🌊 The Rookies Are Making Waves

Mom! Wake up! The rookies are happening!

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by Webex by Cisco:

Sure, the New York Jets’ all-in roster might be the current talk of the town right now, but some shiny new toys are coming out to play. And I’m here for it.

👶 Rookie QBs Take the Job

WAIT. Three rookie QBs secured a starting job right out of the gate? Jordan Love sat behind Aaron Rodgers for three years walked so they could run…

Back in April, we saw three of the top four picks spent on QBs in the 2023 NFL Draft. And now Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Anthony Richardson will have a chance to cash in their early draft capital and make waves immediately.

That said, their first games of the preseason shed light on some rather expected growing pains.

• Young completed four of his six passes for 21 yards.

• Stroud completed two of four for 13 yards (with his most notable pass being an INT thrown on the first possession of his career).

• Richardson connected on seven of his 12 attempts for 67 yards and an INT (with a beautifully-placed deep TD that was dropped).

These guys have got some medium size shoes to fill, but they’re lacing them up nonetheless.

🛎️ A Rookie RB Survives the AFC East Mania

Yesterday, Ian Hartitz broke down the Jets’ and Patriots’ newly beefed-up backfields. With Dalvin Cook signing in New York and Ezekiel Elliott moving to New England, the AFC East RB values were suddenly in a state of flux.

ADPs were shifting. Fans were rejoicing. Early redraft leagues were spiraling.

But while everyone was buzzing with talk of Breece Hall and Rhamondre Stevenson’s roles with the new additions, we almost forgot to mention the true winner of their division.

In his preseason debut, Devon Achane rushed 10 times for 25 yards and hauled in 41 yards on four targets. Sure, we can’t forget about Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert, but Achane’s pass-catching ability and speed make him an intriguing middle-round pick with some major upside.

I’ve got rookie fever, baby! And the only prescription is more bell cows.

Drafters seldom get the exact draft slot they desire in fantasy football land, but fear not 1.03 crowd: Chris has you covered with a multi-round strategy to set your roster up for success from the second pick of the draft.

Honestly, I’d rather pick from a later spot than the 1.03.

It’s not because I want to pass on one of the truly elite players at either of the core positions, but the first three picks feel scripted. We see the same three guys headline the start of each draft. Afterward, you get to play the waiting game to see who may or may not fall to you in the second round.

I like building my team from a later spot to build a stronger stable. Plus, I can get some insight into my leaguemates and their preferences.

But if you get an early slot, don’t worry. I’ll walk you through how I’d approach a draft from the three-spot to construct a contending squad.

📓 Process Notes

Let’s take a step back and look at the draft holistically. I’ll stick to the early rounds here as they’re the most impactful. And, no, I’m not exaggerating.

Forget the other positions and think about just the QBs drafted by Round 6—basically, everyone from Jalen Hurts (our QB1) to Trevor Lawrence (QB8). You’re less likely to find a passer with a similar floor-ceiling combo outside the early rounds, and the same goes for the other positions.

So, we shouldn’t look at players to target just because of their projected point totals. The options we passed over also have to be considered (aka opportunity cost). I’ll use an extreme example.

Let’s say you’re a Cleveland Browns fan, drafting with your buddies live at Cedar Point, you’ve got the 1.03 and took Nick Chubb.

Homer pick? Sure.

Little early? Definitely.

But skipping over Christian McCaffrey to get your guy will cost 36.8 PPR points per our projections.

Again, it’s an extreme example, but our decisions (while exciting at the time) don’t exist in a vacuum. They affect our next pick, what our leaguemates do, and shape the league. So, with the third-overall selection in mind, let’s talk through the first round.

⏳ The First Round

As I said, the first round feels scripted. But home leagues can get wild, and one of Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase could fall to you. However, if not, let’s look at our options.

You could make a case for all three in PPR or half-PPR scoring. Before his injury, Cooper Kupp was first in target share and fourth in yards per game.

Tyreek Hill was top two in yards and targets per route run despite getting passes from three QBs.

However, Christian McCaffrey has the rushing and receiving workload worth a third-overall pick.

After arriving in San Francisco in Week 7, it took CMC a month to have the second-most targets on the squad, and he still excelled as a route runner and was a nightmare in the open field.

All the while, McCaffrey handled 55.6% of the totes from inside the five-yard line on a team that ranked fourth in EPA per play and 14th in red zone rushing rate.

But taking CMC at three isn’t just about his upside. Again, it’s about the players you’re bypassing. Drafting McCaffrey should have you considering a WR in the second round to add strong options to your WR1 slot. Let’s look at your options.

