It all started with a simple question. With so many people flexing their fantasy knowledge on Twitter, websites, podcasts and social media that has yet to be invented, “Who is the best XFL Fantasy Expert?” There is a group of individuals on Twitter who have been sharing materials, thoughts, opinions, rankings, and more. So we all got together and decided to prove that the answer to the question of “Best XFL Fantasy Xpert” is “ME!” by having our own XFL Fantasy Draft.
The assembled talent represents a multitude of media, experiences, and fandoms. The underlying connection is a willingness to collaborate and provide an entertaining challenge to us all, as well as provide great fantasy content to everyone in the XFL Nation.
The XFL Xperts League consists of the following Experts and we drafted in the following order:
- No Extra Points – @JFantasyJF
- Team Ten – @MMXFLWriter
- Endzone Xecutioners – @XFL_Endzone
- Me So Zorny – @FantasyFerguson
- Talentless Mr. Roto – @adampelletier
- Goingfor2.com – @GeoffLambert77
- XFL Fantasy Central – @XFLFantasyCast
- It’s Miller Time 2020 – @antmill40
The format for the league is an eight-team, 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, FLEX, DST, K, and 4 Bench Slots, while scoring is a standard 0.5 PPR league. A snake draft format was used.
Rounds 1 & 2
| Pick | Team Name | Player | Position | Team |
| 1.01 | No Extra Points | Rashad Ross | WR | DC |
| 1.02 | Team Ten | Cameron Artis-Payne | RB | DAL |
| 1.03 | Endzone Xecutioners | Jazz Ferguson | WR | DAL |
| 1.04 | Me So Zorny | Sammie Coates | WR | HOU |
| 1.05 | Talentless Mr. Roto | Mekale McKay | WR | NY |
| 1.06 | Goingfor2.com | Jhurell Pressley | RB | DC |
| 1.07 | XFL Fantasy Central | Christine Michael | RB | STL |
| 1.08 | It’s Miller Time 2020 | Floyd Allen | WR | N/A |
| 2.01 | It’s Miller Time 2020 | Landry Jones | QB | DAL |
| 2.02 | XFL Fantasy Central | Donnel Pumphrey | RB | DC |
| 2.03 | Goingfor2.com | Cardale Jones | QB | DC |
| 2.04 | Talentless Mr. Roto | Kenneth Farrow | RB | SEA |
| 2.05 | Me So Zorny | Josh Johnson | QB | LA |
| 2.06 | Endzone Xecutioners | Ja’Quan Gardner | RB | SEA |
| 2.07 | Team Ten | Jeff Badet | WR | DAL |
| 2.08 | No Extra Points | Eli Rogers | WR | DC |
Through the first two rounds, there were almost no surprises. The exception being Floyd Allen, WR, who was auto picked for Anthony at pick 1.08, Husband of the Year goes to him for being late to the draft so he could do the dishes, but do everything in your power to avoid being auto-drafted on AltFantasySports. It is driven by ADP and some of the ADPs are just ridiculous due to many many factors.
By the end of Round 2, the projected Top 3 quarterbacks are off the board though. With only eight teams in the XFL, and by extension eight starting quarterbacks, it’s imperative to get a starter. In an eight-team fantasy league, you are going to want to be at the front of the quarterback wave, being at the end can put you in a sticky situation. Cardale may move up into the #1 slot early in the season because Johnson and Jones are both presently injured with a lot of questions as to whether or not they will play Week 1.
Additionally, there is a lot of belief in that DC Defenders offense. Jones has some potent pieces around him, and pay attention to how the wide receiver depth chart shakes out Rogers, Ross, Simmie Cobbs, and Malachi Dupre will most likely be competing for targets… Farrow and Gardner will not only be battling each other for touches, but also Trey Williams (taken later), the Seattle backfield could be confusing, but whoever takes a lead role will be a must-start… Badet and Ferguson will be competing for the title of best receiver duo in the XFL, and if Jones can get healthy, they should have an early claim to that title in a wide-open offense.
