Tue Jul 15th 2025

My 2025 Scott Fish Bowl Draft

I was thrilled to receive another invitation to the Scott Fish Bowl this year. Last year was my first time to play, and I came in first place in my league, but promptly lost in the first round of the tournament-style playoffs. I'm eager to test my skills again and advance further in year two.

What makes the Scott Fish Bowl so unique is that the scoring settings change radically from year to year. He always has a new wrinkle to the system to make the scoring far different from regular redraft leagues. The wildly different scoring settings make every draft unique, as managers can employ a variety of drafting strategies, and any of them can be effective.

This big change this year is that you can start zero to nine players at the same position in an eleven-player starting lineup. A starting lineup could consist of nine running backs and two tight ends, nine tight ends and two receivers, nine receivers and two running backs, and so on. The only limit is that only two quarterbacks can start, but you don't even need to start one.

The other wild scoring setting is that "volume is king," as you can see below. It's 2.5 PPR, 3.5 PPR for tight ends, .5 per carry, and one point per first down rushing and receiving. These settings completely level out the playing field between positions, making this year's draft extremely fun and unpredictable. Running backs who are active in both the running and passing games are more valuable, as are highly targeted wide receivers and tight ends, rather than quarterbacks, who typically dominate the first few rounds in superflex drafts. One team in my league did not draft a quarterback until the ninth round. Any draft strategy could be a winning one in a league with scoring settings like this.

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

Even so, this year's draft was more unpredictable than I expected, making each pick a challenge. I had a blast in the "Colorado Rapids" league drafting against a few other folks in the fantasy industry and a few super fans who also received an invitation to play. To be honest, I'm less confident in the team I drafted than I was last season when I won my league, but ya never know what will take place once the season is underway.

During this dynasty dead period before training camps get underway, I wanted to share my experiences and highlight the players I drafted in this year's Scott Fish Bowl. I hope you enjoy the article and cheer me on this year! Here is what I did, drafting from the 7-spot.

Christian McCaffrey

• In a league where running backs involved in the passing and running game are king, I bet on McCaffrey to bounce back and be the highest scoring player in the league this season, as he was so many seasons before. It's a risk given his recent injuries, but one I would gladly take in a league like this. Bijan Robinson was the highest-scoring player in this format last season, scoring 676 points. He was the first player taken in my draft, as he was in all Scott Fish Bowl drafts. You can see all Scott Fish Bowl 15 ADP on this excellent tool created by the pros at Fantasy Life. Robinson, Barkley, and Gibbs were the running backs taken ahead of me in the first round, as they scored the first, third, and fifth points in this format last year. McCaffrey's 2023 stats would have surpassed them all, so I placed my bets on his full return. After missing a full season last year, I believe the training camp hype that he's back to 100% and will dominate touches in the San Francisco offense again this season. There is a small list of players who could finish the year as the top-scoring player in this format, and McCaffrey is among them. He was a valuable pick, too, as I drafted him 7th, and his ADP was 10th in SFB drafts this year.

Puka Nacua

• In a tournament-style league, I bet on another player who was injured a lot last season in Nacua. Volume is king in this league. When Nacua is healthy, he's the volume hog in McVay's offense, so I was pleased to draft him in the second round of this draft. Nacua had a 37% target share when he was healthy last season, averaging 9.9 targets per game. He was the 13th-highest scoring player in points per game in this format last season, and I drafted him with the 18th pick. He scored that many points while not catching many touchdowns, too. If he keeps up this volume and adds more touchdowns, Nacua will be a steal with this pick. I drafted him with the 18th pick, which is exactly his ADP in SFB 15.

Baker Mayfield

• The Scott Fish Bowl undergoes a third-round reversal, meaning the third round does not snake, which gives the manager with the 24th pick the 25th pick as well. I picked in the middle of the third round, so the reversal did not significantly affect my draft position, although I was able to pick at pick 30 instead of 31. This pick is the one I regret in this draft. In a superflex league, I thought I could start a quarterback run in this round. However, in a league where no quarterback has to start, it turned out that I was the only one to draft a quarterback in the third round, after only five other quarterbacks were drafted in the first and second rounds. I debated between Drake London, Chase Brown, and Mayfield, but ultimately landed on Mayfield, who finished last season as the 16th-highest scoring player in this format last year. I expect a drop-off after his career year last season, but I am still confident that he can produce with the new offensive coordinator he advocated for and with one of the best receiver corps in the league. I'll need him to produce, because I missed out on a lot of quality running backs and wide receivers by drafting him earlier than I needed. I drafted him 30th, but his ADP in SFB 15 was 49th. I reached for Mayfield, and I may pay the price for it.

