I’m really poor in the league. At the time of me writing this I only have $186 million. I need more. So what better way to make some money than writing a gigantic article about the recent draft during 1.5x media?
A few disclaimers - First, I legitimately went through every pick. I probably contradict myself a million times throughout this thing. By the time I got done I was hallucinating and seeing stars. Second, I’m obviously only in the Copperhead’s war room. I don’t know what other teams are thinking, and I’m sure they have a reason for most of these picks. I’m generally talking out of my ass to make some money. Nothing is personal, I’m just giving some unfiltered thoughts. This is one of the reasons why I decided to not grade any picks, rather I just talk about when I think you could’ve gotten someone or other things a team could’ve done.
Oh and also blue text because some people use dark and some people use light mode. I figured this was the best bet for both of us.
So without further ado...
Round 1, Pick 1: Chicago Butchers - Maglubiyet - Juan Domine - LB - 246 TPE
This pick should surprise no one. About a week out from the draft I thought there was an above average chance that Chicago went with the highest TPE player in the class in Zoe Watts. Chicago GM, Bayley, has a habit of selecting Birddogs and there was an obvious need for this team at RB. Watts would have been a stud in the backfield next to Julio Tirtawidjaja that Chicago picked up in Season 22.
With that in mind however, as the draft got closer it began to leak that Chicago was scorning positional needs and looking for someone who would have an immediate impact on their war room and sim testing. In this class that really narrowed their options down to about two people in my mind, with Maglubiyet being a premier option. If a top notch war room presence was what Chicago was looking for as they head into a must-win season, this is the ideal pick.
Round 1, Pick 2: San Jose Sabercats - Butterquach101 - Joshua Campbell - WR - 252 TPE
I expected this pick from the moment that San Jose locked in the #2 overall pick. Butters is a war room member, solid earner, and if rumors are to be believed is heavily in consideration to be San Jose’s next General Manager when either CK or Rrad decide to call it quits. That being said, I do question whether they could’ve gotten Butters in Round 2 and added a dominant defensive lineman to pair alongside Otis Allen. They ended up dealing their second rounder to Colorado for Season 23 defensive tackle Yuuto Kira Cloudera, a player I have a ton of experience with from their time in Dallas and who I consider to be a great add for a second rounder in this draft, however I wonder if adding someone like Asher Montain here and then picking up Butters with that second rounder would have been a better use of overall resources.
Round 1, Pick 3: Honolulu Hahalua - Attopax - Asher Montain - DE - 265 TPE
I wasn’t surprised at all that Honolulu went defensive line here. With GM Raven creating as a safety and former quarterback Jim Waters swapping to cornerback, the Hahalua addressed their needs in the secondary for the most part. Their defensive line is the weakest link on the team - anchored by Season 19 defensive end Jayson Kearse and Season 21 defensive end Logan Noble Jr. They have the former Season 22 TPE leader in Momona Keiki-Kane (the artist formerly known as Phat Boi) but he’s struggled to maintain his early earning since being drafted.
Asher Montain is an immediate impact add on the defensive line who can me the star earner the line needs to free up the others to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Co-GM Gucci has experience with the “Amidships Crew” from his time in Dallas interacting with Kyamprac and Amidships, which only makes it even more understandable that they considered Montain to be the best defensive line prospect in the draft.
Round 1, Pick 4: Sarasota Saifilsh - abh89 - Harrison Andrews - DE - 215 TPE
This is an extremely curious pick to me. I like abh - I think he’s an absolutely incredible user who was a huge add for the London Royals this past season. That being said, almost immediately after the draft the Sailfish made a trade with the Orange County Otters to acquire Season 22 defensive tackle Big Edd. Currently (excluding Andrews) the Sailfish defensive line consists of:
Season 18 Defensive End Steve Ocewilder - 749 TPE
Season 22 Defensive Tackle Cuco Clemente - 665 TPE
Season 23 Defensive End Son Goku - 484 TPE
Season 22 Defensive Tackle Big Edd - 482 TPE
Season 23 Defensive End Mike Karpaasi - 373 TPE
Goku and Clemente are incredible earners and the lynchpins of the defensive line. Ocewilder is hurtling towards his first season of expansion. Big Edd is sim blessed but has seen his earning slow down drastically since he was drafted into the ISFL. Karpaasi is a sneaky add on the line who is a solid backup option behind the rest of the team.
When I look at the Sailfish roster and senddowns I wonder if adding a third wide receiver or linebacker here would have been a potentially better option. Currently the Sailfish only have former Co-GM Rayne Gordon and current Co-GM Michael Witheblock at wide receiver, with no great options in the DSFL. At linebacker they have Season 22 studs Haha Mango-Panda and Fawn Dillmiballs, however once again they have no great option in the DSFL.
A wide receiver would potentially hedge against Gordon’s impending regression and a third linebacker would be an amazing add as the league shifts to running some 3-4 defenses in a variety of situations. That being said, abh has great value as a user and is an amazing locker room add for the Sailfish, and you can’t put a price on that.
Round 1, Pick 5: Baltimore Hawks - Tonzy - Maverick Bowie - S - 225 TPE
This is one of my favorite picks in the first round. I think getting Maverick Bowie at fifth overall is an absolute steal for the Baltimore Hawks. In my write-up for the Chicago Butchers at first overall I mentioned that in this class if they were looking for a premier war room that would benefit testing and team strategy add that I thought there were two people who were head and shoulders above other users in this class. Maglubiyet - who the Butchers ended up selecting - was one, Tonzy was the other.
The Hawks desperately need help in the secondary. Walt Green is an iconic figure for their team, but he was drafted in Season 15 and his best days are behind him. Season 22 cornerbacks Eldrick Avery and Ben Stackinpaper are incredible adds for the team who can man the boundaries. Season 23 cornerback Lesean Paris Crooks had an incredible career for the London Royals and now gets to step up and play in the big leagues. I’d imagine one of those corners will see some snaps in one of the safety positions. The other will probably be manned by another Season 23 add for the Hawks, safety CJ Riley.
When you look at that breakdown what becomes apparently obvious is that the Hawks are building an impressive secondary but need someone to be able to step up and replace Walt Green next season. Enter Maverick Bowie. An above average earner from the Season 24 class, Bowie comes in to step into an impending position of need while also helping boost activity in the Hawks Locker Room. Tonzy is unbelievably active, holds multiple league jobs, and has experience in the Tijuana War Room. Its hard to find a better pick for the Hawks here than him.
Round 1, Pick 6: Arizona Outlaws - Z-Whiz - Gunner Thorbjornsson - WR - 212 TPE
I remember when Thorbjornsson was picked in the previous DSFL draft. We were all shooting the shit in the GM chat about our fringe picks at that point in the draft, joking about who everyone was taking when London Co-GM Sylphreni pointed out that the guy they just took was still active and responding to them even though he was one of the latest picks in the draft.
That player turned out to be Thorbjornsson, who not only turned out to be active but turned out to be one of the best picks from that DSFL draft. One of the top earners in the class he was another one of London War Room adds from this class who helped turn their season around from the early season struggles. He’ll be a dynamic Locker Room presence for the Outlaws and is a great add as a user.
That being said, I worry about the value of taking a wide receiver here for the outlaws. Their star wide receiver, Saba Donut, just got smacked for the first time by regression but probably has at least one more season if not two ahead of him as a productive option. Jah Bur’Berry and Thomas Passerman aren’t the best earners in the world, but are solid receiving options for a second and third wide receiver. Friedrich Vequain waits in the DSFL, and although he’s another sub-par earner he’s still a potential productive earner. Finally, spoiler alert, the Outlaws selected Taro Raimon in the second round of this draft as well.
That is a lot of quality options at the wide receiver position, and although they could use a young max earner at the position - who Thorbjornsson may be - I wonder if a top notch defensive back could have been more valuable to the Outlaws here considering they don’t have a max earning options waiting in the SFL and are currently rostering two who are far below max earning. The same sentiments apply to their defensive line depth chart.
Round 1, Pick 7: New Orleans Second Line - pppaul317 - Quentin Button - S - 246 TPE
New Orleans taps their Norfolk pipeline, is anyone shocked? Paul is arguably the top defensive back in this class - he’s up there with Tonzy in terms of on the field value. I’ll be frank though, I don’t know much about his value as a user. I’ll avoid talking about that aspect of the pick here because of that. I have enough faith in Norfolk as a DSFL team however to think that if he was a high pick for them - and he was - that he’s a good dude.
In terms of positional need New Orleans addressed probably their biggest one with this pick. I’ve been very vocal in the past that I sometimes question NOLA’s draft strategy, that being said this was a homerun. New Orleans has two stud safeties who still have a few good years ahead of them in Mason Blaylock (Season 19) and LiterallyJust A. Hexagon (Season 22), but the rest of the secondary could use some additions. David Rector is the highest TPE player on the team but is heading into his final season before regression slaps him, Andrew Witten has been a huge addition from the Season 22 draft, and Jordan Andrews is still a servicable option even after his first season of regression. That being said, Andrews won’t be around forever and Button can step in next year to replace him in the secondary. The only question mark for the pick for me is the need for help on the defensive line, however (spoiler alert) New Orleans addressed this later. I’d rather select a max earning DB in round 1 and a semi-max DL in round 2 than vice versa.
Round 1, Pick 8: Austin Copperheads - Kyamprac - Zoe Watts - RB - 268 TPE
Rumor has it that at one point last season the Austin brain trust sat around a table and debated tanking because it felt like their year was almost over barring a miracle. By some miracle after that conversation they turned their season around and made a surprise run to the Ultimus. Had they considered trying to improve their draft position, Zoe Watts was always going to be the target. The highest TPE player at draft time - and if I’m correct the highest ever - Watts is arguably the best pure Locker Room presence in the draft. To nab her with the 8th overall pick is a steal and can only be attributed to the value running back has in the draft. Was running back the biggest need for the Copperheads? Probably not - there is a glaring hole hurting towards them at quarterback, however with the selection of Watts, Austin Co-GM Mooty99 retired his current player Mako Mendonca and created as a quarterback - Jackie Daytona.
Round 1, Pick 9: Colorado Yeti - SchwarzNarr - Melvin Murder-Moose - K/P - 195 TPE
My opinion on this pick when it was first submitted and my opinion on this pick now are very different. When this pick first hit the draft board my initial reaction was a mixture of shock and curiosity. Schwarz is an incredible person, but just based off both TPE and positional value I wondered if Colorado could have gotten her in the second and addressed another position here with another blue chip prospect.
