Underworld vs RosterWatch Rookie Mock Recap #2

by Ray Marzarella · Draft Strategy

If you couldn’t get enough of this newfound RotoUnderworld vs. RosterWatch rivalry of sorts, we’re back with the second installment in our fierce, ongoing, totally-serious-with-no-room-for-cheeky-and/or-offbeat-shenanigans series of fantasy football mock drafts.

After the Underworld took Round 1 of the rookie draft series per my completely unbiased judging, Round 2 saw us leave the realm of the single quarterback league and was contested under SuperFlex/TE Premium rules. This time, I was able to jump in on the festivities, drawing the 1.04. The draft started on Wednesday, March 17th, well before a number of pro day results from the drafted parties were known. Did the Underworld successfully defend the mock drafting crown? Did Alan once again end up with Trevor Lawrence? Who actually wins in a mock draft of any sort?

If there is a way to win, you can bet that the six mock drafters on the Underworld side of the ledger will ride PlayerProfiler’s advanced stats, metrics and analytics all the way to a successful defense of the mock drafting heavyweight championship of the world.

fantasy-football-dynasty-league-rankings

1.01 – Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

Analyst: Ani Sridhar (@anisri23) (Team RosterWatch)

1.02 – Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

Analyst: Cody Wilhelm (@cstyles15) (Team Underworld)

1.03 – Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

Analyst: Neil Dutton (@NDutton13) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Despite the format, I was only ever going to take a running back here. Either Etienne or Harris, so whoever Cody didn’t take, really.

1.04 – Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

Analyst: Ray Ray Marz (@rayraymarz) (Team Underworld)

1.05 – Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

Analyst: Alex Dunlap (@AlexDunlapNFL) (Team RosterWatch)

1.06 – Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Analyst: Nate Liss (@AnOutragedJew) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: After Lawrence and Fields are off the board, I’m chasing RB upside at QB.

1.07 – Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina

Analyst: Shane Seeley (@TheFlexNetwork1) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: Doubling down on JW! Last stud RB.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSgZVQH19Us

1.08 – Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Analyst: The Trashman (Team RosterWatch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UH9OZOwrDQ

1.09 – Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

Analyst: Alan Seslowsky (@AlanSeslowsky) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: Zach Wilson will be 1.02 in my SuperFlex rookie ranks; an early Hanukkah gift at 1.09.

1.10 – Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Analyst: The Podfather (@Fantasy_Mansion) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Getting the last of the Big-5 quarterback prospects at the 1.10 in a SuperFlex rookie draft is absolute best case scenario. Jones is a mortal lock to accrue value, Byron.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bApUXBZDi68

1.11 – Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Analyst: Byron Lambert (@BigNFLAction) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: This is the BIG FUCK YOU to your latest Backstage Pass episode, Matt!!

1.12 – Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

Analyst: Corbin Young (@corbin_young21) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Good size and speed for Bateman with a 43.7-percent (88th-percentile among qualified wide receivers) College Dominator Rating and 18.8 (95th-percentile) Breakout Age.

Round 1 Takeaways

Alas, Alan did not end up taking Trevor Lawrence again.

One notable takeaway from this opening round is that Najee Harris dropped from the 1.01 in a single QB format to the 1.03 in this format behind Travis Etienne. Though Etienne has jumped Harris in our Rookie Rankings for the No. 1 spot, the stage was set for that swap well before his impressive pro day performance (and weigh-in). Etienne already boasted a higher Breakout Rating, mainly due to breaking out earlier in college and being younger. Although it’s very much a 1A/1B or “pick whoever you like or better fits your roster” situation, Etienne landing in the 200 to 220-pound range puts him squarely in the Aaron Jones/Christian McCaffrey bucket of ceiling outcomes and solidifies his top spot in our rankings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h79c9t0tNRU

In our previous draft, we saw Kyle Pitts go at 1.04 in a non-TE Premium format, we saw a flag planted on Jermar Jefferson at 1.06 with Javonte Williams still on the board, and we had Alan’s infamous Lawrence selection. Aside from The Trashman snagging Jaylen Waddle at 1.08, the first round went as one would expect. All five QBs projected to go in the first round of the NFL Draft were picked, as were the elites at each of the other positions.

2.01 – Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama

Analyst: Ani Sridhar (@anisri23) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: The Heisman winner at 2.01?! Paired up with Trevor Lawrence?! Yes please.

2.02 – Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

Analyst: Cody Wilhelm (@cstyles15) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: 42-inch vertical!!!

2.03 – Jermar Jefferson, RB, Oregon State

Analyst: Neil Dutton (@NDutton13) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Early breakout, dominant production profile. But I do detect a slight air of Latavius Murray in his upright nature. A worry.

