2015 Vintage Draft Grades

These are the opinions of so called fantasy guru's on a rate my team website:


TEAM RANKINGS:
1-Frost
2-Texan
3-Temp
3-Crownholders
3-Kav
4-Rhodes
5-Perdew
6-Fields
7-Zima

Overview:

Receivers are the strongest part of this team and you look good at tight end as well. It's rare for us to endorse a team with weaknesses at quarterback and running back, but we're doing it right here! You should have a contender here. But your margin for error in terms of in season management could be a bit thinner than some of your competitors'. You must remain committed to finding 2015's emergent players at RB and QB.

Players we particularly like on this team include Jamaal Charles, Greg Olsen, Zach Ertz, and Keenan Allen. We have all these guys ranked ahead of where they are typically being drafted.

We have Drew Brees rated #8 among quarterbacks, which makes him a viable starter if not an exciting one. 

Your starting running backs should, as a unit, be adequate but not great.

Wide receivers, nice work here. We like all your starting receivers, as our projections indicate that they give you a combined 1.7 point-per-game advantage over an average opponent in this league. Dez Bryant is our #4 ranked receiver, Alshon Jeffery is #12, and we have Keenan Allen 17th.

We like the choice of Greg Olsen to start at tight end. We have him ranked third overall at the position.

OVERALL: 75/100

Overview:

We'll start by complimenting you on your strength at quarterback and receiver. As you know, it's very difficult in a competitive league to assemble a team that is strong at QB, RB, and WR, so just about every team will have a weakness. As you probably suspect, we perceive yours to be at running back.

We like C.J. Spiller as a second RB, but we consider your starting running backs, as a group, to be a little below par. Our projections have C.J. Anderson ranked eighth and Spiller ranked at #13.

Chris Ivory is a little below average as a third running back. Tre Mason also looks somewhat weak as a fourth RB. Montee Ball might be a bit of a reach at fifth RB, but we understand the desire to handcuff. We really don't like Chris Johnson at sixth running back.

Some of our staffers have C.J. Anderson as high as #2, which would make him an above average first running back.  Anderson was a near-elite back down the 2014 stretch, and his one-cut style best fits Gary Kubiak's system. Offensive snaps and scoring opportunities abound in red-zone friendly Denver. Assuming he keeps the underwhelming Montee Ball nailed to bench, Anderson is a clear RB1."

Chris Ivory is ranked #23 by some of our writers, which would make him a fine third running back. reasons, "Earlier in offseason I was high on Zac Stacy, but no more. Ivory has nailed down the starting job during OTAs according to a June 11th report - though coach Todd Bowles did say Ivory was 'currently' atop the depth chart, a less-than-impressive endorsement. He's moved up my RB and Overall rankings considerably."

Some of our staffers have Tre Mason as high as #25, which would make him a great fourth running back and even a legitimate RB3.  

Some members of our staff have Montee Ball ranked as high as 39th, which would make him an above average fifth running back.  "Must own for Anderson owners and still has an outside shot to be their lead guy. "

Your starting receiver group is a strength, particularly Antonio Brown as a top receiver. We figure them at a combined 1.6 points per game better than an average opponent in this league. Brown is our first ranked WR, Kelvin Benjamin is #16, and we have Brandon Marshall 19th.

We love Anquan Boldin as a fourth receiver; he's a likely flex starter. We also see Jarvis Landry as an above average WR5. Terrance Williams should serve as a very solid sixth receiver. But we are not at all excited about Markus Wheaton as a seventh WR. Marqise Lee is a very weak eighth receiver.

OVERALL: 65/100

Overview:

This team is built around strong quarterback play. But it has some serious issues post-draft. Your only real core strength is at quarterback, yet that's often the easiest position to fill during the season. Your weaknesses at both running back and receiver put you in a hole before any games have played. To end up with a team constructed like this, you probably did not get value on some of your selections. The players themselves are not necessarily bad --- you just might have paid more than what they were worth.

