With another dramatic fantasy season in the books, our Roundtable staff reflects on the year, shares tips for offseason fantasy prep, engages in some dynasty shop talk, and offers some predictions for 2018:
Let's wrap up the season with insights that our readers can carry over to 2018.
Football Lessons learned
Matt Waldman: What's the biggest lesson you've learned from the 2017 season that applies to your understanding of football? It can be strategic, technical, analytical, or even an off-field dynamic about the operation of the league. If you think it has a potential application to your fantasy work/play, share how.
Daniel Simpkins: The biggest thing I learned was to trust myself more and to act decisively. Let me give you my best example of how this principle helped me.
I watched All or Nothing in the 2016 offseason. This iteration of the show followed the Los Angeles Rams through the 2016 season under Jeff Fisher. You could see how poor coaching was pulling down a really solid roster.
If you watched the last episode of that series, you also caught a glimpse of what Sean McVay was already doing to the culture of that team. If you followed that to its logical conclusion, it meant the Rams would be a better team this year, and subsequently, the production of the players would follow.
I had very strong feelings about this and fortunately, I trusted my instinct instead of dismissing it as hype. In particular, I pushed my chips in on Todd Gurley in a lot of my leagues, including acquiring him in every single one of my dynasty leagues. I am happy to say it paid off, winning me a couple of titles and setting me up well for the future in those leagues where I did not win.
Was I wrong about a lot of things this year? Absolutely! Yet when I took strong stands based on evidence and trusting my gut, it generally paid off huge.
Darin Tietgen: In re-draft formats, I learned to build depth with rookies. You should know from the first few weeks which ones are going to stand out. If you need to dump one during the bye weeks, you should be able to get away with doing so.
I took fliers on guys like Kareem Hunt (prior to the Spencer Ware injury) and JuJu Smith-Schuster simply because I liked their talent and how they fit into their teams' offensive schemes. I figured if they weren't getting regular snaps by the time bye weeks started, I could dump them.
It turns out they were not only depth but quality weekly starts. The trick is finding the quality talent that has the easiest paths. Seems overly simple and there's some luck involved but if you study the rookie class, you can really separate yourself.
Adam Harstad: The importance of air yards. When it comes to predicting future performance, past volume, (carries, targets, etc.), is king. But Josh Hermsmeyer of Rotoviz has done some fairly convincing work this past year showing that air yards, (or the number of yards at the point of the target, whether the ball is caught or not), are superior to raw targets as a volume measure. A receiver who has five targets of 20 yards each would have as many air yards as a receiver who has eight targets of 12.5 yards each and our naive expectations for both should be similar going forward as a result.
Clayton Gray: Tight ends are wearing out. Guys like Jordan Reed and Tyler Eifert simply can't remain healthy — if they can even get healthy from their past punishment. Studs like Rob Gronkowski, Zach Ertz, Jimmy Graham, and Delanie Walker either missed games or had their practices managed this season. Travis Kelce had a concussion.
The position combines the strain of blocking defensive linemen at the line of scrimmage with jarring hits in the open field from linebackers and defensive backs. It's hard for tight ends to be on the field every week. And it's folly to bet on a tight end to be healthier going forward than they've been in the past.
Waldman: I learned several things this year. Some lessons were initially learned in the past but reinforced in a big way; others were new:
- The Erhardt-Perkins offense has a shorter on-boarding time than the West Coast Offense: I wrote about this last year when Dak Prescott mania was at fever pitch and Jared Goff was prematurely considered one of the greatest busts in NFL Draft history. Learning a new offense can have similar difficulties as learning a new language. As a quarterback is presented with this undertaking, the process can sublimate his strengths because he's spending so much time thinking rather than engaging at the speed of instinct. This year, we saw Goff acclimate to the West Coast Scheme and benefit from a stronger supporting cast on the field and on the sideline.
- Quiet Feet: I never knew this term until Tony Romo used it to describe Goff's footwork during a broadcast of a Rams game. I recognized it but didn't know how to describe it. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but when given a term to describe a behavior, it also helps add context to the behavior, which solidifies other behaviors related to it. It will be helpful for future quarterback evaluation.
