This league started in 2011 (Salvaged Phenoms league) and marks one of my best talent-hoarding rosters in my dynasty lifetime to-date. That has led to two titles over the past three seasons after punting Year 1 by design in 2011.
I made two trades of note prior to the NFL Draft with rookie picks, they were:
- Giving Justin Forsett for 2.08
- Giving Torrey Smith, Marquess Wilson, Charles Johnson, 2.06, 2.08 for 1.05
I had shopped Justin Forsett most of the offseason and was happy to get a top-20 pick with Baltimore expected to bring in competition via the draft. They did with Javorius Allen, a big back with some wiggle that can catch. Forsett saved my bacon in 2014 as running back was my clear weak spot and Forsett was a weekly starter. I doubt he repeats that effort in 2015 and I cashed out.
That 2.08 turned into a cascade asset as I packaged a ton of peripheral assets to combine down to one premium rookie at 1.05. I also had the 1.03 pick from dealing awa Matt Asiata (at his mid-season peak usage and production last season) along with a 2015 second back in October.
Armed with 1.03, 1.05, 1.12, and 4.12, the rookie draft was set to begin. With tight 22-man rosters, I did not think I would cut a player for the 4.12 rookie pick, but ended up doing so with how the draft broke.
Round 1
I was perfectly happy to sit at 1.03 and take whichever top talent that a UTH subscriber did not take at 1.01 and 1.02. He is rebuilding and on the verge of competing in a serious way, especially after collecting Amari Cooper and Todd Gurley at the top of the 2015 draft. Despite a serious need at running back, I take best player available in Kevin White to add to the wide receiver cupboard.
This is an example of trusting your board, turning a blind eye to your Week 1 lineup holes and taking the best player. Most owners in my position would have taken Melvin Gordon there, but he is not close to White in overall value on my board, making Gordon not even in the discussion for the pick.
With 1.04 going Melvin Gordon, I take a target player in the mid-first round in T.J. Yeldon. While I have Breshad Perriman slightly higher, within the same tier, I go with a similar value at a position of need. Adding Yeldon to Giovani Bernard, C.J. Spiller, and Rashad Jennings *should be* good enough to patch together decent production in 2015.
