Champions League Draft Recap 2023

Hello Everyone and welcome to the 7th year of the Relegation Fantasy Football Association. We are back for another year of trying to keep DigustingActby from winning another championship. I think he has 4 out of the 6 Champions trophies. Good luck to everyone and enjoy the season.

The most notable thing for me overall is probably something that doesn’t matter. A defense was not taken until the second to last round. I know all the experts say to wait until the last round, but there is almost always someone who chooses a defense a little bit earlier. I think that shows the quality of players in this league. Let's get to it.

MoonwalkerTee - 1st Pick (Minor Leagues)

Moonwalker kicks us off from the first position with a WR and QB heavy draft. You would expect those two positions to be fairly solid but QB 2 is left to DangeRuss. Despite how bad his year was last year, he still finished QB 16. And he clearly has upside. Hopefully all of those Subway sandwiches has improved his play. Then the team really hinges on the picks in rounds 6-8 where Moonwalker picked up Akers, Dobbins, and Swift. At one point in their careers, all of these RBs were very highly ranked. But injuries and issues with their organizations have depressed their value greatly. A high risk play with a high reward. After those picks I am excited for basically nothing. I don’t think DangeRuss and the RBs hold this team afloat and we see this team in the minors next year.

LJ Fresh - 2nd Pick (Champions League - Playoffs)

LJ Fresh took a much more balanced approach to the draft. 3 different positions in the first 3 rounds and 4 different positions in the first 6. Overall the first couple of picks are solid and Tony Pollard in the third could be a great value. I was definitely taking him in the next pick if he was available. The end of the draft has a bunch of players with upside. Skyy Moore could be WR1 in KC. Achane and Hull could see meaningful work this year. And the team has 4 QBs, granted 3 are pretty questionable. I think the real success of this team will boil down to Calvin Ridley and Travis Etienne. Ridley hasn’t seen the field in around 2 years and Etienne hasn’t had the ideal start to his career. Plus Etienne now shares the backfield with someone named Tank. But if those two can perform at a high level, I think this team challenges for the championship.

Tline29 - 3rd Pick (Champions League - Playoffs)

As usual, a perfect draft by the commissioner. Sort of. I think I messed up my second round pick. I should have picked Pollard and picked up one of the many WRs available coming back in the third or maybe even a QB there. Instead I have a little more strength at WR early on. I have a lot riding on Aaron Jones in the 5th. I don’t need him to be great, just solid. But the 5th round is a dangerous place to take an aging RB. Then I really wanted Madison in the 6th. Again sniped. And again I defaulted to a WR. I was fortunate to get Rashaad White in the 7th as my RB2. My whole team is really relying on Pitts to be good this year. He could make or break this team. I picked up some upside late but there is a lot that needs to go right for this team to work out.

Jessman82 - 4th Pick (Minor Leagues)

Justin Jefferson in the 1st can’t really be questioned. But it does leave a team lacking a bit at QB. Watson and Carr aren’t my favorite pair going into the season. I have more issues with Watson than Carr. He spent about 2 years away from the league. And to me, confidence is huge in professional sports and especially QB. How does he get confidence and swagger back when half the stadium won’t cheer for him and thinks he is a criminal? I’ll stay away from him. The Jessman did pick up the boom bust Christian Watson and Javonte in the RB4 spot. So there is a lot of upside in the middle rounds. But for me, it isn’t enough to keep this team in the Champions League

Anto00861 - 5th Pick (Minor Leagues)

The first 3 picks aren’t an issue for me. But the running backs start the issues on this team. Sure Mixon and Conner have plenty of opportunity, but I am not sure if they will do much with that opportunity. Taking Stafford as the 2nd QB is risky play on top of that. With Kupp seeking 2nd opinions from experts around the league, that WR room isn’t looking great. And apparently Stafford isn’t connecting with the younger generation, which everyone on ESPN seems to think matters. Then later on is a bunch of ho hum players. This team seems to lack the spark needed to do well in the Champions League

Srochat - 6th Pick (Champions League - Playoffs)

It was probably too hopeful but in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th rounds, this guy took the guy I was hoping would somehow fall to me a few spots later. So I am going to like the team overall. Waiting until the 3rd for a QB can get risky, but I like the Danny Dimes and Geno combo. Both could have another nice season at a discounted price. Later on Pacheco, Warren, and Lockett all have some potential you like to see in the late rounds. I think this is an all around solid team.

