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.
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