Jaxson Smith-Njigba

• I got back on track in round four when I was able to draft JSN with the 42nd pick, two spots behind his ADP in SFB 15. Most managers fear the Seahawks will be more run-centered this season, and they are likely right, but every NFL team passes more than it runs, and JSN will be the focal point of their passing game without a doubt. He became their top target last season, and now D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are not with the team, and I am not concerned about Cooper Kupp's volume in this offense. They may pass less than last season, but the passing game will run through JSN. I am sure of it. I was pleased to get another WR-1 in the fourth round of this draft, especially with this year's "volume is king" settings.

Mike Evans

• After my Mayfield mistake, I felt like I needed to double down by stacking him with Evans. I'll either win big or lose big. It may have taken until the last game to get Evans his 11th straight 1000-yard receiving season, but I believe he can do it again. Plus, he's a red-zone beast, doubling up my points with Mayfield each time they connect for a touchdown. He's battled injuries in recent seasons, but he always fights to play. I was more interested in him at this point in the draft, given Chris Godwin's injury status. He could start the season as the Buccaneers' top target. It may not last after Godwin returns, and as a rookie, Emeka Embuka, increases his role in the offense. Still, he's far and away their best red zone target, and I am banking on a healthy and touchdown-down scoring season. That's why I drafted him a few spots ahead of his ADP at 54. His SFB 15 ADP was 57. He was the 59th highest-scoring player overall in this format last season and the 47th highest-scoring player in points per game.

Travis Kelce

• Kelce is old and has fallen further than he ever has in drafts, but I was stoked to take him this late in the sixth round. He fell to me with the 67th pick of the draft after being the 28th highest scoring player in this format last year, and what was a down season for him from a production standpoint. He has lost weight this offseason and is prepared to give his all this season. While his targets will decrease with a healthy Rashee Rice in the lineup, he still fell way too far in a league that gives 3.5 PPR to tight ends and one point per first down. All Kelce does is catch first downs. He caught 47 last year, which was 27th in the league last season. He's old, but he was a steal in this draft in the sixth round. He was 62nd in SFB 15 ADP, but I nabbed him a bit later at 67th.

DeAndre Swift

• I drafted one of the last assumed bellcow backs in this draft late with the 78th pick. The Bears brought in no significant depth this offseason to challenge Swift for the leading role. Everyone expects the Bears' passing game and its fantasy-relevant pass catcher to thrive under their new head coach, Ben Johnson, but no one seems to expect the same from their running game. I do, and I am banking on it. As much as fantasy managers think poorly of Swift, he was productive last season, especially in SFB 15 settings. Believe it or not, he was the 42nd highest scoring player last year using these settings, and drafted him 78th. In my mind, he was the last sure-fire bellcow back left in this draft, at least one I am confident will be active in the passing game.  Other SFB managers drafted him much higher than I did. His ADP was 62nd, but I stole him at 78th. If he stays healthy and keeps the leading role, he will be one of the best picks of the draft for me.

Jakobi Meyers

• Meyers was also an incredible find for me here in the 8th round at pick number 90. The Raiders' top target will continue to be Brock Bowers, but the most experienced and productive wide receiver on their roster is the always-overlooked Meyers, who scored the 54th most points in this format last season. Still, I drafted him 90th! I get it. Meyers is not a sexy pick, but adding a team's WR-1 on a team that got a quarterback upgrade after signing Geno Smith and who only has two rookies to compete with for wide receiver catches is a steal. I could not be more confident in Meyers to be a starter for me every week in the eleven-player starting rosters. He scored 26.9 points per game last year in this format and can improve on that significantly this year with better coaching and quarterback play. I can't believe his SFB ADP was 101. That's disrespectful!

Jared Goff

• Speaking of disrespect, managers are weighing the loss of Ben Johnson far too much and letting Goff fall way too far in fantasy drafts. How can Jahmyr Gibbs get drafted 5th, Amon-Ra St. Brown 16th, Sam LaPorta 46th, and Jameson Williams 83rd, but Goff fall to me at 101 after 15 other quarterbacks were drafted? It doesn't add up. I am confident Goff will not produce to the same level he did in his career year last year, but he does not deserve to fall this far after finishing as the 41st highest scoring player in this format last year. I consider him a steal this late, so would other SFB managers, since his ADP was 84, 17 spots ahead of where I drafted him in my league. This year, I am banking on two quarterbacks, Mayfield and Goff, who came off career years last season and lost their offensive coordinators. What could go wrong?  I reached for Mayfield, but at least I got a deal on Goff.