DisgustingActBy - 7th Pick (Minor Leagues)

In the career of every great athlete, there are ups and downs. They don’t win every game and every championship. And this year, Disgusting will fall off their throne all the way to the Minor Leagues. There are only two QBs on the team and one is Anthony Richardson. I get that he could run for plenty of yards, but the Colts seem like an absolute disaster this year. Then Disgusting picked up their TE in the last round in Michael Mayer. Sure TEs are usually mostly disappointments anyway, but you still have to try to get someone good. This does leave a lot of RBs and WRs on this team. But Eli Mitchell, Allgeier, Harris, Ford, and Hubbard aren’t exciting to me at all. I feel like the stars need to align and bunch of people need to play way above expectation for this dynasty to continue.

LuckyTye - 8th Pick (Champions League - No Playoffs)

The start of the draft is one of my favorites. Herbert and Dak at QB, Bijan, Tee Higgins, and Waller. And I think this core will keep the team in enough contests to stay in the Champions League. But the rest of the draft doesn’t hold up to be a playoff team. I will be very surprised if Breece Hall looks like he did last year until the 2nd half of the season or even next year. Then WR2 is Michael Pittman or Mike Williams. Both will probably have some good weeks but I expect both to be very inconsistent. Probably a good pairing for best ball. Then Quentin Johnston really seems to be struggling through the pre-season. Good start, but not enough overall.

TBegun - 9th Pick (Champions League - Playoffs)

I want to like this team. I like the late picks quite a bit. Kendre Miller, Flowers, and Elijah Moore all seem to have potential. Then the entire top of the draft is a bunch of people I could see doing well, but I am really not sure. I would guess the team is either really good or really bad. Fields could take a step forward or continue to struggle with accuracy. Chubb could get passing work and dominate or he could fall off as he gets older. Rodgers could regain his previous level of play or continue last year’s disappointment. Deebo is similar to Rodgers. The first few weeks will probably leave the team 3-0 or 0-3. What the heck, lets put them in the playoffs.

Apot - 10th Pick (Minor Leagues)

It was very close, but I had to put this team down a level. TLaw falling to the 2nd after taking Kelce in the 1st seems like a dream come true. (Kelce’s knee was in tact at the time of writing) And Cousins coming all the way back in the 3rd seems solid as well. Then you have two running backs that had good years last year in Jacobs and Walker. But both could take a bit of a step back this year. Then my big problem is the WRs. McLaurin has a toe issue. Godwin has a QB issue. And after an inconsistent year for Kirk last year, he gets Ridley to steal a few more targets. Even if every other position is solid. I think there will be a big hole at WR most weeks for this team.

Gkuster - 11th Pick (Minor Leagues)

Every year someone waits on QB. This year Kuster has Purdy and Mac Jones. I like Purdy, but as a safe play each week. Then Mac Jones didn’t get to 14 points in 8 games last season, not including the 3 he missed and the crazy weather game. I would expect the other positions to be loaded, and I am not too impressed. Granted Kupp’s outlook has changed from the draft. But that is a major hit to the team. And it might continue due to the age of this team. McCaffrey, Hopkins, Kupp, Kamara, and Jamal Williams have been on our teams for years. But I don’t think we will see all of them at their peak. Maybe this team pulls it together off the waiver wire, but the other strengths aren’t there with a less than ideal QB room.

Lefty 2104 - 12th Pick (Champions League - No Playoffs)

Lefty also starts RB/WR but picks up Tua in the 3rd. As long as Tua is playing, that puts a solid option at QB. Tua had 8 games over 14 points while missing 5 games. And most of those were over 20. So a big advantage at QB compared to the previous team. I am going to assume Jonathan Taylor plays at some point this season. It seems a bit risky, but that would make this team really strong when he plays. But before then, this team might pick up a few loses. Kyler could also come back later in the year and give a boost. Everyone may just be hoping this team doesn’t make the playoffs.