Millions of people take part in fantasy football leagues, trying to compile the right collection of NFL talent to score fantasy points for their “team” and help them beat other “teams” in their league. But what would it be like if a fantasy football league were made from local high school athletes? That question was answered – at least to some degree – in this week’s Marion County PM Sports Page program.
As a fun-spirited project, statistics for quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends and kickers from our local teams (reliable and effective defense and special teams numbers were harder to calculate) were used to build rankings for each of our athletes based on the number of fantasy “points” they averaged over the first five or six games of the season. Here’s how each players total points were calculated:
Passing: Every 25 yards = 1 Touchdown = 4 Interception = -2
Rushing: Every 10 yards = 1 Touchdown = 6
Receiving: Every 10 yards = 1 Touchdown = 6
Kicking: PAT = 1 FG (0-39 yds) = 3 FG (40-49 yds) = 4
Missed FG = -1
With that system in place, here are the top five to fifteen players at each of the aforementioned positions from Knoxville, Pella High, Pella Christian, PCM, Pleasantville, Melcher-Dallas and Twin Cedars. The rankings are based solely on the number of points a player has accrued this season and have no bearing on the talent level or importance of a given athlete.
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Kickers
With the priority placed on the player who scores the most fantasy points per week, here are the top 45 local players from the above data:
1) Trent Flesher – Melcher-Dallas RB — 40.2 avg.
2) Kenneth Wadle – Melcher-Dallas WR — 23.8 avg.
3) Ethan Kain – PCM WR — 21.2 avg.
4) Colton Spaur – Knoxville RB — 20.4 avg.
5) Nate VandeWall – PCM QB — 20.3 avg.
6) Brent Parker – Twin Cedars QB — 19.3 avg.
7) Michael Mason – Pella Christian RB — 15.4 avg.
8) Dalton Roland – Melcher-Dallas QB — 12.0 avg.
9) Levi Jones – Twin Cedars WR — 10.0 avg.
10) Derek Van Kooten – Pella Christian RB/WR — 9.6 avg.
11) Ryan Douglas – Knoxville WR — 9.4 avg.
12) Gerritt Davis – Knoxville QB — 9.0 avg.
13) Drew Carlson – Twin Cedars WR/RB — 8.8 avg.
14) Chris Peden – Pleasantville WR — 8.6 avg.
15) Colten Collins – Pella Christian QB — 8.6 avg.
16) Chris Selix – Twin Cedars RB — 8.6 avg.
17) Josh De Waard – Pella QB — 8.6 avg.
18) Zach Uhlenhopp – PCM WR — 8.2 avg.
19) Hagan Fouch – Pleasantville QB — 7.2 avg.
20) Blake Riggen – Pella Christian WR — 7.2 avg.
21) Dylan Roberts – Twin Cedars WR — 7.0 avg.
22) Otis Roby – Twin Cedars WR — 7.0 avg.
23) Lukas Steenhoek – Pella RB — 6.4 avg.
24) Nathan Henry – Pella RB — 6.4 avg.
25) Trey Busick – Pleasantville RB — 6.2 avg.
26) Patrick Sheehey – Pleasantville WR — 6.2 avg.
27) Tim Loeffler – Twin Cedars RB — 5.6 avg.
28) Austin Starkovich – Melcher-Dallas RB — 5.2 avg.
29) Jacob Brouwer – Pella Christian K — 5.0 avg.
30) Tanner Dunkin – Knoxville WR/RB — 4.2 avg.
31) Mike Neff – PCM TE — 4.2 avg.
32) Ricky Reeve – PCM WR — 3.8 avg.
33) Ross Shelford – Knoxville WR — 3.6 avg.
34) Dillon Bruxvoort – PCM TE — 3.3 avg.
35) Derek Glover – Knoxville WR — 3.2 avg.
36) Bryce Bortscheller – Pella WR — 3.2 avg.
37) Mac Moore – Pleasantville TE – 2.6 avg.
38) Ross Dawson – Melcher-Dallas TE/WR – 2.2 avg.
39) Jacob Vollmar – Pella WR – 2.2 avg.
40) Nathan Clayberg – Pella TE – 2.2. avg.
41) Anthony Bentzinger – Pella K – 1.8 avg.
42) Tanner Dunkin – Knoxville K – 1.8 avg.
43) Mike Neff – PCM K – 1.8 avg.
44) Max Wautrin – Twin Cedars K – 0.8 avg.