Fast forward to now and I have the benefit of full perspective of the Yeti’s draft and their free agency haul. Had they chosen to wait to select Schwarz I would’ve expected a pick similar to their first second round pick - Joel Drake - here, Schwarz in the second, and a quarterback in the third. That would have come with the downside of probably not getting the top quarterback - who I believed was PigSnout. Instead they managed to get all three of those positions within the first two rounds, including PigSnout as the quarterback. My writeups for Colorado are going to be pretty unique in comparison to other teams during this rambling breakdown purely because of all that draft movement. Absolute haul by Colorado no matter how you slice it.
Round 1, Pick 10: Orange County Otters - Lime - Joseph Joestar - QB - 257 TPE
Lime is a character, that's for sure. My first experience with him was in scouting for Dallas. When I messaged him trying to start a conversation his sole response was, and I quote, “haha birbdoug go tweetwoof.” Thats iconically wedged into my memory, however every other interaction I’ve had with Lime since then or just observed is pretty positive. I have full faith in Orange County that they know what they’re doing too.
That being said, when you look at the entire draft I wonder if it would’ve been possible to get Lime in the second or third and take another blue chip prospect here at another position. Linebacker is a serious issue for the Otters with only Season 20 Inspectah Deck and Season 22 Deshun Jones on the roster. Although Jones is a star earner from Season 22, Deck has all but stopped earning. There is currently not another linebacker for the Otters in the DSFL either. With three star linebackers still left on the board in this class at this point - Brach Thomaslacher, Busch Light, and Adam Schell - I question whether this was the most important pick. If Joestar is your quarterback and you don’t want to risk missing him, by all means go get him.
Round 1, Pick 11: Philadelphia Liberty - Slothman07 - Dorothy Zbornak - DE - 222 TPE
Philadelphia is a team that I can see being very scary in the next few years. They check the boxes with a good, young player at almost every position. At the positions they have holes at they have options in the DSFL as well - such as Dre Matthews at wide receiver, who I assume will take over for Nacho Varga next season. There are only two exceptions to this, and one is one the defensive line.
Heading into this draft, the Liberty had a patchwork defensive line. Season 23 Defensive End Tycker Om is the star and a consistent earner, but Season 20 Reggie Culbertson and Season 22 Tristan Gronlie have been disappointments on the earning front. Zbornak comes in and is almost already the second highest TPE defensive lineman the Liberty have, and I’m sure will take that position on the depth chart my the middle of the upcoming season.
The only other position that I think the liberty could have potentially considered here was running back. Sam Torenson was drafted in Season 16 and is going to be absolutely hammered by regression next season. Fuzzy Dotson will have his first taste of that TPE drop off as well. There were some good running backs still left on the board at this point in the draft, and I could have seen the Liberty snagging someone such as Captain Rogers here for locker room value as well as positional need, however I can’t fault them for strengthening their other apparent weakness. The only knock I do have is that they apparently didn’t scout Zoe Watts at all and did originally have the pick that was used to draft her.
Round 1, Pick 12: Yellowknife Wraiths - RDBSouthPaw - Brach Thomaslacher - LB - 236 TPE
Yellowknife finally got that sweet taste of Ultimus glory after falling just short the previous four seasons. Moving forward they have a good young core, with strong, young players moving forward at almost every position. The areas they could use to shore up are linebacker and defensive line.
On the defensive line they currently have two Season 22 players who are consistent earners - James Cho and Patrik Money - however their options at defensive tackle leave quite a lot to be desired. Nero Alexander and Giannis Kroustis are both season 15 players who have been hit hard by regression heading into next season, and only will continue to experience that decline. They have two options in the DSFL - Joe Exoctic and Braxton Sinclair - however neither are premier options or are earning particularly well.
At linebacker they have Season 18 Maurice Virtanen who is a full fledged star, although he is heading for regression, and Douglas Quaid who is one of the better linebackers in the league as well.
What all this boils down to is that I can’t particularly nitpick this choice because they did hit a position of need, however I do personally think that their defensive line is debatably in a worse spot. Sigismund Sternenstaub is still on the board at this point, and although he’s a lower earner than Thomaslacher he does provide a huge boost to a defensive line that is going to be decimated next season by regression.
As a user pick, however, I do love Southpaw. Another member of the “Amidships Crew” he’s active, funny, and wicked smart. He’ll be a huge boost to the Wraiths Locker Room, and if they’re smart, their war room.
Round 2, Pick 1: Chicago Butchers - Mavfatha - Icebox Riposte - OL - 154 TPE
Man, the Chicago Butchers really are turning it around aren’t they? They’ve got an active ,earning player at literally almost every position. I’m staring at the TPE tracker right now trying to find some place where I can knock them and find a better pick for them, but I’m seriously struggling. They make the most of their picks, and thats something I can’t say for every team.
One of their “holes” - if you can even really call it that - heading into this draft was Offensive Line. GM Bayley converted his player - Benson Bayley Jr. - from linebacker to offensive line after being drafted by the Butchers and is earning well. The other side of the line is held down by Perry Tucker Jr. who is a solid option as a Season 21 player with 342 TPE, however he has slowed down earning since being drafted. Riposte comes in and has a chance to catch up to him this season and eventually replace him next season to help keep a developing Chicago offense keep improving.
The only thing I can even kind of find to knock this pick is that although Chicago has three high earning DL players, Simeon Works isn’t quite keeping up. He’s still active, however, so I think its worth replacing the guy who is almost completely inactive over a guy who is still working towards being a stud earner.
Round 2, Pick 2: Colorado Yeti - Rusfan - Joel Drake - S - 203 TPE
I alluded to this pick in both my writeup for San Jose and Colorado. San Jose originally had this pick and traded it away for defensive tackle Yuuto Kira Cloudera. That gives San Jose a completely active defensive line composed of young players - Season 21 is the oldest they have - however I do think they could have gotten Butters here and drafted a defensive lineman (hello Attopax) in Round 1.
For Colorado, I think they made a curious move. Although ISFL teams are slowly moving away from all Nickel 35, that is still the primary defense. It utilizes a four man defensive line, and they currently only have three on their roster after the trade of Cloudera. I wonder if they could have used him on the roster going forward.
The selection of Rusfan is great for the locker room and you have to assume he’ll replace Season 18 Pete Parker when he gets smacked by regression in the coming years. With his addition the Yeti will be able to seamlessly maintain a 5 DB system, meaning they can run a safety at nickelback and blitz a linebacker off the edge as a defensive lineman in four man fronts, however it does get mildly wonky, especially considering one of the linebackers they’ll be relying on to do that is Season 15 Tony Gabagool, who one has to assume is heading into his last season.
I can’t fault them for grabbing an amazing user, but I do question the cost to do it. Colorado has been making a lot of moves so it does feel like they have a plan. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Round 2, Pick 3: Honolulu Hahalua - Mongoose87 - Sigismund Sternenstaub - DT - 197 TPE
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Honolulu built up their defensive line in Round 1 and doubled down in Round 2. With Momona Keiki-Kane stalling on his earning and Bane Ka’ana’ana appearing to behind phasing himself out of the league for a break, the Hahalua noticed that their position of weakness moving forward is the defensive line and continued to improve it. Attopax - their first round selection - was the best defensive line prospect in the class. Sternenstaub is one of the best on the board at this point. I don’t have much more else to say right now.
Round 2, Pick 4: Baltimore Hawks - TeyonSchavari - Captain Rogers - RB - 195 TPE
Holy hell did the Hawks give up a ton to move up for this pick. Teyon is awesome and I’m sure the Hawks want him for both his history of being a strong earner and his locker room value, however they just sold the farm for him. Season 20 Darrel Williams looks to be in position to be the lead back for the next few seasons, however having a second option at running back is never a bad thing and at this point in the draft the Hawks really didn’t have that.
The question I have about this pick - after you get past the astronomical cost they paid to move up - is whether or not a running back here was priority. The Hawks have two linebackers on their roster currently, Season 22 Derred de Ville and Dex Kennedy. Both are great options, however the league is beginning to transition to some 3-4 scenarios and the Hawks currently lack the personnel to even consider that option. It would require them blitzing two defensive ends off the edge as OLBs, and they don’t have the ideal defensive ends currently for that, although Arik Eller has potential. With two great linebackers still on the board here - Busch Light and Adam Schell - I’m surprised the trade up wasn’t for one of them. Props to the Hawks for identifying their guy and going to get it, the calculations on that decision making process though are ones I don’t quite understand.
Round 2, Pick 5: New Orleans Second Line - crow19 - Busch Light - LB - 234 TPE
I hate this pick. Busch Light is an absolute scrub. This isn’t an indictment of his playing ability, this dude’s just my future brother in law so I’m contractually obligated to bash him. Moving away from the conversation of the user, I love the pick. The Second Line desperately needed a linebacker with Season 15 Quenton Bode heading toward his final few seasons. Light gets a season to develop in the DSFL before coming in to help fill his shoes.
The only other things I would’ve considered here if I was the Second Line would have been another defensive line prospect to fill in for the recently retired Brave Ulysses and Ben Tu’inukuafe next season or a max earning wide receiver to be able to come in and be a primary target. The Second Line have three active wide receivers, however none are particularly max earning - something you really do look for at that position.
Round 2, Pick 6: Arizona Outlaws - Cincyfan96 - Adam Schell - LB - 209 TPE
Arizona has few positions that they don’t have a strong, young earner at. Linebacker happens to be one where they could always add another. I’m a broken record but I do keep writing about how plenty of ISFL teams are moving to a 3-4 defense in certain scenarios. For most, that involves blitzing one defensive end off the edge as an OLB, however you don’t really want to do that with a second defensive end. This means three linebackers are becoming the baseline for teams.
Insert Adam Schell. The Outlaws have Season 22 star Stanislaw Koniecpolski and Season 20 max earner Galf Wilf. Schell can partner up with them to give the Outlaws the third linebacker they’ve been looking for going forward. I can’t argue that they should have done much of anything different with this pick. As I mentioned in their first round write-up, I could have seen a safety or cornerback having some value here, but there really isn’t one I like left on the board here. Considering this, good pick.
Round 2, Pick 7: New Orleans Second Line - MobiausGrander - Azarius Ranger - DE - 157 TPE
I really want to love this pick. I loved Mobiaus in the DSFL draft, I thought he would be an absolute star in the league. I know he’s had some personal stuff come up that has limited his activity, which is totally understandable. What makes me hesitant about this pick is me wondering whether or not the Second Line could have gotten him in the third round, or even potentially later. As I mentioned in the write-up for their previous second round pick, I think the Second Line are correct in addressing the defensive line here - I think they could have arguably done it earlier - but I do wonder if this is the pick, and if it was if it had to be here.
