Last year, my first in a football auction league, I wrote this about my state-of-mind heading into that searing crucible of fantasy sports:
“I was terrified. In all my years doing fantasy football drafts, I never once participated in an auction. And of my 11 fantasy football leagues, this entry fee ($120) was an Andrew Jackson more than my other most expensive league. (The others nine ranged from $33-$55). Prepping myself for the stress that was sure to come when the first player came up for auction, I told myself only two maxims mattered: Don’t overrate (or overpay) for running backs. And don’t fuck up.
Miraculously I managed not to do either.”
This season I was much more confident but also had another huge issue to contend with: those I selected to join TR’s Peepers would forever determine the direction of the franchise. What was once re-drafted every year now had entered the rare air of a keeper league. The pressure was back.
But I handled it with aplomb.
Going into the draft, my goal was to acquire three players: Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, and Eddie Lacy—the Green Bay Packers triumvirate which virtually guaranteed that any points my favorite team scored on offense, I would accumulate. Normally not a fan of the QB-RB combo, in this instance—and with the inclusion of Mr. Nelson—I thought it quite sage.
And the point totals bore it out: I finished second of the 10 teams in total production. Yet—thanks to the ininmity of fantasy football—I didn’t manage to make the six-team playoff field.
Editor’s Note: For those who missed previous installments of the Postmortem Series, feel free to check out how Valley Forge did this season and my other teams fared in 2013.
Team Name: TR’s Peepers
Record: 6-7-0 (7 of 10)
Points: 1,413.38 (2 of 10)
History: Second season
Championships: None
(Other) Top 3 Finishes: None
Previous Year Results: Lost in the third place game last season
Standings
Schedule
Selected Roster
Auction Results
Pick | Player | Cost | Team |
1. | LeSean McCoy (Phi – RB) | $59 | Rice Told Her Twice |
2. | Jamaal Charles (KC – RB) | $57 | #HotSportsTakes |
3. | Adrian Peterson (Min – RB) | $62 | Pancakes with Butter |
4. | Aaron Rodgers (GB – QB) | $53 | TR’s Peepers |
5. | Robert Griffin III (Was – QB) | $17 | True Grit |
6. | Matt Forte (Chi – RB) | $55 | Next Man Up |
7. | Eddie Lacy (GB – RB) | $53 | TR’s Peepers |
8. | Calvin Johnson (Det – WR) | $55 | True Grit |
9. | Marshawn Lynch (Sea – RB) | $50 | Leroy Brown |
10. | Arian Foster (Hou – RB) | $45 | Pancakes with Butter |
11. | Roddy White (Atl – WR) | $23 | True Grit |
12. | Doug Martin (TB – RB) | $39 | Luck Dynasty |
13. | Nick Foles (Phi – QB) | $16 | Rice Told Her Twice |
14. | Jimmy Graham (NO – TE) | $52 | #HotSportsTakes |
15. | Alshon Jeffery (Chi – WR) | $38 | Luck Dynasty |
16. | Dez Bryant (Dal – WR) | $45 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
17. | Drew Brees (NO – QB) | $52 | #HotSportsTakes |
18. | A.J. Green (Cin – WR) | $46 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
19. | DeMarco Murray (Dal – RB) | $43 | Next Man Up |
20. | Peyton Manning (Den – QB) | $59 | Leroy Brown |
21. | Montee Ball (Den – RB) | $42 | True Grit |
22. | DeSean Jackson (Was – WR) | $14 | True Grit |
23. | Cam Newton (Car – QB) | $14 | Pancakes with Butter |
24. | Demaryius Thomas (Den – WR) | $46 | Luck Dynasty |
25. | Reggie Bush (Det – RB) | $16 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
26. | Bishop Sankey (Ten – RB) | $23 | Luck Dynasty |
