XFAlpha Podcast Notes - Episode 2

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On episode 2, Jonah and I discuss the pay structure of the XFL, followed by running our mouths about running backs. Since there's former Iowa great, Akrum Wadley, involved, I wax poetically about him while reminiscing of the days when he made fools of defensive players. Let's enjoy some gifs, shall we?

via Gfycat

via Gfycat

via Gfycat

Los Angeles Wildcats - Defensive End Corey Vereen quitting because he didn’t want to make $50,000 for 10 weeks of work. 27000 pay with 1700 for every game, so there’s another 17,000, and they get 2200 for every win. If they win three games, he’s at 50K. 

1. Houston Roughnecks
1. Kyle Hicks was an okay back for TCU.
2. Andre Williams was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy at Boston College after rushing for 2000 yards before getting drafted in the fourth round by the New York Giants and then ran for 700 yards and 7 touchdowns his rookie year, but it seemed to go downhill from there, and now he’s looking for a second chance. He’s also been writing a philosophical memoir according to Wikipedia.
3. Nick Holley played running back, wide receiver, and quarterback for Kent State, none of them particularly well. 
4. AKRUM WADLEY HELL YEAH - Back-to-back 1000 yard years for Iowa. This guy has the moves. He’s not big but packs a good amount of power in a smaller frame. He makes fools look silly, and he immediately makes the Houston Rougnecks must-see TV.
5. Marquez Williams was a fullback at Miami who had a grand total of one yard in college.
2. Dallas Renegades
1. Cameron Artis-Payne - Fifth round pick by the Panthers after a great senior year at Auburn. He did once score two touchdowns in a game against the Buccaneers, which means there are a lot of people who stupidly decided to add him to their fantasy teams and never got any payoff for it.
2. Lance Dunbar is basically the best player in North Texas history and actually did a nice job as a receiving back for the Cowboys from 2014-2016. I think he can carve out a nice role in this league.
3. Dimitri Flowers - Oklahoma fullback who was a bit of a threat catching balls out of the backfield.
4. Darnell Holland was a Kennesaw State running back.
5. Marquis Young is a sleeper for this league as he generated a bit of buzz leading up to the NFL Draft, because the guy just found a way to get yardage and looked good during the East-West Shrine Game week. I think he was underrated since he played for UMass, but he does everything well, and I think he could take over from some of the more high profile names in Dallas. 
3. DC Defenders
1. Jhurell Pressley is a guy who was on the fringes of the NFL after a career in New Mexico He led the AAF in rushing, but then started pissing hot and is facing a two-game suspension if he ever makes an NFL roster. I do not think the drug testing will be too stringent in this league. I think he’s got the juice to be an impact player.
2. Donnell Pumphrey - Ran for over 2000 yards during his senior year at San Diego State and had over 6,000 yards in his college career. Ran a decent 40 at the combine, but didn’t show off any other great feats of athleticism, especially for an undersized back. He was selected in the fourth round but that lack of athleticism caught up with him as he just never showed anything for the Eagles. With his size and athleticism, he needs to do everything well in order to make an impact.
3. Khalid Abdullah - Productive at James Madison
4. John Thomas - Penn State backup
5. Ryan Yurachek - Marshall Tight End trying to be a fullback.
4. Los Angeles Wildcats
1. Elijah Hood got cut after three hours on the Panthers. Big bruiser out of North Carolina. He put together a strong college career but fell off a bit from his sophomore to his junior year before going out for the draft and being a seventh round pick by the Raiders. I could actually see him put something together.
2. Larry Rose tore it up for New Mexico State.
3. Martez Carter is known as Mr. Excitement for his time at Grambling State. 
4. Winston Dimel - Kansas State fullback. His Sophomore year he had 92 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. He transferred to UTEP his Senior year and had negative 3 yards. 
5. Nico Evans - Good back for Wyoming last year, so at least he’s fresh to playing competitive football.
5. St. Louis Battlehawks 
1. Christine Michael - 2nd round pick by the Seahawks in 2013 out of Texas A&M. He was never really that productive in college as he never had a thousand yard season, but outside of the 40, he lit the combine in fire as he was basically amazing in every other event. Apparently, it takes more to be a great back than just athleticism, and although he couldn’t find the hole in the NFL, I think he can find a role in the XFL. 
2. Matt Jones was a third rounder in the 2015 draft for the Washington Redskins. He got some opportunity his rookie year, wasn’t good with it as he only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, and then wasn’t good enough to beat out Robert Kelley for the Redskins. He’s similar to Michael in that he never produced a thousand yard season in college, but the opposite of Michael as he did not test out well at all at the combine. Why did the Redskins select him that high? Because they are the Redskins.
3. Sherman Badie - Tulane RB
4. Ray Lawry - Tore it up for Old Dominion
5. Lenard Tillery - Southern University, tore it up.
6. Tampa Vipers 
1. De’Veon Smith wasn’t very good at Michigan, and then put up one of the worst combine performances in history. It’s tough for me to get excited here.
2. Quinton Flowers is the greatest offensive player in South Florida history. He was a stud at quarterback and ran for 3600 yards over his final three seasons. Can he play running back? No idea, but he’s a hometown hero, so might as well give it a shot.
3. DJ May was more of a linebacker than running back at Wyoming.
4. Jacques Patrick played behind Dalvin Cook, then it was Cam Akers, not the best luck for him.
5. Ralph Webb is the pride of Vanderbilt and ran for two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions in a single preseason game.
7. Seattle Dragons
1. Trey Williams averaged six yards per carry with the Colts in his one shot in the NFL. Now, that was on two carries, so you could say that it was a small sample size, but I could also say that his numbers might improve off of that small sample size as well. He showed some decent athletic traits at the combine in 2015, so he might be a guy to keep an eye on.
2. Kenneth Farrow - Solid back out of Houston. Finished with six more yards than Trent Richardson in the Alliance. Was the lead back over Trey Williams for San Antonio.
3. Lavon Coleman - Backup running back for Washington. 
4. Ja’Quan Gardner - Humboldt State product that finished eighth in rushing in the Alliance.
8. New York Guardians
1. With New York Real Estate being so expensive, it’s a no-brainer pick to get Tim Cook on the Guardians. I don’t think Cook will be all that valuable on the field, but if all he requires is a few snaps a game to pump that Apple money into this team, then I think it’s worth it. 30 carries for Oregon State.
2. Justin Stockton - Texas Tech running back.
3. Darius Victor - From Ivory Coast and had a couple nice years for Towson.
4. Tommy Bohanon - Fullback out of Wake Forest. Played in the NFL for a few years for the Jets and Jaguars. Not sure if I trust a fullback from Cape Coral, that city lacks grit.
5. Matthew Colburn - Another Wake Forest running back.
6. Lawrence Pittman ran for 75 yards in the CFL, got to 82 in the Alliance.