- Tensegrity: I'm gradually making my way through National Football Academy material. I'm a big fan of the work of Dub Maddox and Darrin Slack, a pair of coaches who have authored the R4 system. Tensegrity, as it applies to quarterbacking, is maintaining the tension between the upper part of the legs. This tension with the groin muscles keeps the hips tight and prevents quarterbacks from bending their torsos during the release of the football, which contributes to an off-balanced throwing motion and a loss of power and control. Goff, Tom Brady, and Matt Ryan often display tensegrity with their throwing motions.
- "Young Talent Development" instead of "Rookies": In this week's Gut Check, I explain that the way we categorize players mimics the broad brush strokes that football entertainment outlets use to characterize talent. Despite dozens of examples to the contrary, we're bombarded with the idea that if a rookie doesn't contribute immediately, he wasn't as good as characterized. Instead of seeing the fantasy talent pool as rookies, veterans, and bench players, I've learned to group rookies with players with no more than three years of experience. Regardless of whether the young veterans were fantasy starters or never saw the field, opening one's mind to the idea that development isn't a one-year proposition reduces bias to information that indicates the player is developing or regressing.
- Scheme-Based Fits: In the 2017 Rookie Scouting Portfolio, I created a second set of rankings for running backs — scheme-based fits. The origins of this lesson originated with David Johnson. My ranking of Johnson before the NFL was lower than my assessment of his talent. The easiest way to explain what I mean is that I described Johnson as a back with the potential to be an All-Pro and sooner than later, but there were lessons he needed to learn that could slow his development. One of those lessons was learning to make good decisions in a zone running scheme. I wrote that if Johnson landed in a gap-based scheme — ideally, the Cardinals or Colts — the staff could use him immediately. Johnson flashed in a major way as a rookie but as position coach Jen Welter verified at the Senior Bowl while we were arguing the same side of a debate with an on-air football personality opposing us, Johnson lacked the patience to run the zone scheme early in his career and it was why Chris Johnson was the starter. Even so, David Johnson developed quickly because the predominant scheme included its share of gap blocking that fit his skills and he had good coaching from the staff and his veteran peer. This situation combined with the fact that the running back position has a range of size, quickness, speed, and strength that encompasses the baselines for at least three if not four different positions on the defensive side of the ball. It supports the idea that running backs have a variety of roles and it depends on the team and scheme. While I still stack-rank rookies, it made sense to have a second set of rankings based on the player joining a team that will maximize his usage based on what he does well while minimizing what he doesn't. Two of my top scheme-fit backs in the 2017 RSP were Tarik Cohen and Alvin Kamara. While my overall view of both players was lower than many, the scheme-fit rankings allowed me to recognize where they could thrive immediately without compromising my standards for what constitutes all-around play. I drafted both Cohen and Kamara in a league this year because of scheme fit and both delivered — especially Kamara, who vastly improved his decision-making between the tackles by not trying to bounce runs unnecessarily.
Jason Wood: Strategically, I can't emphasize enough how important it's become to mock draft with a structure that matches your actual league. With the maturation of the industry and better software tools, we're seeing an ever-increasing variety of league scoring and roster requirements. As analysts, we are so used to mock drafting for months on end, but most fantasy football enthusiasts don't mock very much. They should absolutely avail themselves of tools like the Draft Dominator so they can get a feel for how their draft is most likely to go, which gives them a more innate ability to sense when to zig while others zag.
Mark Wimer: Over the years, I've come to value stability in an NFL team's front office/coaching staff. It is a useful indicator of the upside potential of any given team's offense and offensive players — especially their rookie talents.
Think about the teams that are strong year after year, and some of the teams you'll name will likely include New England, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, and Seattle. Think about teams that stink on an annual basis and you'll likely think about Cleveland, San Francisco, and Miami. One big difference between the former and the latter list is how long the current head coaches/front office have been in place and also how many times the general manager/scouting staff have turned over in the past decade.
It takes time and a coherent vision to put together a winning team concept/personnel for that scheme in the NFL. Organizations that stay the course and build the necessary blocks of personnel (a good offensive line; a quality starting quarterback, etc.) tend to also develop successful fantasy players. Teams that flail around constantly restarting — Cleveland is the prime example of this dynamic — also fail to produce solid fantasy prospects that perform at the highest levels.
