2015 Dawgpatch Fantasy Football Outlook

It's the most wonderful time of the year fellas! It's time to watch Rob talk smack to everyone in the league but only win 4 games, for Geegan to accidentally take Jeff Reed in the first round, and for Pat to accumulate as many Bears players as he can so he can sink with the ship. Welcome new players, hopefully the competition you provide is better than the cheesy names you've chosen! Without further ado, here are your OFFICIAL draft grades.

At a quick glance, this team seems to be very young and unproven. Russell Wilson is going to be a top 5 QB because of his ability to rack up points toting the football, but the problem is he may be your most viable running back on the roster. The Broncos will run the ball more this year so Anderson will receive some opportunities, but I really see a running back by committee in Denver, which could cut in to his bottom line production. The rest of the backs really aren't worth mentioning yet. This could change if the IU standout can produce for Atlanta. The receiving core is maybe even less impressive. I'd like Edelman if we were in a points per reception league, but I see him providing average production and not suitable to be your number one receiver. If Eddie Royal puts on the opposite teams uniform, Cutler may be able to get him the ball on a consistent basis. This team seems average at best. Draft Grade: C

Whoever writes the CBS blogs should be fired for ranking my draft at a C. Winning a fantasy league isn't about drafting the best available player. It's about projecting and building a team that is well rounded and will get stronger as the season progresses. I gambled and stole Tom Brady in the late rounds and now have him all season. Jamaal Charles and Alfred Morris could prove to be the best RB tandem in the league. My depth is suspect, but that's what the waiver wire is for. At receiver, watch out for Golden Tate because I expect him to have a huge season along with Dez Bryant. But when it's all said and done, come week 5 the best player on my roster may be Martavius Bryant. Antonio Brown will get everyone's best corner which will open up a lot of opportunities for Bryant. This is a solid team that I'm comfortable with in facing anyone this season. Draft Grade: B+

This starting lineup would have been great...five years ago. Drew Brees has lost most of his weapons and has been on the decline the last two seasons. He's still going to put up his points, but it won't be enough to carry the team. I like Forte and Hilton, but Jeremy Hill will have a sophomore slump having to play the AFC North teams twice plus play the defense heavy NFC West. This will limit his production significantly. Brandon Marshall and Jasen Whitten are older and will see decreased production. Marshall not only because of his age, but because he has a slew of journeymen quarterback throwing him the ball. These guys will have high production weeks, but I don't expect them to be consistent. Draft Grade: C

This is one of the more impressive teams on paper. Rodgers, Odell Beckham, and Mark Ingram are all top 10 guys at their respective positions. Andre Johnson is stoked to be playing with a quarterback for the first time in his career so I think he will overachieve. There's not much depth at running back but I love all the receivers and both tight ends are number ones. This is one team I'd be nervous to play early on in the season. Steve Smith will go out with a bang and could have a huge season on his retirement tour. Draft Grade: A-

I'm a big fan of Stafford this season. Calvin Johnson's production speaks for itself and I see Golden Tate having a monster year. This means Stafford could see numbers close to 5,000 yards and 45TDs. The starting receivers are the strength of this lineup, but it comes with some if's. Randall Cobb will see additional targets with the loss of Jordy Nelson but he has to stay healthy to put up consistent numbers. I love Amari Cooper and Carr is the best quarterback Oakland has had since Rich Gannon, so I see the rookie putting up big numbers this year. I can't knock the fact that the Gamblers selected two suspended players, having selected three myself. Bell will be the most productive NFL running back once he returns from suspension. The trick will be playing one of the remaining three backs on the right week. Blount, Jennings, and McFadden are all hit or miss from week to week. Jonas Gray being released in New England is a good sign for Blount, so he may be the most consistent of the three. Overall, I like this team to be competitive most weeks. Draft Grade: B-

Finally, after a decade of fantasy football, Tossed Salad has actually drafted a formidable team! This is one of my favorite running back duos because these guys will see 20 plus touches every game. The team has a top 10 player at every position, including defense. Matt Ryan's success will depend on the health of Julio Jones. Jordan Matthews production will also depend on the health of Sam Bradford. AJ Green will put up great numbers, and we all know that Gronk is the number one tight end in the game. The bench leaves a lot to be desired minus Davante Adams, so hopefully the starting line up stays healthy. If that's the case, the Salad Shooters may actually compete for a trophy instead of the coveted pink plunger! Draft Grade: B+

