❓ Who's Gonna Command the Commanders

Lamar Jackson (potentially) negotiating with Magic Johnson for a trade was not on my ‘23 bingo card…

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by the Fantasy Life Discord Server:

We knew Snyder’s time in Washington was nearly up, and, finally, there is dawn on the horizon.

Earlier this month, in an unsurprising move, the NFL owners couldn’t go against one of their own and force Snyder to sell the franchise. Sources speculated any forced action upon another owner from one of their own would set a dangerous precedent.

However, a couple weeks later, the Washington Times reported Dan and Tanya Snyder had cleared out their offices at the team facility. A sale felt imminent, and now we’ve got action.

Two groups have submitted bids for the Washington Commanders, meeting Snyder’s asking price. With ownership likely to change before the draft, maybe we’ll see some much-needed upgrades to the stadium and player facilities soon.

Who knows? Maybe Lamar Jackson has a shot of staying in the Maryland area after a change in management.

📝 Fantasy Nuggets from the Owners’ Meeting

The potential Washington sale, Lamar’s trade request, and (of course) Aaron Rodgers’ trade talk have taken up most of the virtual ink at the annual NFL owners’ meeting. But a few tidbits caught my eye and are worth monitoring ahead of the draft.

🦅 The '23 Philly Backfield

Miles Sanders’ departure put Kenneth Gainwell on the fast track to RB1 status. And Nick Sirianni praised the third-year RB after his “really good playoff run.” But Coach Sirianni also mentioned his excitement about Trey Sermon and what he saw out of the SF cast-off in practice last year.

If Gainwell couldn’t take the job away from Sanders, Sermon might have some value as Gainwell’s backup.

🏃🏾‍♂️ A Role Change for DJ Chark?

After posting a 4.34 40-time at 6’3” back in 2018, Chark’s career aDOT sits at 13.7 and has been top 12 in downfield target rate the last three seasons.

However, the Panthers think they can get more out of the former Detroit WR. Frank Reich wants to widen his route tree and turn him into a complete receiver.

As the 27-year-old is set to compete against Adam Thielen and Terrace Marshall for targets, a boost to his skillset should only increase his value with a rookie QB on the way to Carolina.

🧀 The Packers’ Offense will be…Somethin’

I have no idea what to make of the start of the “Jordan Love” era in Green Bay.

GM Brian Gutekunst proclaimed Rodgers’ successor as “absolutely” ready to take the job in early March. Aaron Jones voiced a similar opinion before the Super Bowl. But Matt LaFleur took the conservative route describing the offense as “a work in progress.” But after (lightly) comparing Romeo Doubs’ movement skills to Davante Adams, everything should be just fine in Wisconsin…right?

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Welcome, degenerates. We don’t unplug just because the NFL does. You’re reading this newsletter because you’re here for the long haul. “What now, Cooter?” Each week I’ll break down ways to survive the off-season.

🤝 Survival Tip #5: There’s Always Room for Improvement

We’ve made it through roughly three months without fantasy football (but who’s counting).

Your champion has been crowned, the winnings have been paid, and your in-season mistakes have mostly been forgiven. What now? It’s time to look toward the future.

Here are some tips to improve your league this off-season:

🛠️ Address Flaws in the System

Before we can make some fun changes, we have to solidify the foundations. Every league goes through their own set of ‘growing pains’. This is a great time to reflect on last season’s flaws and make your league stronger.

Drafting platform

Were there issues with your draft last season? Do you need a more user-friendly platform? Are your leaguemates complaining that your league is the only one using a specific app?

Ask for suggestions. Find out how you can make things easier for everyone. And most importantly, be open to change.

Fairness

Were there rumblings of ‘collusion’ that caused drama in the group chat? Did someone chronically forget to set their line-up, fueling frustration and bitterness throughout the season?

Did someone refuse to pay their dues?

In some cases, a single leaguemate can be guilty of all three. #HatTrick!

It may be time to lay down some very specific rules and, more importantly, their consequences. Time for some bylaws, baby!

And remember… it’s okay to give an unruly leaguemate the boot. 👋

🌶️ Spice Things Up

PHEW, the scary part is over. Let’s crank up the fun.

