AAF Fantasy Football League: A Rocky Draft But Fun Start

With a new football league (AAF) comes new fantasy football. Starting this new league follows with a strong learning experience, and growing pains as the fantasy product starts up.

After joining a league quickly, I struggled through a draft and had extreme turnover. The new AAF league was not new news to me. I am from Salt Lake City and our new team had made news months ago.

As their season approached, I knew little about the players and new league rules. As the league’s opening day came, I suddenly had a thought. Find a fantasy league for the AAF.

Some call me impulsive and obsessive. That’s true. But my decision to do an AAF fantasy league spawned from one desire. To experience fantasy football as a newcomer to the game, the players, and the league.

I have been playing fantasy football since `95. Back then you drafted, scored, and kept track of a salary cap all offline. 14 years later finds fantasy football as a well-oiled machine. My mastery of strategy, players, and rules are second-hand to me.

But what if I got to experience it again? To walk into the game of fantasy football as a new owner. Unaware of star producers, efficient offenses that produce TDs, and draft strategies. This would be immensely helpful for me as a commissioner of several leagues to understand where new owners were coming from.

I quickly joined a league and we drafted 3 hours before the first game.

I had the last selection (6th)

My draft (last pick at 6th) consisted of the following picks:

First round: Kenny Bell WR
Second round: Akeem Hunt RB
Third round: Bercovici QB (already benched)
Fourth round: Josh Huff WR
Fifth round: Thomas Duarte TE (I’m a big Dolphins fan and couldn’t help myself)
Sixth round: Sam Mobley WR (Dropped after week one)
Seventh round: Trey Williams RB (no production week one)
Eighth round: Josh Stewart WR
Ninth round: Matt Simms QB (Now my starter)
Tenth round: Akrum Wadley RB (Dropped after week one)
Eleventh round: Birmingham Iron Defense

After the first AAF week I claimed: Justin Stockton (RB), Alonzo Moore (WR), Bishop Sankey (RB), and Gerald Christian (TE)

Not as bad as I thought it would be after a complete guess game in the later rounds of the draft.

Thinking that I stole one of the best QB’s in the draft, it was a massive disappointment to see Bercovici crap the bed. Luckily I had snagged a backup QB, which is something I wouldn’t have done in a normal fantasy league.

Running backs had a severe drop off in production and where I was already short on RB’s, and to have Williams and Wadley produce nothing was a true dumpster fire. Stockton is a speedy RB on Arizona and I’m hoping for big plays from him.

I also picked up Bishop Sankey, even though he had zero yards in week one. I’m hoping he just wasn’t game ready week one and he will pay dividends later.

Overall, the fantasy experience has been enlightening and super fun. Going through the growing pains of a new owner not knowing anything has been eye opening and it’s been a blast trying to cram any trend into a strategy. Hopefully my team starts to solidify and the short season doesn’t prove not enough time to catch on.