Wakefern Alumnus's Draft Report Card

--hidden-- | Drafted Round 16, Pick 153
A+ Grade
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Wakefern Alumnus Drafts Their Way to the Top with an A+ Grade and a Projected 1st Place Finish

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In a stunning display of draft prowess, Wakefern Alumnus emerged from the depths of the 8th draft order to secure an A+ grade. With 16 rounds of strategic selections, this team is poised to dominate the WFC - Football league. The experts predict a glorious 13-1-0 record, with a projected finish in 1st place. And if that wasn't impressive enough, Wakefern Alumnus is projected to score a mind-boggling 2016.98 points throughout the season, leaving their opponents in the dust.

While the road to victory may not be without its challenges, Wakefern Alumnus is ready to face the 9th toughest schedule in the league. With three players on bye week 10, they'll need to rely on their depth and cunning to maintain their winning streak. But fear not, for this team knows how to make the best of every situation. Their best pick of the draft was the steal of the century, with Jalen Hurts snatched up at 33, a full 9 spots ahead of their ADP. On the flip side, their worst pick was Brandin Cooks, taken at 93, a mere 20 spots below their ADP. But hey, nobody's perfect, right? Wakefern Alumnus is ready to show the league what they're made of, and it's not just groceries and household goods!

ADP Analysis

Pick Number

Bars above zero indicate a pick was selected later than a player's ADP. Bars below zero show players that were taken earlier than their ADP.

Inside the Draft

Player Outlooks

TE - Round 1, Pick 8 - Bye 10

2023 Rank: 8 - 2022 Rank: 20

A tight end only in title, Kelce is the WR1 of the Chiefs for all practical purposes. If one figures Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league and Kelce is basically his WR1, then it's easy to see why Kelce is a consensus first-round fantasy pick, and one who often goes as high as the top five. There's no historical precedent for tight ends to be drafted so high in fantasy, but Kelce continues to justify the expense year after year. The question is how much longer Kelce can continue to produce at these unprecedented levels. Unpleasant as it is to think about, the specter of decline looms with Kelce turning 34 in October, and it's unclear how easily he'll run his current route tree if he loses a step. Kelce certainly didn't look like a player facing decline in 2022, as his 152 targets and 12 touchdowns were both career highs. So long as Kelce remains in full form he has no imitators and is worthy of first round selection.

RB - Round 2, Pick 13 - Bye 10

2023 Rank: 46 - 2022 Rank: 24

Barkley managed to stay mostly healthy last year for the first time since his rookie season, and the result was a career high in rushing yards. New head coach Brian Daboll made him the centerpiece of his offense in order to take some pressure off quarterback Daniel Jones, although Daboll may have had little choice given the state of the Giants' receiving corps. The new offensive scheme gave Barkley a career high in rushing attempts per game but didn't showcase his pass-catching skills, as he managed less than half the receiving yards he had in 2018 despite finishing fifth in the league among RBs in targets. While Barkley had an impressive rebound after some injury-plagued campaigns, question marks surround the running back headed into 2023. The veteran back presumably is not overjoyed with his new one year contract. In addition, a reinforced group of receivers and tight ends could encourage Daboll to lean more on Jones and the passing game. Barkley has the talent to put up elite numbers out of the backfield, but health and usage remain obstacles to the 26-year-old reaching his fantasy ceiling.

WR - Round 3, Pick 28 - Bye 7

2023 Rank: 40 - 2022 Rank: 667

Prior to sitting out most of the 2021 season to address mental health issues and subsequently being suspended for the 2022 campaign due to gambling, Ridley had established himself as an elite wide receiver. In his last full season, Ridley posted 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns with the Falcons. He'll likely take some time to get back up to game speed after the extended layoff, but Ridley has the skills to become the favorite target for rising star quarterback Trevor Lawrence in a Jacksonville passing game that also features WRs Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, as well as TE Evan Engram. The 28-year-old Ridley should still be in his physical prime, but returning to elite form after an extended layoff isn't easy. For instance, former standout RB Le'Veon Bell was never the same after sitting out the 2018 season due to a contract dispute.