What I would have really liked to see here from New Orleans is a wide receiver. They have three currently on their roster and none are max earners. Season 21 Ed Barker is the best of the bunch but he’s only semi-max. Season 22 Sean Snyder is a great guy and I’m sure an amazing locker room influence but is around 300 TPE lower than his draft mates at this point. Season 23 Brock Bodenhamer is a NOLA recreate, and I respect them for bringing back their alumni, however he is also around 250 TPE less than his top-notch draft mates at this point. Taro Raimon is still on the board as a pass catcher here, and I think he would’ve been a great add both for the New Orleans locker room and for their depth chart.
Round 2, Pick 8: Arizona Outlaws - xTri - Taro Raimon - WR - 237 TPE
Speaking of Taro Raimon, here he is. I love Tristan as a user. He’s not always the most Discord active, but when he is he’s hilarious. He’s a solid earner that I’ve never had to worry about maximizing his TPE. In this class I think he’s a solid value pick here for the Outlaws.
In previous write-ups for the Outlaws I mentioned that they have some solid options in the DSFL for wide receivers - primarily Friedrich Vequain - but as good as he is, Raimon is a much better earner at this point and will probably pass him in the season or two. Thats exactly when he’ll be looking to break into the Outlaws’ crowded receiver depth chart. His timeline lines up well with most of their team. Solid pick by the Outlaws here.
Round 2, Pick 9: Colorado Yeti - PigSnout - Mattathias Caliban - QB - 251 TPE
For those of us wondering what the plan was when Wolfie McDummy eventually bites the bullet, we have our answer. PigSnout is an iconic user in the league who has always max earned. I personally think he was the best quarterback in this class by a country mile and I think Colorado was smart to nab him here. I can’t write anything more because a quarterback is what Colorado needed, and a quarterback is what they got. Its honestly that simple.
Round 2, Pick 10: Orange County Otters - Sushi - Ne Mo - TE - 200 TPE
Orange County and picking tight ends early only to have them go on to completely dominate the league. Name a better pair, I’ll wait.
I don’t quite know what to make of this pick. I really like the user, he’s known across sim leagues and is a pretty consistent guy. That being said the Otters have two pure wide receivers - Season 21 Future Trunks and Season 22 Garfield Despacito Jr. - along with playing Season 22 tight end Jeffrey Phillips at wide receiver a fair bit. I don’t think adding another pass catcher was of the most importance here, not when as I’ve discussed in previous writeups adding another linebacker could be a huge boon.
With that in mind, however, the premier linebackers in the class have fallen off the board and although if I was Orange County I might consider a DB here to begin to let earn for an option in the future, there isn’t one of those on the board that I’d consider here either. S
Round 2, Pick 11: Philadelphia Liberty - Hallmonitor_20 - Jeremiah Zelow - LB - 157 TPE
The Liberty take their GMs player, who’s shocked? Since the draft his TPE has shot up to 209, so he’s not in as rough of shape as he looked at draft time. The Liberty needed a third linebacker to have some flexibility in their defensive options, and they could use a stud earner too as Season 18 Wayne Howaynow has seen his earning stall in recent years. They had to take this pick here per the rules but they did a good job in assigning their GM an important position, even if you did wish he had earned a bit more during the season.
Round 2, Pick 12: Yellowknife Wraiths - Trautner - Sam Howitzer - QB - 251 TPE
What are the Wraiths doing…? Had they picked an offensive lineman here, I would’ve been happy - and there’s a good one still on the board in Macaroni Elephant. Had they taken a defensive lineman here I would’ve understood - they have two Season 15 guys holding down two of the spots next season. There’s a great defensive tackle on the board too in LeBong Simwell.
I was not expecting a quarterback, however. Not when they just called up Season 22 quarterback Colby Jack. At first I thought this might be bait for potential expansion, however if it happens after this season he’ll be auto-protected, as will Jack because he’s currently Yellowknife’s GM. The other thought I had is that this might be a trade piece for a team that loses its QB in expansion or for an expansion team looking for a good, young option. This might be a big brained play by the Wraiths, but we’ll just have to wait and see because I’m honestly shook by this pick.
Round 3, Pick 1: Arizona Outlaws - MrStennett - Charlemagne Cortez - QB - 212 TPE
We’re at the point in the draft where as long as you draft someone active, who earns well, and has some potential chance of cracking the rotation or being used as a trade piece then I’m not going to complain much. This is exactly that pick. Although the Outlaws have Season 18 Jay Cue on roster, he’s heading for regression after this season. They selected Reginald Covington III last season but he’s disappeared off the face of the planet, meaning he can’t be the quarterback plan of the future anymore. At this point in the draft the Outlaws are in a position where they can take what some might consider to be a luxury pick to secure a high earning, veteran player to potentially fill in a future need.
Round 3, Pick 2: San Jose Sabercats - supertardis101 - Rickie Vaughne - CB - 175 TPE
A name I recognize from PBE, the user here is someone you can count on. That being said, I don’t think cornerback is the most ideal position for San Jose here. They’re one of the only teams in the league who currently don’t run a human offensive lineman, and there’s still a good one on the board here in Macaroni Elephant - who similar to supertardis is also a sim league vet with his experience in SHL. Instead of adding another cornerback to the four they currently have who are all pretty young, I think the Sabercats could’ve been better served riding the wave and getting a human offensive lineman here - just from a team value perspective.
Round 3, Pick 3: Honolulu Hahalua - CementHands - Ragnar Krashwagen - TE - 173 TPE
I really liked Krashwagen as an option in both the DSFL and ISFL drafts he was in. He’s not the most outstanding earner in the league, but he earns at a solid pace to be a good option at tight end. He’s active around discords and is a sim league veteran. Essentially, he’s an ideal pick at this point in a draft of this depth. You’re getting a fairly safe option at a position he can prosper at considering what this league is for him the grand scheme of things. Honolulu didn’t have a tight end on their ISFL roster at the time of this pick - they have Tristan Hex in the DSFL who is active but a slower earner - so this is a good pick to fill in nicely for them. If he passes Hex they have a good trade piece there, if he never does then you have two solid tight end options to pick from or run in tandem going forward.
Round 3, Pick 4: Sarasota Sailfish - JBLAZE_THE_BOSS - Mike Boss Jr. - QB - 203 TPE
The Sailfish needed a quarterback. Dexter Banks II swapped over to the position last season and performed admirably, but he hit regression for the first time at the end of the season. It appears that both of the Sailfish’s DSFL stashes at quarterback - Tom Sofa and Chris Ramos - are inactive now. A quarterback this draft was a necessity.
Boss is the last of the quarterbacks on the board, and so he had to be the pick here. The user is the same one who had the previous Mike Boss - who is arguably the greatest ISFL quarterback of all time. That being said, I do wonder if the Sailfish should’ve tried to trade up and snag one of the higher earning quarterbacks in this class. I think there’s an argument to be made that you need the answer to Banks in the system now, and as a result every marginal TPE is important. The counterpoint to this is that it would’ve cost more draft capital to move up and if Sarasota has faith Boss will catch up Lime, Trautner, MrStennett, and PigSnout in earning he’ll be a good option. Howitzer is now close to 130 TPE ahead though, and that difference matters.
Round 3, Pick 5: Sarasota Sailfish - Haseo - Zach Mouse - S - 178 TPE
Hey look the Sailfish are back on the clock. With a secondary in desperate need of repair, they finally look that direction. Season 15 Lucas Knight has to be heading into his last season. Season 18 Xavien Adams is heading towards regression, Season 20 Jamie Nkiah is a solid piece for the future, Season 19 Beat is earning a bit slower than you’d like but is serviceable, and Season 23 Raphael d’Alcott is struggling to maintain the earning he had at draft time. Mikel van Perkins waits in the DSFL to replace one of them, however adding a second to begin earning for the future needs that are looming on the horizon never hurts.
As I’ve mentioned in most of my other Sarasota write-ups, I would’ve loved to see a linebacker at some point in this class, but at this point there isn’t one on the board I’d be particularly ecstatic to add. Addressing the secondary wasn’t a bad decision.
Round 3, Pick 6: Arizona Outlaws - WannabeFinn - Sergio Kitchens - RB - 207 TPE
I love this user. The first, and currently only, member of the Austin Snek Ring, WBF has earned pretty well on this new player. As always, I would’ve liked to see Arizona address the secondary here - potentially with a flier on someone like Nerdy Name - but I can’t complain with understanding the value in the user here even if they didn’t need a running back.
Kitchens was traded almost immediately after the draft for some draft capital next year. This is where I knock the pick - they didn’t scout him, didn’t need the position, and took him anyway. The draft capital they got is valuable, but in a class the size of the upcoming one we’ll still need a solid retention rate for them to be particularly valuable.
Round 3, Pick 7: New Orleans Second Line - Birdman - LeBong Simwell - DT - 200 TPE
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: New Orleans needed defensive line help. Badly. I mean no ill to the team, but if there is one area that has suffered due to various choices in the last few seasons, its definitely the defensive line. I wanted them to add a premier lineman in the second round - although they did select Azarius Ranger. The catch here is that if you had asked me who I would’ve liked to see them take there it would’ve probably been Simwell. At this point it kinda breaks down where although I do think they overdrafted Ranger I would’ve been fine with him in this spot as a good flier with upside.
So the draft positions are essentially interchangeable here to me. Would I have counted on Simwell falling if I had been New Orleans? Thats hard to say. I think you could easily predict that Colorado was going to take a quarterback, however Arizona and definitely Yellowknife were pretty shocking to see take ones. I could easily have seen Simwell go to Yellowknife to bolster their aging defensive line.
All in all this is a great pick and some great drafting by the Second Line to end up with two solid options on the line, I just do think they took some risks to get here.
Round 3, Pick 8: Philadelphia Liberty - Nictox - Macaroni Elephant - OL - 151 TPE
FAIR RUBS! I love ths pick for the Liberty. With only one human offensive lineman on the roster - Season 21 Simon Tremblay - they had room to add another. Nictox is a good user who has sim league experience. Although I don’t think he’s expecting to be the craziest of earners over here, one of the great parts about offensive line is that if he can add another 100 or so TPE he’s just as valuable as a 550 TPE bot, making him valuable for both cap purposes and team performance purposes. I think a running back here could’ve been an option, however there isn’t a great one on the board so replacing a bot with a good, active human user is probably the best they were going to do.
