KPAFFL SEASON XXI
With the beginning of a new and fresh KPAFFL season, it is time to take a look at who hit home runs and who missed out in the 21st KPAFFL draft held this summer. Each team possesses their own strengths and weaknesses, but when broken down by position group we can take a closer look at who has hope at the coveted league title and who will be fighting to stay out of the basement.
Best QB Situation - Team Sean
Team Sean took the best QB in the league, Patrick Mahomes, with the fourth pick in the third round of this years draft. Mahomes was actually the second QB taken after Jalen Hurts, but Mahomes continues to prove each year he is the fantasy QB king despite a lack-luster receiving corps and a potentially hobbled Travis Kelce to start the year.
Worst QB Situation - Holmes Crew
Holmes Crew took an interesting approach in waiting for a QB until the final round of this years draft. Jared Goff isn't a bad consolation prize, as he finished as QB10 during the 2022 NFL season, but his lack of weapons and the Lions' strong focus on their run game will certainly detract from Goff's ability to put up legitimate QB1 numbers in a shallow QB league. One could suggest that free agent QB's Geno Smith and Kirk Cousins have a higher upside than Goff thanks to their receiving weapons.
Best RB Situation - Kevin
Kevin went with a head-scratching draft strategy of taking four straight running backs to open the 21st KPAFFL draft, but he certainly boasts the deepest RB room of all the teams in the league. He will look to utilize not only his two starting running back slots, but both of his FLEX positions with his deep roster that includes Nick Chubb, Travis Etienne, Kenneth Walker and Damion Pierce. He followed those picks up with late flyers on Kyren Williams and Cordarelle Patterson. Unlike many of the teams in the KPAFFL, he will not be struggling with RB depth this season unless he is seriously crushed by the injury bug.
Worst RB Situation - Brett's Nasty Bunch
To be fair, Brett's Nasty Bunch has a few starting caliber running backs on his roster. De'Andre Swift, AJ Dillon, Dalvin Cook and even De'Von Achane all have the potential to lead their backfields in carries, yards, and touchdowns. This is more of a knock on the strategy of taking four straight wide receivers before taking a running back, when there were ample elite options on the board in the second and third rounds. The Eagles are likely to employ a RB by committee approach, and Dillon finds himself second in the pecking order to Aaron Jones. But Cook could certainly surpass Breece Hall for touches, and the injury bug could once again take ahold of Raheem Mostert, paving the way for Achane to lead the Dolphins' backfield. BNB went with the zero RB approach and will be hoping his collection of WR's makes up for what he lacks at the RB position.
Best WR Situation - Brett's Nasty Bunch
BNB took last years WR2 (Tyreek Hill), WR18 (Tee Higgins), and WR20 (Chris Olave) in the first three rounds, followed by a hopefully resurgent DeAndre Hopkins in round four. That gives him potentially four of the top 25 WR's in the league, all available to start for him on a week to week basis. With all the hype around Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase, people tend to neglect Hill's game-breaking ability and desire to reach 2000 years this season. He could very well finish as WR1 during the 2023 season. Not to be forgotten, team Pfunk took 3 WR's to start the draft and rounded it out with some high quality options of his own in George Pickens and Nico Collins. His squad finishes a close second in WR room quality and depth.
Worst WR Situation - Football Fetish
Football Fetish went out on a limb and took Cooper Kupp in the second round, but the feelings in the Rams' locker room is ominous on his status for week one and beyond. Having been injured last season and coming back from his injury only to be injured once more, Kupp has resorted to seeing a "specialist" which sounds like a lingering problem to the general public. That, coupled with a pretty drab Rams team, smells like what could be a down year for Kupp and crew. Football Fetish followed up his Kupp pick with last year's WR30 in Drake London, who will be battling for touches in a run heavy offense. Terry McLaurin, who is already suffering from turf toe, may be touch-and-go for the first few weeks of the season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba finds himself buried on the Seahawks WR depth chart, and Treylon Burks will be an afterthought behind Derrick Henry and Hopkins. Overall, it isn't a bad group of WR's, but the injury bug is already biting two of FF's top three options.
Best TE Situation - Team Tyler
This is typically the annual "whoever drafted Travis Kelce award", but I'm going to pivot from that this year. Team Tyler snagged last year's TE2 and the NFL's highest paid TE in TJ Hockenson in the fifth round, while rounding out the depth with Dalton Kincaid at the end of the draft. Hockenson showed a lot of promise in his move to Minnesota last season, and Kincaid is poised to become one of Josh Allen's primary weapons with little to speak of at the WR position after Stefon Diggs. Travis Kelce will more than likely finish the year as TE1 once again, but fantasy football requires depth throughout, and Kelce has already been bit by the injury bug heading into week one.
Worst TE Situation - Kevin
Team Kevin did not prioritize taking a TE in the earlier stages of the draft, instead opting to take the unproven Chigoziem Okonkwo in round twelve. Okonkwo finished the 2022 season as TE23, and there currently eleven fantasy free agent TE's that scored more then he did last year. He also is an in offense dominated by Derrick Henry and potentially DeAndre Hopkins for touches, so there is no certainty that he improves upon last years meager 46 targets. Maybe team Kevin found a diamond in the rough, but chances are he will be a regular visitor to the waiver wire for TE's this season.
Best Overall Team - Team Sean
Team Sean landed last season's RB1 in Austin Ekeler and has him paired with last season's RB3 in Josh Jacobs, who will be playing on the franchise tag for added motivation. Team Sean has the best QB in the game in Patrick Mahomes, and two starting caliber RB's in James Connor and JK Dobbins to fill in his flex positions. Christian Kirk and Mike Williams will both have off weeks, but are certainly starting caliber WR's in half-PPR, and Evan Engram is one of the hidden jewels of the inconsistent TE pool. Team Sean will be further bolstered with Jerry Jeudy's return later in the season, and his overall depth at each position should be commended. Anything can happen in fantasy football, but Team Sean has a team to be reckoned with in 2023.
Summary
It is impossible to predict which team will be the worst this season, but for good measure Yahoo graded Football Fetish as the worst drafted team with a D-. However, we know these draft grades mean absolutely nothing, and rarely do they pan out in terms of the final standings. Below is Yahoo's projected standings for the year, and we shall see just how accurate they are after 14 weeks of football. You can also find all time records below, and apologies for not including more data but because we are in season 21 of the KPAFFL, our history doesn't fit on the page anymore. Good luck to all in what should certainly be another fun-filled season of fantasy football!
Draft Day Project Standings
1. It's all about the W - 12-2
2. Team Sean - 11-3
3. Team Tyler - 11-3
4. Manifest Destiny - 9-5
5. BluhmGoesTheDynamite - 8-6
6. Holmes Crew - 8-6
7. Wasted Talent - 7-7
8. Brett's Nasty Bunch - 5-9
9. Kevin - 4-10
10. Chopkins - 3-11
11. Pfunk - 3-11
12. Football Fetish - 3-11
All-Time Records (Regular Season, Consolation, Championship Playoffs)
Comments
Post a Comment