Staff Fantasy Football Draft Recap: Analysis of Our 14-Team PPR League
Round 8
| Pick | Overall | Team | First Name | Last Name | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | AJ Weinberg | Vernon | Davis | TE |
| 2 | 100 | Greg Bucki | Jarrett | Boykin | WR |
| 3 | 101 | Daniel Lindsey | Greg | Jennings | WR |
| 4 | 102 | Matt Grasso | Anquan | Boldin | WR |
| 5 | 103 | Kenneth Cook | Carlos | Hyde | RB |
| 6 | 104 | Justin Thompson | Hakeem | Nicks | WR |
| 7 | 105 | Sean Wirth | Terrance | West | RB |
| 8 | 106 | Galin Dragiev | Markus | Wheaton | WR |
| 9 | 107 | Michael Comerford | Mark | Ingram | RB |
| 10 | 108 | Brandon Gdula | Andrew | Luck | QB |
| 11 | 109 | JJ Zachariason | Cam | Newton | QB |
| 12 | 110 | Ari Ross | Chris | Ivory | RB |
| 13 | 111 | Sam Hauss | Kyle | Rudolph | TE |
| 14 | 112 | Leo Howell | Darren | McFadden | RB |
The eighth round saw another pair of quarterbacks taken off the board, several rounds after their value based on our projections. At this point, everyone had officially waited too long at the position, as Luck and Newton provide ridiculous value this late in a fantasy draft.
Consider that Mark Ingram, who may barely play for the Saints this season, was taken just ahead of Luck, who could finish as the fourth-best quarterback. The disparity in value there is immense, and I believe Brandon and JJ's teams became favorites to win the league based solely on their ability to snag a quarterback at the perfect time.
Kyle Rudolph is an interesting pick at this point in the draft, but his value pales in comparison to that of Vernon Davis at the top of the round. Davis is the first tight end to truly be considered a "value pick" based on our projections, and is a solid addition to Weinberg's team.
My pick: Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders - Like I mentioned with my Sammy Watkins pick, I had taken enough safe players early in the draft that it was time to start taking some risks. McFadden is given a "high" level of risk on our cheat sheet, but also represents a ridiculous value at the 112th pick. The Raiders have no weapons at receiver, and actually don't have a bad offensive line, so if he remains healthy he could exceed this value in a hurry.