Justin Howe: I’ve learned the folly of downgrading rookie runners too seriously. Many of them are NFL-ready guys who have risen to the top of the talent pool, and coaching staffs are often willing to showcase them off the bat.
I’m done sliding rookie runners down my priority lists. Four rookies (Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey) finished as PPR RB1s. Five others (Joe Mixon, Chris Carson, Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones, Samaje Perine) seized a lead role and posted some degree of success with it.
Offseason preparation
Waldman: After you take some time away from fantasy football, what do you do to get ready for the 2018 season? Share some of your process and tips for those who may wish to do what you're doing.
Wood: After the Super Bowl, I shut off from football for about six weeks. Not to compare ourselves to the phenomenal athletes who take the field, but we can also succumb to the grind and cyclicality of an NFL season. Some subscribers may not realize this, but we are pretty much full go on the day following the NFL draft.
As one of the people who build our preseason projections, I have my first set of full projections — league-wide — built and submitted on that day after the draft. By the time most of our subscribers are drafting, I've tweaked my projections 100+ times over nearly five months.
As a result, I need some time away to recharge the batteries. I start getting back into things once the free agency rumor mill begins churning. I'll generally dust off my projections spreadsheets a week or two before roster moves get underway.
My first step is cleaning the data set for the upcoming year. That involves pulling all of the prior season's data out and archiving it and then establishing new baselines. I'll go through and update all the coaching and strategy (e.g., teams moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3) and research coaching tendencies. I'll assign a change percentage to a team.
For example, if a team like the Patriots returns with Brady, Belichick, McDaniels, and the bulk of the offensive line, there's little reason to forecast a significant delta from what's come before (over a multi-year rolling period). However, a team that replaces its entire coaching staff, starting quarterback and multiple other starters assuredly warrant a major change. The team may ultimately be almost completely different from the year before, essentially invalidating the predictive nature of what's come before.
Once the draft and free agency get rolling, I'll dynamically layer in those players into my spreadsheets and update projections accordingly. I'll also begin the process of discussing the league and situations with my FBG peers and other industry folks. That process continues and iterates throughout the preseason until we go live in September.
Howe: I don’t particularly like taking time away from football; I’ll likely begin my early projections in March. And while I don’t expect everyone to construct their own projections, I do recommend that owners follow – but temper their reactions to – the March/April free agency bonanza. Potential roles get overblown, and glowing camp reports fly around like a swarm of bats. But most situations that are fluid in March stay that way through the offseason, and big March/April investments can lose their luster quickly. Those who wound up overweight on Mike Gillislee and Kenny Britt can attest.
Gray: I don't take a break anymore and try to follow the news every day. Coaching hires and player acquisitions give me an idea of the offensive direction a team will take in the upcoming season, so keeping track of that personnel movement is important.
Wimer: Because I am so intensely immersed in the NFL and pro players, I do not have time during NFL season to watch many college football games or game tape on college prospects ready to jump to the NFL. So, during the NFL playoffs/NFL off-season when the NBA/NHL are in session, I intentionally ignore those sports (MLB, too, after opening day) and devote my time and attention to catching up on the upcoming NFL draft.
As soon as Matt Waldman's Rookie Scouting Portfolio is available I am reading that invaluable document as I know how many hundreds of hours of tape he watches to build that report; I listen to Footballguys.com's podcast "The Audible" for Cecil Lammey, Sigmund Bloom and company's takes on the upcoming NFL Draft; and I seek out and read a wide variety of mock NFL Drafts to get a handle on the 32 NFL teams' needs. After the draft, Dr. Jene Bramel's injury analysis is vital reading, as are his annual Combined Rookie Draft Boards.
An incredibly useful search on the Footballguys.com site during the offseason is on the keyword Rookie. Here we find a great Footballguys article already looking forward to Draft Season by Waldman (Gut Check No. 435 from December 26, 2017).
As you can see, there is a lot of research I do prior to the NFL Draft. Then during training camps, the number one resource I rely on is Footballguys.com in-depth Training Camp Updates edited by Bob Henry and Jason Wood, providing weekly capsules on all 32 teams' training camp battles, rising rookie talents, and so forth. These reports synthesize the pre-draft research I've done with snapshots of how the various rookies are doing at competing for playing time with their new NFL clubs, and also how veterans are faring in the run-up to the regular season.