QB - Round 4, Pick 33 - Bye 10

2023 Rank: 17 - 2022 Rank: 3

Hurts ascended to elite status in 2022, finishing as QB3 for fantasy purposes while posting MVP-quality numbers and leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl. The improvements he made as a passer during his first two seasons in the league paid dividends after the team added A.J. Brown to a receiving corps already headlined by DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Hurts emerged as one of the NFL's most accurate passers in his third campaign. It's his running ability, however, that takes his production to another level. Nick Sirianni's scheme is designed around his game-breaking ability on the ground, and Hurts' 13 rushing touchdowns were the second most in NFL history by a quarterback. While it's hard to bank on that kind of record-setting performance repeating itself, the league elected not to legislate away the team's "tush push" rugby scrum approach to gaining short yards and getting the ball across the goal line, so double-digit rushing TDs could well be his floor. Hurts may not match the volume or pure passing upside of the likes of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, but at 24 years old, his best days should still be ahead of him.

RB - Round 5, Pick 48 - Bye 7

2023 Rank: 53 - 2022 Rank: 40

Sanders signed a four-year, $25 million contract with the Panthers in March, cashing in after a career year in 2022 which included 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground in 17 games for Philadelphia. He won't be playing in a top offense anymore, but with the Panthers, he'll make far more money and have a secure rushing workload. The Eagles had a variety of options at their disposal and would sometimes go away from Sanders in the game plan, which made his production inconsistent even in 2022. He'll likely average fewer yards per carry with the Panthers, but he may also get more overall touches after averaging between 13.5 and 16.4 per game in four seasons with the Eagles. Chuba Hubbard looms as a capable alternative, though he might get the bulk of his work on passing downs where Sanders is less useful. While that might come with the risk of getting phased out of the offense when the Panthers abandon the run, it's also possible Sanders gets more involved in the passing game (only 20 catches last year) on early downs.

WR - Round 6, Pick 53 - Bye 5

2023 Rank: 57 - 2022 Rank: 48

Lockett has been one of the most consistent performers in the NFL over the last four years. During that time, he's posted between 1,033 and 1,175 yards. He's also scored between 8-10 touchdowns in five straight years. His targets have also been consistent, as he has seen between 107 and 117 in three of the last four years. Last year, he had an excellent weekly scoring floor. He posted at least 60 yards in 10 games. He's going into his age 31 season, so decline is likely on the horizon, but from what we've seen, he may likely have a gradual descent opposed to a complete loss of skills. Lockett will likely be a value in drafts like he was last year, and betting on his consistency over many years seems like a safe bet.

WR - Round 7, Pick 68 - Bye 5

2023 Rank: 41 - 2022 Rank: 63

Coming off a late-season ACL injury in 2021, Godwin had a productive season. With Tom Brady getting the ball out quicker than ever, it benefitted Godwin, who played out of the slot 67 percent of the time. He set career highs with 104 catches and 142 targets. Meanwhile, his 9.8 yards per reception was well below his career average of over 13 yards. But he was still excellent with the ball in his hands. He posted a 72nd-percentile yards after the catch rate that allowed him to produce despite a 7.2 average yards per target. However, Godwin is an elite player, who is great at getting open and creating yardage. Baker Mayfield may not be a very good QB, but since Godwin can get open quickly and if he's always where he's expected to be when plays are called. Before Mayfield's injury-plagued 2021 season, Jarvis Landry averaged 79/997/4 (152) in three seasons with him, so Godwin, who is significantly better than Landry was, could easily explode in this offense. He may not have top-8 upside as he did in 2019, but he could finish in the top 18 at his position.

RB - Round 8, Pick 73 - Bye 11

2023 Rank: 50 - 2022 Rank: 50

Much of the discussion surrounding Kamara the past couple years has focused on a potential suspension, and the NFL finally made a decision in early August with the announcement of a three-game ban. Otherwise, Kamara is no longer the top-three running back he was the first few years of his career, though he's still recorded at least 1,300 scrimmage yards in each of his six seasons. The past two years he got more carries (240 and 223) but fewer targets (67, 77) after starting his career with four straight seasons of at least 97 targets and fewer than 200 carries. Much of that was related to the Saints transitioning to a run-first offense after Drew Brees' retirement, and it's possible Kamara shifts back toward more receiving work after the team signed a veteran QB (Derek Carr) and a 224-pound RB (Jamaal Williams) and spent a third-round pick on RB Kendre Miller. Less likely is Kamara recovering the TD prowess and remarkable per-touch efficiency of his early years, in part because he's lost a step and in part because Williams and QB/TE Taysom Hill figure to get most of the goal-line carries. There's still potential for Kamara to be an every-week fantasy starter once he completes the three-game suspension, but a high-end-RB1 ceiling is no longer within his range of outcomes.

