The worldwide coronavirus pandemic certainly interfered with the production of the annual NFL draft, but the three-day show went on as always, albeit in adjusted and perhaps more intimate form. Myriad players found new teams -- some quite surprising -- and fantasy managers everywhere, desperate for a live, full season sans delay and interruption this fall, dreamed of how their own teams would reap the benefits.
The ESPN Fantasy crew annually assembles in the days after the draft to not only discuss the newest members of the NFL but the overall and positional rankings. This year, however, instead of congregating in person with the bucolic Bristol, Connecticut, hills in our landscape, we laughed and smiled from distance in our living rooms in the new virtual reality that has become everyone's norm.
While I tend to use our summit meetings to fight for curious players both young and not too old -- what a polarity between Joe Burrow and Tom Brady this year! -- and still focus on longtime strategies that work for me, it was certainly a different vibe gathering digitally. Barbs still flew, even if objects no longer reached intended destination. We debated. Oh, how we debated. Here are some of the more intriguing ones from one writer's perspective.
The lone dissenter for No. 1
There was little debate about who deserved top billing at running back, wide receiver and tight end, as well as in overall terms, but at quarterback, well I felt I simply had to be a bit different. Yes, I made my case for Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes over Ravens MVP Lamar Jackson, using the proven backdrop of how hard it is for running passers to repeat big running seasons. Mahomes, if you recall, was darn great in 2018 and can be again. Perhaps I even swayed a colleague or two. The value of running quarterbacks is a very big deal and a popular trend, as it differentiates the likes of Kyler Murray and Josh Allen over the established pocket presence types such as Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Let us just say the runners ultimately won, though I stand alone for mighty Mahomes.
The new fellow in Tampa Bay
Hey, you might have heard, the Buccaneers will have a future Hall of Famer slinging the passes this season, and interception lovers should be disappointed. Tom Brady hardly lacks options at his mighty disposal, though there was ample elaboration about his style and arm strength as he approaches his age-56 season (OK, he is "only" 43), and about which teammates figure to gain statistically. After all, how much more can wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans statistically achieve after finishing second and fifth at their position in average PPR points per game? Perhaps not better at all. What does unretired tight end Rob Gronkowski have left in his proverbial tank? Just ask him, I guess. Is Brady a top-10 fantasy quarterback again? The Buccaneers might not have the No. 1 offense, but it sure is intriguing for fantasy purposes.
New faces in new places
Brady was hardly the lone mover and shaker this offseason, but sometimes the team a player leaves behind is more interesting. Take the Chargers, for example, as veteran Tyrod Taylor presumably takes over at quarterback for the short term (rookie Justin Herbert will take over soon enough), and we discussed its effect on wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, as well as running back Austin Ekeler. Melvin Gordon is gone, so what does it mean for Ekeler's volume? I defended Chargers wide receivers, noting that Taylor, a skilled player but not exactly Lamar Jackson, has some history of harboring statistical success on his teammates, such as his work with the 2015 Bills and receiver Sammy Watkins (1,047 yards, 9 TDs). Do not automatically pass on skill players for the Chargers, Patriots (like Julian Edelman) and other teams with new, perhaps limited passers. Those new starting quarterbacks might work out fine.
When one wide receiver upends the QB rankings
You might have also heard that the Cardinals picked up future Hall of Fame wide receiver from the Texans for a return that might have annihilated a fantasy league. Veto! Veto! Well, new Cardinal DeAndre Hopkins figures to be significantly more valuable than new Texans running back David Johnson, for fantasy and other purposes. However, the topical notion of potentially overrating new Hopkins quarterback Kyler Murray and doing the opposite to old option Deshaun Watson was instructive. Watson's statistics can likely overcome the defection, and while the crew's quarterback rankings were largely different, there was agreement he remains a trusted fantasy starter.
Everyone quiet and listen
Like any other eager persons adapting to a large online meeting place, the fantasy crew can talk over one another at times to get our authoritative points across. This surely does not occur when indomitable injury expert Stephania Bell speaks. We all listen. Stephania shared thoughts on potentially important fantasy options returning from or dealing with further injury, such as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, new Falcons running back Todd Gurley II, Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green and Giants tight end Evan Engram, among others. We always hope for health and a relatively even playing field, of course, and her important words surely adjusted some rankings, though some of us are more likely to take chances on repeat health offenders than others.
Strategies new and old
Waiting as long as possible on quarterbacks is one of my signature moves, but it is principal for the crew to treat each new season in a vacuum and analyze potentially adjusted trends. Which position should be the focus in early rounds? While quarterback and wide receiver remain notably deep, the plan for 2-QB formats certainly differs. We always seem to discuss the running back situation and draw lines at options we can trust and those we cannot. Arizona's Kenyan Drake in an intriguing name, but perhaps not worthy of as much attention as some give. Rookie running backs as immediate contributors are always all the rage, but at wide receiver, despite ample attention early and often in the NFL draft, our crew was more cautious in expectation.
Everyone has their late-round sleepers
I made the case for the first overall selection in the NFL draft, the mature, accurate Bengals savior Joe Burrow, and it shows in the rankings. I even compared his situation -- and ranking -- to that of Giants savior Daniel Jones. Hey, think about it and be open to possibility! Still, most of the sleeper talk surrounded the flex-eligible positions, and I focused on wide receivers such as Las Vegas sophomore Hunter Renfrow and overlooked Jets newcomer Breshad Perriman. Again, we are not talking about the fifth round here, so figure out whom you like the most in the later part of drafts. Hey, we all love fantasy football and while we cannot know the next time the fantasy crew will rendezvous, for virtual or actual hugs, let us all hope for a fruitful 2020 season!