. But I got him, and I was low on waiver order. More on that later.
The draft almost doesn’t matter. I’m going to say that again, the draft almost doesn’t matter. One year, I took Randy Moss in the first round, totally worthless. NE Patriots number 1 WR, worthless. Nobody will trade for him. Not hurt, stayed on my roster for weeks, I cut bait. I waived him. I ended up winning it all.
Anyway, this is my basic break down for how I draft:
Round one - It doesn’t matter if you are first or tenth here, you want a guy who is a GUARANTEE. Right, and I am not saying I wouldn’t have drafted Bell this year if he fell to me in the nine spot, I took Deandre Hopkins. You want to just lock up a spot with this pick, every week, all year, I am playing this guy. I almost took Melvin Gordon here, but I was sure Hopkins would not be there for me in the second round.
Round two - Early in the second round is where you can find a lot of value and I was lucky that Melvin Gordon fell to me in the second round. Best RB available there after a WR in the first makes a lot of sense ... and then came the waiting, until late third round. I had one player in mind that I really wanted and was worried I wouldn’t get him. He was there, late in the third Tyreek Hill. That may be the pick of the draft.
Of course it hasn’t been a road full of unicorns and lollipops. Mostly, I have built this team off the waiver wire, just being on top of the news.
Off the waiver wire, besides Dalvin Cook I have also had:
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
QB Jaemis Winston
QB Blake Bortles
QB Lamar Jackson
RB Aaron Jones
RB Jalen Richard
WR Trequan Smith
WR John Brown (drafted, waived and then picked back up)
WR Larry Fitzegerald (just some guy)
TE Jack Doyle (just last week)
TE OJ Howard (another drafted, waived, picked back up guy)
TE Jared Cook (Only trade so far, traded for Eckler)
K Greg “The Leg” Zeurline
Most points in the league. Sure, I nailed my first 3 draft picks but I took Derrick Henry in the 4th round. Total bust. I work that wire, though because I learned to smell it. I work harder. I am one step ahead.
And that is how I got Dalvin Cook off waivers. Nobody else was paying attention and a guy waived him for Frank Gore. Not on the normal Wednesday waiver period but like a day later. Dalvin Cook, was available to be picked up that same week, and I coulda started him, before the bye, same week I picked him up. He was a first round pick. Worst team in the league, holds onto him all year while he is hurt and just straight up kicks him to the curb.
Gotta pay attention folks! Early bird gets the worm!
Go out there, beat the waiver wire, get Lamar Jackson. Trust me. This is a league winning move. Since I am only in one league this year, and the move has been made, the secret is out.
Win or lose, it was a lot of fun and the Crypto Street Podcast guys are awesome and you should follow them and listen to their podcast. Highly reccomended by me. Highly.
If I don’t post again here, happy holliday season to everyone. Be good to each other.