Round 3, Pick 9: Colorado Yeti - Skyfish - Nerdy Name - S - 154 TPE
Skyfish is a great guy. He’ll be a great locker room presence for the Yeti who are rapidly building one of the best locker rooms in the league. As an earner he’s sporadic, popping in every now and then and occasionally missing some opportunities. When push comes to shove, however, even if he keeps up that sporadic pace he’ll still be a valuable piece for the back end of the Colorado defense. I might’ve considered a defensive lineman here - maybe someone like Arlington Heights who appears to be the best defensive lineman left on the board - however, I can’t knock a team for stockpiling more active talent. They did trade up for Joel Drake, another safety, in the second round. So there are pros and cons to this pick.
Round 3, Pick 10: Philadelphia Liberty - bigbluex02 - Thomas Rose - LB - 107 TPE
If you’re Philadelphia at this point you’re just really looking to take whoever you think will be active and be a good fit for your team. The only position I’d be looking to improve if I was in their war room would be the running back position - I discussed this in my write-up for their other third round pick - however there still isn’t a running back I probably would’ve considered here. At some point you would think a team that is running back needy might have stopped Mai Fukushu’s fall, however the Liberty do have the flexibility to make that a priority next season or through a position change if necessary.
Round 3, Pick 11: Austin Copperheads - YoungTB - Korbin Brown - WR - 224 TPE
Hey its my Copperheads again. I’m going to be biased with my opinions on this pick because I was one of the people who helped decide on it. There are plenty of things that I could’ve seen the Copperheads do here. Adding another offensive lineman would’ve been been pretty helpful considering that Edmond Beaver-Dantes is heading into what we have to assume is his last season. Austin has Season 22 offensive lineman Tommy Sacamano in the DSFL, however he doesn’t seem to be active or earning a pace that will make him a viable option. Another defensive tackle to eventually replace Riles McTackle - who is also a below average earner - would be a good addition for the Copperheads here. The best offensive linemen on the board average around 100 TPE however, and although Arlington Heights is an option at defensive end to help bolster the defensive line, even that doesn’t quite equate to the value of adding another max earning wide receiver as a future piece to keep the Austin offense flexible. Essentially, although there are other options on the board that are viable pieces at positions of need, its hard to complain when a team adds a max earner at this point in the draft.
Round 3, Pick 12: Yellowknife Wraiths - Sermokaka - Alejandro Chainbreaker - LB - 256 TPE
The Wraiths finally stop Chainbreaker’s fall here at the end of the third round. I’m going to sound like a broken record until someone picks them, but the only things I would’ve considered here for the Wraiths would have been an offensive or defensive lineman. Similarly to the Copperheads the pick before, however, it is hard to pass up a max earner at this point in the draft. Did the Wraiths select another linebacker in Brach Thomaslacher at the end of the first round? Yes. Should that stop you from adding a max earner at this point? Absolutely not. The Wraiths have a strong locker room culture that should integrate Sermokala well. Overall, I like this pick.
Round 4, Pick 1: Chicago Butchers - Netlandic - Oliver Sloan - S - 124 TPE
I like Netlandic. I had a pretty good interaction with him in scouting and he was a solid guy in the Austin rookie room on Discord. Safety isn’t the most important position for the Butchers, however when you look at their depth chart they have a solid option at almost every position. There are arguments that you can always upgrade those positions, but at this point if you aren’t selecting a max earner you aren’t really upgrading those positions. With that in mind its totally understandable for Chicago to take the best player available on their board. I can see Sloan fitting in well with the locker room culture that Bayley and Murford are cultivating in Chicago.
Round 4, Pick 2: San Jose Sabercats - Rashad Hilliard - CB - 145 TPE
I’ll be honest, this is someone Austin was openly considering with our pick in the third round. I love adding defensive backs, I think they’re one of the ways you can build a strong defense. Hilliard is semi-active and earns at a pace that he can be a solid option for a secondary for a few seasons if he keeps up this pace. For the Sabercats, rolling the dice on Hilliard allows them to cover for the disappearance of Chester Sweets, who they took in the first round in Season 22. They’ve got solid options everywhere else on the roster, so I don’t think it would’ve been necessary to consider much more than whoever they consider to be the best player on the board.
Round 4, Pick 3: Honolulu Hahalua - Hooperorama - Ajay Krishna - OL - 109 TPE
Gucci and Raven really like their big ol’ hog mollies in this draft. Double dipping on the defensive line with their first two picks, adding a big tight end with their third, and now addressing the offensive line with their fourth. The Hahalua don’t currently have a human offensive lineman on the roster and only have one - I Hop - in the DSFL, so hopping on the fair rubs hype train and trying to build up that line for star running back Ke’oke’o Kane-Maika’i feels like a great choice here.
Round 4, Pick 4: Sarasota Sailfish - MisObvious - Arlington Heights - DE - 180 TPE
You guys can stop yelling at me about bringing up Arlington Heights as an option for almost every team in the last ten picks. Although the Sailfish did take Harrison Andrews in the first round and traded for Big Edd shortly after the draft, I’m not going to knock this pick. Heights is one of the best players still remaining on the board. Grabbing a solid, earning active in the fourth is something every team should be trying to do - especially if you don’t have an obviously glaring hole. You’re betting on upside here and Heights has a lot of that.
Round 4, Pick 5: Sarasota Sailfish - Blastmeaway - Thad Pennington Jr. - OL - 113 TPE
Sarasota has two human offensive linemen on their roster - Season 18 Samuel Bakhtiari and Season 22 Joey McCabe - however neither are great earners. As I discussed with my previous Sailfish write-up, you’re betting on upside here. Pennington Jr. may not have the most upside of a player left on the board, however he has the advantage of playing a position that the Sailfish can improve on if he adds around 100 TPE. Thats a worthwhile dice roll from Sarasota here.
Round 4, Pick 6: Arizona Outlaws - MattressCadaire - Mattress Cadaire - LB - 171 TPE
Cadaire is another player I really liked in scouting, however a few days before the draft he reached out to me to let me know he was expecting to slow down his earning and be a bit more casual. That is totally fine - he’s still a valuable player even if he isn’t earning at a max rate. Arizona has a plethora of great players stashed in the DSFL at almost every position, meaning that taking a flier on a guy who has shown the ability to stockpile TPE and should still be around is a fine option this late in the draft. I’m not even quite what other options are on the board that I would’ve considered if I were them. Solid choice here.
Round 4, Pick 7: New Orleans Second Line - Garnuk - Woodrow Brooks - DE - 135 TPE
This is another guy I really liked in the DSFL specifically, however his earning and activity has fallen off quite a bit then. I don’t know if there’s something particular going on with him or if he just has faded out of the league, but his activity early on his career makes him a promising pick. If New Orleans can get him to come back and be an active player they might have a hidden gem on their hands. I’ve been hyping them up to take defensive line all draft - most of y’all are probably tired of me talking about that currently - and they just keep grabbing more of them. I understand the strategy: the more you get the more dart throws you have that you’re getting a max earner. I still think New Orleans really needs to find another option at wide receiver though, and Tre’Darius J’vathon is still on the board here, so I might have considered that route. I can’t complain too much with them tripling down on what I consider to be on their biggest needs, however.
Round 4, Pick 8: Baltimore Hawks - TheManWhoSoldTheWorld - Myles Smith - LB - 133 TPE
One of the higher TPE players left on the board, Smith is a player piloted by a user that is pretty active in PBE. I think the Hawks need some linebackers to be able to start getting some flexibility in the defenses they run. Those two ideas combine into making this a solid pick. Taking someone who is in other sim leagues late is always a solid option, even if they aren’t always a great choice here. If they’re active in other leagues you have a pretty good chance of bringing them around again, especially if you think they’ll like your locker room and get more invested in the league because they’ll have a great place to hang out in. The Hawks didn’t have a linebacker in the DSFL heading into this draft either, meaning adding a stash piece at that position is a fine idea - you aren’t crowding the depth chart at all.
Round 4, Pick 9: Baltimore Hawks - Jiggly_333 - Mai Fukushu - RB - 246
Wowie, a max earner at the end of the fourth round. Jiggly is a veteran user of the league who has been around the block and knows what it takes to make a successful player. The Hawks need talent across the board and especially seem to need people who are going to be active on Discord. Although there are rumors that Jiggly is refusing to join the Hawks locker room, I understand taking the chance on him at this point in the draft. The only part of it that makes me hesitate is that the Hawks did trade a lot of draft capital to move up to select Captain Rogers in the second round, who is also a running back. That being said, if you can take a max earner this late you should do it. I’m sure the Hawks will figure out how to get everyone on the field. Having too many good options is never a bad problem to have.
Round 4, Pick 10: Orange County Otters - Jepox - Chad Simpson - DT - 129 TPE
Simpson won’t be ready to play immediately but I like this pick. The Otters were shopping Big Edd throughout the draft and eventually traded him shortly after it concluded. Although they did acquire an older defensive lineman in the trade, I fully respect that they recognized that he was older and brought in a young defensive lineman with potential. If Simpson hits and earns at a decent clip the Otters have gotten a solid piece for the future. If he doesn’t you aren’t missing much at this point in the draft.
Round 4, Pick 11: Baltimore Hawks - Walder Frey - Sasha Medved - DE - 108 TPE
I was high on Medved, he was someone I would’ve considered around this point if Austin had a fourth rounder. Although he’s not a max earner, he consistently gets in his updates. He’ll never blow you away but if you stash him for a few seasons you’ll have a solid backup option on the defensive line or a spot starter in some seasons if you need. High floor, low ceiling pick from the Hawks this late in the draft.
Round 4, Pick 12: Yellowknife Wraiths - DeadlyPlayer - Frank Michell - TE - 139 TPE
Deadly is another sim league veteran who you know will stay around and consistently earn. The Wraiths are calling up Zee Rechs from the DSFL to man their tight end spot currently, so replacing him in your DSFL reserves with another solid earner feels like a smart pick here. The talent on the board is slowly drying up, with the best player left on the board being Tre’Darius J’Vathon. Although I would’ve given him a lot of thought here because he’s a max earner - even though the Wraiths don’t really need a wide receiver - I understand trying to keep people in reserves for your ISFL roster, giving Michell the edge in value for the Wraiths.
Apparently there's a word limit on this new forum, so I'm posting the second part of this as a second thread.
