The draft is done. Here’s who I like.
Valexia gets my vote. Anthony’s ranking is the one I’d argue about.

All right, we have teams. Valexia’s is my favorite. I think Anthony got a rough deal from the draft rankings, and there are a few teams in the middle I’d happily take over their position on the list.
It’s a ten-team league, so having a few studs doesn’t tell us much. What I care about is whether you can take a bad week from one of them and still win, and whether your bench gives you help or just more people to hope for. Here’s my read on everyone, in ESPN’s draft order.
Find your team in the recap

Valexia's Goal Diggers
Valexia is the team I’d take
I like Valexia's Goal Diggers most. The backs are loaded, the quarterback is good, and the team doesn’t need one player to have a ridiculous game every week. That gives Valexia a little more room to be wrong about a lineup decision than some of the rest of the league.
Jeanty’s ankle was still a concern at draft review, so there was a decision to keep an eye on right away. But I’d rather manage that problem with this roster than start over with most of the others. First place is a draft projection, sure. It’s also where I’d put them.
Sources
Photo: Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons · 2025-05-06
NFL context checked Sep 5, 6:15 PM PDT
- Falcons: current roster (Robinson and London) ↗
- Falcons: Rees named offensive play-caller ↗
- Falcons: Bijan discusses the screen game, August 27, 2026 ↗
- Seahawks · opening roster and backfield roles, Aug. 30, 2026 ↗
- Jeanty ankle injury: Week 1 optimism, not confirmed clearance. Sept. 2 report, reviewed Sept. 5 ↗

Bowers' Kingdom
Derick’s Jacobs pick is worth the wait. Up to a point.
Josh Jacobs in the tenth round is the sort of pick I’d talk myself into. If he returns and plays like himself, Derick has a star back waiting on the bench for pick 97. That could change how good Bowers' Kingdom are later in the season without needing to make a trade.
At draft review, Jacobs was on the Commissioner’s Exempt List with no confirmed return date. So the other outcome is pretty simple: Derick gets nothing, and the spot stays full while other players become worth picking up. I like taking the chance. Just don’t keep passing on help you can use because you want the draft pick to work out.

Surtain Victory
Matthew needs the backs to come along
Matthew put together a team with a lot to like at tight end. That can save you a weekly headache and give you another flex option. Surtain Victory also have enough elsewhere that third doesn’t feel like an overreaction.
The backs are where I’d want to see it happen first. If they come through, Matthew gets to enjoy the strength he paid for. If not, he could have a good tight end sitting on the bench while he’s trying to find a running back to start. That’s the thing to watch, not whether the best player on the team is good. We know that part.

The Queen's Kings
Sonny has enough to win with
I like the lineup Sonny can put out. The Queen's Kings have good players across the skill positions, and fourth seems fair. This isn’t a team that needs a bunch of things to go right before it can compete.
There are four quarterbacks on a roster that starts one. Eventually Sonny may want one of those spots for a back or receiver who can help. That doesn’t make the whole draft bad. It means there’s an obvious place to look when the team needs room for someone new. I’d rather see what the starters do than spend the season counting the quarterbacks.

GP3
I like GP3 more than fifth
Brenton has a receiver room I’d be happy with. There are good options for the flex and someone useful left over if a starter misses time. That makes the week easier. You aren’t trying to replace a star with whatever is left on Sunday morning.
Tight end is the spot where I want a little more. GP3 don’t need a huge game there every week, but getting almost nothing would waste some good work from the rest of the lineup. Get enough from that spot and I like this team more than the fifth-place projection.
Correction · Sep 5, 11:36 AM PDT An earlier version incorrectly described Hurts and Brown as a Philadelphia quarterback–receiver pairing. Brown was traded to New England on June 1, 2026. That passage has been corrected.

TheJuiceIsLoose
AJ has a good problem
AJ has enough receivers that someone good is going to sit. I like that. TheJuiceIsLoose can put a strong player in the flex without using up every option, and the backs give them another way to get points.
The annoying part will be picking the wrong receiver on a week when the one on the bench goes off. That’s going to happen sometimes. It doesn’t mean AJ needs to tear the team apart. It means he gets another decent choice next week instead of going shopping for a starter. Sixth looks a little harsh to me.

DEVODAWGS
Devin can win with this team
Devin has Josh Allen and a backfield I like. That’s enough to beat a good team without needing some wild upset. Seventh makes DEVODAWGS sound worse than the lineup I’m looking at.
I’d want another receiver I could trust when somebody is out. If a later pick becomes that guy, Devin’s Sundays get much easier. If not, the byes and injuries could leave him looking for help. It’s a real problem to work on, but it doesn’t stop this team from winning while he figures it out.

Daniel's Driven Team
Daniel has backs I’d want
Daniel’s running backs give him a pretty clear way to win. McCaffrey is the biggest name, but the group goes beyond him. I like the lineup more than eighth, especially when Daniel can use a third back in the flex.
There isn’t as much behind that starting group. Lose a back and he may need a receiver to take the flex spot instead. That’s manageable, but it changes where he needs the points to come from. I like what he starts with. I’d be looking for another usable back as the season goes on.

Shannon's Super Team
I wouldn’t want to play Shannon
Shannon's Super Team don’t look like ninth to me. The starting backs are strong, and she has receivers beyond the first couple of names. There’s enough here that I’d check the lineup before getting excited about seeing her on the schedule.
Another back she can start when needed would help. That’s where I’d look next, rather than adding one more receiver. I like the team she has now. I’d like it more with a way to handle a missing back that doesn’t require finding someone at the last minute.

Ctrl Alt Defeat
Tenth is too low for Anthony
I disagree with Anthony’s draft ranking more than anyone else’s. Ctrl Alt Defeat have established starters and enough alternatives that I don’t see the last-place team ESPN is projecting. I’d take this roster over that label.
Some of the receivers need a healthier year than they had in 2025. That’s a reason to be cautious, but Anthony didn’t leave himself with no other choices. If he gets more games from that group, there’s a lot to like. He gets AJ first, which should give us something better to discuss than the draft grade.
Reporting & sources
Photo: Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons · 2025-05-06
Draft strength is ESPN’s draft-day projected rank, not an earned score or letter grade. Roster references use ESPN data verified on Sep 5, 2026. Team names and logos follow current ESPN identities; the roster analysis remains dated as shown. ESPN source ↗
2025 fantasy averages use this league’s scoring, including one point per reception. Games played accompany shorter samples; last year’s production is not a projection.
From the draft to Week 1
Bowers is out of the plan. Derick still has a game to win.
Surtain Victoryvs.Bowers' Kingdom
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