Calvin Ridley should assume the WR1 role in Jacksonville. Plus, DeVonta Smith and Tee Higgins are (at worst) 1B’s on their respective squads. So, from this start, you’ve got the makings of a strong roster.

Now do the exercise in reverse.

Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Rhamondre Stevenson await you. Henry can (and has) proven to be the RB1, but the others walk into uncertain backfields in ’23. Meanwhile, McCaffrey’s direct competition remains sidelined making CMC the preferred opening selection from the 1.03.

💔 Gone too soon. Remembering Alex Collins.

📺 WR1 upside at a discount?! Get ahead of the curve with these breakout WRs.

🎧 This rookie is going viral. Have you seen his alter ego?

📝 It’s time to declare your keepers. Is Jonathan Taylor worth the selection?

🚨 ICYMI: Fantasy Life now has its own fantasy team. Hard to beat these weapons...

🐟 What could leave Aaron Rodgers speechless? All it takes is a goldfish.

🔢 This QB is familiar. But he’s got an unfamiliar number. 

🎮 Don’t miss our Madden 24 giveaway! Enter here.

👨‍⚕️ Could this RB be ready for Week 1? It’s trending in that direction.

🎥 More behind-the-scenes NFL content? GIVE IT TO ME.

👣 Wide receiver or gymnast? He really stuck this landing.

📢 Fueling Innovation...

What do The McLaren Formula 1 Team and Fantasy Life Have in Common?!

We're both powered by Webex by Cisco!

In an exciting new partnership, Webex will be the official technology & collaboration partner of Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life.

Webex's state-of-the-art collaboration tools will be seamlessly incorporated into Fantasy Life shows and social media. This strategic alignment and innovative use of Webex's tools will enhance production quality while reinforcing Webex's commitment to connecting people through cutting-edge technology in the realm of fantasy football.

That's not all...The Fantasy Life team will use the Webex Suite to power our fully remote workforce as we continue to bring our fans the very best content in the industry.

Webex powers the world's most influential brands, including 95% of the Fortune 500 AND now, Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life!

Each week, Cooterdoodle will walk us through the internal mind of a fantasy football player. For better or for worse, let’s get inside those mushy little brains and engage in some mental warfare. Let’s go mental!

🤝 Side Bets & Punishments

Two weeks ago, I called out our very own Fantasy Life CEO, Eliot Crist, in the group chat for his self-proclaimed aversion to drinking sh*tty beer.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any kind of punishment generator to assist me in my endeavors (yet). But as a major supporter of punishments and side bets, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

And, as any diehard Jets fan would, Eliot agreed. Just like that, the deal was sealed.

So if my home team QB Derek Carr outperforms Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, Eliot chugs something relatively unpleasant. If the opposite happens, well…a Cooterdoodle always pays her debts.

The reason I am sharing this is because side bets and punishments are a crucial part to any good league.

They bring everyone closer together. Initiators, acceptors, and bystanders alike.

But it’s not always a simple task convincing someone to agree to a punishment. And it can be even harder to come up with the punishment itself.

First and foremost, the parameters of what needs to occur for either party to claim their victory have to be very specific and set in stone. Any style of bet will do. Season-long, weekly, player-specific, team specific… you name it!

Punishments are a great way to get into someone’s head.

But first, you’ve got to agree on what the loser will have to do.

The possibilities are endless. Here are the four types of punishments you can find in Fantasy Life’s Punishment Generator, powered by Buffalo Wild Wings:

🧠 Punishment Types

🍗 Food or Drink

As with my aforementioned bet, you can throw in the consumption of something disgusting. Or, in Eliot’s case, something that only one of you finds disgusting. (I’m really not sure why he agreed to this).

🏋️‍♂️ Physical Activity

Look, most of us would much rather be sitting on our couch drafting best ball teams or watching a preseason game. So moving around in any capacity is a punishment in and of itself.

 😨 Public Shame

When I think public, I think strangers. Public punishments are GREAT for bystanders. Everyone can get in on the fun and watch as one measly soul is shamed for their loss.

 🤫 Private Shame

Sometimes you’re not quite ready to embarrass yourself in front of your whole town. And that’s fine! Start small. Embarrass yourself around those you love most.

Regardless of what type of punishment you and your partner are willing to do, it’s all about having fun and being in agreement. Shake hands, get a notary and a witness, whatever you need.

But once a punishment is agreed upon by both parties, there’s no turning back. No cop-outs. Ever. 

If you need help getting started, try out Fantasy Life’s very own Punishment Generator!