Javonte Williams

• I tried to find one late running back who could potentially become a bellcow back. I selected Williams in the hope that he can do so in Dallas. It felt like a risk worth taking this late in the draft. If he is healthy and earns the starting role, he will be a steal in a format like this. I was shocked to see that even in a down year in Denver, he was the 79th highest scoring player in this format. He averaged 20 points per game last year alongside the likes of Devonta Smith, Jordan Addison, and David Njoku. That's great company to find in the tenth round, especially since those players were drafted way earlier than Williams. He scored well in this format based on his pass-catching ability. While Jaydon Blue could fight for a leading role in the passing game this year, it was worth a shot to bank on Williams holding the rookie off this year. If he does, he'll be one of the bigger surprises of the draft in SFB 15. Other managers were in line with me on this risk since his ADP was 111th, and I drafted him 114th.

Colston Loveland

• I was thrilled to add a rookie tight end and a top-10 NFL draft pick this late to pair with old-man Kelce. Loveland fell to me at pick 126, when his SFB ADP was 106. What a steal! Managers in my league must have been concerned about his health status, but I was not. The Bears indeed have a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game, but it's also true that Loveland was their new head coach's first pick of the draft, and that head coach made Sam LaPorta the highest-scoring fantasy tight end in his rookie season. I am confident he has plans to do something similar this season with Loveland. In a tight end premium league, I found tremendous value drafting Kelce and Loveland far later than they should have been drafted. I'm confident that Loveland will become a big part of the Bears' offense and help me during a playoff run at the end of this season.

Rachaad White

• At this point in the draft, I was looking for an RB-2 that I was confident would be an active part of the offense, even if the starter was healthy, and who could dominate touches and be active in the passing game if the starter were to go down. White fit the bill perfectly. White was the darling of my SFB team last year as a late-round draft pick. I expect him to help me again this year, even though he lost his starting role to Bucky Irving. When White was the starter, he was killing it in a league settings like these. Even at the end of the season, White finished as the 54th highest scoring player in this format. It's pretty wild to find him falling to pick 139 this year, but he did. I have no doubts that Bucky Irving is the Buccaneers' starter this season, but he will share the load for more than fantasy managers expect. Irving had the hot hand to end the season, and the Bucs rode him like crazy in hopes of making the playoffs. I expect them to be far more balanced than they were at the end of last season, making White a potential starter in an eleven-man starting roster during bye weeks and when injuries pile up. He could become far more than that if Irving gets injured.  Other managers thought like me, too, as his ADP was 139th, and I drafted him 139th.

Isaac Guerendo

• I did not intend to handcuff any of my running backs in this kind of league. Instead, I wanted to draft to capitalize on other teams' injuries rather than waste a roster spot backing up my own. The 49ers offense, however, was my one exception. After drafting McCaffrey, I intended to reach for Guerendo to secure the 49ers' incredibly productive backfield. It's a good thing I did, because the manager who picked after me said she planned on drafting him if I hadn't. I did not think I could wait another round to select him, and I was right. I drafted him 150th, and his ADP was 148th. I even got a little lucky that he fell to me. I'm glad to have the 49ers' backfield locked up.

Cade Otton

• I was pleased to add one more stackable player for Mayfield in this draft. Otton is one of the most disrespected tight ends by fantasy managers, and he routinely proves them wrong, especially last year when he finished as the 96th highest scoring player in the league with these settings. He scored 23.3 points per game last season when healthy, just behind Justin Herbert and Tyreek Hill. Granted, his best games came after Chris Godwin was injured, and the Buccaneers have added Emeka Ebuka in the draft. So, there is a good reason for his draft position to fall relative to his scoring last season, but at pick 163, I was pleased to add him to my team, especially in the case that Mike Evans is injured and Otton's targets spike, as they did last year. I drafted him seven spots ahead of ADP at 163 instead of 170, but for my team, the stack and injury replacement were too necessary to pass up.

Tyler Shough

• In the 15th round, at pick 174, I added the player I believe to be the last week-one starting quarterback in the draft. Shough will receive preferential treatment to start this season, given that the Saints already saw enough of Spencer Rattler last season, as evidenced by their decision to draft another quarterback this year. I trust Kellen Moore to make this Saints offense more productive, making Shough a startable player in my lineups during bye weeks or when Mayfield or Goff gets injured. Adding a starting quarterback this late in a superflex league was a sound decision. Even if he's a wreck in his rookie season, the Saints will keep him as their starter and tank for draft picks. Even an awful quarterback is startable in superflex leagues, especially in 11-man starting lineups. I was pleased to draft Shough so late, even if it was 11 spots higher than his SFB ADP.

