IDP Dynasty Startup – Rounds 11-15
This Spring, the boys at RPO Football decided to form an official IDP Dynasty league and we are currently having our inaugural startup draft! As we make our way through the startup draft, I’ll be keeping track of the ooey-gooey details of all of my picks and moves and sending them your way five rounds at a time. I’m in the fifth spot in the snake draft, which is maybe my favorite spot to draft from this year. If you missed parts 1 and 2, here is a review of my first ten rounds!
- 1.05 – QB – Jalen Hurts
- 2.08 – WR – Amon-Ra St. Brown
- 3.05 – WR – Chris Olave
- 4.08 – WR – Drake London
- 5.05 – LB – Foyesade Oluokun
- 6.12 – RB – Javonte Williams
- 7.11 – WR – Christian Watson
- 8.08 – QB – Jordan Love
- 9.05 – RB – Dameon Pierce
- 10th – Traded Out
You can read more about those selections here (1-5) and here (6-10)! In the meantime, here are my picks from rounds 11-15. @TFFGRobbie
Eleventh Round: 11.02 – Rookie Draft Pick 1.11
My dilemma:
I had four options I considered for this pick, all running backs. The first was Cam Akers. His 2022 season had him BENCHED until about halfway through! However, he was able to return to fantasy relevance and finish with four fantastic games. The second option was Brian Robinson, who returned to the Commanders in week five after being shot in the leg. Once he was healthy, his usage was kept mostly to the ground game, where he was inefficient (3.89 YPC). His upsides are the onboarding of former Chiefs OC, Eric Bieniemy, and the seemingly declining team opinion of Antonio Gibson. It also doesn’t hurt that Dan Snyder is selling the team. The third option was Tyler Allgeier. Although he started the season behind Cordarrelle Patterson, by week four, he was seeing over 50% of snaps and at least 10 carries per game. In his last four games of the season, he averaged almost 20 carries per game and 17.8 fantasy points!
My solution:
My final option was to take Rookie pick 1.11 and turn it into the best rookie running back available. I took this option because it was the only one that had no downside. Cam Akers is on an aging team with no supporting cast. Brian Robinson is caught in a timeshare and stuck in run-only situations. Tyler Allgeier is on a run-heavy team that is almost certain to bring in another running back to take touches from him. I decided to take my chances with the best of the rookie class rather than trying to roll with a player who I know has a few red flags.
11.05 – LB – Shaq Leonard
To round out my linebacker starters, I drafted the Indianapolis “Maniac!” Leonard is an absolute BEAST on the field. He had 120+ tackles and 270+ fantasy points in each of his first four seasons. 2022, however, was frequently interrupted by injury and was finally cut short by requiring back surgery. A healthy return from Leonard would place him back in the upper echelon of Linebacker play in both real life and fantasy. I think he was able to fall this far in part because of how well his teammate, Zaire Franklin, played in his stead. Franklin ended up 4th in linebacker scoring with 166 tackles, 102 being solo. Such a dominant season by Franklin and Leonard’s injury likely caused Leonard’s name to fall further down the draft board than it should have; not that I’m complaining! The later we get into the year and the more of Leonard we start to see in camp, the higher I think his name will rise in the charts. If you do your startup draft in August, I wouldn’t expect to find Shaq Leonard waiting for you in the 11th round.
Twelfth Round: 12.08 – TE – David Njoku
After letting more than a dozen tight ends slip by me in this draft, I decided that it was finally time to strike. Njoku finally showed TE1 production last year after being underutilized his entire career. He was TE8 in points per game last year but spent more than half of the season playing with a backup quarterback and the second half with a guy that hadn’t played in two years. Still, Njoku was close to breaking career records in targets, yards, and touchdowns (he did break his catch record by 2). Njoku should see even more action with a full offseason of work for Deshaun Watson and added offensive weapons.