Rules: If your league feels stagnant, it may be time to propose some changes.

Scoring changes, like moving from Standard to PPR, are simple enough to not scare anyone away.

Switching to a Keeper League can spice up your draft and keep leaguemates engaged with waivers throughout the season, even after they’ve been ruled out of the playoffs.

Adding/removing bench spots, adding an extra Flex position, or venturing into SuperFlex league styles are other spicy options. The possibilities are endless. Fire up the group chat and see what the people want!

League Punishments: I’m going to keep this one simple: League punishments are the glue that hold a league together.

A fulfilled league punishment brings everyone joy (well, everyone except for the loser). It’s a beautiful thing. Plus, we all need that extra motivation to keep fighting until the bitter end.

If you already have punishment ideas, please share them with us. If you don’t, here are a few suggestions for 2023:

• Butter Chug

• Waffle House

• Um… this.

• Pooh Date

Good luck. Have fun. And keep improving those leagues!

🤷‍♂️ Every coach hopes their QB is like…Brock Purdy?!? Well, at least this one does.

😬 Sean Payton spoke on the ‘22 Denver offense. We agree with Coach!

🏃🏾‍♂️ The Cowboys host a RB prospect. Will he dig into Pollard’s workload?

0️⃣ The league approves players wearing the zero jersey. And Calvin Ridley’s stock just went up.

😃 Win totals & rookie WR rankings. Football is getting closer…

🤵 You’ll never guess who was at Jim Irsay’s wedding. The dude’s been around a while.

🌴 Some guys dress up for pictures, while others wear their best Hawaiian shirts. Never change, Andy Reid.

🪓 League moves to just one roster cut-down day. Preseason DFS just got spicier.

With the Super Bowl behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the NFL Draft and the incoming 2023 rookie class. Eliot Crist discusses his favorite under-the-radar RB prospect.

👑 Roschon Johnson

• Rookie Draft ADP: 21

• Underdog ADP: 172.8

At 6’0” and 219 lbs., Johnson is the biggest back expected to be drafted in this year's class. He was a 4-star QB recruit who made the change to running back in 2020 and never looked back. Expect him to go off the board late on day two or early on day three.

📈 Pros

Roschon Johnson may be the biggest sleeper running back in this year's class. Stuck in the shadow of the draft's top back, Bijan Robinson, Johnson had a stellar career in his own right at the University of Texas and will come into the league with low tread on his tires.

When you compare his numbers to Bijan, he stacks up favorably. Johnson and Robinson had the same EPA per carry (+0.18), while Johnson had a higher rush success rate and averaged more yards per carry after contact.

The man is a nightmare to try to tackle. Since 2015, Roschon Johnson's missed tackles forced per touch is the highest in the NCAA at 0.394; numbers two and three are Javonte Williams and Bijan Robinson.

He isn’t just a big bruiser—he also has the burst you desire out of a big back. His 1.54 10-yard split is 86th percentile, rare for backs his size who usually rely on build-up speed.

Another advantage Johnson will have in gaining early playing time is his ability in pass protection while also being a capable receiver. He averaged 7 yards per reception in college, and for his size, he is more than capable in the passing game.

He compares nearly identically to Chris Carson and has a chance to have a similar NFL career.

📉 Cons

If an NFL team is looking for a shifty back, they are not going to be looking Johnson’s way, as he will never win with lateral agility.

While he is a capable receiver, he is still extremely raw and was rarely used in the passing game. On 61 career targets, he dropped 5 passes, and considering he's only played the position for a couple of years, there will be a developmental curve.

Johnson, like many other backs in this class, is going to be landing spot-dependent. I am extremely high on him, but if he ends up going in the middle of day three, he has a long uphill road to climb to become a consistently fantasy-relevant player.

🚀 Fantasy Impact

Through 40 way too early Underdog best ball drafts, Roschon Johnson is my most drafted player and is someone I am happily drafting over his 172.8 ADP. His ADP has climbed 10 spots in the last two weeks, but he is still a massive value.

He is an auto-draft for me at round 15—I don’t think twice about it with the ceiling he has if he goes on day two of the draft. He is the best value in all of the fantasy drafts right now.

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