Part 2 (i.e. Rounds 5 through 7)
A few disclaimers - First, I legitimately went through every pick. I probably contradict myself a million times throughout this thing. By the time I got done I was hallucinating and seeing stars. Second, I’m obviously only in the Copperhead’s war room. I don’t know what other teams are thinking, and I’m sure they have a reason for most of these picks. I’m generally talking out of my ass to make some money. Nothing is personal, I’m just giving some unfiltered thoughts. This is one of the reasons why I decided to not grade any picks, rather I just talk about when I think you could’ve gotten someone or other things a team could’ve done.
Oh and also blue text because some people use dark and some people use light mode. I figured this was the best bet for both of us.
So without further ado...
Round 1
Round 1, Pick 1: Chicago Butchers - Maglubiyet - Juan Domine - LB - 246 TPE
This pick should surprise no one. About a week out from the draft I thought there was an above average chance that Chicago went with the highest TPE player in the class in Zoe Watts. Chicago GM, Bayley, has a habit of selecting Birddogs and there was an obvious need for this team at RB. Watts would have been a stud in the backfield next to Julio Tirtawidjaja that Chicago picked up in Season 22.
With that in mind however, as the draft got closer it began to leak that Chicago was scorning positional needs and looking for someone who would have an immediate impact on their war room and sim testing. In this class that really narrowed their options down to about two people in my mind, with Maglubiyet being a premier option. If a top notch war room presence was what Chicago was looking for as they head into a must-win season, this is the ideal pick.
Round 1, Pick 2: San Jose Sabercats - Butterquach101 - Joshua Campbell - WR - 252 TPE
I expected this pick from the moment that San Jose locked in the #2 overall pick. Butters is a war room member, solid earner, and if rumors are to be believed is heavily in consideration to be San Jose’s next General Manager when either CK or Rrad decide to call it quits. That being said, I do question whether they could’ve gotten Butters in Round 2 and added a dominant defensive lineman to pair alongside Otis Allen. They ended up dealing their second rounder to Colorado for Season 23 defensive tackle Yuuto Kira Cloudera, a player I have a ton of experience with from their time in Dallas and who I consider to be a great add for a second rounder in this draft, however I wonder if adding someone like Asher Montain here and then picking up Butters with that second rounder would have been a better use of overall resources.
Round 1, Pick 3: Honolulu Hahalua - Attopax - Asher Montain - DE - 265 TPE
I wasn’t surprised at all that Honolulu went defensive line here. With GM Raven creating as a safety and former quarterback Jim Waters swapping to cornerback, the Hahalua addressed their needs in the secondary for the most part. Their defensive line is the weakest link on the team - anchored by Season 19 defensive end Jayson Kearse and Season 21 defensive end Logan Noble Jr. They have the former Season 22 TPE leader in Momona Keiki-Kane (the artist formerly known as Phat Boi) but he’s struggled to maintain his early earning since being drafted.
Asher Montain is an immediate impact add on the defensive line who can me the star earner the line needs to free up the others to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Co-GM Gucci has experience with the “Amidships Crew” from his time in Dallas interacting with Kyamprac and Amidships, which only makes it even more understandable that they considered Montain to be the best defensive line prospect in the draft.
Round 1, Pick 4: Sarasota Saifilsh - abh89 - Harrison Andrews - DE - 215 TPE
This is an extremely curious pick to me. I like abh - I think he’s an absolutely incredible user who was a huge add for the London Royals this past season. That being said, almost immediately after the draft the Sailfish made a trade with the Orange County Otters to acquire Season 22 defensive tackle Big Edd. Currently (excluding Andrews) the Sailfish defensive line consists of:
Season 18 Defensive End Steve Ocewilder - 749 TPE
Season 22 Defensive Tackle Cuco Clemente - 665 TPE
Season 23 Defensive End Son Goku - 484 TPE
Season 22 Defensive Tackle Big Edd - 482 TPE
Season 23 Defensive End Mike Karpaasi - 373 TPE
Goku and Clemente are incredible earners and the lynchpins of the defensive line. Ocewilder is hurtling towards his first season of expansion. Big Edd is sim blessed but has seen his earning slow down drastically since he was drafted into the ISFL. Karpaasi is a sneaky add on the line who is a solid backup option behind the rest of the team.
When I look at the Sailfish roster and senddowns I wonder if adding a third wide receiver or linebacker here would have been a potentially better option. Currently the Sailfish only have former Co-GM Rayne Gordon and current Co-GM Michael Witheblock at wide receiver, with no great options in the DSFL. At linebacker they have Season 22 studs Haha Mango-Panda and Fawn Dillmiballs, however once again they have no great option in the DSFL.
A wide receiver would potentially hedge against Gordon’s impending regression and a third linebacker would be an amazing add as the league shifts to running some 3-4 defenses in a variety of situations. That being said, abh has great value as a user and is an amazing locker room add for the Sailfish, and you can’t put a price on that.
Round 1, Pick 5: Baltimore Hawks - Tonzy - Maverick Bowie - S - 225 TPE
This is one of my favorite picks in the first round. I think getting Maverick Bowie at fifth overall is an absolute steal for the Baltimore Hawks. In my write-up for the Chicago Butchers at first overall I mentioned that in this class if they were looking for a premier war room that would benefit testing and team strategy add that I thought there were two people who were head and shoulders above other users in this class. Maglubiyet - who the Butchers ended up selecting - was one, Tonzy was the other.
The Hawks desperately need help in the secondary. Walt Green is an iconic figure for their team, but he was drafted in Season 15 and his best days are behind him. Season 22 cornerbacks Eldrick Avery and Ben Stackinpaper are incredible adds for the team who can man the boundaries. Season 23 cornerback Lesean Paris Crooks had an incredible career for the London Royals and now gets to step up and play in the big leagues. I’d imagine one of those corners will see some snaps in one of the safety positions. The other will probably be manned by another Season 23 add for the Hawks, safety CJ Riley.
When you look at that breakdown what becomes apparently obvious is that the Hawks are building an impressive secondary but need someone to be able to step up and replace Walt Green next season. Enter Maverick Bowie. An above average earner from the Season 24 class, Bowie comes in to step into an impending position of need while also helping boost activity in the Hawks Locker Room. Tonzy is unbelievably active, holds multiple league jobs, and has experience in the Tijuana War Room. Its hard to find a better pick for the Hawks here than him.
Round 1, Pick 6: Arizona Outlaws - Z-Whiz - Gunner Thorbjornsson - WR - 212 TPE
I remember when Thorbjornsson was picked in the previous DSFL draft. We were all shooting the shit in the GM chat about our fringe picks at that point in the draft, joking about who everyone was taking when London Co-GM Sylphreni pointed out that the guy they just took was still active and responding to them even though he was one of the latest picks in the draft.
That player turned out to be Thorbjornsson, who not only turned out to be active but turned out to be one of the best picks from that DSFL draft. One of the top earners in the class he was another one of London War Room adds from this class who helped turn their season around from the early season struggles. He’ll be a dynamic Locker Room presence for the Outlaws and is a great add as a user.
That being said, I worry about the value of taking a wide receiver here for the outlaws. Their star wide receiver, Saba Donut, just got smacked for the first time by regression but probably has at least one more season if not two ahead of him as a productive option. Jah Bur’Berry and Thomas Passerman aren’t the best earners in the world, but are solid receiving options for a second and third wide receiver. Friedrich Vequain waits in the DSFL, and although he’s another sub-par earner he’s still a potential productive earner. Finally, spoiler alert, the Outlaws selected Taro Raimon in the second round of this draft as well.
That is a lot of quality options at the wide receiver position, and although they could use a young max earner at the position - who Thorbjornsson may be - I wonder if a top notch defensive back could have been more valuable to the Outlaws here considering they don’t have a max earning options waiting in the SFL and are currently rostering two who are far below max earning. The same sentiments apply to their defensive line depth chart.
Round 1, Pick 7: New Orleans Second Line - pppaul317 - Quentin Button - S - 246 TPE
New Orleans taps their Norfolk pipeline, is anyone shocked? Paul is arguably the top defensive back in this class - he’s up there with Tonzy in terms of on the field value. I’ll be frank though, I don’t know much about his value as a user. I’ll avoid talking about that aspect of the pick here because of that. I have enough faith in Norfolk as a DSFL team however to think that if he was a high pick for them - and he was - that he’s a good dude.
In terms of positional need New Orleans addressed probably their biggest one with this pick. I’ve been very vocal in the past that I sometimes question NOLA’s draft strategy, that being said this was a homerun. New Orleans has two stud safeties who still have a few good years ahead of them in Mason Blaylock (Season 19) and LiterallyJust A. Hexagon (Season 22), but the rest of the secondary could use some additions. David Rector is the highest TPE player on the team but is heading into his final season before regression slaps him, Andrew Witten has been a huge addition from the Season 22 draft, and Jordan Andrews is still a servicable option even after his first season of regression. That being said, Andrews won’t be around forever and Button can step in next year to replace him in the secondary. The only question mark for the pick for me is the need for help on the defensive line, however (spoiler alert) New Orleans addressed this later. I’d rather select a max earning DB in round 1 and a semi-max DL in round 2 than vice versa.
Round 1, Pick 8: Austin Copperheads - Kyamprac - Zoe Watts - RB - 268 TPE
Rumor has it that at one point last season the Austin brain trust sat around a table and debated tanking because it felt like their year was almost over barring a miracle. By some miracle after that conversation they turned their season around and made a surprise run to the Ultimus. Had they considered trying to improve their draft position, Zoe Watts was always going to be the target. The highest TPE player at draft time - and if I’m correct the highest ever - Watts is arguably the best pure Locker Room presence in the draft. To nab her with the 8th overall pick is a steal and can only be attributed to the value running back has in the draft. Was running back the biggest need for the Copperheads? Probably not - there is a glaring hole hurting towards them at quarterback, however with the selection of Watts, Austin Co-GM Mooty99 retired his current player Mako Mendonca and created as a quarterback - Jackie Daytona.
Round 1, Pick 9: Colorado Yeti - SchwarzNarr - Melvin Murder-Moose - K/P - 195 TPE
My opinion on this pick when it was first submitted and my opinion on this pick now are very different. When this pick first hit the draft board my initial reaction was a mixture of shock and curiosity. Schwarz is an incredible person, but just based off both TPE and positional value I wondered if Colorado could have gotten her in the second and addressed another position here with another blue chip prospect.