Reviewing My Fantasy Football Draft - Part 2

My latest fantasy football draft happened Monday night. For the uninformed, it is part of a three sport keeper league with baseball and basketball, and you can trade between sports. I am an impatient person, so I am always wheeling and dealing, and this draft would be no different, as I moved up from 10 to the top overall pick a half hour before the draft. Was it a good deal? Well, we'll get to the details in the post today as I break down the middle five rounds of the draft.

Round 6
61 Ready, Willing And Tom Cable RB LeGarrette Blount NE
62 Geriatric All Stars  QB Ben Roethlisberger Pit
63 Wegher Bombs RB Isaiah Crowell Cle
64 Steele Jantz’s Jock Strap  WR Mike Wallace Min
65 Run And Hyde WR Martavis Bryant Pit
66 Hot Joel QB Tony Romo Dal
67 Al Pacino From Scent of a Woman QB Matt Ryan Atl
68 Too Many (Brandin) Cooks WR Brandin Cooks NO
69 Graham Cracker RB Ameer Abdullah Det
70 You Just Have To BELLieve! RB Ryan Mathews Phi
71 Larry Donnell Trump 4 President  RB Tevin Coleman Atl
72 Wegher Bombs WR Allen Robinson Jac

Keepers: Brandin Cooks

Best Pick: Ameer Abdullah
I don’t see a way that Abdullah isn’t the Lions top running back this year. He’s just more talented than Joique Bell. He can do everything, and Joique Bell is already hurt. I could see them shying away from goal line carries, but he’s such a threat in the passing game that I think his receiving and rushing stats will counter balance a possible lack of touchdowns.

Worst Pick: Martavis Bryant
If he wasn’t suspended for four games, I think this is a reasonable spot to take him, but he is suspended for four games, and then he’s going to have to ramp up to get involved in the offense the first few weeks. I don’t think the coaching staff looks fondly on guys who get suspended, so it’s not like they’ll have extra motivation to get him involved. He’s a receiving threat, but for some reason I doubt he is going to eclipse Antonio Brown as Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite target.