2.04 – Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State

Analyst: Ray Ray Marz (@rayraymarz) (Team Underworld)

<editors note: ^ spoiler alert for the rest of this round, btw. Also, looking at it now, this pick would likely be different if we were to re-do this thing.>

2.05 – Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis

Analyst: Alex Dunlap (@AlexDunlapNFL) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: What a turd of a pick to choose at. There is a legit drop-off here after the top 5 WRs, top 5 RBs and top 5 QBs and Pitts. It’s a legit shitty spot to pick in SFLEX at 2.05.

2.06 – Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU

Analyst: Nate Liss (@AnOutragedJew) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: My higher-rated WRs are off the board, and it comes down to the upside of an alpha WR vs. whatever we believe Michael Carter might become.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCB-ocnqYhY

2.07 – Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC

Analyst: Shane Seeley (@TheFlexNetwork1) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: Pivoting from last draft where I would have gone Elijah Moore, going with the upside of ARST.

2.08 – Michael Carter, RB, North Carolina

Analyst: The Trashman (Team RosterWatch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M90SutOcLc

2.09 – Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State

Analyst: Alan Seslowsky (@AlanSeslowsky) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: Despite getting universally roasted for taking Hill in the last mock, I think he looks like a complete RB who I’m officially flag-planting for.

2.10 – Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

Analyst: The Podfather (@Fantasy_Mansion) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Securing the best route runner and separator in the NFL Draft at the end of the second round of a rookie draft feels so, so good.

2.11 – Seth Williams, WR, Auburn

Analyst: Byron Lambert (@BigNFLAction) (Team RosterWatch)

2.12 – Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State

Analyst: Corbin Young (@corbin_young21) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: I’m dreaming on Wallace’s 2018 season with 1,491 Receiving Yards and 12 Receiving Touchdowns. High College Dominator Rating, Target Share, and solid Breakout Age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvM1kzxFa4M

Round 2 Takeaways

Yes, I included the infamous Rondale Moore tweet that exploded fantasy football Twitter. Plz don’t cancel me.

But seriously, how does a guy that can do THIS fall into the second round of any rookie draft?

The 1.09-1.12 range may be the most difficult to navigate in SuperFlex rookie drafts. Those in the 1.01-1.04 range don’t only get the chance to pick an elite signal caller, they get their choice of the top-tier RB/WR prospects that inevitably get pushed into the top of the second round. No matter who is picked from 1.09 to 1.12, this will always be true. Though in this case, potential risers in Kenny Gainwell and Terrace Marshall were available in the mid-second. Don’t look for that to be the case for much longer.

While our Rookie Rankings currently suggest that Kylin Hill should be a mid-third-round pick in this format, we can’t be surprised that Alan chose him here after also doing so in the second round of the previous mock and officially planting this particular flag.

A big riser between our drafts, jumping all the way up to 2.11 from 4.02 last time, was Seth Williams. Given his super low Breakout Rating, The Breakout Finder doesn’t like Williams as much as the RosterWatch crew does. Though at this point in the process, it shouldn’t really be surprising that a receiver who checks this many boxes in a relatively unimpressive group of physical specimens is considered a riser. Especially when he recorded a 75th-percentile Speed Score at 6-3 and 211-pounds.

3.01 – D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan

Analyst: Ani Sridhar (@anisri23) (Team RosterWatch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQstrH42fCY

3.02 – Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida St

Analyst: Cody Wilhelm (@cstyles15) (Team Underworld)

3.03 – Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina

Analyst: Neil Dutton (@NDutton13) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: 13.1 Yards per Target is a pretty, pretty decent number.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkrHRYTf3zE

3.04 – Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

Analyst: Ray Ray Marz (@rayraymarz) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Regardless of whether he’s overrated, or any good for that matter, Kadarius Toney is still projected to be a first-round NFL Draft pick by a number of services. Until we have more information to go off of (draft capital, landing spot, etc), I’ll scoop him up in the mid-third (and have done so) every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djImGY_g-nw&t=3s

3.05 – Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M

Analyst: Alex Dunlap (@AlexDunlapNFL) (Team RosterWatch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NAYXzVTyWE

3.06 – Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State

Analyst: Nate Liss (@AnOutragedJew) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: It was either Pat or Trey Sermon here. Top WRs gone, top RBs gone. Freiermuth 19 picks after Pitts is solid value.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C3G84KJWrw

3.07 – Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn

Analyst: Shane Seeley (@TheFlexNetwork1) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: Zoom Zoom! Weighing in at 186-pounds was huge. Still some questions about Schwartz, but we know speed kills, and once again going upside in this spot vs a “safer” PPR-type player.

3.08 – Amari Rodgers, WR, Clemson

Analyst: The Trashman (Team RosterWatch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC4aYj_f4us

3.09 – Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State

Analyst: Alan Seslowsky (@AlanSeslowsky) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: I’m the league RB hoarder. If Sermon doesn’t have high mid-third-round draft capital, I will likely take a TE or the best available WR here.

