Fantasy Football: Spectator-Style

“Armed with the valuable second pick in the draft, I picked Saquon Barkley once CMC was off the board and went on to fill my team with young sleepers and some established vets. Headlining my roster behind Barkley was Cooper Kupp, Adam Thielen, Le’Veon Bell, Josh Allen, Harrison Butker, and Julian Edelman. Later in the draft, I took potential breakout running backs in Cam Akers, Ryquell Armstead, and Latavius Murray in hopes of one becoming a strong RB2. Through a number of shrewd trades and acquisitions after the draft, I formed a new look and much-improved team, landing superstar receiver Michael Thomas, feature running back Kenyan Drake, top-five tight end Mark Andrews, Texans’ new number one receiver Will Fuller, and potential breakout Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, among others. I’ve kept my young sleepers on the bench, who could easily become fantasy starters later in the season. I got rid of a past-his-prime Bell, the highly valued Barkley, and Thielen, but saw huge improvements in score projections with a more complete roster. As the season approaches, my biggest hopes are for Cam Akers to emerge as the Rams’ top dog and for Hollywood Brown to become a consistent threat in the Baltimore Ravens’ sizzling offensive scheme.”

—Krish Gupta, junior

“I landed the third pick in the draft, which I believe to be the worst pick in the draft this year because of the clear drop off in talent after Saquon Barkley. Sticking to my ‘best player available’ draft strategy, I took Michael Thomas with my first pick and went on to take Chris Godwin, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews with my next three picks. I took Mark Andrews with the sole purpose of dangling as trade bait to get a starting quality running back to replace either Jonathan Taylor or Kareem Hunt. After the draft, I traded away Mark Andrews and Michael Thomas as I planned. In turn, I received Saquon Barkley, my favorite player in the NFL and a top two player in fantasy football this year, and Adam Thielen, a WR1 to replace Thomas. After the trade, my team going into the season has Matthew Stafford, Daniel Jones, Barkley, Taylor, Godwin, Thielen, Kittle, Jamison Crowder, and Hunt. My biggest hope is for Taylor to become the undisputed RB1 in Indianapolis and have a breakout season, or for Hunt to establish himself as a dependable RB2 as the second option in Cleveland.”

—Aidan Fingeret, junior

“With the 12th and final pick of the first round, my strategy for the first round was to take the best running back available, who was rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Edwards-Helaire, coming off a National Championship with LSU, cemented himself as a dual-threat back in college, making him an ideal pick for a PPR-scoring league. With the first pick of the second round, I took Travis Kelce, the best tight end in the league. In the following rounds, I took Chris Carson, Robert Woods, Jarvis Landry, and Mark Ingram II, established players who, barring injury, are almost guaranteed to perform well. To round off my starters, I took Will Lutz and Cam Newton, the latter of whom has a huge potential upside for a mid-round QB. I entertained a couple of trade offers, but in the end, I decided to stick with the majority of my team, other than picking up a few handcuffs for my stars. My biggest hope for the season is for Edwards-Helaire to succeed as the Chiefs’ number one running back, as there is always risk in drafting a rookie.”

— Maya Brosnick, sophomore

“With the ninth overall pick of the fantasy draft, I selected Joe Mixon, the thrilling feature running back of the Cincinnati Bengals. Over the next few picks, I acquired some breakout rookies last year in Josh Jacobs and DK Metcalf, and proven players such as Dak Prescott, Rob Gronkowski, and Ben Roethlisberger. Along the way, I picked up exciting potential breakout stars such as Justin Jefferson, J.K. Dobbins, Mecole Hardman, Jonnu Smith, Chase Claypool, and Drew Lock. Through a slew of trades, though I had to give up Josh Jacobs, I acquired a potential breakout wide receiver in Calvin Ridley, as well as two excellent wide receivers in DeVante Parker and Sammy Watkins. I also traded the Patriots D/ST for the upstart Vikings D/ST. My biggest hopes for the season are for Drew Lock to establish himself as a great passer for the Broncos, Justin Jefferson to carry his dominance at LSU into the NFL, J.K. Dobbins to contribute to the Ravens’ electrifying run game as an RB2, and Jonnu Smith to continue the Titans’ miracle playoff run last season as their TE1. My proven stars are dominant, my diversity of breakout stars are exciting, and I’m looking forward to the season!”

—Yaqin Rahman, junior

“Unfortunately, getting kicked out of the Spec Sports league, I teamed up with my dad for his annual fantasy football league with his high school friends. As per our beautiful strategy from last year, we went for the early pick of Patrick Mahomes, standout quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Our next two picks were Steelers’ running back James Conner and Eagles’ tight end Zach Ertz. One of my favorite players for weekly drafts, Allen Robinson from the lovely Chicago Bears, was picked next. Backup players include Daniel Jones, staying true to my hometown team, the Giants, and Robby Anderson from the Panthers. As the season begins, I’m happy with the team we have, and I can’t wait to scream randomly at the television whenever my player scores.”

—Aki Yamaguchi, senior

“Going into the draft with the fifth pick, I wasn’t too happy with my position. I grabbed Dalvin Cook because I was cautious about Alvin Kamara, especially since the draft was right after news broke that he may hold out for a new contract. With my next three picks, I strayed from my normal 2-RB strategy, in which I try to pick running backs with my top two picks, and instead picked DeAndre Hopkins, Patrick Mahomes, and AJ Brown with my next three picks. The Mahomes pick was a different pick for me, as I usually wait until the later rounds to draft a QB, but in my eyes he was the best player available after taking Hopkins. Following the draft, I traded Todd Gurley and Hopkins, along with a few other smaller names, to acquire Josh Jacobs, who I think will be a breakout star this year, and perennial stud Davante Adams, who will be my number one receiver. Overall, I think I have far and away the best team in the league after the draft and my trades (which I benefited from, unlike Krish), and I believe that I can finish the season on top.”

—Sam Levine, junior

“Going into the draft, I was hoping Michael Thomas would fall and I could draft an elite receiver, but of course, things never go as planned. Nonetheless, Alvin Kamara had great value at seventh overall, and I’m ecstatic I was able to get Julio Jones on the swing back. Kamara and Jones both have extremely high floors, so I had freedom to take the riskier pick of Juju Smith-Schuster in the third round. Later, I picked another boom or bust selection in Melvin Gordon and followed by selecting potential breakout T.Y. Hilton. I prefer to wait to draft tight ends and quarterbacks, as those positions aren’t of strength, but that doesn’t concern me too much. I’m ready for an elite fantasy season.”

—Ben Hamel, junior

“People think I took Lamar Jackson way too early, but I went with my gut, predicting another record year and justifying him as my first pick. I ended up picking Aaron Jones as my RB1, which isn't too bad in my opinion. Aaron Rodgers isn’t getting any younger, and the Packers’ reliance on the run game makes Aaron Jones one of the best running backs in fantasy football. Odell Beckham Jr. is my wildcard boom-or-bust pick. Keenan Allan is always consistent, so I can rely on him to give me solid numbers. Austin Hooper is my only flaw in my starting lineup because it’s difficult to trust Baker Mayfield. I have Leonard Fournette on my bench, who I hope will be a solid backup for Raheem Mostert if things don't go his way. Overall, I am happy with my players and see them all contributing generously.”

—Tausif Tamim, senior