12-team, Yahoo home league, auction draft (took 2.5 hours lol)

Josh Jacobs (RB – Green Bay Packers – $34) – Was special in 2022 when he led the NFL in rushing with 1653 yards and racked up 12 rush TD’s. Unfortunately, he regressed massively in 2023 rushing for 805 yards and 6 rush TD’s before leaving the Raiders and signing with Green Bay in the off-season. At 26, he still has some tread left on the tires. Mostly betting on him being rejuvenated in a new location.

Kenneth Walker III (RB – Seattle Seahawks – $29) – Had a stellar rookie season with 1050 rushing yards and 9 rush TD’s. He regressed a little in his sophomore season going for 905 rushing yards and 8 rush TD’s. It’s now a fully different coaching staff in Seattle with first-time NFL OC, and former U-Dub OC, Ryan Grubb at the helm under first-time HC Mike Macdonald. Hopeful a coaching refresh will unlock Walker and push him to new heights.

Jaylen Waddle (WR – Miami Dolphins – $20) – In a similar boat to DeVonta Smith as an elite number 2 option with a clear number 1 option ahead of him in the pecking order. Tyreek Hill has been the best WR, over the past couple of seasons, putting up video game-type numbers. Defenses have to pay a ton of attention to the Cheetah, which can free-up the Penguin. Luckily, Mike McDaniel schemes up an incredible passing offense that can support both guys.

James Cook (RB – Buffalo Bills – $21) – Was one of the breakout players in 2023, after racking up 1122 rushing yards and 2 rush TD’s. He also showed good receiving skills, to the tune of 445 yards and 4 receiving TD’s. After Buffalo traded WR Stephon Diggs, it’s possible for Cook to see his usage increase and, hopefully, score more touchdowns.

Anthony Richardson (QB – Indianapolis Colts – $23) – The hype behind the Colts QB is off the rails! More than a few fantasy experts have him in their top-5 QB’s, even after seeing limited action in 2023. His duel-threat ability has everyone drooling over his potential. Health (duh) is his main drawback, after losing most of his rookie season to a shoulder injury, in addition to his progress as a pocket passer. A truly high-risk, high-reward player.

DeVonta Smith (WR – Philadelphia Eagles – $16) – A.J. Brown is the main target of Jalen Hurts, but Smith is an excellent number 2 receiver. The Eagles offense is high-powered enough to sustain 2 high-target, high-usage WR’s. His smaller size (6-ft, 170 lbs) has been questioned, but, so far, he’s been very reliable, only missing a couple of games in his 3 NFL seasons. The only real pause given was their recent acquisition of Jahan Dotson, who could cut into Smith’s targets.

Javonte Williams (RB – Denver Broncos – $5) – It’s been messy for Williams during his first 3 NFL seasons. He had a promising rookie campaign going for 903 rushing yards and 4 rush TD’s, which set-up a breakout sophomore season, but then tore his ACL & LCL and missed the 2022 season. Coming back from a major injury like that isn’t easy, so it’s understandable why his 2023 stats aren’t that impressive. 2 years post-injury should be plenty of time for him to regain his strength and confidence. Sean Payton likes to rotate RB’s, so Williams will need to get off to a strong start in 2024.

Jaxson Smith-Njigba (WR – Seattle Seahawks – $14) – A wrist injury, picked up in the preseason, hampered his rookie year. Forcing him to play catch-up and not really succeeding. He enters his sophomore season fully healthy and had an off-season to train, workout and build a rapport with Geno Smith, Sam Howell, the other WR’s and the new coaching staff. D.K. Metcalf is the undisputed 1 of the Seattle WR corps, but Smith-Njigba can supplant Tyler Lockett as the no. 2.

Brock Purdy (QB – San Francisco 49ers – $8) – Strictly an insurance policy guarding against Anthony Richardson getting hurt. The Niners offense is a beast with plenty of targets to pass to like Christian McCaffery, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and, maybe, Brandon Aiyuk. Purdy has a high floor and low ceiling. The contract disputes the Niners have with LT Trent Williams and Aiyuk should be kept an eye on, as those are two of the most important players on offense and are currently holding out, not training with the team.

Rome Odunze (WR – Chicago Bears – $8) – Drafted into a very good situation with Chicago taking USC QB Caleb Williams first overall in the 2024 draft, a QB he can develop and grow with. Also, their WR room is now stacked, meaning Odunze doesn’t have to produce day 1 and can get his feet wet slowly. Last season, D.J. Moore set career high’s in receiving yards (1364) and receiving TD’s (8) in spite of some of the most inconsistent QB play in the league. Keenan Allen, traded from the Chargers, has been one of the most targeted players in the league and should continue to be in the Windy City. Now, Odunze might not be a top-30 receiver for the first half of the season, but a strong 2nd half campaign is certainly in-play.

David Njoku (TE – Cleveland Browns – $3) – My main 3 target’s went for more than expected, so a quick pivot was necessary and had grab a random guy. Not thrilled with this choice, as there isn’t much upside with the player. The former first round pick has massive physical talent, but hasn’t been able to put it all together for a full season. He’s also never had a 1000 yard season in his career (gulp). Will need to make a trade or scour the wavier-wire for an upgrade.

Christian Watson (WR – Green Bay Packers – $5) – Burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2022, scoring 7 TD’s, including 3 TD receptions in a Week 7 performance against the Cowboys. Coming into 2023 he was primed for a breakout, but injuries and building chemistry with a new QB put the kibosh on that. There’s a highly-talented and productive player here, it’s just the injury risk is sky-high.

Jake Moody (K – San Francisco 49ers – $3) – The 2nd year kicker had a solid rookie season hitting 21/25 field goals and 60/61 extra points. The Niners will be a very good offense, so another solid season should be ahead.

Dallas D/ST (D/ST – Dallas Cowboys – $3) – After an outstanding performance in 2023, leading the league in defensive TD’s with six, 5 of them coming from Daron Bland alone, they will regress in 2024. Bland will start the season on the injury list, for a reported 6-to-8 weeks. Dan Quinn also left his defensive coordinator position to take the Commanders HC job. He will be replaced by longtime coach Mike Zimmer. Micah Parsons is one of the most feared pass rushers and will cause havoc for opposing QB’s. Also, the Cowboys play against Washington and New York twice a season, both delicious matchups.

Braelon Allen (RB – New York Jets – $1) – The most speculative pick on my roster and will only be useful if Breece Hall goes down with injury. Watch out if he sees the field though!