Players we particularly like on this team include Martellus Bennett and Fred Jackson. We have both these guys ranked ahead of where they are typically being drafted.

You don't need us to tell you this, but we'll tell you anyway: Andrew Luck should ensure that your production at the quarterback position is among the best in the league. We have him as the #1 QB according to your scoring rules, and we figure he gives you about a 3.8 point-per-game advantage over an average starting QB.

Our projections don't show Tom Brady as being a top-notch backup, but the issue will be moot as long as Luck stays healthy.

Incidentally, Brady has what we project as a neutral matchup (NYG) during Luck's bye.

We see both your starters at running back as below average. Our projections have LeSean McCoy ranked at #10 and Melvin Gordon ranked at #18.

Your bench looks good and should help offset the unexciting starting unit. We see Jonathan Stewart as an average third running back; he's a likely flex starter. Rashad Jennings is an excellent RB4. We love Arian Foster as a fifth running back. We also very much approve of the selection of Fred Jackson, and not just as insurance for LeSean McCoy. He's a fine sixth running back in his own right.

We see all your starters at receiver as below average. Calvin Johnson is our #7 ranked receiver, Amari Cooper is #26, and we have Nelson Agholor 35th.

Rueben Randle is a very weak fourth receiver. Marques Colston also looks somewhat weak as a fifth WR. Dwayne Bowe is a little below average as a sixth receiver. Cordarrelle Patterson is also a liability at seventh receiver.

OVERALL: 55/100

Overview:

Let's start by remarking that we appreciate your old-school leanings: you have a team marked by strength at the running back position. But with the quarterback and wide receiver both being less strong, you may need to do something to change the outlook of this team. Players we particularly like on this team include Odell Beckham Jr, DeAndre Hopkins, Ryan Tannehill, and Golden Tate. We have all these guys ranked ahead of where they are typically being drafted.

We expect Russell Wilson to be a solid starter. According to our projections, he's the #4 QB, so you should be better off than most teams in the starting quarterback slot.

Ryan Tannehill, who we have rated as the #12 QB, is a nice backup and could conceivably emerge as either a starter for your team or, if Wilson plays as expected, some tempting trade bait for teams with quarterback troubles.

Nice work here. We like both your starting running backs, as our projections indicate that they give you a combined 3.4 point-per-game advantage over an average opponent in this league. Our projections have LeVeon Bell ranked first and DeMarco Murray ranked at #9.

Latavius Murray should serve as a very solid third running back. But Ryan Mathews is out of his league as a fourth RB. We may not love Knile Davis at fifth RB, but we like the fact that you can hold the Jamaal Charles owner hostage. We respect the choice of DeAngelo Williams as a handcuff to LeVeon Bell, even if we wouldn't otherwise be excited about him at sixth RB.

While your lack of depth at the position concerns us, we do like all your starting receivers, as our projections indicate that they give you a combined 2.5 point-per-game advantage over an average opponent in this league. Odell Beckham Jr is our second ranked WR, DeAndre Hopkins is #11, and we have Golden Tate 21st.

We see Torrey Smith as an average fourth receiver; he's a likely flex starter. Kenny Stills is also a fair-to-middlin' fifth receiver.

OVERALL: 70/100

Overview:

This team is built around strong quarterback play. But it has some serious issues post-draft. Your only real core strength is at quarterback, yet that's often the easiest position to fill during the season. Your weaknesses at both running back and receiver put you in a hole before any games have played. To end up with a team constructed like this, you probably did not get value on some of your selections. The players themselves are not necessarily bad --- you just might have paid more than what they were worth.

You don't need us to tell you this, but we'll tell you anyway: Aaron Rodgers should ensure that your production at the quarterback position is among the best in the league. We have him as the #2 QB according to your scoring rules, and we figure he gives you about a 3.4 point-per-game advantage over an average starting QB.

Despite your strong starting quarterback, we strongly recommend taking a backup.

