Red vs. Blue Draft Review

While NFL training camps still haven’t opened, fantasy football draft season is well underway. This Red vs. Blue Draft Review recaps some of the sharpest high-stakes drafters in the world.

The annual Red vs. Blue draft dates back to 2009 and was the first draft to be live streamed with pick-by-pick commentary. Red vs. Blue was cutting edge, featuring draft strategy and roster construction advice from some of the best fantasy football players in the world.

13 years after it started, the Red vs. Blue tradition continued into 2022. This season’s draft took place live on Youtube and did not disappoint.

Here is my review of the 2022 FFWC Red vs. Blue Live Draft. Click below to watch the action with our own Scott Atkins and Billy Muzio.

Red vs. Blue Draft

This year, we’ve teamed up with Player Profiler to make the Red vs. Blue draft part of the Player Profiler Championship. The Player Profiler Championship boasts a $50,000 Grand Prize and the BEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF ANY NATIONAL CONTEST, ANYWHERE!

The PlayerProfiler Championship (Formerly Online Championship) is a fantasy football contest comprised of individual leagues of 12. The best teams from each league will compete in weeks 15-17 to be crowned PlayerProfiler Champion and Grand Prize Winner.

It’s a full 12-person league with 20-man rosters and full PPR scoring. The starting lineup consists of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, and 2 FLEX (non-QB) spots. Waivers run weekly in a blind bid format.

Here is how the 2022 Red vs. Blue draft went down, with some of my thoughts and analysis.

Roster Construction

With the ability to start up to five wide receivers in full PPR scoring, it was no surprise to see wideouts flying off the board. Four were nabbed in the first round alone and 97 (40%) total receivers were drafted.

11 of the 12 managers drafted more wide receivers than any other position, with the one hold out choosing a balanced 6-6-3 build. Two teams selected nine receivers while a pair also drafted 10.

Because waivers open up prior to Week 1, some savvy managers chose not to waste a valuable roster spot on a kicker or defense. Others oddly drafted two of each, which seems contradictory in a league with weekly transactions.

The wildly different ideas of how to construct a championship squad should certainly lead to a fascinating season.

Draft Bargains

Chase Edmonds (7.12, RB32) – Looking at the latest update of FullTime Fantasy’s 2022 fantasy football rankings, Edmonds as RB32 is a solid value. As the offseason has worn on, Edmonds’ value is on the rise. Edmonds excelled in zone-blocking concepts and that’s precisely the system Mike McDaniel will bring to Miami. He’s got RB2 upside and is screaming value as a mid-round #zeroRB target.

Damien Harris (8.06, RB35) – Harris finished last season as the RB14 mainly due to his nose for the end zone. While he’s extremely limited as a receiver, Harris was a consistent source of fantasy production. He double-digit fantasy points in 10 of his final 11 starts. Bill Belichick trusts Harris in short-yardage so he should be in line to top double-digit TDs once again. He won’t catch many passes but Harris is a solid RB3 or flex option in this format.

Marvin Jones (14.04, WR71) – The overall WR33 in a lost 2021, Jones flashed a solid rapport with QB Trevor Lawrence. 24th in the league with 118 targets, Jones is a sneaky bet to lead the Jags in that category once again. While Christian Kirk will certainly be a factor, the Jaguars have nowhere to go but up with Doug Pederson at the helm. I like Jones as a very good late-round sleeper with flex appeal in this type of league.

Evan Engram (16.09, TE22) – Speaking of Pederson, a hallmark of his past offenses was a heavy reliance on the tight end. Pederson’s squads regularly led the league in ’12’ formations. They also have produced a top-10 fantasy TE in six of his last seven seasons. There is almost no downside to targeting Engram this late in a draft.

Doug Pederson’s TEs in PPR pts/game:

2013- Fasano 6.8 (39th)
2014- Kelce 11.5 (9th)
2015- Kelce 11.8 (9th)
2016- Ertz 13.1 (3rd)
2017- Ertz 14.6 (3rd)
2018- Ertz 17.5 (2nd)
2019- Ertz 14.4 (4th)
2019- Goedert 9.9 (13th)
2020- Goedert 10.6 (10th)

Evan Engram current ADP TE24

— #TagsStrong💪#SFB12 (@JodySmithNFL) June 21, 2022

Questionable Selections

Jaylen Waddle (3.08. WR16) – Volume was the catalyst that drove Waddle to a surprising WR12 rookie campaign. But the additions of Chase Edmonds, Tyreek Hill, and Cedrick Wilson will make it impossible for Waddle to repeat. Hill and Wison alone racked up 221 targets in 2021 and Edmonds looks like a good bet for 50-plus grabs. I really like Waddle as a player but don’t see any way he can approach WR16 numbers. Especially with an underwhelming and unproven Tua Tagovailoa taking snaps.

Russell Wilson (9.03, QB5) – I actually love Wilson and don’t have issues with taking him as a top-5 signal-caller. But one round after taking Kyler Murray as the QB4, this makes no sense. Later, this same team took the first place kicker a full three rounds earlier than any other kicker. Amazingly, this same franchise took that next kicker, Arizona’s, at least six spots too high. Throw in two additional roster spots wasted on defenses and you get a roster with precious little depth after a tremendous start.

Dawson Knox (11.09, TE11) – We’re pretty cool on Knox this season, mainly because his touchdown rate isn’t sustainable. The Bills added James Cook, Jamison Crowder, and another TE in O.J. Howard to siphon targets away, too. While snagging Knox as the TE11 in the 11th round is not egregious at all, taking him as your third tight end when you only had two wideouts rostered is.

Top Contenders

Team 8 – Ja’Marr Chase and Mike Evans every week? Yes, please. Ezekiel Elliott was also the RB7 in 2021 and is being overlooked this summer. This team added a pair of solid wideouts then took both Seattle running backs back-to-back. My only issue with this roster is gambling on the upside of Justin Fields when Kirk Cousins was still on the board.

Team 11 – I like the balance of this team but depth will be an issue. D’Andre Swift offers top-5 upside and Travis Etienne is poised to be an excellent PPR back. I also like the receiving group and they landed a top-10 QB and possibly TE.

Team 12 – Up to five wideouts can be started in the Red vs. Blue league and Team 12 attacked that advantage. I’m not set on Cam Akers but the addition of Chase Edmonds and some other solid #zerorb targets give this roster a ton of potential. If Trey Lance can contend for QB1 numbers, Team 12 looks formidable.

Team 2 and Team 4 also built solid contending rosters with two very different approaches. It will be fascinating to see which strategy worked and who wins the 2022 Red vs. Blue title.