Fast forward to now and I have the benefit of full perspective of the Yeti’s draft and their free agency haul. Had they chosen to wait to select Schwarz I would’ve expected a pick similar to their first second round pick - Joel Drake - here, Schwarz in the second, and a quarterback in the third. That would have come with the downside of probably not getting the top quarterback - who I believed was PigSnout. Instead they managed to get all three of those positions within the first two rounds, including PigSnout as the quarterback. My writeups for Colorado are going to be pretty unique in comparison to other teams during this rambling breakdown purely because of all that draft movement. Absolute haul by Colorado no matter how you slice it.
Round 1, Pick 10: Orange County Otters - Lime - Joseph Joestar - QB - 257 TPE
Lime is a character, that's for sure. My first experience with him was in scouting for Dallas. When I messaged him trying to start a conversation his sole response was, and I quote, “haha birbdoug go tweetwoof.” Thats iconically wedged into my memory, however every other interaction I’ve had with Lime since then or just observed is pretty positive. I have full faith in Orange County that they know what they’re doing too.
That being said, when you look at the entire draft I wonder if it would’ve been possible to get Lime in the second or third and take another blue chip prospect here at another position. Linebacker is a serious issue for the Otters with only Season 20 Inspectah Deck and Season 22 Deshun Jones on the roster. Although Jones is a star earner from Season 22, Deck has all but stopped earning. There is currently not another linebacker for the Otters in the DSFL either. With three star linebackers still left on the board in this class at this point - Brach Thomaslacher, Busch Light, and Adam Schell - I question whether this was the most important pick. If Joestar is your quarterback and you don’t want to risk missing him, by all means go get him.
Round 1, Pick 11: Philadelphia Liberty - Slothman07 - Dorothy Zbornak - DE - 222 TPE
Philadelphia is a team that I can see being very scary in the next few years. They check the boxes with a good, young player at almost every position. At the positions they have holes at they have options in the DSFL as well - such as Dre Matthews at wide receiver, who I assume will take over for Nacho Varga next season. There are only two exceptions to this, and one is one the defensive line.
Heading into this draft, the Liberty had a patchwork defensive line. Season 23 Defensive End Tycker Om is the star and a consistent earner, but Season 20 Reggie Culbertson and Season 22 Tristan Gronlie have been disappointments on the earning front. Zbornak comes in and is almost already the second highest TPE defensive lineman the Liberty have, and I’m sure will take that position on the depth chart my the middle of the upcoming season.
The only other position that I think the liberty could have potentially considered here was running back. Sam Torenson was drafted in Season 16 and is going to be absolutely hammered by regression next season. Fuzzy Dotson will have his first taste of that TPE drop off as well. There were some good running backs still left on the board at this point in the draft, and I could have seen the Liberty snagging someone such as Captain Rogers here for locker room value as well as positional need, however I can’t fault them for strengthening their other apparent weakness. The only knock I do have is that they apparently didn’t scout Zoe Watts at all and did originally have the pick that was used to draft her.
Round 1, Pick 12: Yellowknife Wraiths - RDBSouthPaw - Brach Thomaslacher - LB - 236 TPE
Yellowknife finally got that sweet taste of Ultimus glory after falling just short the previous four seasons. Moving forward they have a good young core, with strong, young players moving forward at almost every position. The areas they could use to shore up are linebacker and defensive line.
On the defensive line they currently have two Season 22 players who are consistent earners - James Cho and Patrik Money - however their options at defensive tackle leave quite a lot to be desired. Nero Alexander and Giannis Kroustis are both season 15 players who have been hit hard by regression heading into next season, and only will continue to experience that decline. They have two options in the DSFL - Joe Exoctic and Braxton Sinclair - however neither are premier options or are earning particularly well.
At linebacker they have Season 18 Maurice Virtanen who is a full fledged star, although he is heading for regression, and Douglas Quaid who is one of the better linebackers in the league as well.
What all this boils down to is that I can’t particularly nitpick this choice because they did hit a position of need, however I do personally think that their defensive line is debatably in a worse spot. Sigismund Sternenstaub is still on the board at this point, and although he’s a lower earner than Thomaslacher he does provide a huge boost to a defensive line that is going to be decimated next season by regression.
As a user pick, however, I do love Southpaw. Another member of the “Amidships Crew” he’s active, funny, and wicked smart. He’ll be a huge boost to the Wraiths Locker Room, and if they’re smart, their war room.
Round 2
Round 2, Pick 1: Chicago Butchers - Mavfatha - Icebox Riposte - OL - 154 TPE
Man, the Chicago Butchers really are turning it around aren’t they? They’ve got an active ,earning player at literally almost every position. I’m staring at the TPE tracker right now trying to find some place where I can knock them and find a better pick for them, but I’m seriously struggling. They make the most of their picks, and thats something I can’t say for every team.
One of their “holes” - if you can even really call it that - heading into this draft was Offensive Line. GM Bayley converted his player - Benson Bayley Jr. - from linebacker to offensive line after being drafted by the Butchers and is earning well. The other side of the line is held down by Perry Tucker Jr. who is a solid option as a Season 21 player with 342 TPE, however he has slowed down earning since being drafted. Riposte comes in and has a chance to catch up to him this season and eventually replace him next season to help keep a developing Chicago offense keep improving.
The only thing I can even kind of find to knock this pick is that although Chicago has three high earning DL players, Simeon Works isn’t quite keeping up. He’s still active, however, so I think its worth replacing the guy who is almost completely inactive over a guy who is still working towards being a stud earner.
Round 2, Pick 2: Colorado Yeti - Rusfan - Joel Drake - S - 203 TPE
I alluded to this pick in both my writeup for San Jose and Colorado. San Jose originally had this pick and traded it away for defensive tackle Yuuto Kira Cloudera. That gives San Jose a completely active defensive line composed of young players - Season 21 is the oldest they have - however I do think they could have gotten Butters here and drafted a defensive lineman (hello Attopax) in Round 1.
For Colorado, I think they made a curious move. Although ISFL teams are slowly moving away from all Nickel 35, that is still the primary defense. It utilizes a four man defensive line, and they currently only have three on their roster after the trade of Cloudera. I wonder if they could have used him on the roster going forward.
The selection of Rusfan is great for the locker room and you have to assume he’ll replace Season 18 Pete Parker when he gets smacked by regression in the coming years. With his addition the Yeti will be able to seamlessly maintain a 5 DB system, meaning they can run a safety at nickelback and blitz a linebacker off the edge as a defensive lineman in four man fronts, however it does get mildly wonky, especially considering one of the linebackers they’ll be relying on to do that is Season 15 Tony Gabagool, who one has to assume is heading into his last season.
I can’t fault them for grabbing an amazing user, but I do question the cost to do it. Colorado has been making a lot of moves so it does feel like they have a plan. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Round 2, Pick 3: Honolulu Hahalua - Mongoose87 - Sigismund Sternenstaub - DT - 197 TPE
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Honolulu built up their defensive line in Round 1 and doubled down in Round 2. With Momona Keiki-Kane stalling on his earning and Bane Ka’ana’ana appearing to behind phasing himself out of the league for a break, the Hahalua noticed that their position of weakness moving forward is the defensive line and continued to improve it. Attopax - their first round selection - was the best defensive line prospect in the class. Sternenstaub is one of the best on the board at this point. I don’t have much more else to say right now.
Round 2, Pick 4: Baltimore Hawks - TeyonSchavari - Captain Rogers - RB - 195 TPE
Holy hell did the Hawks give up a ton to move up for this pick. Teyon is awesome and I’m sure the Hawks want him for both his history of being a strong earner and his locker room value, however they just sold the farm for him. Season 20 Darrel Williams looks to be in position to be the lead back for the next few seasons, however having a second option at running back is never a bad thing and at this point in the draft the Hawks really didn’t have that.
The question I have about this pick - after you get past the astronomical cost they paid to move up - is whether or not a running back here was priority. The Hawks have two linebackers on their roster currently, Season 22 Derred de Ville and Dex Kennedy. Both are great options, however the league is beginning to transition to some 3-4 scenarios and the Hawks currently lack the personnel to even consider that option. It would require them blitzing two defensive ends off the edge as OLBs, and they don’t have the ideal defensive ends currently for that, although Arik Eller has potential. With two great linebackers still on the board here - Busch Light and Adam Schell - I’m surprised the trade up wasn’t for one of them. Props to the Hawks for identifying their guy and going to get it, the calculations on that decision making process though are ones I don’t quite understand.
Round 2, Pick 5: New Orleans Second Line - crow19 - Busch Light - LB - 234 TPE
I hate this pick. Busch Light is an absolute scrub. This isn’t an indictment of his playing ability, this dude’s just my future brother in law so I’m contractually obligated to bash him. Moving away from the conversation of the user, I love the pick. The Second Line desperately needed a linebacker with Season 15 Quenton Bode heading toward his final few seasons. Light gets a season to develop in the DSFL before coming in to help fill his shoes.
The only other things I would’ve considered here if I was the Second Line would have been another defensive line prospect to fill in for the recently retired Brave Ulysses and Ben Tu’inukuafe next season or a max earning wide receiver to be able to come in and be a primary target. The Second Line have three active wide receivers, however none are particularly max earning - something you really do look for at that position.
Round 2, Pick 6: Arizona Outlaws - Cincyfan96 - Adam Schell - LB - 209 TPE
Arizona has few positions that they don’t have a strong, young earner at. Linebacker happens to be one where they could always add another. I’m a broken record but I do keep writing about how plenty of ISFL teams are moving to a 3-4 defense in certain scenarios. For most, that involves blitzing one defensive end off the edge as an OLB, however you don’t really want to do that with a second defensive end. This means three linebackers are becoming the baseline for teams.
Insert Adam Schell. The Outlaws have Season 22 star Stanislaw Koniecpolski and Season 20 max earner Galf Wilf. Schell can partner up with them to give the Outlaws the third linebacker they’ve been looking for going forward. I can’t argue that they should have done much of anything different with this pick. As I mentioned in their first round write-up, I could have seen a safety or cornerback having some value here, but there really isn’t one I like left on the board here. Considering this, good pick.
Round 2, Pick 7: New Orleans Second Line - MobiausGrander - Azarius Ranger - DE - 157 TPE
I really want to love this pick. I loved Mobiaus in the DSFL draft, I thought he would be an absolute star in the league. I know he’s had some personal stuff come up that has limited his activity, which is totally understandable. What makes me hesitant about this pick is me wondering whether or not the Second Line could have gotten him in the third round, or even potentially later. As I mentioned in the write-up for their previous second round pick, I think the Second Line are correct in addressing the defensive line here - I think they could have arguably done it earlier - but I do wonder if this is the pick, and if it was if it had to be here.
