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Imagine if you had to build a team without drafting anyone. The 11 other teams in your league all get a full draft, but you have to build your team after they are done drafting theirs. While this would never actually happen, it is a fun exercise to try and build the best team possible using only players that are largely going undrafted. It helps give you an idea of some players to target at each position at the end of your draft/guys to keep an eye on after your draft is over and at the start of the season.
The goal is field a full starting lineup featuring one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, a tight end, and a flex.
ADP from half PPR FantasyPros Consensus ADP
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Quarterback
Mitch Trubisky (CHI): ADP QB20
With another year under his belt, Mitch Trubisky should only improve as a quarterback. He may never be as good as a second overall pick should be, but for fantasy, Trubisky has a lot to offer. Trubisky is incredibly athletic and has proven capable of making every throw. His problem is that he is erratic and inconsistent. That’s a problem for the Bears, but less so for fantasy owners as long as he keeps taking shots.
In the modern game, it is almost necessary to have rushing ability to be an elite fantasy quarterback. Trubisky rushed for 421 yards last season in 14 games, essentially adding about three fantasy points per week on the ground.
Trubisky also has already proven he has elite fantasy production in him. From Weeks 4-12 last season, Trubisky was the overall QB1 in fantasy, edging out Patrick Mahomes 26.1-25.9 in fantasy points per game. You will be hard-pressed to find a quarterback outside the top 150 players with a higher ceiling than Trubisky.
Running Backs
Dontrell Hilliard (CLE): ADP RB110+
With the departure of Duke Johnson, there is an opening for someone to emerge behind Nick Chubb. The frontrunner is currently Tulane rookie UDFA, Dontrell Hilliard. His profile is that of a quintessential satellite back. Hilliard posted a 10.2% college target share, 74th percentile. His speed, burst, and agility scores are all in the upper third percentile. Hilliard could have an immediate role as the passing down back and has the added upside of a more complete workload should something happen to Chubb. The overwhelming majority of names I considered for this list are basically backups that could stand to benefit from an injury to a starter. Hilliard is a rare breed of player that is likely going to play relevant snaps regardless with the potential for more. He is a great name to file away.
Andre Ellington (TB): ADP RB108
I have no idea how Andre Ellington is still in the NFL. I can’t believe he’s already 30 years old. What I can believe is that Bruce Arians is loyal to his guys. Arians brought Ellington in because of their time together in Arizona. Ellington isn’t particularly talented, but the Bucs have the weakest running back depth chart in the NFL. Ronald Jones can’t play football. Peyton Barber is just a guy. Ellington posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons back in 2013 and 2014. Five years is a long time and Ellington didn’t even play in 2018, but he has always been an excellent receiver out of the backfield and is the clear favorite for that role in Tampa. Even if Ellington’s ceiling is nothing more than a bye week filler, he is going to see the field and that is really all you can ask for.
Wide Receivers
Michael Gallup (DAL): ADP WR59
It took Jason Garret five weeks to figure it out, but eventually, Michael Gallup was elevated to the starting lineup as a rookie in 2018. He averaged less than 50% of the snaps through Week 5. From Week 6 on, he averaged over 75% of the snaps. We enter the 2019 season with zero doubt over whether Gallup will be the starting outside receiver alongside Amari Cooper with Randall Cobb manning the slot.
Gallup has excellent hands to go along with above-average speed and burst. He really makes his money on his route running and just being a professional receiver. He isn’t going to wow with splash plays, but he is a reliable set of hands and his rapport with Dak Prescott will only improve in year two. With Kellen Moore taking over the play-calling and concerns over whether Ezekiel Elliott will play, the Cowboys could throw more than people expect this season. Gallup may push for 90 targets, which places him firmly in WR3-ville with the upside for more.
Phillip Dorsett (NE): ADP WR120
I will admit that gambling on a Phillip Dorsett breakout is an objectively bad process. Historically, if a wide receiver that has at least seen some modicum of usage does not breakout by his fourth season, it is probably not going to happen. It was ignorance of that fact that led so many (including me) to consider Chris Hogan a good investment in the fourth round last season. While I have learned from my mistake, I am ready to make it again with Dorsett. The big difference is Hogan cost a fourth-round pick while Dorsett is free.
The Patriots have Julian Edelman and James White as reliable pass-catchers. That’s it. Rob Gronkowski is gone and Matt LaCosse is not taking all of Gronk’s vacated targets. Hogan is gone and there is a void at the WR2 position. All of the hype is around Jakobi Meyers. Braxton Berrios has looked good. N’Keal Harry is the first-round rookie prospect. No one is talking about Dorsett. Josh Gordon was recently reinstated, but there is no way he will be fully ready to go by Week 1. I believe Dorsett will be the starting flanker in Week 1. Dorsett has done very little over his first four seasons, but he has 4.33 speed, above-average burst, and elite agility. He’s a superb athlete. He’s got a hall of fame quarterback throwing him the ball in an offense that is always in the top half of the league. And if it doesn’t work out, at least he didn’t cost anything.
Marquise Goodwin (SF): ADP WR67
Finally, we fill our flex position with Marquise Goodwin. Currently, Goodwin is the only wide receiver on the 49ers that we know is starting. Everything else is in flux. How quickly we forget that Goodwin was a fourth-round pick last season after he posted a 1,000-yard season in 2017. Goodwin was injured in Week 1. By the time he was fully healthy, Jimmy Garoppolo was gone. Goodwin only played in 11 games, but still showcased his elite speed and splash play ability. It’s still there. Starting wide receivers simply aren’t available in the double-digit rounds. Goodwin could be the steal of the draft.
Tight End
Tyler Eifert (CIN): ADP TE29
It is highly unlikely that Tyler Eifert is the guy we saw in 2015 ever again (52-615-13). With that being said, he’s still just 29 years old and the starting tight end for the Bengals. The only thing standing between Eifert and a TE1 season is an injury. Why not take a shot he can find a way to stay healthy? He’s healthy now. Not only is Eifert going undrafted, but he’s a better pick than guys like Dallas Goedert, Jimmy Graham, Kyle Rudolph, or T.J. Hockenson. How often can you find a guy going undrafted with a ceiling to finish top five at his position?
And there you have it. It’s not pretty, but it’s the best we can do without any draft picks.
- QB: Mitch Trubisky
- RB: Dontrell Hilliard, Andre Ellington
- WR: Michael Gallup, Phillip Dorsett
- TE: Tyler Eifert
- Flex: Marquise Goodwin
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Jason Katz is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive or follow him @jasonkatz13.