Rounds 3 & 4
| Pick | Team Name | Player | Position | Team |
| 3.01 | No Extra Points | Trey Williams | RB | SEA |
| 3.02 | Team Ten | Nelson Spruce | WR | LA |
| 3.03 | Endzone Xecutioners | De’Veon Smith | RB | TB |
| 3.04 | Me So Zorny | Elijah Hood | RB | LA |
| 3.05 | Talentless Mr. Roto | Andre Williams | RB | HOU |
| 3.06 | Goingfor2.com | De’Angelo Henderson | RB | HOU |
| 3.07 | XFL Fantasy Central | Brandon Silvers | QB | SEA |
| 3.08 | It’s Miller Time 2020 | Kasen Williams | WR | SEA |
| 4.01 | It’s Miller Time 2020 | Matt Jones | RB | STL |
| 4.02 | XFL Fantasy Central | Keenan Reynolds | WR | SEA |
| 4.03 | Goingfor2.com | Seantavius Jones | WR | TB |
| 4.04 | Talentless Mr. Roto | De’Mornay Pierson-El | WR | STL |
| 4.05 | Me So Zorny | Nick Truesdell | TE | TB |
| 4.06 | Endzone Xecutioner | Matt McGloin | QB | NY |
| 4.07 | Team Ten | Tim Cook | RB | NY |
| 4.08 | No Extra Points | Connor Cook | QB | HOU |
Rounds 3-4 is where everything started to get interesting and you could see some divergence in strategies from the different experts. Some went heavy on the receivers and running backs, others started to branch out to quarterbacks and John Ferguson (Me So Zorny), went in on Tampa tight end Nick Truesdell. Truesdell is one of those picks that can be a league winner for you because he is a much more proven player when compared to the rest of the tight ends in the league. Brandon Barnes and Wes Saxton may approach him talent-wise, but Truesdell may be the best receiving threat in Tampa. He’s not quite Gronk, but he will most likely be the closest you can get to it.
Elijah Hood will most likely end up being a steal here, he is the listed starter for the Wildcats and a starting running back in an eight-team fantasy league is a valuable commodity… Tim Cook at the end of the 4th is an interesting play, the Guardians running back situation is crowded with Cook, Tim Stockton, and potentially Darius Victor all competing for carries, he could be the leader in this backfield… Cook looks like a really bad pick here now that PJ Walker has been named the starter, but he may hold some value later in the season.
Rounds 5 & 6
| Pick | Team Name | Player | Position | Team |
| 5.01 | No Extra Points | Reece Horn | WR | TB |
| 5.02 | Team Ten | Lance Dunbar | RB | DAL |
| 5.03 | Endzone Xecutioners | Kahlil Lewis | WR | HOU |
| 5.04 | Me So Zorny | Tre McBride | WR | NY |
| 5.05 | Talentless Mr. Roto | Dontez Byrd | WR | SEA |
| 5.06 | Goingfor2.com | Keith Mumphery | WR | STL |
| 5.07 | XFL Fantasy Central | Donald Parham | TE | DAL |
| 5.08 | It’s Miller Timer 2020 | Stacy Coley | WR | TB |
| 6.01 | It’s Miller Time 2020 | Mack Brown | RB | TB |
| 6.02 | XFL Fantasy Central | Joshua Crockett | WR | LA |
| 6.03 | Goingfor2.com | Brandon Barnes | TE | LA |
| 6.04 | Talentless Mr. Roto | Justin Stockton | RB | NY |
| 6.05 | Me So Zorny | Larry Rose | RB | LA |
| 6.06 | Endzone Xecutioners | Jacques Patrick | RB | TB |
| 6.07 | Team Ten | Phillip Walker | QB | HOU |
| 6.08 | No Extra Points | L’Damian Washington | WR | STL |
The middle rounds of the draft really started to reveal what each expert valued. Some valued NFL veterans highly, others took stock of AAF production, while still others were interested in younger players. No matter what, starting in Round 5, if there is a guy you want, GO GET HIM. There are only eight teams in the XFL, starters go fast and if you believe in a player, odds are someone else does too. You cannot afford to be left holding the bag here, there were several times where players seemed to go around before you might think, but it’s important to remember, go get the guys you believe in, they will not be there later.
Donald Parham is a 6’8” tight end and could be a breakout star, he was an absolute monster at FCS Stetson, could translate to being a prolific pass catcher in a potent XFL offense. Brown and Patrick will be competing for carries behind De’Veon Smith and could lose that share when Tarean Folston returns from injury, nice picks though in what could be a run-heavy offense. St. Louis looks like it has the potential to sling the ball all over the Dome so Washington and Mumphrey could be great late-round value, it will all come down to if Ta’amu can deliver the ball and keep the BattleHawks offense on the field.