3.10 – Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami

Analyst: The Podfather (@Fantasy_Mansion) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Avoiding the landmines remaining at RB and WR, Brevin Jordan was a big time playmaker at Miami, and athletic testing could catapult him in a big way.

3.11 – Nico Collins, WR, Michigan

Analyst: Byron Lambert (@BigNFLAction) (Team RosterWatch)

3.12 – Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

Analyst: Corbin Young (@corbin_young21) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Since it’s SuperFlex, Trask was the last QB I felt good about drafting, though it depends on his landing spot and system.

Round 3 Takeaways

I’m sorry but nabbing Pat Freiermuth in the mid-third round of any rookie draft format should be considered a steal. Especially in this TE premium format, landing him at 3.06 is downright mean. I fell into the “he may go in the first round of the NFL Draft” trap with my Kadarius Toney selection and am embarrassed at myself for not taking Freiermuth, though Nate Liss bailed myself and the Underworld out by securing him for the squad. Matt Kelley ending up with Brevin Jordan just about aligns with where he falls in our Rookie Rankings for this format.

Though two more QBs left the board in this round, the draft board has begun to stabilize compared to what it looked like by this point in our previous single QB mock. As such, it makes sense to start looking at the players who rose and fell the furthest between drafts. Though Amari Rodgers didn’t pop athletically at his pro day, falling to 3.08 from 2.04 is likely an overcorrection for a player with Lynn Bowden and Deebo Samuel among his Best Comparable Players. After letting Nico Collins slip to the Underworld at 4.10 last time, Byron Lambert and the RosterWatch crew ensured his services by taking him at the 3.11 and making us feel All Mixed Up.

If that one went over your heads, ya’ll need to go to more concerts.

4.01 – Rakeem Boyd, RB, Arkansas

Analyst: Ani Sridhar (@anisri23) (Team RosterWatch)

4.02 – Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo

Analyst: Cody Wilhelm (@cstyles15) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Tunnel vision for 400-plus yard, 8 TD games.

4.03 – Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville

Analyst: Neil Dutton (@NDutton13) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Love the dominance. Hate the size.

4.04 – Elijah Mitchell, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette

Analyst: Ray Ray Marz (@rayraymarz) (Team Underworld)

4.05 – Simi Fehoko, WR, Stanford

Analyst: Alex Dunlap (@AlexDunlapNFL) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: One of these Stanford size/speed guys has to hit eventually, right?

Simi Fehoko Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile

4.06 – Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas

Analyst: Nate Liss (@AnOutragedJew) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Monster upside from the slot, and by Round 4, you’re just looking for players that will get a shot to produce.

4.07 – Javian Hawkins, RB, Louisville

Analyst: Shane Seeley (@TheFlexNetwork1) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: He might be small, but has put on weight and hopefully comes in closer to 200-pounds. Also like his speed to give him an opportunity as a role player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDYfL5Ogt_Y

4.08 – Cade Johnson, WR, South Dakota State

Analyst: The Trashman (Team RosterWatch)

4.09 – Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma

Analyst: Alan Seslowsky (@AlanSeslowsky) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: After the thrashing I took for taking RS ahead of Nico in the last draft, I re-watched him. I’m seeing a runner who can play in the NFL. Flag planted (again).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCoKY9NYqY4

4.10 – Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri

Analyst: The Podfather (@Fantasy_Mansion) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Poor Alan selected a plodder who is inferior to Larry Rountree in every conceivable way. Let’s play some landing spot roulette!

4.11 – Dez Fitzpatrick, WR, Louisville

Analyst: Byron Lambert (@BigNFLAction) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: GOD DAMN YOU MATT, I already had my comments all preconceived for the moment I brought sweet Larry home :(

4.12 – Khalil Herbert, RB, Virginia Tech

Analyst: Corbin Young (@corbin_young21) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: At this point in the draft, I felt like Khalil Herbert had some upside with his explosiveness, even though he’s risky.

Round 4 Takeaways

In an overwhelmingly ironic twist, the video clip included for Alan’s Rhamondre Stevenson selection is a clip of the RosterWatch guys bashing him on an Underworld podcast.

WWE should hire us as writers because you can’t make this shit up. Chef’s Kisses all around.

In other player movement news, Simi Fehoko makes his first appearance in an Underworld vs. RosterWatch mock. Though the stench of fellow Stanford alum J.J. Arcega-Whiteside‘s epic collapse still haunts many, it’s hard to ignore a 6-4, 222-pound receiver with a 95th-percentile Speed Score and Best Comparable Players that include Alshon Jeffery, Kenny Golladay and Courtland Sutton.