The Banditos opted to go receiver heavy drafting two of the top five receivers in the league. This will provide good points at that position, but by doing so the Bandits neglected the running back position. Despite how the NFL game has changed, the running back position is still the most important in the fantasy realm. Arian Foster was a huge risk at the time, and now looks even worse as he may go on IR, which will put him on the shelf for six weeks. I love Doug Martin in a contract year, but I worry that the team may be trailing often, which could cut into his carries. Drafting Blue was a smart option to piggy back the Foster pick, but Alfred Blue does not seem appealing as your top fantasy back. Not to mention your quarterback has zero receivers to throw to. Draft Grade: C-

I'm against ever taking a quarterback in the first round, and that definitely applies here with taking Manning with your first pick. Everyone knows I am a HUGE Peyton fan, but passing up on top five receivers and possibly a back to compliment McCoy will come back to haunt you early and often this season. No one expects Manning to resurrect his numbers from two years ago, so you could have gotten his production in the fourth or fifth round. A starting lineup of Joique Bell and Devonta Freeman isn't going to scare anyone, especially when both of them will probably lose their jobs to rookies by week four, or at least lose significant carries. Mike Evans is a good receiver if Winston isn't color blind. The bench consists of guys that are injury prone and will not provide consistent production. I wanted to like this team, but unfortunately it doesn't stack up to some of the other rosters. Draft Grade: C-

With all the Add/Drop notifications I've received with the Lions name attached to them, I'm not sure who was drafted and who was picked up off the waiver wire. This is a recipe for disaster if you're making moves like this before the season ever starts. The obvious bright spots are Calvin Johnson and DeMarco Murray. The QB position is solid, but I can't find much else to get excited about. Theo Reddick CANNOT be in a starting role week one. If Murray reverts back to being injury prone, this team will be in huge trouble. Both tight ends are above average, so there should be some optimism there. If Mariotta can live up to the hype and produce at a high level, he could put up Russell Wilson type numbers and become the steal of the draft. Draft Grade: C

Tobin has won multiple championships because of his ability to draft great running backs, and this year was no exception. Lynch and Miller will be a great one-two punch, and the departure of Terrence West frees up more carries for Crowell in Cleveland. Drafting great running backs means you'll have to pass on a top 10 receiver, but somehow the Dynos have four receivers all above average. Romo has consistently been a top tier fantasy quarterback, and Zach Ertz was one of my favorite tight ends going into the draft. I don't see this team leading the league in scoring, but it will be a consistent squad that puts up 85 to 90 points week in and week out. That's good enough to win 8+ games in this league. Draft Grade: A-

The Commish drafting Andrew Luck with his top pick is not something I would have done. This team is going to be either really good or really bad, depending on the production from the running back position. You can't feel great about your starting backs being Forsett and a rookie in Melvin Gordon. If Gordon's talent can translate to the NFL, this team will be in good shape. If he's a bust, this team will be playing for the plunger. Fitzgerald and Maclin scare me at receiver. Maclin has talent, but he's going to a team who didn't have a receiver catch a touchdown pass the entire season in 2014. Fitz is one of the best of all time, but he's a 55 reception guy at this point, which will probably only equate to about 4 or 5 touchdowns. I think Agholor will end up starting for this team most weeks, but his production will depend on Bradford's health. Greg Olson probably has the most potential of anyone on the roster given he's the only receiver on the team with experience. Luck will provide consistent double digit totals each week, but the skill positions scare me. Draft Grade: C-

The award for best team name definitely goes to Fornoff, but that may be the only trophy he'll take home this year. Don't get me wrong, this is a solid team, but I don't see anyone that jumps out at me. Every position is solid, and all it will take from week to week is for Julio Jones or Eddie Lacey to have a 20 point performance for this team to win. Really consistency is what wins in fantasy football, but there's too many wild cards on this team. I think the success of this team comes down to one player; Frank Gore. If he can play rejuvenated and put up big numbers in Indy along with Eddie Lacey in Green Bay, this team could win some games based on their backfield alone. The squad should expect average production from the QB position as well as the receiver position. This is going to be one of those "wait and see" teams. They could finish with 4 wins or 10 wins. It all depends on Old Man Gore. Draft Grade: B+