45) Seth Johnson – Pella K – 0.6 avg.
With their lists in front of them, KNIA/KRLS High School Fantasy Football Draft analysts Eric Gotschall, Cory Houser and Derek Cardwell each drafted a team consisting of a starting quarterback, two running backs, a flex player (RB/WR/TE), two wide receivers, a tight end and a kicker. Each analyst also selected five “bench players”. After an agonizing five-hour round-robin tournament of “rock, paper, scissors”, Derek Cardwell earned the right to chose first; followed by Cory and Eric. Here are how their teams shaped out:
Round One:
Trent Flesher – Cardwell
Kenneth Wadle – Houser
Colton Spaur – Gotschall
Round Two:
Ethan Kain – Cardwell
Michael Mason – Houser
Nate VandeWall – Gotschall
Round Three:
Brent Parker – Cardwell
Dalton Roland – Houser
Levi Jones – Gotschall
Round Four:
Derek Van Kooten – Cardwell
Drew Carlson – Houser
Ryan Douglas – Gotschall
Round Five:
Gerritt Davis – Cardwell
Chris Peden – Houser
Colten Collins – Gotschall
Round Six:
Zach Uhlenhopp – Cardwell
Chris Selix – Houser
Nathan Henry – Gotschall
Round Seven:
Blake Riggen – Cardwell
Josh De Waard – Houser
Otis Roby – Gotschall
Round Eight:
Dylan Roberts – Cardwell
Lukas Steenhoek – Houser
Tim Loeffler – Gotschall
Round Nine:
Patrick Sheehey – Cardwell
Trey Busick – Houser
Mike Neff – Gotschall
Round Ten:
Austin Starkovich – Cardwell
Tanner Dunkin – Houser
Ricky Reeve – Gotschall
Round Eleven:
Jacob Brouwer – Cardwell
Dillon Bruxvoort – Houser
Bryce Bortscheller – Gotschall
Round Twelve:
Mac Moore – Cardwell
Derek Glover – Houser
Anthony Bentzinger – Gotschall
Round Thirteen:
Nathan Clayberg – Cardwell
Ross Shelford – Houser
Caleb Morgan * (Honorary Captain) – Gotschall
Team Names & Rosters:
“Riggen the Game” – Derek Cardwell
QB – Brent Parker (Twin Cedars)
RB – Trent Flesher (Melcher-Dallas)
RB – Derek Van Kooten (Pella Christian)
Flex – Blake Riggen (Pella Christian)
WR – Ethan Kain (PCM)
WR – Zach Uhlenhopp (PCM)
TE – Mac Moore (Pleasantville)
K – Jacob Brouwer – Pella Christian
Bench:
QB – Gerritt Davis (Knoxville)
WR – Dylan Roberts (Twin Cedars)
WR – Patrick Sheehey (Pleasantville)
RB – Austin Starkovich (Melcher-Dallas)
TE – Nathan Clayberg (Pella)
————————————————————
“Tanner Dunkin Go-Nuts” – Cory Houser
QB – Dalton Roland (Melcher-Dallas)
RB – Michael Mason (Pella Christian)
RB – Chris Selix (Twin Cedars)
Flex – Drew Carlson (Twin Cedars)
WR – Kenneth Wadle (Melcher-Dallas)
WR – Chris Peden (Pleasantville)
TE – Dillon Bruxvoort (PCM)
K – Tanner Dunkin (Knoxville) *also “flex” player
Bench:
QB – Josh De Waard (Pella)
RB – Lukas Steenhoek (Pella)
RB – Trey Busick (Pleasantville)
WR – Derek Glover
WR – Ross Shelford
————————————————————
“‘Neff Said” – Eric Gotschall
QB – Nate VandeWaal (PCM)
RB – Colton Spaur (Knoxville)
RB – Nathan Henry (Pella)
Flex – Otis Roby (Twin Cedars)
WR – Levi Jones (Twin Cedars)
WR – Ryan Douglass (Knoxville)
TE – Mike Neff (PCM)
K – Anthony Bentzinger (Pella)
Bench:
QB – Colten Collins (Pella Christian)
RB – Tim Loeffler (Twin Cedars)
RB – Caleb Morgan (Pella Christian) *
WR – Ricky Reeve (PCM)
WR – Bryce Bortscheller (Pella)
How did the analysts do? Who has the best team? Better team name ideas? What would you have done differently? Let us know your feedback by sending an e-mail to sports@kniakrls.com