DLF IDP Rookie Draft Board: An Introduction

TheFFGhost

bigdboardIf there is one thing the DLF staff and the site’s ownership know about me, it’s that I absolutely love taking on a challenge. So when the end of the fantasy season came around again this year, it was no surprise to many of them that before the Super Bowl had even been played, I was onto my next fantasy football project for the new season –  “The Rookie Draft Boards” are the culmination of that project again this year.

I’m always looking for that edge when my rookie drafts come around shortly after the NFL Draft. Dynasty fantasy football is built upon the infusion of new talent into our teams and a huge part of success in dynasty leagues revolves around not missing on your rookie picks. Nothing could be more true to that statement than the rookie draft this year with its lack of big names at the top of draft like we’ve had in years past. In an effort to share everything I’ve observed about the players being drafted this season with our great DLF audience I’ve again developed the “The DLF IDP Rookie Draft Board.”

So, how does the “The DLF IDP Rookie Draft Board” work?

The board is divided into six player positions that matter for standard fantasy drafts. The six lists cover Defensive Tackles/Nose Tackles, Defensive Ends, Outside Linebackers, Inside/ Middle Linebackers, Cornerbacks and Safeties. Each list is arranged according to how that player ranks within his position according to my own research. Therefore, the player at the top of the list is the highest ranked prospect at that position, the player at the bottom is the lowest ranked prospect in the list. It is important to note there are lots and lots of players not shown in these lists. Either the player didn’t get scouted by me, I didn’t feel they belonged on the list or they simply did not have game clips available online required for the format I created. All in all, there are over 100 player cards on the board.

Lists are great, but what about player analysis?

Well, I’ve got that covered as well. To read up on a player’s strengths and weakness, simply click on the card associated with the player you want to learn about. The card will expand to show you an individual player’s write-up as well as video clips of their play – this will allow the DLF audience a chance to see the player in action and possibly allow each of you to pick up on some things I didn’t catch. I’ve also included tags on each player’s card viewable from the list for the player’s individual card. There are six possible tags which include the following:

  • Green – Top 10 Prospect at Position
  • Yellow – No Game Tape Available
  • Orange – Character Concerns/Questions
  • Red – Fantasy Bargain Watch
  • Purple – College Injury
  • Blue – Small School Prospect

As you would expect, the yellow tags are for internal development of this board and don’t have any bearing on the end user. The other five are fairly clear and will allow you to quickly identify certain attributes of a player at a glance. Some of these tags are pretty broad, such as the tags about character concerns or injuries, but I feel the broadness will allow each of you to be aware of possible red flags and make your own decisions as opposed to simply ignoring possible issues and having them come back to affect your fantasy team in the future.

I’d like to make clear some things about this draft board. First off, the rankings are strictly my own – we have several draft enthusiasts here at DLF who each have their own rankings as well. Rankings are a personal interpretation of player skills, so while we may agree with each other on many things we won’t agree all the time. The same goes for the DLF audience as well – you may agree with me on some assessments, you may disagree with me on others. I expect that, I understand that and I embrace that as well. One opinion might be right, both opinions might ultimately be right, only time will tell. I’m bound to have some player ranked too high or another not ranked high enough for everyone’s taste. The best I can do, and have done, is to share my thoughts as to why I’ve ranked the player as I have and to provide the reader a way to view video of the player being ranked.

Ultimately, I view this board as a way for everyone to obtain a better understanding of a player’s game and, if you want, an added assessment or opinion from me. Look at this as a tool –  if you disagree with my assessments or opinions, then look at it as a tool within a tool (we can at least agree to laugh, right?).

All in all, I’ve had a great time putting both boards together again this year. I’d like to thank the DLF staff for providing me with a forum to present this and for the understanding it took to be down a writer while I worked on getting this together. It has been a ton of work to complete, but I hope all of you find it useful in your fantasy rookie drafts, or as a tool to follow along with the NFL Draft next month.

To access the DLF Rookie Draft Board, just click here.