In February 2015 I joined yet another dynasty league. What was so appealing about the #Nasty26 Twitter League? First of all, there were some hardcore players present. Secondly, it was a best ball format. Typically, best ball is reserved for redraft leagues or expert drafts. Why? They require little in-season attention in those formats. Draft (our favorite part of the league season) and let the chips fall where they may as the league software plays our top-scoring lineup each week.
Some do not like the format as selecting weekly starters, navigating injuries, and playing the matchups is an added layer of fantasy skill. I was intrigued by the prospect of using the best ball scoring (with waiver wire moves) in the dynasty setting. This puts the focus solely on talent acquisition, trades, and filling the backend of your roster with viable scorers and upside.
- 12 Teams
- PPR (Optimized Scoring)
- 28-Player Rosters
- Typical Starting Lineups 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1RB-WR-TE Flex, No Kickers or Defenses!
*The first 10-12 rounds were completed before the NFL Combine*
Initial Strategy
My approach going into the draft did not change much as I typically swing for the fence with more picks than the average drafter. Without kickers and defenses to distract other owners (plus a savvy set of leaguemates), the competition for young upside would be fierce throughout the 28 rounds. While pretty darn deep for offense-only drafters, I was bound to have some target players still left on the board at the end of the draft.
Round 1
I drew the 1.06 spot initially. My mind immediately thought ‘best case is Mike Evans and Odell Beckham is long gone.’ I am growing fond of the middle-round slots as it keep you in the middle of the action each round. At the turn an owner can grab two players in close proximity, however, that wait of 20+ selections between pairings can be a value drain. In the middle of the round, trades are easier to execute and the next pick is never that far off.
1.01 Dez Bryant
1.02 Julio Jones
1.03 Odell Beckham
1.04 Antonio Brown
Beckham falling to 1.03 was a little unexpected by pretty close to ADP ‘chalk’ through four picks. With Mike Evans on the board and one pick to go, I explored trading up for a modest price. With A.J. Green, Rob Gronkowski, Demaryius Thomas, and LeVeon Bell still available, I thought an inexpensive trade was within reach.
A deal was struck as I moved up one spot, and moved back from the mid-Round 6 into Round 7. Also I shifted up a couple of spots in Round 11. Would Evans have been the pick at 1.05? Who knows, but it was a small price to pay to lock him up as my clear pre-draft target player.
1.05 Mike Evans
I lock up a not-yet 22-year-old wide receiver that was a top-10 NFL draft pick and already has a double-digit touchdown season in the NFL. I like this start to the draft. Looking ahead to mid-Round 2, I knew I would have a look at some of the top 2015 rookies as well as a few top receivers from the 2014 class. It was time to sit on my hands outside of a surprising fall by a typical Round 1 receiver.
1.06 Rob Gronkowski
1.07 A.J. Green
1.08 Demaryius Thomas
1.09 LeVeon Bell
1.10 Calvin Johnson
1.11 Alshon Jeffery
1.12 Sammy Watkins
Watkins was a possible faller into mid-Round 2, but a good choice here to close the first round.
