With the conclusion of the 19th consecutive KPAFFL draft, never has the landscape of the twelve rosters looked so evenly matched heading into the start of the regular season. There were no outlandish draft strategies or obscenely overreaching picks, save for the blunder of one particular team selecting IR-bound JK Dobbins with their third pick. Although I put very little stock into Yahoo's grades of team drafts, eight of the twelve teams received a grade of B- or higher, a good indication of the wealth of knowledge all participants of the KPAFFL possess in their drafting craft. A long overdue congrats is awarded to Football Fetish for their 2020 KPAFFL championship victory, the team's first in the league's nineteen year history. Football Fetish showed the importance of roster depth in a twelve-team league, and how even a 6th-round pick (Stefon Diggs) can be the difference between missing the playoffs and taking home the crown. With the 2021 NFL season kickoff a mere week away, here are the post-draft predictions heading into another parody-riddled season.
Best QB Situation - Kevin
Lamar Jackson is only two years removed from his first MVP campaign, and despite a relatively down 2020 season, still finished as the QB10. Even just a 10% increase in passing stats would vault Jackson into the top eight of his position, which is quite possible with a retooled receiving corps and the loss of the Raven's RB1. Jalen Hurts only played three full games in 2020 and still finished as the QB33, averaging over 25 points per start. Extrapolate that over a seventeen game season and you have another top twelve QB on team Kevin. With two stat monster QB's on his roster, Kevin will be able to play the matchups and garner RB3 or better production from either of his two QB's.
Worst QB Situation - Brett's Nasty Bunch
This is not an indictment on the strategy of selecting a rookie QB, nor do I believe Trevor Lawrence won't put up impressive statistics. On a lowly Jaguars squad, he should have game script working in his favor and he has looked the part of a first overall draft pick during the preseason. This selection is merely an indication of the high ceiling the rest of the QB's taken in the draft possess. Lawrence could very well beat out the statistics Ryan Tannehill (Bluhm Goes the Dynamite) puts up, but it is simply safer to assume that leaning on a rookie QB is difficult one season after a record ten QB's put up over 300 fantasy points. Luckily, most teams did not select a second QB, so the waiver wire is flush with alternative options should the Lawrence experiment not work out.
Best RB Situation - Team Sean
Team Sean takes home this accolade for the second time in as many seasons, again drafting three RB's with his first three picks. Those three RB's (Henry/Carson/Montgomery) all finished 2020 in the top sixteen of positional rankings, and more importantly none of the three are in obvious time-share situations. Team Sean again drafted for RB depth, taking fliers on Leonard Fournette, Devin Singletary, and David Johnson in the latter half of the draft. The RB-heavy strategy paid off for Team Sean in 2020 with a playoff appearance, as you can never have too much depth at the oft-injured position.
Worst RB Situation - No One
I tried to come up with a team that swung and missed when drafting RB's, but the draft results are far too even to designate a single team as the "loser". Every team has at least one RB1 and either a borderline or full fledged RB2. Bluhm Goes the Dynamite probably would win this consolation prize for taking JK Dobbins with their third pick, but the selection of the underrated Darrell Henderson and Kareem Hunt in the following rounds probably saved their season. As we've seen almost every single year, someone is going to drastically improve their team with the season's RB waiver pickup of the year (aka the Alvin Kamara and James Robinson pickups in recent years).
Best WR Situation - Holmes Crew
Holmes Crew scooped up three of the top WR's from the 2020 season, and all three are legitimate WR1's from a fantasy perspective. Although WR is a much deeper position than RB in fantasy, Holmes Crew has three WR's that could easily put up 200 point seasons. Godwin is only two years removed from a WR2 finish, and Jefferson and Brown were both top eleven WR's last season. Although Holmes Crew lacks depth at the position with just the late additions of Henry Ruggs and Randall Cobb, three top WR's should do just fine in the KPAFFL.
Worst WR Situation - Bluhm Goes the Dynamite
The combination of Tyler Lockett, Deebo Samuel, Corey Davis and Curtis Samuel would look great on a real-life football team, but from a fantasy perspective it is more of a collection of WR2's and FLEX players. Lockett finished 2020 as the overall WR9, but a THIRD of his production came in two games and was surrounded by quite a few duds. Deebo hasn't been able to stay on the field and is surrounded by QB uncertainty, Davis is playing with a rookie QB on one of the worst teams in the league, and Curtis will be at best the third passing option in the Redskins offense. Bluhm Goes the Dynamite could get sporadic big games from their combination of WR's, but relative to the rest of the league they don't have that stud you are looking for in a fantasy draft.
Best TE Situation - Bluhm Goes the Dynamite
This is kind of the annual "whoever takes Travis Kelce wins" award. Although it was the second-highest a TE has ever been taken in a KPAFFL draft, Kelce has been the overall TE1 four years running and by no means is it a reach to solidify the position with your first overall pick. Team Tyler comes close with a two-headed monster of George Kittle and Dallas Goedert, but Kelce is the best TE in the game and Bluhm Goes the Dynamite won't have to worry about the position all season.
Worst TE Situation - Football Fetish
For Football Fetish, the selection of Jonnu Smith could go one of two ways. In true Patriot form, Smith could be subtly utilized and produce excellent real-life stats, but subpar fantasy stats, especially in a time share with Hunter Henry. However, with Mac Jones at QB Smith might have more opportunity than would've been afforded by Cam Newton, and thus produce modest low-end TE1 stats. But the combination of playing for a run-heavy team with a rookie QB in a new system doesn't really spell fantasy greatness.
Most Talented Team - Toss Up
This isn't a cop-out, it was easily the most evenly drafted year of the KPAFFL to date. It is legitimately anyone's year, as it is hard to find flaws with any team's starting nine. I certainly have my favorites, which are (in no particular order): Chopkins, Pfunk, Team Tyler, Team Sean and Wasted Talent, but I could easily slide any of the other teams in there as well. Gun to my head, I'll say that the top four at the end of the year are some combination of Chopkins, Wasted Talent, Team Tyler, and Pfunk. But as we all know, injuries and the waiver wire will determine the true outcome of the 2021 KPAFFL season.
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