The Good vs. The Bad: 2023 Edition

[AkronsWitness]

With the regular season now over for most teams and people not making the playoffs I wanted to ask what are a few moves/draft decisions that turned out to be great for your team this year and others that killed your team. Thought it would be fun to look back on how everything played out with the end of the fantasy season here. These dont have to just be players you drafted that out performed their ADP, but just some draft day decisions you had to make or players you had to drop/add that either worked great or didnt.

Mine are.....

Good

• Drafting Achane in the last round. There was rumblings that he was a late round flier and it was a shot I took. Worked out great when he was healthy
• Somehow being able to snag Puka Nacua in both leagues off waivers. Was literally the only reason one of my teams made it to the playoffs.
• Sticking with James Cook in dynasty and not dropping him. Its been a long road to get him to actual useable production, but kept the faith and he payed off this year big time.
• Targeting Courtland Sutton in the mid-rounds for the 4th year in a row knowing that 'this will be the year he is great!." Finally! 

Bad

• Ive said this one before but drafting Garrett Wilson over Ceedee Lamb.  It essentially crippled my team all year and I would likely still be playing if I just drafted Lamb
• Deciding to trade Travis Kelce for Darren Waller and James Conner. Bad. Just bad. Availability is the best ability.
• Continuing to nonsensically believe in Jerry Jeudy and Terry McLaurin. I need to stop drafting them because they both just eat space on my bench every year.
• Passing up Kyren Williams on the waiver wire when he was there for the taking but my disbelief in the Rams RB room made me not want to pick him up. Stupid.
• I went 0 TE in one league and it was a bad year for waiver TEs. Continuously swapping between Juwan Johnson and Hunter Henry all year killed me.

[RaidersAreOne]

Mahomes was an enormous disappointment. First time ever I took a QB high (Round 3) and it screwed me hard.

[AFF]

Drafting Achane late in both my big $$ leagues but then dropping him in 1 due to my own stupidity.

Using 2 high picks on 1sie positions(Hurts and Andrews)…even though im in the Semi’s my depth is/was rough basically just riding Tyreek far as he’ll take me.

[AkronsWitness]

2 hours ago, AFF said:

Drafting Achane late in both my big $$ leagues but then dropping him in 1 due to my own stupidity.

Using 2 high picks on 1sie positions(Hurts and Andrews)…even though im in the Semi’s my depth is/was rough basically just riding Tyreek far as he’ll take me.

I've always wondered what it's like having Jefferson or Hill on your team lol I'm old school in the sense that I refuse not to take a RB 1st round haha 

Something that always bothered me for some reason despite playing fantasy since 2007 in multiple leagues every year--I never once had Julio Jones on any team. 

Maybe my fantasy strategy needs a software update

Edited December 19, 2023 by AkronsWitness

[AFF]

3 hours ago, AkronsWitness said:

I've always wondered what it's like having Jefferson or Hill on your team lol I'm old school in the sense that I refuse not to take a RB 1st round haha 

Something that always bothered me for some reason despite playing fantasy since 2007 in multiple leagues every year--I never once had Julio Jones on any team. 

Maybe my fantasy strategy needs a software update

I’m finding in recent years I can’t draft in the mid rounds…hell i do better late or on the waiver wire.

Im not sure what the reason is …it’s something I’m gonna look at before next years drafts

 

[AkronsWitness]

5 hours ago, AFF said:

I’m finding in recent years I can’t draft in the mid rounds…hell i do better late or on the waiver wire.

Im not sure what the reason is …it’s something I’m gonna look at before next years drafts

 

Thats so true, and then you end up hanging onto players you drafted in the 6th-10th rounds way too long because since you drafted them you think they are eventually going to become viable. Thats my Terry McLaurin and Jerry Jeudy this year. Ate 2 roster spots the entire year and didnt start either a single time lol

Edited December 20, 2023 by AkronsWitness

[Sllim Pickens]

My biggest disappointment was not starting James Cook against the Dallas D that was #1 against the run and losing in the first round of the playoffs by 8 points to a team that has no QB instead of winning by 30 if I had played him.  

Draft wise, Rachaad White, James Cook, Cole Kmet and Rashee Rice were my guys I targeted later that were hits.  Puka was one I targeted early in the draft season too and have done well in a couple best balls because of these guys. 

I expected a lot more out of Drake London and Christian Watson this year, both were killers for me and really hurt teams I took them early in.  Bijan was also a dud given his ADP.  Tony Pollard is another one I expected to be top 5 and although he has bounced back some, he has not been the guy to win you leagues that I expected. 

Guys I stayed away from that I am glad I did are Austin Ekeler, Saquon Barkley, Najee Harris, Gabe Davis and Devante Adams.  Adams has been good but not top 3 good like his ADP was suggesting. 

I also expected Burrow and Lawrence to be top 5-7 QBs this year.  Even without the injuries neither were trending that way.  

[AkronsWitness]

9 hours ago, Sllim Pickens said:

My biggest disappointment was not starting James Cook against the Dallas D that was #1 against the run and losing in the first round of the playoffs by 8 points to a team that has no QB instead of winning by 30 if I had played him.  

Draft wise, Rachaad White, James Cook, Cole Kmet and Rashee Rice were my guys I targeted later that were hits.  Puka was one I targeted early in the draft season too and have done well in a couple best balls because of these guys. 

I expected a lot more out of Drake London and Christian Watson this year, both were killers for me and really hurt teams I took them early in.  Bijan was also a dud given his ADP.  Tony Pollard is another one I expected to be top 5 and although he has bounced back some, he has not been the guy to win you leagues that I expected. 

Guys I stayed away from that I am glad I did are Austin Ekeler, Saquon Barkley, Najee Harris, Gabe Davis and Devante Adams.  Adams has been good but not top 3 good like his ADP was suggesting. 

I also expected Burrow and Lawrence to be top 5-7 QBs this year.  Even without the injuries neither were trending that way.  

I got burned by Lawrence in one league too. I was only saved because I got lucky and snagged CJ Stroud on waivers and it saved my entire season.

I forgot to add another guy who killed me. Damion Pierce. Not that he was projected to be spectacular, but with a rookie QB and him potentially getting ran into the ground I thought he had top 12-15 upside. Boy was I wrong

Edited December 21, 2023 by AkronsWitness

[adamq]

I'll update when I have time to look over my good and bad teams but quickly..

Good- Not buying the Bijan hype for this season. Plenty of other options at the price he was going

Not being afraid of getting some old and crusty WRs. Thielen got me some wins early on, Evans has been a monster

Brandon Aiyuk. I own him in more leagues than any other player

 

 

Bad- Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Deshaun Watson, Mike Williams. Woof.

Not believing in Rachaad White at all

In dynasty selling my Puka Nacuas and Tank Dells too early. 

Not buying way more Mostert. Should have recognized that even with the injury risk, he had that huge boom potential in Miami. Funny enough I have had tons of Jeff Wilson riding the pine/IR all year

Edited December 21, 2023 by adamq