27. | Brandon Marshall (Chi – WR) | $37 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
28. | Andre Ellington (Ari – RB) | $29 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
29. | Le’Veon Bell (Pit – RB) | $33 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
30. | Wes Welker (Den – WR) | $19 | Rice Told Her Twice |
31. | Percy Harvin (NYJ – WR) | $23 | Pancakes with Butter |
32. | Julio Jones (Atl – WR) | $39 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
33. | Alfred Morris (Was – RB) | $27 | Rice Told Her Twice |
34. | Matt Prater (Det – K) | $3 | True Grit |
35. | Julius Thomas (Den – TE) | $24 | Rice Told Her Twice |
36. | Giovani Bernard (Cin – RB) | $33 | TR’s Peepers |
37. | Jordy Nelson (GB – WR) | $31 | TR’s Peepers |
38. | Zac Stacy (StL – RB) | $28 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
39. | Antonio Brown (Pit – WR) | $27 | #HotSportsTakes |
40. | Chris Johnson (NYJ – RB) | $14 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
41. | Toby Gerhart (Jax – RB) | $8 | Leroy Brown |
42. | C.J. Spiller (Buf – RB) | $16 | Leroy Brown |
43. | Keenan Allen (SD – WR) | $21 | Leroy Brown |
44. | Stephen Gostkowski (NE – K) | $1 | TR’s Peepers |
45. | Ryan Mathews (SD – RB) | $25 | True Grit |
46. | Pierre Garcon (Was – WR) | $18 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
47. | Randall Cobb (GB – WR) | $24 | Pancakes with Butter |
48. | Andrew Luck (Ind – QB) | $22 | Luck Dynasty |
49. | Vincent Jackson (TB – WR) | $19 | Rice Told Her Twice |
50. | Rashad Jennings (NYG – RB) | $17 | Next Man Up |
51. | Mike Wallace (Mia – WR) | $8 | Rice Told Her Twice |
52. | Victor Cruz (NYG – WR) | $18 | Next Man Up |
53. | Andre Johnson (Hou – WR) | $13 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
54. | Seattle (Sea – DEF) | $5 | Leroy Brown |
55. | Frank Gore (SF – RB) | $9 | Leroy Brown |
56. | Larry Fitzgerald (Ari – WR) | $18 | Next Man Up |
57. | Rob Gronkowski (NE – TE) | $20 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
58. | Vernon Davis (SF – TE) | $11 | Leroy Brown |
59. | Michael Floyd (Ari – WR) | $9 | Leroy Brown |
60. | Fred Jackson (Buf – RB) | $4 | Pancakes with Butter |
61. | Matt Ryan (Atl – QB) | $5 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
62. | Ray Rice (Bal – RB) | $10 | TR’s Peepers |
63. | Josh Gordon (Cle – WR) | $6 | Rice Told Her Twice |
64. | San Francisco (SF – DEF) | $2 | True Grit |
65. | Cordarrelle Patterson (Min – WR) | $9 | Luck Dynasty |
66. | Lamar Miller (Mia – RB) | $9 | Next Man Up |
67. | Joique Bell (Det – RB) | $8 | Luck Dynasty |
68. | Jordan Cameron (Cle – TE) | $6 | True Grit |
69. | Tom Brady (NE – QB) | $8 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
70. | Greg Olsen (Car – TE) | $5 | Pancakes with Butter |
71. | LeGarrette Blount (NE – RB) | $2 | Leroy Brown |
72. | Ben Tate (Pit – RB) | $9 | Rice Told Her Twice |
73. | Steven Jackson (Atl – RB) | $8 | Next Man Up |
74. | St. Louis (StL – DEF) | $1 | TR’s Peepers |
75. | T.Y. Hilton (Ind – WR) | $10 | Next Man Up |
76. | Trent Richardson (Ind – RB) | $6 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
77. | Michael Crabtree (SF – WR) | $5 | Leroy Brown |
78. | Shane Vereen (NE – RB) | $5 | Luck Dynasty |
79. | Adam Vinatieri (Ind – K) | $1 | Leroy Brown |
80. | Sammy Watkins (Buf – WR) | $9 | TR’s Peepers |
81. | Matthew Stafford (Det – QB) | $7 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
82. | Zach Ertz (Phi – TE) | $5 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
