Staff Fantasy Football Draft Recap: Analysis of Our 14-Team PPR League
Round 4
| Pick | Overall | Team | First Name | Last Name | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43 | AJ Weinberg | Michael | Crabtree | WR |
| 2 | 44 | Greg Bucki | Torrey | Smith | WR |
| 3 | 45 | Daniel Lindsey | Ryan | Mathews | RB |
| 4 | 46 | Matt Grasso | Cordarrelle | Patterson | WR |
| 5 | 47 | Kenneth Cook | Aaron | Rodgers | QB |
| 6 | 48 | Justin Thompson | Wes | Welker | WR |
| 7 | 49 | Sean Wirth | Joique | Bell | RB |
| 8 | 50 | Galin Dragiev | Reggie | Wayne | WR |
| 9 | 51 | Michael Comerford | Rashad | Jennings | RB |
| 10 | 52 | Brandon Gdula | Michael | Floyd | WR |
| 11 | 53 | JJ Zachariason | DeSean | Jackson | WR |
| 12 | 54 | Ari Ross | Ben | Tate | RB |
| 13 | 55 | Sam Hauss | Percy | Harvin | WR |
| 14 | 56 | Leo Howell | Pierre | Thomas | RB |
Aaron Rodgers fell as far in this draft as he may fall in any fantasy draft this year, plummeting into the fourth round until Kenneth stopped his fall there. The Packers' quarterback is an incredible value at this point in the draft, nearly 20 picks below his value on our cheat sheet. The league seemed to be waiting out the quarterback position as long as possible, and Ken benefitted by grabbing Rodgers at a great value.
Matt Grasso takes the controversial Cordarrelle Patterson with the 46th pick, about a round or so earlier than his numberFire projections would justify. Last season, Patterson didn't really "improve" over the course of the season, he just saw more targets, and doesn't seem as poised for a breakout as many in the fantasy industry believe. There's still a chance that he could blow up, and if he does, Grasso's team should still be in good shape.
And after taking three running backs to start the draft, JJ Zachariason snags his first wideout in DeSean Jackson, who comes with some risk as he moves to a new team with tough competition at receiver in the form of Pierre Garcon.
My pick: Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints - I needed to grab another running back to make sure I had sufficient depth at the position, and Thomas is a steal if you believe our projections. Our cheat sheet says Thomas should be close to a second-round pick in this format, but that he comes with a decent level of risk (since his success has more to do with how good that offense is rather than how good he is). Still, in a PPR league, I'll be happy with Thomas in the mid-rounds every time.
