Welcome to OwnersBox. OwnersBox provides a unique fantasy sports experience that offers contests that run for a full week or more. This can lead to some interesting strategy sessions, as you are often no longer planning for just one game. Engaging and entertaining, Weekly Fantasy Sports could very well become the next big thing in fantasy football. For more information on the OwnersBox platform, check out our Introduction to OwnersBox here.
For Week 1 we will shift our focus to one of OwnersBox’s most interesting contests, the eight-person NFL drafts. The eight-person leagues span three weeks, with the pool of drafted players being eight quarterbacks, 16 running backs, 16 wide receivers, eight tight ends, eight kickers, and 24 IDP players.
The 16 person leagues are also highly intriguing, but may not generate enough initial interest from those not comfortable with their depth of player knowledge (32 wide receivers, 32 running backs, and 48 IDP players are drafted in those contests). For the purposes of this discussion, we will focus our energy on players that can be had late in eight-person drafts, or even as swaps. Since there are only eight quarterbacks, tight ends, and kickers drafted, we will focus on the other three positions.
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Things to remember
- Contests span different lengths depending on size. Two-person contests last one week. Four-person contests last two weeks. Eight person contests last three weeks. 16 person contests last four weeks.
- Drafts start as soon as full. If you are no longer available to draft, leave the draft lobby for a full refund.
- Two lineup swaps per contest (injured or reserve/COVID players can be swapped with no restrictions).
- You can draft a team for Week 1 games up until kickoff on Sunday.
Running Back
Todd Gurley is someone you can draft if you choose to wait on your second running back. The presence of Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley means that he should rarely see a stacked box, and should be put in the best position to succeed. His Week 1 contest against Seattle could turn into a slugfest, increasing Gurley’s scoring opportunities.
For Week’s 2 and 3, he has Dallas and Chicago on the schedule. The main appeal here is the fact that Gurley is very likely underrated for Week 1. 17th in our expert consensus rankings, Gurley is a weekly RB1 threat in the Falcons offense. He has two potential shootouts on the schedule, with the third being a contest versus a ferocious front seven, albeit in a contest the Rams should be heavy favorites in. Gurley makes for an ideal late pick at OwnersBox.
If you are willing to take a risk on a rookie that is listed behind ‘starter’ Marlon Mack, Jonathan Taylor may be the player to tap. He may not be featured as heavily as fellow rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire was on Thursday Night Football, but is expected to lead the backfield as soon as this week despite nominal starter Marlon Mack being likely to play the first series.
Mack is an above-average running back who deserves the love he gets for running for 1,999 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons. However, Taylor is a special talent who was drafted to unseat Mack. While we have no doubt seen that the highly drafted rookie sometimes never passes the incumbent, with Taylor, it will only be a matter of time.
Ranked 23rd in our ECR for Week 1, Taylor has a cupcake matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts are heavy favorites in that contest and are expected to feed him throughout the contest. Minnesota represents a tougher matchup in Week 2, but with Danielle Hunter placed on IR, this road to a productive day out of the backfield becomes clearer. Atlanta should dominate the Jets and help provide a win for Week 3.
Wide Receiver
JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – PIT)
JuJu continues to be an afterthought in OwnersBox drafts. Available at the tail end of almost every draft I have participated in, JuJu Smith-Schuster is the reason that waiting on the wide receiver position is so appealing in these eight-person drafts. He has three enticing matchups over the next three weeks, starting with the New York Giants in Week 1. He was always projected to have a big game against New York, but with Diontae Johnson dealing with a foot injury, JuJu may be even more involved than originally anticipated. He will draw a Denver defense littered with holes in Week 2 and will get the Houston Texans in Week 3 in what should turn into a shootout.
Keenan Allen is a highly attractive option for OwnersBox eight-person contests. Despite scuttlebutt to the contrary, it was always going to be Keenan Allen that was Tyrod Taylor and/or Justin Herbert‘s top target. He runs routes and gets open with the best of them, and both quarterbacks have shown a preference to hit the open man as opposed to gunslinging their way into contested-catch situations. Mike Williams is dealing with a sprained AC joint and may be limited if he is even able to suit up for Week 1. Allen has what should be considered an easy matchup against the Bengals defense in Week 1, and will follow that up with matchups against Kansas City and Carolina. Allen has a chance to produce at a top-five level over the next three weeks and deserves strong consideration for your OwnersBox WFS contests.
IDP
Devin White is someone I have specifically targeted in every OwnersBox draft I have participated in regardless of size. He is off the radar enough that you can still land him in 16 team leagues, and can almost always net him as your final IDP pick in eight-team leagues. White had 56 total tackles, two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble over his final eight contests of 2019.
He has three tremendous matchups over the first three weeks of the season. New Orleans should provide plenty of tackle opportunities due to the amount of run and short pass plays they typically call. For context, White had a career-high 13 tackles against the Saints in 2019.
Week 2 opponent Carolina will be a team to target all year if for no other reason than the ball will be in Christian McCaffrey‘s hands a lot, increasing tackle opportunities for the linebackers. White had eight solo tackles and a tackle for loss against them last season. Finally, we have the Denver Broncos, a team that may be forced into a more run-heavy gameplan than anticipated if Courtland Sutton‘s sprained AC joint causes him to miss Week 3’s contest.
One of my favorite defensive players in the league, Jonathan Abram could have monster games lined up for his OwnersBox managers. Carolina will be running a run and short pass heavy gameplan that works to the benefit of a roaming safety like Abram who will take multiple snaps in the box.
New Orleans will employ a similar gameplan (which is no surprise considering the Panthers offensive coordinator used to be a Saints assistant) and should provide even more tackle opportunities as they look to run out the clock if/when they hold the late lead as expected. Finally, we have the New England Patriots. New England will be running the ball perhaps more than we have ever seen. By Week 3 there will be enough tape on New England’s new offense to help Abram be in the position to have a field day against what should be an exotic ground-oriented attack. Abram can often be selected with the very last pick of the draft.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.