The only drawback I could see from this pick is if the Browns decide to draft one of the stud tight ends in this draft. And there are plenty of them to choose from. Another man in the rotation would put Njoku back into timeshare hell and could sap away at his production. I plan to have a few backup plans if that does happen, but I won’t spoil my strategies here just yet.
Thirteenth Round: 13.01 – LB – Frankie Luvu
With my first 13th round pick, I added linebacker depth and locked down my first IDP Flex position. Frankie Luvu had a wonderful, breakout season for the Panthers, recording 111 tackles and placing himself at #9 in points per game for linebackers. Luvu is already 26, and in his 6th season, but his lack of meaningful snaps should mean more longevity. He is only under contract through 2023, but anywhere close to a repeat success will land him a substantial contract. As the Panthers look to rebuild, I’m expecting the defense to be on the field a lot in 2023, meaning lots of potential for my LB3.
13.02 – DB – L’Jarius Sneed
L’Jarius Sneed will be manning my DB1 spot for the foreseeable future. He ended the season with the 4th highest points per game among defensive backs and 1st among cornerbacks. He’s only entering his 4th season with the Chiefs but is going into a contract year, looking to get paid. Thanks to the Chiefs’ offense, Sneed should expect to be on the field a lot. Furthermore, Kansas City is often playing from ahead, so downfield targets and tackles are going to be commonplace for the 26-year-old. If the Chiefs retain Sneed after this season, he should be in for several years of top-notch fantasy production.
13.05 – DL – Christian Wilkins
Wilkins is a player I like on the sideline and on the field. If you haven’t seen his “Mic’d Up” clips, I highly recommend taking some time to enjoy it. He’s a hilarious guy, but once the ball is snapped it’s a different story. Wilkins operates as one of the best interior run defenders in the league and isn’t scared to get after the quarterback when he has to. In 2022, he racked up 98 tackles, far eclipsing any other defensive lineman, interior and exterior. He ended the season as #5 in points per game for defensive lineman. He too is entering a contract year; however, I have no doubt that the Dolphins will be making him a high priority next off season. That means he’ll get to stay in Vic Fangio’s stout defensive scheme for a very long time.
13.11 – DB – CJ Gardner-Johnson
This selection may have been a coping mechanism as an Eagles fan but still, I’m glad to have him. “CJGJ” managed to still be in the top 50 of total points scored for defensive backs playing in only 12 games and #3 in points per game for defensive backs. He certainly benefited from a favorable defensive scheme in Philadelphia, but he now joins a solid crew in Detroit. the Lions have made a lot of great additions to its defense so far this offseason and still has the chance to make moves in the upcoming draft. What was the team’s big weakness last year, is shaping up to be a dominant force this year. Gardner-Johnson looks to become a key player on a team that is getting red hot.
Fourteenth Round: No Pick – Traded Away
Fifteenth Round: 15.05 – LB – Josey Jewell
Rounding out the IDP Flex spots, I drafted a player I had been watching since round one. Josey Jewell’s 2022 performance was incredible, but no doubt underrated. In just 13 games, He finished as linebacker #23 in total points scored with 250: #4 in points per game for linebackers with 19.2! Absolutely phenomenal production from a guy that I’m not sure many people think of when high level play is mentioned. He recorded a whopping 127 tackles last season: more than Frankie Luvu and tied with 49ers’ linebacker, Dre Greenlaw (who both played in 15 games). There is still a chance that Jewell will be a cap casualty this year or he could hit free agency next year. I think any team that lands him will be getting outstanding production for at least a few years. He is my oldest player so far, but for my 4th linebacker, I’m willing to take a shot at a seasoned veteran.
These were certainly 5 busy rounds for me. I only have one more starting spot empty and have acquired a 1st round pick in the rookie draft. I have managed to keep my team relatively young across the board. Hopefully, that means I don’t have to rush into replacing any aging starters after this season. Through 15 rounds, I’m satisfied with my selections and only missed out on a couple players I wanted. I’m looking forward to rounding out my team in the next 24 rounds!
Thank you for reading! Follow me on Twitter at @TFFGRobbie
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