Anatomy of Championship teams

[abloom]

Oooh nice thread. Was going to post something like this, but much rather just add onto a thread than cluttering up the forums:

I also won a redraft league. The common player between both of them was Kelce. I have a feeling that a lot of championship teams, especially in TE premium leagues, are going to have Kelce this year. With Kittle's injury, and Andrews' less than stellar year, Kelce was a difference maker. I wouldn't be surprised if J Rob isn't on a bunch of teams too because of the value he gave for little investment, but Kelce provided just such a positional advantage that he was hard to overcome. Kelce basically had atleast 2x as many points as all other TEs except Waller, so against most teams you were playing essentially 2 TEs against their 1 TE.


Team #2 in Signature, 12 team, SF, 1PPR (1.5 TE)

I'll list 2020 Draft and also any trades made. A lot of nothing trades or small losses, and a few big wins:

PREDRAFT:
Trade #1
Sent: Devonta Freeman, my 2021 2nd rounder
Receive: Mark Ingram
In retrospect, this trade was horrible but really ended up being just 2.12 for Ingram.

Trade #2
Sent: Jonnu Smith, 2020 2.07, 2020 1.10
Received: 2020 1.06
Smith was going to be a cut cassualty, looked at this as really just moving 1.10 and 2.07 for 1.06. Had a pretty big drop between 1.08 and 1.09. In retrospect, while I wouldn't have gotten my 1.06 at 1.10 I would have been fine with keeping the 1.10 and 2.07.

DRAFT RESULTS (my picks only):
1.03: JT - Could have gone with Tua, but with Murray, Wilson, Tannehill, & Cousins I felt fine at QB and had big holes at RB. JT was actually my 3rd ranked RB behind Swift and Dobbins, but I knew he wasn't getting back to me at 1.06 and 1.07 if I passed on him here.
1.06: Dobbins
1.07: Swift
3.03: Bryan Edwards - Man I was so excited to get him here. What a crappy season, I think he still has lots of potential but he's a likely cut casualty this year. Did not play him a single time this season (duh).
3.10: Hayden Hurst - At the time my TE group was horrible. I had faith in Hurst and thought he would do me well.
4.01: Traded the pick for a 2021 3rd
4.02: Traded the pick for a 2021 3rd - Both these pick trades I made because I didn't like the players available and would rather just convert the draft capital to more value I could use later
5.10: Devin Funchess - Was hoping for a quick value spike in GB. Easy cut after he opted out
7.10: Chris Thompson - Again hoping to just get someone to provide something in the RB group. Cut during season.

PRESEASON TRADES:
Trade #3:
Sent: Breida
Received: 2021 2nd

Trade #4:
Sent: Tannehill, 2021 3rd (3.05)
Received: 2021 1st (ended up being 1.05) and 2022 2nd (2.05)

Trade #5: This is where the bigger trades start that positioned me to win
Sent: Keenan Allen, Gurley, Fant
Received: Kelce, Montgomery, 2021 1st (1.09)
Thought this was a big win at the time, and an even bigger win now. Monty did great at the end of the season. Looking forward to trying to trade him this off season. Moving Allen hurt a bit but upgrading from Fant to Kelce was too good. This trade really put me into the Win now mode.


Trade #6:
Sent: 2021 2nd (2.05)
Received: Mattison

Trade #7:
Sent: JT
Received: Dalvin Cook
Debated this trade for a while. In fact I declined it earlier in the preseason, but after I was able to get the Mattison trade down, I felt better about this trade (so much for that). This was prior to Cook's extension. With the Kelce trade and this one, I was definitely going for the title this year.


IN-SEASON TRADES

Trade #8: Prior to Week 5
Sent: Hurst, Love, 2021 1st (1.09), 2021 3rd (3.12)
Received: Metcalf
Love was picked up off waivers, because why not. But he was never going to be kept long term unless he managed to start. This was actually a trade that I made after Metcalf was already traded. I thought he wasn't traded for much value so I immediately tried to trade for him and ended up getting him for a great deal imo.


Trade #9: Prior to week 9
Sent: Fulgrham, 2021 2nd (2.02), 2021 3rd (3.04)
Received: Keenan Allen, 2021 4th (4.06)
Previously picked up Fulgham a few weeks prior off waivers. This was right after Dal vs. Eagles where fulgham put up 78 yards and a TD. I thought this would be the last big game for Fulgham with other WRs and TEs coming back healthy. The 2nd I sent at the time was actually from a playoff team, but they ended up missing the playoffs and doing well in our toilet bowl. Still thrilled with the trade. Allen was a flex play for me until the playoffs.

