Draft time!

By: Josh Frey-Sam

There are a ton of different wrinkles you can add to your league scoring. Superflex or multiple flex spots are commonplace, but one of my favourites is tight end premium.

In this format, tight ends are awarded an extra 0.5-1.0 points per reception, skyrocketing the positional value in leagues. It also throws a curveball into your draft strategy, as the projected high-end players such as Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and Colston Loveland shoot up in tiers.

Last night was such a case for one of my newest leagues. The league itself was unqiue already, as we are emulating the Ryder Cup tournament format in golf where five of my other buddies and I act as one team in a division and face six other teams (which also make one team) in another division each week.

We all manage our own teams, and the winning team in the end represents the entire division, and we split the winnings in the end.

For this league, our scoring is half-PPR, and our rosters are QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1TE (0.5 premium) and 2 FLEX.

I thought this was a good opportunity to show you how I approached a league with a TE premium, which is commonplace in higher-stakes leagues around the world.

As usual, I will explain my thought process for every pick below:

1.06, Brock Bowers: As you can see, I started with Bowers. A shocker to many, but this was always my plan entering the draft. Now, I hesitated for a while because Puka Nacua also fell to me. Frankly, I probably could and should have drafted Nacua, but I was sure my teammate was going to draft him next, so I let him slide. That was a mistake, as he took McBride next and Nacua fell to the 1.08 — that could prove to be a costly mistake, but time will tell. The thought of taking a TE here boils down to this: Bowers could see somewhere in the range of 150 targets and 120 catches this season. Compared to an elite WR with similar numbers, I am literally getting double the points per reception. In this scenario, not including touchdowns, I am getting an extra 3.3 points per game by taking Bowers, which is significant over the course of the season. In another world, I could’ve taken Nacua and then possibly grabbed Colston Loveland in the second or third round, but Loveland ended up going at 2.03, so I stand by my decision.

2.07, Ken Walker: With an elite pass catcher, I needed to jump to RB. With my pick of several elite RBs, I went with Walker, who I believe is going to be a major focal point in the Chiefs’ run and passing attack. This ended up being the start of a hero-RB approach in this draft.

3.06, Rashee Rice: Whether you like Rice or not, he is one of the few players drafted outside of the top five who could finish as the WR1 overall. He is the go-to option in the Chiefs’ passing attack and is one of the few players in the league who are a virtual lock to see 10 targets per game. I needed upside, and Rice is just that.

4.07, Jaylen Waddle: With Zay Flowers (honourable mention MY GUY) off the board, Waddle was the easy pick. I have him in damn near every league, so needless to say I am in on the Broncos’ new toy. I think he has high-end WR2, low-end WR1 upside this season.

5.06, Parker Washington: Another guy I have heavy stock in, Washington is flying up draft boards right now. His 6th/7th round ADP is a mirage. If you want him, you’ll need to get him in the 5th. His floor is outstanding, and now the only question is how many times he’ll score.

6.07/7.06, Rhamondre Stevenson/Blake Corum: With my hero-RB strategy, at this point, I’m looking for a high-floor option to fill my RB2 role and a high-upside player who could give me a terrific 1-2 punch later in the year. Stevenson and Corum fit those bills, respectively. I mentioned in Thursday’s brief that Stevenson is one of those picks who won’t necessarily feel great to make, but the Pats’ backfield is his as it stands, so he should see plenty of volume to suffice as an RB2. Meanwhile, Corum will have a weekly role in the Rams offence and is a Kyren Williams injury away from being a league-winning type of player. I also have a lot of Corum stock. I added another high-floor RB at the 11.6 in Kenneth Gainwell so that I have bye-week/FLEX protection.

8.07, Quentin Johnston: I feel like QJ’s stock has kind of idled in recent weeks. Many have locked into Ladd McConkey and have forgotten about his running mate. I’m still in on QJ as a high-upside player. His week-to-week production could be volatile, but I want pieces of this Chargers offence.

9.06, Bo Nix: This was one of my easier picks on the night. Nix is incredibly undervalued in drafts right now for a QB who is not afraid to run and is in a pass-happy offence. The Nix/Waddle stack is one of my favourites this season, and I have a lot of it.

What do you think of TE premium?

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh