Let's go through a mock draft with the writing staff of the IDP Guys, as well as a couple of guests.
As a fun exercise, a bunch of members of the writing staff here at IDP Guys, as well as two guest members, got together to do a dynasty IDP mock draft and talk about our reasoning behind each of our picks. It's easy to look at a list of rankings and just pick off of someone else's work, but doing this helps really get to know the reasoning behind why people value certain players, and perhaps why they don't. It helps introduce draft philosophy and how that ends up affecting the flow of drafts.
The first round of the IDP Guys first mock draft of the year kicked off with a guest drafter.
@mrMayhem_IDP - Darius Leonard
I took Darius Leonard because he was the leading IDP scorer last year across all positions, as a rookie. As much as I wanted to grab a top defensive lineman, I could not resist Darius Leonard. His situation and role on the team have not changed and a similar follow-up performance is a very real possibility.
@SNAXct - Joey Bosa
I took Joey Bosa because with Leonard off the board I think the drop to even Luke Kuechly isn't worth what I think Bosa is. Linebacker is much deeper than defensive end this year, and I can get those points later. I think Joey Bosa will have 15+ sacks this year easily.
JT Maynard - Deion Jones
For my first pick in my first IDP mock with IDPGuys, I selected LB, Deion Jones, Falcons.
He was out for a while last year but when he came back he definitely helped a lot of squads make it to the playoffs. Mr. Jones went on a late tear and I really think he is one of the top three at his position and top 5 pick in IDP drafts as of now. Momentum is a huge factor from season to season for talented athletes. Deion Jones will ride his into a monster year in all formats in 2019.
Tyler Joseph - Danielle Hunter
I was deciding between Danielle Hunter, Aaron Donald, and Bobby Wagner. Ultimately I decided to attack defensive line, due to the relative scarcity of impact players at the position in fantasy. This left me deciding between Donald and Hunter. I quickly calculated scores using the scoring system (every IDP scoring system is a little different and will take some work to understand). I was surprised Hunter actually scored slightly more and the age difference of 3.5-4 years was icing on the cake in a dynasty league.
TJ Bray - Khalil Mack
Having the fifth pick, I was hoping to land Darius Leonard, but he went number one. I was more than happy to see Khalil Mack. Arguably the best edge rusher in the league, with double-digit sack totals in each of the last 4 years, it’s too easy to see why I picked Mack. Chicago plays some lowly offensive lines this season and I’m particularly excited for the “revenge game” in Oakland. I expect another big sack year for Mr. Mack.
Johnny The Greek - Aaron Donald
For my first pick in all IDP leagues, I will always try for a game changer at a position that is shallow. You can always find linebackers and safeties during the season but finding a guy like Aaron Donald, my first pick, who had 20 sacks last season, is never going to happen through waivers. He was my first pick and, even if he doesn't match last years numbers, I'm still looking at a player that will get far north of ten sacks.
Rob Schwartz Jr. - Roquan Smith
When I came to this pick I had many options. I knew I wanted a young linebacker though since the top ends were already off the board. I considered J.J. Watt, but his age and injury history was a concern. I narrowed it down to Roquan Smith and Tremaine Edmunds.
Smith started the season slow since he held out and did not sign until late into the offseason. This cost him the ability to start for the Bears to begin the year in 2018 too. It did not take Smith long though to crack the starting lineup. He finished the year with 122 combined tackles, five sacks, and an interception. Seeing as I am a Bears fan and there were six picks before I was able to pick again in the second, I took my boy Smith and am extremely happy about it. I fully expect him to become one of the top linebackers in the league and in IDP in 2019. I now have him locked up for his entire career.
Sean Lanigan - Derwin James
There are still some linebackers on the board that I really like that I think will fall to my next pick. In redraft, JJ Watt may have been an option for me here, but I'm just not sold on Watt's longterm health and longevity. That sends me to the safety position.
There are a lot of good young safeties in the league, so the value isn't at its peak here, but I really like getting a young stud talent in Derwin James to put up consistent points from the safety position for the next five years.
Joey DeFeo - CJ Mosley
Joey Haggan - Leighton Vander Esch
I drafted Leighton Vander Esch because of how dominant he was last year. He was third in tackles in the league while only playing 76 % of his teams snaps. He showed solid skills in coverage as well coming up with 2 interceptions later in the season.