Harstad: I think the word "process" implies a level of organization and intentionality beyond what I'd lay claim to. I keep a running list of questions that pop up that I didn't have the time or energy to dig into, and I'll randomly pick a couple when I have the time and dig into them to see if I can find anything interesting. In past offseasons, I've taken a look at player aging patterns or how successful owners are at playing match-ups.
If anyone else wanted to do what I was doing, it'd be pretty easy. It's mostly just about staying curious, asking questions, and being willing to dig through the data in search of answers. I try to take nothing for granted, questioning even the most consensus of wisdom. Most of the time I wind up in dead ends; conventional wisdom is usually conventional wisdom because it's right.
Sometimes, though, you find something cool, like that the entire way we think about how NFL players age is probably wrong. Fun things like that make all the time "wasted" running down blind alleys worthwhile.
Tietgen: Scouting the rookie class as soon as the combine starts — not only for dynasty purposes but to know which guys look to be real standouts if put on an offense that desperately needs them.
Waldman: Mark mentioned my publication (thank you) — a year-round endeavor that is at its peak intensity between December and May. The knowledge I gain about young talent is helpful for the second half of drafts. The film research that I do on the Top 10 not only helps me get familiar with the NFL landscape early in the season, it also informs my views of players for the following year. Watching NFL tape is also a vital part of scouting rookies. If you're not studying the NFL environment and comparing it to college football, how can you make a reasonable projection of the player?
Most people freak out when I share this but for as much college tape I watch every week, I don't keep up with the in-season narratives. I didn't know Lamar Jackson won the Heisman until late July.
I don't sit on my couch and take in the games like a fan, which means I don't watch pre-game shows or the games that are on that weekend. I study individual players and it could be some tape from late last year or a game that happened two weeks ago. If the hype around a player is big enough, it will be evident on social media. However, I also filter my feed to show things that interest me and that reduces the testosterone-fueled soap opera factor.
I'm also studying football. I've purchased books and videos that I've recommended here before. I have a dry erase blackboard in my office that I use to draw alignments, plays, coverages, and routes from memory and I'm slowly drawing my way through these lessons.
Learning about the game helps me develop perspective so I can look at the analysis of others and better discern which has a chance to be right or wrong for the right reasons instead of right or wrong for the wrong reasons. This is vital for developing a stronger decision-making compass.
Simpkins: Time away? Active dynasty leagues are a year-round endeavor! Sure, things will get a little slow at this time of year, but just like exercise, if you stay active, it won’t be so hard to come back and do it at a high level later. That’s my advice — certainly, take some time during this slow period to do some of the other things you enjoy in your life, but stay plugged in. Understanding the implications of coaching changes, the draft, and other offseason shifts will help you to be more prepared to play in 2018.
Dynasty Corner
Waldman: Share your thoughts on the following.
- 1-3 great buy-lows for a rehabbing dynasty squad.
- 1-3 sell-highs.
- 1-3 aging veterans who are perceived to 1-2 years (at most) from being too old to contribute but are worth acquiring if your team is in a win-now, championship window.
Tietgen: Amari Cooper. With Michael Crabtree getting a lot of attention — and rightly so — you can make the case that Cooper has a long road back. Again, he's just too talented to be held back and it's not like he has a bad QB throwing him the ball. Still just 23, Cooper has a lot of tread left on the tires and should go back to being the "1a" to Crabtree's "1b" in 2018
Jordy Nelson is probably too highly thought of, but it's worth poking around to see if his owner is still miffed about the lackluster 2017 season. Nelson is a stud when Aaron Rodgers is healthy, and there's no reason to believe Rodgers won't be on the field next year.
Everyone remembers how terrible the Seattle running game was for most of 2017. But most have forgotten Chris Carson didn't look too bad before being lost for the season in Week 4. Carson was possibly dropped in your and would be a fantastic no-cost addition.
Don't be afraid to acquire veteran quarterbacks like Philip Rivers, Drew Brees or Tom Brady. Teams will view these guys are almost worthless, and if you can dangle a rookie draft pick at an owner, you would be surprised how many will bite.
Jarvis Landry is another. He's leading the league with 103 receptions, but yet again is averaging 8.7 yards per catch — akin to an in-line tight end rather than an outside receiver. Landry is going to break the bank in free agency and I could see him being this year's most overpaid, over-hyped NFL free agent.
