OFFL: RollingSKull Issue 251

2026 DRAFT IN REVIEW

BEST PICK OF THE DRAFT - Midnight Riders, Lamar Jackson, 4.05 Pick 47 overall. This one jumps off the page. In our scoring, passing yards are only 1 point per 40 yards, while rushing TDs are worth 3 points. That makes an elite dual-threat QB especially valuable. Pete got Lamar after 46 players had already come off the board. And look at the opening: Ashton Jeanty, Nico Collins, Rome Odunze, Lamar Jackson, Marvin Harrison Jr... That's an absolutely disgusting foundation. Grade: A+

WORST PICK OF THE DRAFT - Rodgers' Witch — Daniel Jones, 12.04 This isn't because Daniel Jones is necessarily useless. It's because Justin Herbert was already sitting on the roster. They spent 12.04 on a second quarterback after taking Herbert at 7.11, while there were still players available who could actually strengthen their starting lineup. In a 14-team league, depth matters — but you don't need to build a QB museum. And then they took two defenses later. That's not roster construction. That's someone wandering around Home Depot putting random things in the cart. Grade: D-

BEST OVERALL DRAFT - BALLBUSTERS I'm giving the trophy to Ballbusters. Their first nine: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kyren Williams, Malik Nabers, Ladd McConkey, Tony Pollard, Bo Nix, Jayden Reed, George Kittle, Chuba Hubbard... That's an extremely nasty core. They didn't panic at QB, got a quality TE, built tremendous WR depth and still came away with three legitimate RB options. The only thing keeping this from being an A+ is QB. Bo Nix could absolutely be good enough in our scoring, but he's the weak link compared with some of the quarterbacks other contenders landed. Overall Grade: A

WORST OVERALL DRAFT - Romosexual Tendencies. This one gets ugly. Jonathan Taylor and George Pickens? Good. DeVonta Smith? Good. Quinshon Judkins? Interesting. Dak Prescott? Fine. Then… De'Zhaun Stribling, Harold Fannin, Jalen Nailor... Two defenses. Two kickers. And Jordan Love as the second QB. They used valuable roster real estate on multiple duplicate positions while leaving themselves thinner at RB/WR than the contenders. And two kickers in a 14-team league is something you normally only see when somebody accidentally hits "Draft Player" twice. Overall Grade: C-

THE DRAFT WIDE REPORT CARD

The A's
Ballbusters - Midnight Riders - Rodgers' Witch

A-
MrHoffNuts - Throw That (T)D

B+
Post Touchdown Shock Disorder - Catch These Hands... and Ls - NY Gangsters

B
Midnight Dawgs - Fanatics - Roars to Riches

B- Flying Gators - Mean Machine

C- Romosexual Tendencies

This was a very aggressive 14-team draft. And that's important because in a league this deep, the waiver wire isn't going to magically fix stupid decisions. Current 14-team draft strategy research makes the same basic point: once you get this deep, starting-caliber players disappear quickly and roster construction becomes much more important. There were some excellent selections. There were also some picks that made me want to call the fantasy football equivalent of Adult Protective Services.

The biggest trend I saw: The league went RB-heavy early. And that's exactly what I'd expect in a 14-team league. The good RBs disappear quickly, and once you're into committee backs, you're basically shopping in the clearance aisle. But there were also several teams that got too cute with QB, too cute with backup positions, or burned picks on redundant roster spots. And that's where I think the season will be won. Not necessarily by the team with the most star power.

It'll be the team that can survive Weeks 6 thru 12 when injuries and bye weeks start turning rosters into crime scenes.

1. Ballbusters The deepest overall roster. They have enough WR firepower to survive bad weeks, enough RB production, Kittle gives them an advantage at Pass Flex, and I think Bo Nix is good enough for their construction. Prediction: #1 seed

2. Midnight Riders Yes, I'm putting them here. Jeanty + Nico + Rome + Lamar + MHJ + Warren is simply too much upside to ignore. His season probably comes down to whether the RB2 position becomes a problem. If he can find one good RB off the waiver wire? Watch the hell out.

3. Rodgers' Witch James Cook + Saquon + TreVeyon Henderson is a ridiculous RB room. Add Tee Higgins, Jaylen Waddle and Justin Herbert and you've got a very legitimate contender. Their problem is depth at WR. But if their RBs stay healthy? They're going to be a pain in everybody's ass.

4. MrHoffNuts Bijan + Etienne + Garrett Wilson + Rashee Rice + Jalen Hurts is a hell of a starting nucleus. This team doesn't have as much depth as the top three, but the weekly ceiling is enormous. If Rice and Wilson hit, this team could actually win the whole damn thing.

CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
Ballbusters vs. Midnight Riders And I'm going to go against my natural instinct to crown the Riders. My preseason champion: BALLBUSTERS! BUT, the team I would least want to face in the playoffs: MIDNIGHT RIDERS.

The draft's biggest winner might not be the team with the best roster. It might be the team that knows how to use the waiver wire. Because after 196 players came off this board, there isn't going to be much left on the street. So congratulations, gentlemen. The draft is over. Now the excuses begin.

-- BomB OuT