Pickups during season:
I played a little defensively, gobbling up QBs as they hit waivers. Trubisky, Dalton, and Smith I picked up off waivers. Dalton and Smith are likely cuts going forward, Trubisky I think has done enough to stay on roster and roll with 4 into next year, though if I can flip him for a decent pick I'd do it.


Went 13-0 during the season and won championship, was leading wire to wire (high score week1, never gave that up).

[joeday]

For my championship team in signature I traded my 2nd and Crowder to a team that really needed a WR and I got Brady in return (based strictly on his playoff schedule (MIN, ATL, DET). Traded my 1st and Engram for Waller, Tua, and Hurts (I had Wentz at the time as my back up) right at the trade deadline. But the biggie was right before the season trading MBrown (trade partner had Akers) and OBJ for Calvin Ridley...I knew I won that trade but didnt realize how much until just a few days later...looked fair-ish after Malcolm scored over 20 points week 1 but that was the last time it was close.

*Honorable mention to week 4 of 2019 when I traded Gurley, DHenderson for Davante Adams...while Adams got hurt for a few weeks right after I traded for him, and I didn't win the ship in 2019, I wouldn't have won it in 2020 without him.

[DLF3000]

The most powerful thing you can do - big friggin' surprise - is swingy if not outright stupid trades.

We've all seen them in our leagues, and the worst are the inexplicably repeat offenders on the stupid end always making deals with the every-year powerhouse. When will you learn to not be stupid? How many losing seasons does it take? 3, 6, 12...?

Some of the ones here are clearly made with GMs who should hand in their FF cards and go play something more their speed, like fantasy bocce. I don't mind losing to fair enough trades or good drafters, but I can't stand losing to a series of utterly moronic trades.

[Ruggenater]

My championship roster in a 12 team, superflex, PPR, 0.25PPC league (start QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, Flex, Superflex):
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, Ryan Tannehill, Andy Dalton, Jordan Love, Dwayne Haskins
RB: David Montgomery, JK Dobbins, Gio Bernard, Sony Michel, AJ Dillon, Alexander Mattison
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans, Allen Robinson, Tyler Lockett, Terry McLaurin, Tee Higgins, Jalen Reagor, Sammy Watkins, Kelce Coutee, Jakobi Meyers
TE: Travis Kelce, Mike Gesicki, Jonnu Smith, Irv Smith

I was runner-up in 2019, and came into the offseason with only my own 2020 rookie picks (all the #.11 picks). I made 3 trades during the rookie draft, which was held one week after the NFL draft:

1) Gave: Josh Allen
Received: Terry McLaurin, 1.05 (JK Dobbins), 2.05 (Tee Higgins)
I made this deal while 1.05 was on the clock. It hurt to give up a high end QB in a superflex league, especially with questions about Aaron Rodgers following the NFL draft, but I really wanted a rookie RB for 2021 (thinking 2020 could be a lost season due to COVID). The deal was initially offered by me was 1.05 and either Fournette or Golladay for Allen (or 1.05 for Tannehill straight up), but was countered (thank goodness!!) with my choice of McLaurin or Thielen plus the first and second for Allen. I went McLaurin, again thinking about 2020 potentially being a lost season. All three players I ended up with were spot starters at various points throughout the season, and Dobbins helped in bringing home the trophy. My trade partner was eliminated in the semi-finals by me, and had the second highest scoring team (after me) in weeks 15 and 16. Though he was eliminated, this is looking like a win-win trade with Josh Allen’s progression this year.

2) Gave: Julio Jones, 1.11 (Jerry Jeudy), 3.11 (Cole Kmet)
Received: Mike Evans, 2.02 (Jalen Reagor), 2021 3rd
We had been discussing a Julio/Evans deal most of the offseason, and came to this while I was on the clock for 1.11. It was a surprise Jeudy was still available at this point (3 QBs, 5 RBs, CeeDee and Justin Jefferson went top 10), and through the first half of the season, it was looking like the trade favored my trade partner, at least for competing in 2020. Injuries piled up on his team, and he ended up 1 spot out of the playoffs, even after selling his future picks to try to stay afloat. Mike Evans was huge to close out the season for me.