83. | Mason Crosby (GB – K) | $1 | Luck Dynasty |
84. | Kyle Rudolph (Min – TE) | $2 | Next Man Up |
85. | Jay Cutler (Chi – QB) | $4 | Next Man Up |
86. | Khiry Robinson (NO – RB) | $2 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
87. | Torrey Smith (Bal – WR) | $5 | Pancakes with Butter |
88. | Carolina (Car – DEF) | $1 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
89. | Chris Ivory (NYJ – RB) | $1 | Leroy Brown |
90. | Terrance Williams (Dal – WR) | $4 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
91. | Tony Romo (Dal – QB) | $2 | True Grit |
92. | Jeremy Maclin (Phi – WR) | $6 | Next Man Up |
93. | Kansas City (KC – DEF) | $1 | Luck Dynasty |
94. | Jason Witten (Dal – TE) | $3 | True Grit |
95. | Maurice Jones-Drew (Oak – RB) | $4 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
96. | Markus Wheaton (Pit – WR) | $3 | Next Man Up |
97. | Julian Edelman (NE – WR) | $2 | True Grit |
98. | Brandin Cooks (NO – WR) | $4 | Rice Told Her Twice |
99. | Knowshon Moreno (Mia – RB) | $2 | #HotSportsTakes |
100. | Stevan Ridley (NE – RB) | $3 | Pancakes with Butter |
101. | Golden Tate (Det – WR) | $2 | Leroy Brown |
102. | Jordan Matthews (Phi – WR) | $3 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
103. | Philip Rivers (SD – QB) | $3 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
104. | Kendall Wright (Ten – WR) | $2 | Pancakes with Butter |
105. | Bernard Pierce (Bal – RB) | $2 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
106. | Marques Colston (NO – WR) | $2 | Pancakes with Butter |
107. | Brian Hartline (Mia – WR) | $1 | Rice Told Her Twice |
108. | Carlos Hyde (SF – RB) | $2 | Next Man Up |
109. | Eric Decker (NYJ – WR) | $2 | Pancakes with Butter |
110. | Pierre Thomas (NO – RB) | $3 | Next Man Up |
111. | Colin Kaepernick (SF – QB) | $2 | Pancakes with Butter |
112. | Cincinnati (Cin – DEF) | $1 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
113. | Dennis Pitta (Bal – TE) | $2 | TR’s Peepers |
114. | Reggie Wayne (Ind – WR) | $2 | True Grit |
115. | Jordan Reed (Was – TE) | $3 | True Grit |
116. | Andy Dalton (Cin – QB) | $1 | Next Man Up |
117. | Andre Williams (NYG – RB) | $1 | Rice Told Her Twice |
118. | Emmanuel Sanders (Den – WR) | $1 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
119. | Brandon LaFell (NE – WR) | $1 | Leroy Brown |
120. | Cleveland (Cle – DEF) | $1 | Pancakes with Butter |
121. | Darren McFadden (Oak – RB) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
122. | Christine Michael (Sea – RB) | $1 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
123. | Heath Miller (Pit – TE) | $1 | Luck Dynasty |
124. | Terrance West (Cle – RB) | $2 | TR’s Peepers |
125. | Riley Cooper (Phi – WR) | $1 | True Grit |
126. | DeAngelo Williams (Car – RB) | $1 | Rice Told Her Twice |
127. | Ladarius Green (SD – TE) | $1 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
128. | Nate Freese (Det – K) | $1 | Pancakes with Butter |
129. | Russell Wilson (Sea – QB) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
130. | Shayne Graham (NO – K) | $1 | CHIP ON MY SHOULDER |
131. | Kelvin Benjamin (Car – WR) | $1 | Luck Dynasty |
132. | Rueben Randle (NYG – WR) | $5 | hut1hut2hut3HUT |
133. | Justin Hunter (Ten – WR) | $3 | Rice Told Her Twice |
134. | Mike Evans (TB – WR) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
135. | Martellus Bennett (Chi – TE) | $1 | Luck Dynasty |
136. | Jeremy Hill (Cin – RB) | $1 | TR’s Peepers |