My Picks: Isaiah Crowell and Allen Robinson
I like Crowell as a running back. The Browns trading away Terrance West made me like Crowell more. The fact that Duke Johnson is struggling with concussions is a reason for me to like him even more. Even if Duke Johnson gets involved, Crowell is going to be the bruising half of the combo, so he’s going to be the guy getting the goal line carries. Early on, he should be great, and if he fades later in the season, that’s when I’ve got Bell and Gurley to take over the running back duties.

Allen Robinson is getting so much hype that it’s getting a little out of control. Still, the guy is a physical marvel as the only guy who tested with more athleticism than him in the last ten years has been Calvin Johnson. I also don’t mind Bortles as a quarterback. People always want to jump to conclusions on rookies, but there are so many aspects of how prospects grow and develop, and the biggest key in that development is time. Bortles will be given the time, and with Robinson, he has a weapon that many people expect to have a breakout year. I hope those people are right.

Round 7
73 Deez Nuts QB Eli Manning NYG
74 Larry Donnell Trump 4 President  WR Charles Johnson Min
75 Al Pacino From Scent of a Woman RB C.J. Spiller NO
76 Graham Cracker RB Giovani Bernard Cin
77 Too Many (Brandin) Cooks TE Greg Olsen Car
78 Al Pacino From Scent of a Woman RB Darren McFadden Dal
79 Al Pacino From Scent of a Woman RB Jeremy Hill Cin
80 Run And Hyde WR John Brown Ari
81 Steele Jantz’s Jock Strap  WR Larry Fitzgerald Ari
82 Run And Hyde TE Jordan Cameron Mia
83 Geriatric All Stars  WR Steve Smith Sr. Bal
84 Ready, Willing And Tom Cable RB Alfred Blue Hou

Keepers: Jeremy Hill, which almost makes up for the Cam Newton keeper.

Best Pick: Giovani Bernard
Remember going into last year when Giovani Bernard was a second round pick? He was good, and people expected big things. But last year he struggled with injuries and lost his job to Jeremy Hill. That’s not as good, but he’s still a good back, and if he’s healthy, the Bengals are going to find ways to get him involved, especially since he is much more versatile than the one-dimensional Hill (but his one-dimension is very, very good).

Worst Pick: Darren McFadden
In what universe is Darren McFadden a good idea? He is losing the starting battle at running back for the Cowboys to Joseph Randle. Randle is so unimpressive himself that they traded for Christine Michel. So it is going to take Randle getting hurt, Michel not impressing at all, and McFadden actually staying healthy enough to take advantage of Dallas’s offensive line. I don’t believe that we live that universe, so I would not have made that pick.

My Pick: None
I traded my seventh round football pick for Max Scherzer right before he started shitting the bed in every one of his starts. So, hooray me.

Round 8
85 Ready, Willing And Tom Cable RB Duke Johnson Cle
86 Geriatric All Stars  WR Eric Decker NYJ
87 Wegher Bombs WR Kendall Wright Ten
88 Steele Jantz’s Jock Strap  RB Tre Mason StL
89 Run And Hyde WR DeVante Parker Mia
90 Hot Joel TE Martellus Bennett Chi
91 Al Pacino From Scent of a Woman RB Knile Davis KC
92 Too Many (Brandin) Cooks WR Marques Colston NO
93 Graham Cracker WR Devin Funchess Car
94 You Just Have To BELLieve! WR Mike Evans TB
95 Larry Donnell Trump 4 President  RB David Johnson Ari
96 Wegher Bombs QB Russell Wilson Sea

Keepers: Russell Wilson and Mike Evans

Best Pick: Martellus Bennett
I don’t think it would be crazy to expect Martellus Bennett to take another step forward and be a top three tight end this year. John Fox is a fairly conservative coach which means his offenses have usually maximized the production of the tight end. Of course there was Julius Thomas last year, but Martellus Bennet has the potential to be the next Wesley Walls, and that dude was no joke.

Worst Pick: Knile Davis
He’s a backup, and he’s not all that good. If I was looking for a running back to take a flyer on, there were about ten guys I would have taken before considering Davis.