Rounds 7 and Beyond
| Pick | Team Name | Player | Position | Team |
| 7.01 | No Extra Points | Jordan Ta’Amu | QB | STL |
| 7.02 | Team Ten | Aaron Murray | QB | TB |
| 7.03 | Endzone Xecutioners | Teo Redding | WR | NY |
| 7.04 | Me So Zorny | Darius Victor | RB | NY |
| 7.05 | Talentless Mr. Roto | B.J. Daniels | QB | SEA |
| 7.06 | Goingfor2.com | Simmie Cobbs | WR | DAL |
| 7.07 | XFL Fantasy Central | KD Cannon | WR | LA |
| 7.08 | It’s Miller Time 2020 | Evan Rodriguez | TE | SEA |
The most memorable moment of Round 7 was Ta’amu and Murray going off the board at picks 7.01 and 7.02, thereby denying Talentless Mr. Roto of picking a starting quarterback. The dangers of a relatively deep fantasy league with only eight XFL teams are starting quarterbacks are a commodity, it’s imperative you end up with one of them. Go get one before Round 7, or you might be sitting there wondering which quarterback will have the biggest gadget role.
Wide receiver will be the position where you can find value late, the XFL appears to be a pass-happy league and each team will most likely have three viable receivers. The other thing to consider is what your expectations for points will be, a back or receiver who average 10+ points a week will most likely be top-end talent at their position, 6 points a week will be a mid-range flex play most likely.
Gadget quarterbacks may have some value, B.J. Daniels looks like he may not only take snaps at quarterback but also at running back and receiver, that could provide a saving grace if you need to roll the dice on a backup quarterback. Also, Daniels may have the opportunity to throw some double passes or see work on PATs, conversions are scored on AltFantasySports, so a quarterback who is a PAT specialist could be a valuable late-round commodity.
Thoughts from the Experts
Mike Mitchell – XFL News Hub
“I knew that the early portion of our draft would be WR heavy. I considered Coates, Badet, Jazz, and others at two but decided that since the XFL has only eight starting running backs, that waiting until 15 for one of them to fall would be too risky. To my surprise, Badet was still available at my next pick after drafting Payne at two. The ability to start two running backs on a weekly basis pushed me towards securing viable weekly starters at the position. I think Tim Cook and Lance Dunbar give me the flexibility to start three backs every week. The wait for a quarterback was very difficult. Cardale Jones, Josh Johnson, and Landry Jones all went before I was back on the clock with my 2nd and 3rd round selections.”
Jackson Connor – XFL Fantasy Central
“This is the definite weakness of my team so far. I love Trey Williams and I think he will be a PPR force. A potential hot take, but Williams > Farrow in PPR. After that, I’m doing a lot of wishing. DuJuan Harris and Marquis Young are hopefully RB2s on their teams. If Young can overtake Dunbar as the pass-catching running back, I will be in a good spot. I just need some floor production out of 1 of these 2.”
“My first two wide receivers were Rashad Ross and Eli Rogers, both of the Defenders. I am a huge believer in this DC passing attack and I saw the value on both of them. I then picked two AAF producers in Reece Horn and L’Damian Washington. The Tampa and St. Louis offenses don’t blow me away but I liked the value on these starting, talented wide receivers. Another weapon in the DC attack was mine as I snagged Khari Lee as my tight end. Lee is the slam dunk starter and had great camp reports, should be utilized well. Top 3 tight end in my opinion.”
Anthony Miller – OT Heroics
“Besides missing the first pick to help do dishes for my wife, I feel good about my draft overall. As long as Landry Jones can stay healthy with his knee, he should put up big numbers in the offense. Matt Jones will be my workhorse in fantasy and should get work with Christine Michael being more of the power back. Kasen Williams will be Brandon Silvers’ top targets so I like his chances of getting multiple points. Stacy Coley should get more catches now that Antonio Callaway is out. I will be relying more on my receivers and Jones to put up big numbers in fantasy.”
Final Takeaways
Go get the guys you are confident with and believe in, they may not make it back around to you. DO NOT WAIT ON QUARTERBACK, if you do, there is a chance you are stuck rolling the dice with a gadget player each week. Stick to your strategy, but do not be afraid to let the draft come to you; because of this, each draft will be different, play your game, and be prepared to adapt. Show up on time! No one wants to end up auto drafting a guy who is not on a roster at the moment or ending up with a team’s third-string quarterback. Do all this and you will dominate your draft.
Follow me on Twitter @adampelletier for more XFL Content and follow @OT_Heroics!
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