Cade Johnson saw a nine-spot rise between our mocks and broke into the fourth round this time around. With the No. 2-ranked Dynamic Score among rookie WRs, upper-percentile college production metrics and a second-year breakout season, he makes for as good a late-round dart throw in rookie drafts as anyone. After we got him at 3.09 last time, the Underworld let Javian Hawkins slip to RosterWatch MVP drafter Shane Seeley at 4.07. Before any athletic testing is even taken into account, Hawkins checked in with a top-10 Breakout Rating among this year’s rookie backs. Even if he falls a bit in the app’s next update once the pro day numbers are accounted for, he’s the kind of player that can overcome Day 3 draft capital and make an impact as a satellite back if he lands on the right team.

5.01 – Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest

Analyst: Ani Sridhar (@anisri23) (Team RosterWatch)

5.02 – Marlon Williams, WR, UCF

Analyst: Cody Wilhelm (@cstyles15) (Team Underworld)

5.03 – Shi Smith, WR, Louisville

Analyst: Neil Dutton (@NDutton13) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: If I said this pick put some pep in my step, I’d be lying. But it’s the fifth round of a rookie draft, so why the hell not?

5.04 – Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa

Analyst: Ray Ray Marz (@rayraymarz) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Though he currently lands outside the top 60 players in our Rookie Rankings, his elite dynamism and top-20 Breakout Rating in the class gives him a higher ceiling than one would normally own as a fifth-round rookie pick. Now let’s just sneak him into Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

5.05 – Demetric Felton, WR, UCLA

Analyst: Alex Dunlap (@AlexDunlapNFL) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: Great player, extremely versatile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpVAyRj57Sw

5.06 – Trevon Grimes, WR, Florida

Analyst: Nate Liss (@AnOutragedJew) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: 6-3, 220-pounds and completely off the radar. If he tests well on March 31st, his stock will CLIMB (ran a 4.47 in high school at 202-pounds — did the speed carry over???)

5.07 – Mike Strachan, WR, Charlotte

Analyst: Shane Seeley (@TheFlexNetwork1) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: He’s quick and he’s big! Banking on the small school prospect who had a 97th-percentile College Dominator Rating to use his size at the next level.

5.08 – Josh Palmer, WR, Tennessee

Analyst: The Trashman (Team RosterWatch)

5.09 – Austin Watkins, WR, UAB

Analyst: Alan Seslowsky (@AlanSeslowsky) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: Tony Pauline of PFN said of Watkins: “Ran exceptional routes to separate from opponents during Senior Bowl practices.” Players that can separate have a chance to make it. A decent late-round bet.

5.10 – Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia

Analyst: The Podfather (@Fantasy_Mansion) (Team Underworld)
Rationale: Newman just needs to stick at QB and we have a Konami candidate.

5.11 – Stan Gable, QB, Adams

Analyst: Byron Lambert (@BigNFLAction) (Team RosterWatch)
Rationale: Concerns still linger about Betty Childs.

<editors note: I see what you did here.>

5.12 – Hunter Long, TE, Boston College

Analyst: Corbin Young (@corbin_young21) (Team Underworld)v
Rationale: Ray G and Cody Carpentier sold me on Hunter Long. BC fed Long the ball in 2020 with 91 Targets and he looks like a great flier in rookie drafts.

Round 5 Takeaways

The biggest faller between both rookie drafts conducted under this co-branded banner was Shi Smith, who RosterWatch grabbed at 3.08 last time but let fall to Neil Dutton and the Underworld at 5.03. While it was slightly concerning that he didn’t break out until Hayden Hurst and Deebo Samuel were gone to the NFL, he still shouldn’t make it out of the third round in this format. Demetric Felton experienced an equally precipitous drop, falling from 3.12 to 5.05, though the fifth-round selection aligns more closely with where he currently places in our Rookie Rankings.

It can be argued that anywhere from Rounds 3-5 can be considered “dart throw” and “get your guy” territory, though the final frame of this mock produced interesting results. Debuting in Mock No. 2 after being left out of the fun the first time around were Josh Palmer, Austin Watkins, Jamie Newman and, for some reason, Stan Gable. Hunter Long somehow dropped from 5.08 to 5.12 despite the TE premium format. Tre McKitty and Kenny Yeboah went undrafted after both snuck into Round 5 last time without the positional scoring boost.

Conclusion

When there’s no way to actually decide who won in a mock draft setting, we have to get creative and go to the completely unbiased tiebreaker.

Given that the Underworld were the only ones to draft a TE in a TE premium format after the Big 3 were off the board, and having nabbed three of the four TEs drafted, I declare the Underworld the winners AND STILL the mock drafting champions of the world!!!

It doesn’t matter that they got Kyle Pitts and we got the rest, this is my story and I’m sticking to it. Had RosterWatch not gotten cute at the end and picked a TE or two instead of a character from Revenge of the Nerds, this could be a different story.

I’d love to debate the results of this mock with you all further, but unfortunately we’re out of time.