WR - Round 9, Pick 88 - Bye 10

2023 Rank: 102 - 2022 Rank: 137

Brown is at his best when he's used as a downfield target, however he had a career low 6.6 yards per target and 10.6 yards per reception with the Cardinals last year. It didn't help that Kyler Murray missed the end of the season with a knee injury, but regardless, this was far from a big play offense last year. There's also concern that Murray may not be ready to start the season due to his injury. Brown did miss Weeks 7 through 11 with an injury last year, but he had been coming on just before then. He posted at least 68 yards in each of the five games leading up to week 11. And during that stretch, he averaged 11.6 targets with no fewer than nine in any game. but once he returned, and specially due to the quarterback play, he never surpassed 61 yards the rest of the way. If Murray was going to be a full go for the season, Brown's fantasy value would be much higher. but if Murray misses time, the drop off in quarterback play is so significant that it hurts Brown's fantasy value.

WR - Round 10, Pick 93 - Bye 7

2023 Rank: 88 - 2022 Rank: 149

For a player with his physical gifts and consistent production, it's kind of remarkable that Cooks has never found a long-term home in the NFL. Since being selected in the first round in 2014, the speedster has played for four teams, and a March trade from the Texans has the Cowboys poised to be team No. 5. Through his travels, Cooks has topped 1,000 receiving yards six times in the last eight seasons, and the fact that he didn't reach that mark in Houston last year falls squarely on the shoulders of the erratic quarterback play. While he'll turn 30 in September, he still possesses the speed to force defenders back on their heels, and Dak Prescott should be the best QB he's worked with since he was Tom Brady's top option on the outside with the Patriots in 2017. CeeDee Lamb has that role in Dallas in 2023, but Cooks can still make an impact as the No. 2 wideout.

RB - Round 11, Pick 108 - Bye 10

2023 Rank: 86 - 2022 Rank: 241

Gainwell gave a glimpse of what he might be able to accomplish in a bigger role in last season's wild-card win over the Giants, erupting for 112 rushing yards and a touchdown, but that could well end up being the high point of his Eagles tenure. A fifth-round pick in 2021, Gainwell's a valuable depth option in Nick Siranni's scheme, but his biggest asset is receiving skills that often go under-utilized in an offense that would rather have Jalen Hurts keep the ball himself than dump it off to a running back. Miles Sanders, another back who didn't get the workload his talent may have warranted, left for Carolina in the offseason, but Gainwell's shot at rising up the depth chart got thwarted when the team signed Rashaad Penny in free agency and traded for D'Andre Swift. The two imports have long injury histories though, so Gainwell might yet get a look as the Eagles' starter if both Swift and Penny happen to be on the shelf at the same time.

WR - Round 12, Pick 113 - Bye 7

2023 Rank: 110 - 2022 Rank: 234

Collins finished third on the Texans with 66 targets last season, and he's remarkably the only player among the team's top six in that category returning in 2023 for a remade Houston passing attack that also will be helmed by a new QB -- rookie second overall pick C.J. Stroud. Brandin Cooks (93 targets in 2022) and Chris Moore (74) both left for greener pastures, but the Texans brought in a bevy of WRs to replace those outgoing options. Houston signed Robert Woods and Noah Bown in free agency, drafted Nathaniel Dell (third round) and Xavier Hutchinson (sixth round), and should get 2022 second-round pick John Metchie back after he missed his entire rookie season. The Texans also have a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Slowik, so Collins won't have much of an incumbent advantage, but the 2021 third-round pick should be ticketed for a prominent role if he can stay healthy after missing 10 games due to injuries over his first two seasons. In the 24 games he played, Collins caught 70 of 126 targets for 927 yards and three touchdowns, but his efficiency could improve significantly if Stroud proves to be an upgrade over Davis Mills, who remains on the roster after starting at QB in each of Collins' first two seasons. Collins' 6-foot-4 frame could theoretically make him an enticing target in the red zone, though such success hasn't materialized in what's been a lackluster Houston offense in recent years.