Blake Corum

• While the Rams drafted Jarquez Hunter this year, they drafted Corum a round earlier last year. I still believe he's the main backup to Kyren Williams, and that's why I drafted him here with the 187th pick in the 16th round, just one spot ahead of his SFB ADP. Will Shipley was the only other player I considered with this pick, but he fell to the next round, and Hunter was drafted the round after that. As I mentioned earlier, apart from Guerrendo, I did not want to draft handcuffs for my players, but rather add running backs who could become an additional starter in my lineups if the starter ahead of them gets injured. I did that one more time late in this draft as well. 

Jalen McMillan

• McMillan sat atop the projected rankings in Sleeper for several rounds before I finally pulled the trigger on drafting him. To be honest, Will Shipley was available to me, but I drafted McMillan instead, given the makeup of my team. Now that I think about it, I wish I drafted Shipley instead, especially since he was taken the pick after me by the manager who drafted Barkley in the first round. That said, McMillan was a beast to end the season last year, proving that he can fill in when a starter is injured, and he has the trust of Baker Mayfield. Shoot, I remember benching Tyreek Hill in a fantasy Super Bowl last year and putting McMillan in his place, and McMillan scored more than Hill, even though Hill finally had a great game that week, too. Emeka Ebuka muddies the waters for McMillan, though, and that's why he fell in this draft. Still, his ADP was 182, and he fell to me with pick 198. He's a depth piece that can help all of my Tampa Bay stack scenarios if Godwin takes a while to return or Evans gets injured. Unfortunately, that will make him a more difficult player to drop when the season starts, so I now regret my decision. At least I will admit it. I hope I somehow end up looking smart for it, though.

Devin Neal

• Like McMillan, Neal sat atop the Sleeper queue of suggested picks for several rounds.  I drafted him with pick 211, but his ADP in SFB 15 was 197. Neal was one of my favorite sleepers in dynasty rookie drafts this year because of his consistent production in college and his all-around ability as a runner and pass catcher. Early in the scouting season, I wrote an article comparing him to Alvin Kamara. Now he's among his backups. Ourlads still lists him behind Kendre Miller, but fantasy managers do not see it that way, as they draft him ahead of Miller, who was drafted two rounds later in this draft. He's an excellent running back to draft with these settings. If he takes over after a Kamara injury, he'll be an every-week starter, assuming fantasy managers are correct and he'll earn the RB-2 spot ahead of Miller.

Tyler Higbee

• I think fantasy and dynasty managers are way over their skis on Terrance Ferguson, believing that he will overtake Higbee in his rookie season. That's a ridiculous assumption. Higbee came back from injury during the Rams' playoff run and made an instant impact. In his five games last season, he had 20 catches for 178 yards and three touchdowns. He is the Rams' starter next year, and he fell in a tight-end premium league to the 19th round at pick number 222. That's nuts. He's consistently been one of my last players drafted in best ball leagues this summer, and I was pleased to add him here solely in SFB 15. He will definitely start for my team this season.

Brandin Cooks

• Cooks has way out-produced this terrible draft position. He's the WR-2 in New Orleans and could be the WR-1 if Chris Olave gets injured again. He was a wise pick this late in the draft. Shough should only see my lineup when my starters are on bye weeks or injured, so Cooks is a small stack if that were to happen. No other #2 pass catchers were available this late in the draft, so he was a great player to add late.

Diontae Johnson

• Johnson is a knucklehead, but he's been one of the best route runners in the league when his head is on straight. I would not be surprised if he surpasses Cedric Tillman for wide receiver targets this year. The passing game should run through Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku, but Johnson could produce behind them if the Browns' offense can keep up with old-man Flacco or a rookie leading the team. Johnson was a pick worth taking a chance on in the 21st round.

Sam Howell

• With my last pick, I aimed to select a quarterback who could compete for a starting job or produce if the starter were to get injured. Coach O'Connell has made every quarterback productive in his offense, as he revived Sam Darnold's career last year. He traded to get Howell, so he must like something about him. If J.J. McCarthy stumbles in the preseason somehow or god forbid gets injured, Howell would become a top target on the waiver wire, which runs one time the week before the NFL season starts. So I thought I'd make Howell Mr. Insignificant on my roster before that first waiver wire runs before the NFL kicks off.

---

 

Leave your comment using the form below

Name
Comment
Enter the code