We see both your starters at running back as below average. Our projections have Joseph Randle ranked 14th and Ameer Abdullah ranked 19th.

Todd Gurley should serve as a very solid third running back. Carlos Hyde is also a very nice RB4. Darren McFadden might be a bit of a reach at fifth RB, but we understand the desire to handcuff.

We like Mike Evans as a second WR, but we consider your starting receivers, as a group, to be a little below par. Randall Cobb is our ninth ranked WR, Evans is #12, and we have Andre Johnson 23rd.

Mike Wallace should be a good fourth receiver; he's a likely flex starter. Larry Fitzgerald is also a very nice WR5. We see Steve Johnson as an average sixth receiver. We really don't like Cole Beasley at seventh receiver.

We have Jason Witten ranked #7 at the position. So while he's passable as a first tight end, he doesn't look particularly thrilling. And we also have some doubts about whether your depth at TE is going to make up for it, so this could be an area of some concern.

We see Coby Fleener as an average second tight end.

OVERALL: 50/100

Overview:

Your starting lineup is respectable, but the lack of depth is a serious problem. If you're lucky enough to avoid the injury bug, you might be OK. But that's a tough thing to have to count on.

To make this team into a serious contender, you are going to need to be extremely active in trades and on the waiver wire. You esentially need to turn over significant parts of this roster.

We have Philip Rivers rated #13 among quarterbacks, so we're not even sold on him as a fantasy starter in your league. And we don't think Carson Palmer (ranked #25 among quarterbacks) is even a viable backup. You might want to explore the possibility of upgrading at the backup QB slot.

We like Adrian Peterson as a top RB, but we consider your starting running backs, as a group, to be a little below par. Our projections have Peterson ranked fourth and Andre Ellington ranked 17th.

Not only do we like Giovani Bernard as a third running back, we love that you stole him from the Jeremy Hill owner.

Depth is a serious concern, but we do like your starting group, particularly Demaryius Thomas as a top receiver. We figure them at a combined 1.8 points per game better than an average opponent in this league. Thomas is our #3 ranked receiver, A.J. Green is #8, and we have Roddy White 29th.

We see Eric Decker as an average fourth receiver; he's a likely flex starter. Jeremy Maclin is an excellent WR5. Mohamed Sanu is a very weak sixth receiver.

We have Julius Thomas ranked #11 at the position, so we don't even necessarily see him as being TE1 worthy in this league. And we also have some doubts about whether your depth at tight end is going to make up for it, so we feel this is an area of concern.

We don't particularly like Antonio Gates as a second tight end.

OVERALL: 40/100

Overview:

We think you're looking good at quarterback and running back, and tight end is a plus for this team as well. Your squad is therefore easy for us to like despite a bit of weakness at the receiver position. But as weaknesses go, this is one is survivable. It's usually relatively easy to find fill-in guys on a weekly basis until a better player emerges during the season. As long as you stay on top of things inseason, you should be the league favorite or very close to it.

Players we particularly like on this team include Shane Vereen, Delanie Walker, Brandon LaFell, Cam Newton, Frank Gore, and Colin Kaepernick. We have all these guys ranked ahead of where they are typically being drafted.

We have Tony Romo rated #5 among quarterbacks, which makes him a less-than-stellar starter in this league. But we like the selection of our #6-rated QB, Cam Newton, to go with him. Hopefully between the two of them, you should be able to cobble together some good production at the position, but this strategy always carries with it the downside that you'll drive yourself crazy trying to decide who to start from week to week.

Your starting running back group is a strength, particularly Jeremy Hill as a second running back. Our projections have Marshawn Lynch ranked at #6 and Hill ranked 11th.

Your bench also looks good. Tough to do better than Frank Gore at RB3; he's a likely flex starter. Lamar Miller is also a very nice RB4. Shane Vereen looks great as a fifth running back. Likewise, Tevin Coleman should be excellent at RB6.

We see all your starters at receiver as below average. T.Y. Hilton is our #10 ranked receiver, DeSean Jackson is #25, and we have Vincent Jackson 28th.