My Picks: Kendall Wright and Russell Wilson
I am a huge fan of Kendall Wright. Like, I understand Emmanuel Sanders put up big numbers last year, but I think Kendall Wright could have definitely done that in the right offense; he just hasn’t been in the right offense. I think that begins to change this year, as Kendall Wright would have been an ideal target for Marcus Mariota’s skillset at Oregon, and I think those two will have a lot of fun carving up defenses this year. I think he puts up 1000 yards this year.

Russell Wilson was never the quarterback I wanted during the draft last year. I don’t even think I put him on my list of draftable players. But he kept falling and falling. Still, I had no intentions of taking him. Who did I want instead? My plans were Josh Gordon, who got taken two picks before mine, and Kyle Rudolph, who got taken one pick before mine. So I was stuck with Russell Wilson. And now I’m thinking that’s pretty cool. He’s got a brand new tight end, and they actively made their offensive line worse, so there is the likelihood that they will be forced to pass more. Russell Wilson is now my main man.

Round 9
97 Deez Nuts RB Bishop Sankey Ten
98 Larry Donnell Trump 4 President  QB Matthew Stafford Det
99 Al Pacino From Scent of a Woman WR Eddie Royal Chi
100 Graham Cracker RB Danny Woodhead SD
101 Too Many (Brandin) Cooks RB DeAngelo Williams Pit
102 Al Pacino From Scent of a Woman TE Dwayne Allen Ind
103 Hot Joel RB Devonta Freeman Atl
104 Run And Hyde D/ST Seahawks D/ST Sea
105 Steele Jantz’s Jock Strap  QB Philip Rivers SD
106 Deez Nuts WR Markus Wheaton Pit
107 Geriatric All Stars  TE Jason Witten Dal
108 Ready, Willing And Tom Cable QB Sam Bradford Phi

Best Pick: Philip Rivers
I don’t really understand what separates Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, and Tony Romo where they are Round 6 guys, and Rivers goes three rounds later. I guess they have elite #1 wide receivers, but San Diego has slowly gotten more and more talent around Rivers, especially with upgrades to the offensive line. He was hot fire at the beginning of last year, and I wouldn’t bet against him doing it for a whole season this year.

Worst Pick: Seahawks D/ST
I’m just not a fan of taking defenses this early. They’ll be good, but predicting the top fantasy defenses is extremely difficult, so I have my doubts of this paying off.

My Picks: Nobody
Although I didn’t pick anyone, this did conclude my trade where I gave up Rob Gronkowski, Amari Cooper, and Markus Wheaton for Le’Veon Bell, Allen Robinson, and Kendall Wright. Honestly, that looks like a fairly even trade. I definitely like my guys more, but I picked my guys, so that gives me a bit of a bias.

Round 10
109 Ready, Willing And Tom Cable RB Terrance West Ten
110 Geriatric All Stars  RB Ronnie Hillman Den
111 Wegher Bombs RB Christine Michael Dal
112 Steele Jantz’s Jock Strap  TE Travis Kelce KC
113 Run And Hyde WR Victor Cruz NYG
114 Hot Joel RB Shane Vereen NYG
115 You Just Have To BELLieve! TE Delanie Walker Ten
116 Too Many (Brandin) Cooks RB Denard Robinson Jac
117 Graham Cracker WR Michael Floyd Ari
118 Run And Hyde WR Cody Latimer Den
119 Larry Donnell Trump 4 President  WR Pierre Garcon Wsh
120 Deez Nuts WR Jordan Matthews Phi

Keepers: Travis Kelce and Jordan Matthews

Best Pick: Pierre Garcon
I don’t really like Pierre Garcon, but I have to recognize him as good value at this point in the draft. With everything falling off a cliff for the Redskins last year, he really did not produce, but two years ago, he had a huge impact. He’s probably not great, but if he isn’t, you drop him after a couple weeks, because you know there’s no improvement on the way. Otherwise, you might have yourself a nice flex option as he’s likely to get more balls than DeSean Jackson, but Jackson will get the big yardage.

Worst Pick: Delanie Walker
If you get excited about Delanie Walker, there is something wrong with you. It’s not that I’m against him, but there were tight ends that have much higher upside, while Walker will just get you pedestrian numbers each week. Nothing wrong with that, but not a whole lot right with it either.

My Pick: Christine Michael
I figured that since Dallas doesn’t like their running backs and were willing to trade for a new one; I should probably look into getting that new one, since Dallas’s offensive line is really, really good. This has about an 80% chance of being a totally worthless pick, but if it does hit, it could hit big.