What I would have really liked to see here from New Orleans is a wide receiver. They have three currently on their roster and none are max earners. Season 21 Ed Barker is the best of the bunch but he’s only semi-max. Season 22 Sean Snyder is a great guy and I’m sure an amazing locker room influence but is around 300 TPE lower than his draft mates at this point. Season 23 Brock Bodenhamer is a NOLA recreate, and I respect them for bringing back their alumni, however he is also around 250 TPE less than his top-notch draft mates at this point. Taro Raimon is still on the board as a pass catcher here, and I think he would’ve been a great add both for the New Orleans locker room and for their depth chart.
Round 2, Pick 8: Arizona Outlaws - xTri - Taro Raimon - WR - 237 TPE
Speaking of Taro Raimon, here he is. I love Tristan as a user. He’s not always the most Discord active, but when he is he’s hilarious. He’s a solid earner that I’ve never had to worry about maximizing his TPE. In this class I think he’s a solid value pick here for the Outlaws.
In previous write-ups for the Outlaws I mentioned that they have some solid options in the DSFL for wide receivers - primarily Friedrich Vequain - but as good as he is, Raimon is a much better earner at this point and will probably pass him in the season or two. Thats exactly when he’ll be looking to break into the Outlaws’ crowded receiver depth chart. His timeline lines up well with most of their team. Solid pick by the Outlaws here.
Round 2, Pick 9: Colorado Yeti - PigSnout - Mattathias Caliban - QB - 251 TPE
For those of us wondering what the plan was when Wolfie McDummy eventually bites the bullet, we have our answer. PigSnout is an iconic user in the league who has always max earned. I personally think he was the best quarterback in this class by a country mile and I think Colorado was smart to nab him here. I can’t write anything more because a quarterback is what Colorado needed, and a quarterback is what they got. Its honestly that simple.
Round 2, Pick 10: Orange County Otters - Sushi - Ne Mo - TE - 200 TPE
Orange County and picking tight ends early only to have them go on to completely dominate the league. Name a better pair, I’ll wait.
I don’t quite know what to make of this pick. I really like the user, he’s known across sim leagues and is a pretty consistent guy. That being said the Otters have two pure wide receivers - Season 21 Future Trunks and Season 22 Garfield Despacito Jr. - along with playing Season 22 tight end Jeffrey Phillips at wide receiver a fair bit. I don’t think adding another pass catcher was of the most importance here, not when as I’ve discussed in previous writeups adding another linebacker could be a huge boon.
With that in mind, however, the premier linebackers in the class have fallen off the board and although if I was Orange County I might consider a DB here to begin to let earn for an option in the future, there isn’t one of those on the board that I’d consider here either. S
Round 2, Pick 11: Philadelphia Liberty - Hallmonitor_20 - Jeremiah Zelow - LB - 157 TPE
The Liberty take their GMs player, who’s shocked? Since the draft his TPE has shot up to 209, so he’s not in as rough of shape as he looked at draft time. The Liberty needed a third linebacker to have some flexibility in their defensive options, and they could use a stud earner too as Season 18 Wayne Howaynow has seen his earning stall in recent years. They had to take this pick here per the rules but they did a good job in assigning their GM an important position, even if you did wish he had earned a bit more during the season.
Round 2, Pick 12: Yellowknife Wraiths - Trautner - Sam Howitzer - QB - 251 TPE
What are the Wraiths doing…? Had they picked an offensive lineman here, I would’ve been happy - and there’s a good one still on the board in Macaroni Elephant. Had they taken a defensive lineman here I would’ve understood - they have two Season 15 guys holding down two of the spots next season. There’s a great defensive tackle on the board too in LeBong Simwell.
I was not expecting a quarterback, however. Not when they just called up Season 22 quarterback Colby Jack. At first I thought this might be bait for potential expansion, however if it happens after this season he’ll be auto-protected, as will Jack because he’s currently Yellowknife’s GM. The other thought I had is that this might be a trade piece for a team that loses its QB in expansion or for an expansion team looking for a good, young option. This might be a big brained play by the Wraiths, but we’ll just have to wait and see because I’m honestly shook by this pick.
Round 3
Round 3, Pick 1: Arizona Outlaws - MrStennett - Charlemagne Cortez - QB - 212 TPE
We’re at the point in the draft where as long as you draft someone active, who earns well, and has some potential chance of cracking the rotation or being used as a trade piece then I’m not going to complain much. This is exactly that pick. Although the Outlaws have Season 18 Jay Cue on roster, he’s heading for regression after this season. They selected Reginald Covington III last season but he’s disappeared off the face of the planet, meaning he can’t be the quarterback plan of the future anymore. At this point in the draft the Outlaws are in a position where they can take what some might consider to be a luxury pick to secure a high earning, veteran player to potentially fill in a future need.
Round 3, Pick 2: San Jose Sabercats - supertardis101 - Rickie Vaughne - CB - 175 TPE
A name I recognize from PBE, the user here is someone you can count on. That being said, I don’t think cornerback is the most ideal position for San Jose here. They’re one of the only teams in the league who currently don’t run a human offensive lineman, and there’s still a good one on the board here in Macaroni Elephant - who similar to supertardis is also a sim league vet with his experience in SHL. Instead of adding another cornerback to the four they currently have who are all pretty young, I think the Sabercats could’ve been better served riding the wave and getting a human offensive lineman here - just from a team value perspective.
Round 3, Pick 3: Honolulu Hahalua - CementHands - Ragnar Krashwagen - TE - 173 TPE
I really liked Krashwagen as an option in both the DSFL and ISFL drafts he was in. He’s not the most outstanding earner in the league, but he earns at a solid pace to be a good option at tight end. He’s active around discords and is a sim league veteran. Essentially, he’s an ideal pick at this point in a draft of this depth. You’re getting a fairly safe option at a position he can prosper at considering what this league is for him the grand scheme of things. Honolulu didn’t have a tight end on their ISFL roster at the time of this pick - they have Tristan Hex in the DSFL who is active but a slower earner - so this is a good pick to fill in nicely for them. If he passes Hex they have a good trade piece there, if he never does then you have two solid tight end options to pick from or run in tandem going forward.
Round 3, Pick 4: Sarasota Sailfish - JBLAZE_THE_BOSS - Mike Boss Jr. - QB - 203 TPE
The Sailfish needed a quarterback. Dexter Banks II swapped over to the position last season and performed admirably, but he hit regression for the first time at the end of the season. It appears that both of the Sailfish’s DSFL stashes at quarterback - Tom Sofa and Chris Ramos - are inactive now. A quarterback this draft was a necessity.
Boss is the last of the quarterbacks on the board, and so he had to be the pick here. The user is the same one who had the previous Mike Boss - who is arguably the greatest ISFL quarterback of all time. That being said, I do wonder if the Sailfish should’ve tried to trade up and snag one of the higher earning quarterbacks in this class. I think there’s an argument to be made that you need the answer to Banks in the system now, and as a result every marginal TPE is important. The counterpoint to this is that it would’ve cost more draft capital to move up and if Sarasota has faith Boss will catch up Lime, Trautner, MrStennett, and PigSnout in earning he’ll be a good option. Howitzer is now close to 130 TPE ahead though, and that difference matters.
Round 3, Pick 5: Sarasota Sailfish - Haseo - Zach Mouse - S - 178 TPE
Hey look the Sailfish are back on the clock. With a secondary in desperate need of repair, they finally look that direction. Season 15 Lucas Knight has to be heading into his last season. Season 18 Xavien Adams is heading towards regression, Season 20 Jamie Nkiah is a solid piece for the future, Season 19 Beat is earning a bit slower than you’d like but is serviceable, and Season 23 Raphael d’Alcott is struggling to maintain the earning he had at draft time. Mikel van Perkins waits in the DSFL to replace one of them, however adding a second to begin earning for the future needs that are looming on the horizon never hurts.
As I’ve mentioned in most of my other Sarasota write-ups, I would’ve loved to see a linebacker at some point in this class, but at this point there isn’t one on the board I’d be particularly ecstatic to add. Addressing the secondary wasn’t a bad decision.
Round 3, Pick 6: Arizona Outlaws - WannabeFinn - Sergio Kitchens - RB - 207 TPE
I love this user. The first, and currently only, member of the Austin Snek Ring, WBF has earned pretty well on this new player. As always, I would’ve liked to see Arizona address the secondary here - potentially with a flier on someone like Nerdy Name - but I can’t complain with understanding the value in the user here even if they didn’t need a running back.
Kitchens was traded almost immediately after the draft for some draft capital next year. This is where I knock the pick - they didn’t scout him, didn’t need the position, and took him anyway. The draft capital they got is valuable, but in a class the size of the upcoming one we’ll still need a solid retention rate for them to be particularly valuable.
Round 3, Pick 7: New Orleans Second Line - Birdman - LeBong Simwell - DT - 200 TPE
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: New Orleans needed defensive line help. Badly. I mean no ill to the team, but if there is one area that has suffered due to various choices in the last few seasons, its definitely the defensive line. I wanted them to add a premier lineman in the second round - although they did select Azarius Ranger. The catch here is that if you had asked me who I would’ve liked to see them take there it would’ve probably been Simwell. At this point it kinda breaks down where although I do think they overdrafted Ranger I would’ve been fine with him in this spot as a good flier with upside.
So the draft positions are essentially interchangeable here to me. Would I have counted on Simwell falling if I had been New Orleans? Thats hard to say. I think you could easily predict that Colorado was going to take a quarterback, however Arizona and definitely Yellowknife were pretty shocking to see take ones. I could easily have seen Simwell go to Yellowknife to bolster their aging defensive line.
All in all this is a great pick and some great drafting by the Second Line to end up with two solid options on the line, I just do think they took some risks to get here.
Round 3, Pick 8: Philadelphia Liberty - Nictox - Macaroni Elephant - OL - 151 TPE
FAIR RUBS! I love ths pick for the Liberty. With only one human offensive lineman on the roster - Season 21 Simon Tremblay - they had room to add another. Nictox is a good user who has sim league experience. Although I don’t think he’s expecting to be the craziest of earners over here, one of the great parts about offensive line is that if he can add another 100 or so TPE he’s just as valuable as a 550 TPE bot, making him valuable for both cap purposes and team performance purposes. I think a running back here could’ve been an option, however there isn’t a great one on the board so replacing a bot with a good, active human user is probably the best they were going to do.