3) Gave: Jarrett Stidham
Received: 2.09 (Jordan Love)
Stidham was still the projected starter for New England at this time, so it was definitely a risk giving that up. I wanted to secure the Green Bay QB spot though. My trade partner ended up as the 6 seed in the playoffs, and was easily knocked out in round 1. He has Zeke, Chubb, and Michael Thomas, so some additional support at QB looked like a smart move at the time (he otherwise only had Stafford, Darnold, and Flacco).

My full list of 2020 rookie/FA selections:
1.05 JK Dobbins
2.02 Jalen Reagor
2.05 Tee Higgins
2.09 Jordan Love
2.11 AJ Dillon
4.11 JJAW (lol)

Gio Bernard was my only waiver pickup of significance this year, and was part of my championship lineup.

The game ended up being not much of a contest. Evans got me to a big early lead, and really all of my starters had good to great games. My opponent was let down by slightly below average games from most of his starters, including a zero from Corey Davis. His starting lineup was:
Herbert, Bridgewater
Aaron Jones, Singletary
DK Metcalf, AJ Brown, Justin Jefferson, Corey Davis
Darren Waller
Definitely a high end team, but the final score was 212.86 to 103.70 in my favor.

[Pac_Eddy]

In my anecdotal observations this year, David Montgomery has been a common factor in many championship teams.

[Hankybro21]

I've won 3 straight with Team 1. Started with a good startup and some smaller and bigger trades/WW along the way.

Year 1: Startup in 2018 (just key picks)
Round 1: Nuk
Round 2: MT
Round 3: Evans
Round 4: Derrick Henry (I dropped him for Gus Edwards and don't want to talk about it)
Round 7: Sony
Round 8: Ingram
Round 11: Chubb
Round 13: Guice
Round 18: Carson
Round 21: Lamar

WW: Conner, Hunter Henry, Josh Allen, Damien Williams

2018 In season
No real trades. Ended up winning the championship by quite a bit thanks to a last minute Damien Williams pickup

Year 1/2 (2018/2019) offseason
Gave: Carson; Got: Godwin
Gave: Ingram + 2019 2.10; Got: 2020 1st
Gave: Ebron + 2020 3rd; Got: 2020 1st

2019 rookie draft:
I took JJAW over AJB and that pretty much summed up that draft for me

2019 in season
Gave: Sony; Got: DJM
Gave: Damien Williams; Got: MG III
Gave: Conner; Got 2020 1st + Harry
Gave: 2020 1.01 + 1.09 + 2.10 + 2021 2.10 + Harry + MVS; Got: Davante Adams + 2020 2.01 (these were just random 1st's and 2nd's at the time of the trade)

**Won the 2019 title on Adams' last catch of the game.

Year 2/3 (2019/2020) offseason
Gave: Guice + Damien Harris + 2021 3rd; Got: Hunt + Cohen + 2021 2nd (dude was high on Guice and Harris...this was also like a week before Guice's suspension)
Gave: Hunt + Chubb; Got: Barkley (not great this year)
Gave: Bryce Love + 2020 1.10 + 2020 2.01; Got: Mixon (also not great this year)
Gave: Evans; Got: Kelce (lifesaver)
Gave: 2020 2.05 + 2021 2; Got: 2020 1.09

2020 draft
1.06: Swift; 1.09: Reagor (coin flip between he and Jefferson; I should've went with heads here)

2020 season
I didn't make any trades in season. With injury prone/IR seasons from Barkley, Mixon, Cohen, MT, Adams (at the beginning, anyway), and Godwin, I ended up starting the season 1-5 and my league-mates were loving it too much to trade anything. I ended up winning my last 7 to finish 8-5 and rolled through the playoffs. I played against Kamara in the finals but Davante Adams (and Jeffrey Wilson!) saved my a$$

[Yarnith]

Championship on my roster below this year is dramatically different with no moves. I won 2018 with
QB: Goff
RB: Elliot, Kamara
WR: Cooper, Smith-Schuster, Woods, C. Ridley
TE: Kittle

2019 finished dead last only change at starter was WW add Josh Allen. 2020 same starting roster again with Allen at QB. Its funny to me as up and down Cooper and Juju were they still brought home the trophy. The players were all drafted by me.