- Loss of a veteran starting quarterback and the replacement is a first-year starter.
- Loss of a starting center, guard, and either a second guard or a tackle. If a line loses three of these options due to a combination of injury, retirement, and free agency and they aren't replaced by a top player via trade, don't expect that running back to have a good season — no matter how good he's been before.
The point is that anyone in the NFL could be 1-2 years (at most) from being too old to contribute. Older players might be more likely to go over that cliff than younger ones, but everyone is at risk of catastrophic decline.
In some ways, it's kind of a freeing realization. If Larry Fitzgerald comes back for another season, go ahead and get him on the cheap. There's a good chance he becomes old overnight but there's also a good chance he doesn't. There's really no reason to fear older players who haven't shown signs of decline yet, especially if you have a robust backup plan in place behind them.
With all of this said, I'm also on record as being opposed to "win now" trades. Don't sacrifice value to chase short-term gains. Consistently improve the overall value of your roster and the championships will follow.
2018 Predictions
Waldman: Name your candidates for the following titles in 2018 and share your thoughts why you've named them:
- Over-hyped pre-draft (fantasy, not NFL) player.
- Underrated pre-draft player.
- Best fantasy rebound (injuries do not count — no easy David Johnson answers).
- Best rookie.
Share all four with your "air-time."
Howe: My over-hyped, pre-draft player is Kareem Hunt. He looks poised to tumble from his no-brainer RB1 perch. Andy Reid has his warts as a game coach, but he’s a gifted offensive mind who’s always ridden his stud playmakers appropriately. Yet he rarely sees fit to give Hunt more than a moderate share of his offense. He wouldn’t do it out of spite; Hunt can erupt in the right moments but is most likely a limited weapon that Reid won’t be turning into a workhorse next year.
My underrated pre-draft player is Joe Mixon. He got a horrible rap for his thoroughly uneventful rookie campaign, but oh how the deck was stacked against him. He spent most of the year deadlocked in a toothless offense that couldn’t keep defenders out of the box – and couldn’t block them, either.
As he began to uncork a bit, he went down with a frightening concussion that cost him much of his stretch run. But his 2018 outlook should improve. Mixon is an elite athlete with far more play-making ability than we saw as a no-hope rookie. Jeremy Hill comes off the books next season, and Mixon should stroll into 2018 as the clear-cut lead back. Some Bengals investment in the front line would open things up for him immensely.
My rebound candidate is Mike Evans. He is following an alternating pattern of world-beating and disappointing fantasy seasons. I think the pendulum swings back his way in 2018. He keeps drawing great volume but falling victim, every other year, to a handful of highly variable stats. But he remains a top-tier red zone guy (18 targets from inside the 10 over his last 30 games) and a per-target star (7.72 yards per target with Jameis Winston).
Assuming Winston’s 2018 health, Evans should again carry a 140-target floor, and at least some of those wonky numbers should return to WR1 status. And he’ll come at a moderate discount, too, after burning so many owners this year.
Saquon Barkley is the only rookie I'm currently (it's still December) tracking especially closely. Part of that is due to projected draft value —I think there's a strong chance he winds up the only RB taken in the top 20.
I do like Chubb, Guice, etc., but all seem flawed enough to wind up in uncertain situations. Barkley, on the other hand, looks poised to wind up a featured back off the bat. Now, I'm not sure he is that prolific featured back many project him to be.
He's not a power guy, and I don't think he boasts a Todd Gurley/Ezekiel Elliott outlook. But if he goes early to a team desperate to capture Christian McCaffrey's rookie kinda-success, he'll be worth an early rookie pick. And at the moment, that's all I can ask for of a soon-to-be-rookie.
Simpkins: My over-hyped pre-draft player is Kareem Hunt. Not only does he have the return of Spencer Ware to contend with, but I also didn’t see as much from him in terms of development as I would like this season. I think he will be over-drafted based on his strong start to this year and a strong finish in the fantasy playoffs.
Harstad: Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson are over-hyped. Both lived on insane, unrepeatable touchdown production, which is both insane and unrepeatable. Both will probably be better NFL players last year, but they're going to be drafted as if they were 30+ touchdown producers, and I would not like to make that bet.