Round 3, Pick 9: Colorado Yeti - Skyfish - Nerdy Name - S - 154 TPE
Skyfish is a great guy. He’ll be a great locker room presence for the Yeti who are rapidly building one of the best locker rooms in the league. As an earner he’s sporadic, popping in every now and then and occasionally missing some opportunities. When push comes to shove, however, even if he keeps up that sporadic pace he’ll still be a valuable piece for the back end of the Colorado defense. I might’ve considered a defensive lineman here - maybe someone like Arlington Heights who appears to be the best defensive lineman left on the board - however, I can’t knock a team for stockpiling more active talent. They did trade up for Joel Drake, another safety, in the second round. So there are pros and cons to this pick.
Round 3, Pick 10: Philadelphia Liberty - bigbluex02 - Thomas Rose - LB - 107 TPE
If you’re Philadelphia at this point you’re just really looking to take whoever you think will be active and be a good fit for your team. The only position I’d be looking to improve if I was in their war room would be the running back position - I discussed this in my write-up for their other third round pick - however there still isn’t a running back I probably would’ve considered here. At some point you would think a team that is running back needy might have stopped Mai Fukushu’s fall, however the Liberty do have the flexibility to make that a priority next season or through a position change if necessary.
Round 3, Pick 11: Austin Copperheads - YoungTB - Korbin Brown - WR - 224 TPE
Hey its my Copperheads again. I’m going to be biased with my opinions on this pick because I was one of the people who helped decide on it. There are plenty of things that I could’ve seen the Copperheads do here. Adding another offensive lineman would’ve been been pretty helpful considering that Edmond Beaver-Dantes is heading into what we have to assume is his last season. Austin has Season 22 offensive lineman Tommy Sacamano in the DSFL, however he doesn’t seem to be active or earning a pace that will make him a viable option. Another defensive tackle to eventually replace Riles McTackle - who is also a below average earner - would be a good addition for the Copperheads here. The best offensive linemen on the board average around 100 TPE however, and although Arlington Heights is an option at defensive end to help bolster the defensive line, even that doesn’t quite equate to the value of adding another max earning wide receiver as a future piece to keep the Austin offense flexible. Essentially, although there are other options on the board that are viable pieces at positions of need, its hard to complain when a team adds a max earner at this point in the draft.
Round 3, Pick 12: Yellowknife Wraiths - Sermokaka - Alejandro Chainbreaker - LB - 256 TPE
The Wraiths finally stop Chainbreaker’s fall here at the end of the third round. I’m going to sound like a broken record until someone picks them, but the only things I would’ve considered here for the Wraiths would have been an offensive or defensive lineman. Similarly to the Copperheads the pick before, however, it is hard to pass up a max earner at this point in the draft. Did the Wraiths select another linebacker in Brach Thomaslacher at the end of the first round? Yes. Should that stop you from adding a max earner at this point? Absolutely not. The Wraiths have a strong locker room culture that should integrate Sermokala well. Overall, I like this pick.
Round 4
Round 4, Pick 1: Chicago Butchers - Netlandic - Oliver Sloan - S - 124 TPE
I like Netlandic. I had a pretty good interaction with him in scouting and he was a solid guy in the Austin rookie room on Discord. Safety isn’t the most important position for the Butchers, however when you look at their depth chart they have a solid option at almost every position. There are arguments that you can always upgrade those positions, but at this point if you aren’t selecting a max earner you aren’t really upgrading those positions. With that in mind its totally understandable for Chicago to take the best player available on their board. I can see Sloan fitting in well with the locker room culture that Bayley and Murford are cultivating in Chicago.
Round 4, Pick 2: San Jose Sabercats - Rashad Hilliard - CB - 145 TPE
I’ll be honest, this is someone Austin was openly considering with our pick in the third round. I love adding defensive backs, I think they’re one of the ways you can build a strong defense. Hilliard is semi-active and earns at a pace that he can be a solid option for a secondary for a few seasons if he keeps up this pace. For the Sabercats, rolling the dice on Hilliard allows them to cover for the disappearance of Chester Sweets, who they took in the first round in Season 22. They’ve got solid options everywhere else on the roster, so I don’t think it would’ve been necessary to consider much more than whoever they consider to be the best player on the board.
Round 4, Pick 3: Honolulu Hahalua - Hooperorama - Ajay Krishna - OL - 109 TPE
Gucci and Raven really like their big ol’ hog mollies in this draft. Double dipping on the defensive line with their first two picks, adding a big tight end with their third, and now addressing the offensive line with their fourth. The Hahalua don’t currently have a human offensive lineman on the roster and only have one - I Hop - in the DSFL, so hopping on the fair rubs hype train and trying to build up that line for star running back Ke’oke’o Kane-Maika’i feels like a great choice here.
Round 4, Pick 4: Sarasota Sailfish - MisObvious - Arlington Heights - DE - 180 TPE
You guys can stop yelling at me about bringing up Arlington Heights as an option for almost every team in the last ten picks. Although the Sailfish did take Harrison Andrews in the first round and traded for Big Edd shortly after the draft, I’m not going to knock this pick. Heights is one of the best players still remaining on the board. Grabbing a solid, earning active in the fourth is something every team should be trying to do - especially if you don’t have an obviously glaring hole. You’re betting on upside here and Heights has a lot of that.
Round 4, Pick 5: Sarasota Sailfish - Blastmeaway - Thad Pennington Jr. - OL - 113 TPE
Sarasota has two human offensive linemen on their roster - Season 18 Samuel Bakhtiari and Season 22 Joey McCabe - however neither are great earners. As I discussed with my previous Sailfish write-up, you’re betting on upside here. Pennington Jr. may not have the most upside of a player left on the board, however he has the advantage of playing a position that the Sailfish can improve on if he adds around 100 TPE. Thats a worthwhile dice roll from Sarasota here.
Round 4, Pick 6: Arizona Outlaws - MattressCadaire - Mattress Cadaire - LB - 171 TPE
Cadaire is another player I really liked in scouting, however a few days before the draft he reached out to me to let me know he was expecting to slow down his earning and be a bit more casual. That is totally fine - he’s still a valuable player even if he isn’t earning at a max rate. Arizona has a plethora of great players stashed in the DSFL at almost every position, meaning that taking a flier on a guy who has shown the ability to stockpile TPE and should still be around is a fine option this late in the draft. I’m not even quite what other options are on the board that I would’ve considered if I were them. Solid choice here.
Round 4, Pick 7: New Orleans Second Line - Garnuk - Woodrow Brooks - DE - 135 TPE
This is another guy I really liked in the DSFL specifically, however his earning and activity has fallen off quite a bit then. I don’t know if there’s something particular going on with him or if he just has faded out of the league, but his activity early on his career makes him a promising pick. If New Orleans can get him to come back and be an active player they might have a hidden gem on their hands. I’ve been hyping them up to take defensive line all draft - most of y’all are probably tired of me talking about that currently - and they just keep grabbing more of them. I understand the strategy: the more you get the more dart throws you have that you’re getting a max earner. I still think New Orleans really needs to find another option at wide receiver though, and Tre’Darius J’vathon is still on the board here, so I might have considered that route. I can’t complain too much with them tripling down on what I consider to be on their biggest needs, however.
Round 4, Pick 8: Baltimore Hawks - TheManWhoSoldTheWorld - Myles Smith - LB - 133 TPE
One of the higher TPE players left on the board, Smith is a player piloted by a user that is pretty active in PBE. I think the Hawks need some linebackers to be able to start getting some flexibility in the defenses they run. Those two ideas combine into making this a solid pick. Taking someone who is in other sim leagues late is always a solid option, even if they aren’t always a great choice here. If they’re active in other leagues you have a pretty good chance of bringing them around again, especially if you think they’ll like your locker room and get more invested in the league because they’ll have a great place to hang out in. The Hawks didn’t have a linebacker in the DSFL heading into this draft either, meaning adding a stash piece at that position is a fine idea - you aren’t crowding the depth chart at all.
Round 4, Pick 9: Baltimore Hawks - Jiggly_333 - Mai Fukushu - RB - 246
Wowie, a max earner at the end of the fourth round. Jiggly is a veteran user of the league who has been around the block and knows what it takes to make a successful player. The Hawks need talent across the board and especially seem to need people who are going to be active on Discord. Although there are rumors that Jiggly is refusing to join the Hawks locker room, I understand taking the chance on him at this point in the draft. The only part of it that makes me hesitate is that the Hawks did trade a lot of draft capital to move up to select Captain Rogers in the second round, who is also a running back. That being said, if you can take a max earner this late you should do it. I’m sure the Hawks will figure out how to get everyone on the field. Having too many good options is never a bad problem to have.
Round 4, Pick 10: Orange County Otters - Jepox - Chad Simpson - DT - 129 TPE
Simpson won’t be ready to play immediately but I like this pick. The Otters were shopping Big Edd throughout the draft and eventually traded him shortly after it concluded. Although they did acquire an older defensive lineman in the trade, I fully respect that they recognized that he was older and brought in a young defensive lineman with potential. If Simpson hits and earns at a decent clip the Otters have gotten a solid piece for the future. If he doesn’t you aren’t missing much at this point in the draft.
Round 4, Pick 11: Baltimore Hawks - Walder Frey - Sasha Medved - DE - 108 TPE
I was high on Medved, he was someone I would’ve considered around this point if Austin had a fourth rounder. Although he’s not a max earner, he consistently gets in his updates. He’ll never blow you away but if you stash him for a few seasons you’ll have a solid backup option on the defensive line or a spot starter in some seasons if you need. High floor, low ceiling pick from the Hawks this late in the draft.
Round 4, Pick 12: Yellowknife Wraiths - DeadlyPlayer - Frank Michell - TE - 139 TPE
Deadly is another sim league veteran who you know will stay around and consistently earn. The Wraiths are calling up Zee Rechs from the DSFL to man their tight end spot currently, so replacing him in your DSFL reserves with another solid earner feels like a smart pick here. The talent on the board is slowly drying up, with the best player left on the board being Tre’Darius J’Vathon. Although I would’ve given him a lot of thought here because he’s a max earner - even though the Wraiths don’t really need a wide receiver - I understand trying to keep people in reserves for your ISFL roster, giving Michell the edge in value for the Wraiths.
Apparently there's a word limit on this new forum, so I'm posting the second part of this as a second thread.
Part 2 (i.e. Rounds 5 through 7)