Brandon LaFell should serve as a very solid fourth receiver. Charles Johnson should also be solidly above average at WR5. Michael Floyd should be a good sixth receiver. But Kevin White is out of his league as a seventh WR.

Obviously, Rob Gronkowski is a great way to anchor any TE group. We've got him ranked #1 at the position, and by our reckoning he gives you about a 4.9 point advantage over an average team in the first TE slot.

We love Delanie Walker as a second tight end.

OVERALL: 90/100

Overview:

Your receivers are the strongest part of this team. While no team can be expected to be above average at all three core positions (QB/RB/WR), you are in the precarious position of being a bit weak at two of them.

We have Matt Ryan rated #9 among quarterbacks, which makes him a less-than-stellar starter in this league. But we like the selection of our #11-rated QB, Eli Manning, to go with him. Hopefully between the two of them, you should be able to cobble together some good production at the position, but this strategy always carries with it the downside that you'll drive yourself crazy trying to decide who to start from week to week.

Your starting running backs should, as a unit, be adequate but not great. In particular we like Mark Ingram as a second RB. Our projections have Justin Forsett ranked seventh and Ingram ranked at #12.

T.J. Yeldon should serve as a very solid third running back. We also see LeGarrette Blount as an above average RB4. Reggie Bush is a little below average as a fifth running back.

Your starting receiver group is a strength, particularly Julio Jones as a second receiver. We figure them at a combined 5.1 points per game better than an average opponent in this league. Jordy Nelson is our fifth ranked WR, Jones is #6, and we have Emmanuel Sanders 14th.

Martavis Bryant should serve as a very solid fourth receiver; he's a likely flex starter. Michael Crabtree, on the other hand, is an average-at-best fifth WR. We see Malcom Floyd as an average sixth receiver. We think Breshad Perriman makes a fine seventh receiver. Percy Harvin should serve as a very solid eighth receiver.

OVERALL: 70/100

Overview:

Let's start by remarking that we appreciate your old-school leanings: you have a team marked by strength at the running back position. But with the quarterback and wide receiver both being less strong, you may need to do something to change the outlook of this team. Your deficiencies are likely to show themselves through the bye weeks, so try to manuever early in improving the quarterback and/or receiver positions before week four.

Players we particularly like on this team include Matt Forte, Allen Robinson, Danny Woodhead, Darren Sproles, Pierre Garcon, John Brown, Kendall Wright, Eddie Royal, and Steve Smith. We have all these guys ranked ahead of where they are typically being drafted.

We have Peyton Manning rated #7 among quarterbacks, which makes him a viable starter if not an exciting one. 

We like both your starting running backs, as our projections indicate that they give you a combined 3.7 point-per-game advantage over an average opponent in this league. Our projections have Matt Forte ranked at #3 and Eddie Lacy ranked at #5.

Your bench also looks good. Devonta Freeman is a little below average as a third running back. But Joique Bell should be a fairly good RB4. Isaiah Crowell looks great as a fifth running back. Danny Woodhead will also be among the best RB6s in the league.

We like Allen Robinson as a third WR, but we consider your starting receivers, as a group, to be a little below par. Brandin Cooks is our #15 ranked receiver, Sammy Watkins is #20, and we have Robinson 22nd.

Your bench looks good and should help offset the unexciting starting unit. Julian Edelman looks great as a fourth receiver; he's a likely flex starter. Pierre Garcon should also be solidly above average at WR5. John Brown looks great as a sixth receiver. Steve Smith is also a very nice WR7. We love Kendall Wright as a eighth receiver.

Eddie Royal is an excellent depth pick, though you may not end up using him much.

Obviously, Jimmy Graham is a great way to anchor any TE group. We've got him ranked #2 at the position, and by our reckoning he gives you about a 1.2 point advantage over an average team in the first TE slot, which is good considering the rest of your tight ends won't necessarily inspire fear in your opponents.

OVERALL: 70/100