The DLF Mailbag (Bonus Edition)

Eric Hardter

wilson

Welcome to the latest bonus edition of the weekly mailbag. We’re just getting bombarded with questions, so we want to get to as many as possible.

Send me your questions using the DLF Mailbag Form and I’ll include the best in future articles.  Remember the guidelines to have the best chance at seeing your question get posted:

1.) Dynasty questions only, no start/sit questions

2.) Help me help you by providing sufficient information about your league (e.g. line-up requirements/PPR or non-PPR/etc.), and include your first name and where you’re from.

3.) Your chance of getting your question answered is inversely proportional to the length of the question.

Let’s get to it!

*Editor’s Note – For total team evaluations, please be sure to use the DLF Newsletter Team Advice Form!*

  1. I am commissioner of what was a 10-man league last season. We decided in the off-season to reboot the rosters and expand to 12. Our draft is approaching soon, and there was so much interest in the 2 new spots that I am contemplating proposing a jump up to 14 instead. It feels good to have such a fun, popular league, and I hate turning good friends away, but at the same time going to 14 would completely change the dynamic of the league. I think we would even have to alter the starting requirements. Have you ever been a part of a league that went from 10 up to 14? Did it work out, or did it change too much about how the league worked?Paul in Vancouver

I’ve never experienced such a large transition firsthand, so you can take the following with a grain of salt – if you’re doing a true reboot (i.e. every owner is drafting an entirely new team), I don’t see the issue. Yes, you’ll likely want to cut down the starting requirements by one spot, but otherwise I don’t see why you would have any issues, especially considering it’s a group of good friends.

However, if you’re holding more of an expansion draft (i.e. the new owners get to cherry pick an allotment of players from the longstanding rosters), I could see that being challenging. That’s a 40% expansion to the league, meaning roughly 40% of the current rosters will be on the move – that’s not even mentioning what to do with the rookie draft! If this is more what you were referring to, I think you should stop at 12, see how it goes for a year or two, and then expand again if the league so desires to.

  1. In my 14-team half-PPR league I made this trade earlier in the off-season and am curious to know your take on it. I sent Russell Wilson, LaGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray and Pierre Garcon for Ryan Tannehill, Terrance Williams, Khiry Robinson, Jordan Cameron and two future third round picks. Thoughts?Matt in MN

I’m truthfully not a huge fan of it. I think you gave away the better positional options at quarterback, running back and receiver, meaning Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron is going to have to have a really good season for you to break even here. There’s simply too much uncertainty on your side of the deal for my liking – Terrance Williams is arguably the WR3 on Dallas, Khiry Robinson is definitively the RB3 in New Orleans (though I do believe he possesses starter-level talent), and the third round picks are the definition of 40-yard dart throws. Ryan Tannehill is truly an ascending talent, but I believe 2011 classmate Russell Wilson is already there, even if his rushing yardage dips some moving forward. LeGarrette Blount isn’t a “sexy” name, but he has Bill Belichick’s trust, which is a thing near unheard of at the running back position – I could see him possessing RB2 viability this season. The future will tell the tale here, but looking at it right now I think you were on the losing end of this one.

  1. I was wondering your thoughts on a trade offer I received in my 12-man PPR league: I’d receive AJ Green and Andre Johnson for Randall Cobb and Keenan Allen. My roster is pretty much in win mode now, so I was thinking of countering his offer to give Cobb and Allen for Green and DeSean Jackson. What’s your opinion?Michael in NC

[inlinead]In a vacuum, I certainly like the second deal better. DeSean Jackson was simply amazing last season, especially given the quagmire under center in Washington. I’m also not exactly worried about him “losing volume” this season, as he was the only top-24 receiver (i.e. WR1/2 range) to receive under 100 targets. Though it’s fair to expect a bounce-back from teammate Pierre Garcon, Garcon already had 10 more targets last season, and was still 24 spots lower in the fantasy pecking order – in other words, D-Jax will still get his.

Andre Johnson should also rebound from a moribund 2014, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in Indy. The quarterback upgrade is certainly massive, but I just have a hard time seeing Johnson outscoring Jackson by enough (if at all) to mitigate the nearly 5.5-year age difference, even for a win-now squad. If you can pull off the second deal it would be my preference.