137. | Odell Beckham Jr. (NYG – WR) | $1 | Rice Told Her Twice |
138. | Tavon Austin (StL – WR) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
139. | Ben Roethlisberger (Pit – QB) | $1 | Luck Dynasty |
140. | Darren Sproles (Phi – RB) | $1 | TR’s Peepers |
141. | Dwayne Bowe (KC – WR) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
142. | Mark Ingram (NO – RB) | $1 | Luck Dynasty |
143. | Devonta Freeman (Atl – RB) | $1 | TR’s Peepers |
144. | Jonathan Stewart (Car – RB) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
145. | Johnny Manziel (Cle – QB) | $1 | TR’s Peepers |
146. | Jarrett Boykin (GB – WR) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
147. | Davante Adams (GB – WR) | $1 | TR’s Peepers |
148. | Hakeem Nicks (Ind – WR) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
149. | Shonn Greene (Ten – RB) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
150. | New England (NE – DEF) | $1 | #HotSportsTakes |
Final Roster
Smartest Move(s): Love that I have the three most potent Packers locked up for however long I want them, but with their projected 2015 prices (a $5 increase per player over this season) the trio will account for 76% of my budget. More modestly, the $1 spent on Cincinnati Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill was money extremely well spent.
Also picking up potential keepers Brandin Cooks (for $4 off waivers) in addition to Montee Ball, C.J. Spiller, and Vincent Jackson as free agents will prove very valuable heading into next season.
Dumbest Move: Spending any money—let alone five percent of my allotted auction funds—on Baltimore Ravens’ running back Ray Rice.
Best Value: A-Rodg: Worth. Every. Penny.
Worst Value: Giovanni Bernard, the other Bengals running back, who cost me $33. The way I look at it I got both of them for a total of $34, so this decision didn’t hurt me nearly as much as it could have.
Auction Grades ($200 budget)
A | Aaron Rodgers | $53 | |
A | Eddie Lacy | $53 | |
D+ | Giovani Bernard | $33 | |
A | Jordy Nelson | $31 | |
A | Stephen Gostkowski | $1 | |
F | Ray Rice | $10 | |
B | St. Louis | $1 | |
B- | Sammy Watkins | $9 | |
Inc | Dennis Pitta | $2 | |
C- | Terrance West | $2 | |
A+ | Jeremy Hill | $1 | |
C | Darren Sproles | $1 | |
D | Devonta Freeman | $1 | |
D- | Johnny Manziel | $1 | |
B | Davante Adams | $1 |
Trades: None
Transaction Number: 35
Total Money Owed: $80 ($120 entry plus minus four weeks—at $10 per—where I led the league in scoring)
Turning Point: Losing my Week 12 matchup, 129.94-118.56, in a stunning comeback fueled by CHIP ON MY SHOULDER’s recent addition, C.J. Anderson, and his 25.50 fantasy points. My boys never recovered and I fell again in Week 13 to prematurely end my star-crossed season.
Lesson Learned: I honestly wouldn’t change anything. One more win and I’m in the playoffs. And going forward I have the best quarterback, the best young running back, and an elite wide receiver I could keep. I also have three young studs—Sammy Watkins, Cooks, and Hill—signed to very favorable contracts. Depending on the trade market, I could make a flurry of moves before next season or I could stand pat and let my three Packers loose again on this league. Either way, I’m set up very well to succeed.
Tweet
Only 52 days until Opening Day! For everything you want to know leading up to the baseball season—not to mention sage advice on the upcoming Academy Awards and more fantasy football postmortems—please follow me on Twitter: @nicholasjonwood.