Adam Thielen strikes me as the kind of receiver everyone talks themselves out of taking every year, the next Emmanuel Sanders or Julian Edelman or Wes Welker. He had no draft pedigree, he took several years to hit his stride, he didn't rack up a ton of touchdowns, and he is not a dominant physical talent. In PPR leagues, as an honorable mention, I'll add any receiving specialist RB. Guys like Danny Woodhead and Theo Riddick are always tremendous draft-day values.
They've been hurt, but I think they still fit the spirit of your question...
Waldman: I'll allow it but only with a certain amount of ridicule...
Harstad: ...Corey Davis, Mike Williams, and John Ross. All were top-10 NFL draft picks, all dealt with injuries, all disappointed. Add in Corey Coleman and there's a lot of young receiver talent that hasn't had a full opportunity to shine yet.
I haven't watched a snap of college football in nearly a decade now, so all I can say is that I've heard of some rookie named Saquon Barkley who is supposed to be pretty good.
Wimer: As you can see above, I expect to hear a paean of praise for Saquon Barkley as the next great NFL back. However, I am old enough to remember Tim Biakabutuka and JaMarcus Russell. I am not going to get overly excited for Barkley unless and until he shows me NFL-level chops in training camp and preseason.
From what I've seen above from my colleagues, it looks like Deshaun Watson has a lot of doubters heading into 2018. I am not in agreement with their assessments. I think that Watson has all the talent, drive, and skills to be a generational player at his position — think Brett Favre or Jerry Rice.
Watson is going to be a monster fantasy player and a winner in the NFL — Houston is a club on the rise and should dominate the AFC South for years to come regardless of Andrew Luck's success rehabbing his troublesome shoulder. My only regret about Watson is that I didn't draft him often enough in my dynasty leagues last year, but I am thrilled at the prospects of playing him in those leagues where I did land him.
Julio Jones will once again challenge for the No. 1 fantasy spot among wide receivers next year. It is absurd that he has seen 137 targets for 83 receptions and 1,364 yards and yet, he has scored a bottom-of-the-barrel three TDs over 15 games this year.
Someone will bring offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to his senses during the offseason and we'll see Jones scoring much more often during 2018. It is plain stupid how few red-zone targets Jones has seen this year — 19 red zone targets with just five red zone receptions to date.
Gray: Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram could be over-hyped. These guys have been amazing for most of 2017, but let's not just assume they'll be that again in 2018. Teams generally don't have two running backs performing at this level. They just don't. Betting it will happen again goes against the history of the NFL and is a bad play.
Everyone knows Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback, but recency bias will cause him to be underrated in 2018. In a lot of leagues, he'll probably be drafted behind Tom Brady simply because Brady played all season. Rodgers could also be behind Russell Wilson and Cam Newton after the outstanding 2017 campaigns those two veterans turned in. Further, lots of fantasy players will go for the shiny new toys in Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson.
Something was off all season with Carr and the Raiders. He's more talented than he showed in 2017 and will rebound next year.
Evans was a starting fantasy receiver in 2017, but he certainly failed to meet expectations as the entire Tampa Bay offense underperformed. More realistic expectations in 2018 and a healthy Jameis Winston will restore Evans' value next season.
Trying to pick a rookie before he's on an NFL roster is a crap-shoot, so I'll just take the running back who goes to San Francisco.
Wood: I see a few people mentioning Carson Wentz, and I would agree with that assertion given his unrealistically high touchdown rate (7.5%). However, my peers seem to be forgetting something. He tore his ACL in mid-December. He's not going to be ready for the start of the season, and I've never known a fantasy player to be overrated when he's guaranteed to miss the entire preseason and probably start the year on PUP. If anything, I suspect Wentz' health worries will force him into a high-end QB2 next year, which makes him an incredible VALUE.
My nomination for overrated quarterback defaults to DeShaun Watson. Watson is also coming off an injury but should be ready for the preseason if not certainly Week One of the regular season. Watson's touchdown rate — 9.3% — makes Wentz' look pedestrian, and yet no one thinks of Watson as a pinpoint passer. His size also makes his mobility a larger risk. Wentz is built like Cam Newton, Watson is built like Robert Griffin.
At running back, I'll toss out Derrick Henry, especially if Henry runs wild on a backup-laden