  1. I’m low on Carlos Hyde going forward with their new system/team/everything and have been offered Ameer Abdullah and Jarvis Landry for Hyde and Jaelen Strong.  Landry is a WR3 slot guy and now he’s fighting Jordan Cameron and DeVante Parker for targets and probably wouldn’t be in my top-five receiver, but Hyde is replaceable and Abdullah could grow into something great in Detroit. Thoughts?Scott in TX

It’s my belief that one of the most understated subplots of the off-season is the current dysfunction in San Francisco. They lost their coach, as well as multiple iconic players, and didn’t exactly have the most inspiring draft (though this, of course, will be determined much more definitively years from now). The offense got a little better with the addition of deep threat Torrey Smith, but it’s now fair to wonder if the 49ers defense, a former calling card, will be enough to keep them in games should the offense sputter. As such, a two-down bruiser like sophomore Carlos Hyde would likely lose more than a bit of work to third-down man Reggie Bush, capping his upside as a likely touchdown and volume dependent grinder, a far cry from the RB1 he was touted as earlier in the off-season.

Lions rookie Ameer Abdullah is a man moving in the opposite direction, with the only obstacle between him and immediate relevance is the underwhelming, and currently injured Joique Bell. Given his abilities in the passing game it’s easy to see him playing all three downs, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he flirted with 200 touches right off the bat. Adding in the upgrade from Jaelen Strong to Jarvis Landry, and I’d like this deal a lot for you if you can pull it off.

  1. I’m in a 12-team PPR league with 20-man rosters, and we are entering our second season. I have picks 1.08 and 1.12, with no second round pick in our rookie and free agent draft. My plan for the draft is BPA, but I feel like my first pick is just after the top couple of tiers of rookies. Where should I look with those two picks? Ameer Abdullah and David Johnson are complements to players in my run game, but are they worth picking or reaching for in Johnson’s case?Allen in KY

As mentioned in my answer to the question above, Ameer Abdullah’s hype train is currently careening down the tracks at a breakneck pace. As such you might be forced to use pick 1.08 to nab him if you so desire, as I have a hard time believing he’ll be there for you at the end of the round. I would likely take Jaguars rookie TJ Yeldon over him if he’s available at that point, but otherwise Abdullah would be a fine pick.

At 1.12, I think it’s a bit too early for Arizona rookie David Johnson. I remain firmly in the Andre Ellington camp, and while coach-speak and 75 cents will get you a Diet Coke, Bruce Arians is a guy I tend to believe – if he says Ellington remains in the driver’s seat for touches, that’s likely the case. At the end of the first round I’d much rather have guys like Phillip Dorsett, Devin Funchess, Tevin Coleman, Duke Johnson or even Maxx Williams.

  1. My FFPC Dynasty start-up draft is coming up. I am picking 11th, but I just made a trade that gave me pick 2.03 as well, and now have picks 11, 14 and15. This is a tight end premium league with two flex spots, so my assumption is Rob Gronkowski and Andrew Luck could both be gone by then. How would you suggest I maximize this advantage of having an extra pick in the top 15? Should I snatch up a top quarterback and tight end, along with a top running back or receiver? Should I pick up two top-tier receivers and/or a running back with a tight end, or just take BPA at WR/RB for all three picks? Also, would you prefer Graham or Kelce in such a league?Goat in Ontario

I’m firmly against spending high draft capital at the quarterback position (for more on this subject see our recent dynasty debate on Andrew Luck), but as you mentioned there’s a good chance Luck will already be gone regardless. Instead, I’d much rather load up at receiver and running back, ensuring you have two top-tier options at the former and one at the latter. Realistically, you could be looking at a starting lineup containing Alshon Jeffery, Randall Cobb and Eddie Lacy, thereby placing both your weekly ceiling and floor higher than that of your competition.

From there, I’d look to snag a second-tier tight end like Greg Olsen, Zach Ertz or Martellus Bennett, or even wait a bit and grab someone like Tyler Eifert for cheap. Sure, it would be nice to have Rob Gronkowski in this format, but there no way you’ll get him where you’re drafting, and I think the picks might be just a bit too early for Jimmy Graham (who I still value over Travis Kelce, even despite the change in location). There will be plenty of options to fill your “onesie” positions later, so I see no reason to pass up on all the other skill position talent that should be there waiting for you.

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eric hardter