DEF - Round 13, Pick 128 - Bye 10

2023 Rank: 216 - 2022 Rank: 187

Coach Mike McDaniel's offensive scheme dragged Miami to a playoff appearance last season, but the need for improvements on defense were obvious. Enter DC extraordinaire Vic Fangio, who promises not only to unlock Bradley Chubb (traded to the Dolphins last November), but provide a salve across the board. Chubb isn't the only name of note up front, with the presence of 2021 first-rounder Jaelen Phillip also being notable. Free-agency additions LB David Long and S DeShon Elliott arrive to reinforce returning starters LB Jerome Baker and S Jevon Holland, giving Miami a well-rounded core before even accounting for the team's standout CB duo. Trading for CB Jalen Ramsey to pair with perennial Pro Bowler Xavien Howard puts legitimate top-5 upside within range for this defensive unit.

K - Round 14, Pick 133 - Bye 13

2023 Rank: 177 - 2022 Rank: 105

Bass has proven to be one of the league's most accurate kickers since joining the Bills as a sixth-round pick back in 2020. He's logged back-to-back seasons with at least an 87 percent field-goal conversion rate, with 57, 51 and 48 PATs over the last three years. The weather conditions in Buffalo aren't ideal for a kicker, but Bass makes up for it in opportunities within one of the top offenses in the league. He's converted either 27 or 28 in each of his pro seasons.

WR - Round 15, Pick 148 - Bye 7

2023 Rank: 173 - 2022 Rank: 100

Thielen scored six touchdowns last year and 30 total in his final three seasons in Minnesota, but every other stat points to decline, including his 2022 averages of 4.1 catches for 42.1 yards per game. Undeterred, the Panthers signed Thielen to a three-year, $25 million contract that includes $14 million guaranteed at signing, ensuring No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young will have at least one experienced starting wideout to target. The team also brought in WR DJ Chark and TE Hayden Hurst, later adding WR Jonathan Mingo in the second round of the draft. It was a full revamp of the skill positions, while the offensive line has more stability after making huge strides throughout last season. A full-on renaissance is unlikely for Thielen in his age-33 season, but he does at least seem locked in for a starting job and at least a handful of targets per week. Whether that translates to low-end fantasy value or not partially depends on how Young develops under new Panthers head coach Frank Reich.

QB - Round 16, Pick 153 - Bye 11

2023 Rank: 114 - 2022 Rank: 9

Typically when each season ends, Cousins puts up very good seasonal numbers. It's the week-to-week ride that can be very problematic for fantasy managers. He threw for the second-most yardage of his career last year, but don't forget we're in a 17-game season these days, so those numbers can be skewed a bit. Cousins threw 14 interceptions in 2022, which was his highest total in a season to go along with 29 touchdowns. And although he's great for having explosive games, Cousins had three games with at least three touchdown passes, he often goes flat. He had eight games in which he threw zero or one touchdown. Cousins also had three games in which he failed to surpass 175 passing yards. Still not enough? He had four games with multiple interceptions. Cousins' ceiling games make him an excellent option in best ball leagues. But in redraft leagues, the implosion games are often unpredictable, and that makes him better as a QB2 in leagues that start a single quarterback. He's obviously a great option in leagues that start two quarterbacks.

Team Forecast

Bye Week Points Lost

Points

Each bar represents the total projected season points for each player that's on bye that week. This chart shows any potential bye week issues.

Schedule by Opponent Points

Week

Week-by-week schedule with each opponent's projected season points. This chart shows any difficult or easy stretches in the schedule.

Wakefern Alumnus
1. (8) Travis Kelce (KC - TE)
2. (13) Saquon Barkley (Phi - RB)
3. (28) Calvin Ridley (Ten - WR)
4. (33) Jalen Hurts (Phi - QB)
5. (48) Miles Sanders (Car - RB)
6. (53) Tyler Lockett (Sea - WR)
7. (68) Chris Godwin (TB - WR)
8. (73) Alvin Kamara (NO - RB)
9. (88) Marquise Brown (KC - WR)
10. (93) Brandin Cooks (Dal - WR)
11. (108) Kenneth Gainwell (Phi - RB)
12. (113) Nico Collins (Hou - WR)
13. (128) Miami (Mia - DEF)
14. (133) Tyler Bass (Buf - K)
15. (148) Adam Thielen (Car - WR)
16. (153) Kirk Cousins (Atl - QB)

Best Draft

Best Draft is awarded to the team with the most projected season points based on weekly optimal starting lineups.

League Draft Grades

Draft Day Projected Standings

Draft Day Power Rankings

Power Rankings are based on projected points for the remainder of the season.