Football is just around the corner and, more importantly, fantasy football is just around the corner. That means it’s time to start researching players, doing mock drafts and of course, trash-talking your friends.
Disney has a rich history of fantastic films in the world of football, so I thought we could add a little wrinkle to this year’s fantasy football season. Rather than just drafting the same old players – like Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey who should be the first overall pick and it’s not close – what if some of the characters from Disney’s films were featured in your draft? Who would you pick? Who would you avoid? Luckily for you, I’m here to over-analyze all of it by breaking down the top choices, players who are overvalued and players who are undervalued.
I’ll be relying heavily on the eye-test from what we’ve seen these players do on the field, as well as 100% accurate statistics that I made up. In other words, you should take this analysis with a grain of salt and for the mediocre joke that it’s meant to be.
The Top Guys
Joe Kingman – Quarterback – Boston Rebels
Here is a list of quarterbacks who have finished a season with at least 750 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns in the past five years: Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson and Joe Kingman. I know, he’s at the end of this career and has already come out of retirement once, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a special player. The Rebels offense runs through Kingman and with his improved attitude and passing numbers last season, there’s no reason to think his floor would be any lower than a top 5 fantasy quarterback.
Petey Jones – Running Back – T.C. Williams Titans
In a down year for running back depth, Jones is the talent you want to grab at the top of your draft. At times a two-way player, Jones is an incredible athlete with tremendous upside. The Titans offense will be run-heavy and will score a lot of points this year. Despite having a managed workload (likely around 15 touches a game) Jones is still a candidate for 1000+ rushing yards and 10+ touchdowns. He has gotten on his coach’s bad side in the past, but he is too talented a player to keep on the bench for long.
Buddy – Wide Receiver – Seattle Timberwolves
There’s nothing in the fantasy football rulebook that says all of your players have to be human. There, now that we’ve got that overuse plot device out of the way, Buddy is as sure-handed… err… sure-pawed(?) a receiver as you can find. Earning an insane 80% target share last season without a single drop, Buddy is a safe bet for 100+ catches. He’s a big play waiting to happen, a safe pick early in your draft and, above all, a really, really good boy.
Ray Budds – Tight End – T.C. Williams Titans
Ok, hear me out. Yes, Budds has attitude problems and has been benched by his coaches and called out by his teammates. There’s a good chance he never even sees the field this season, and with good reason. However, he does have one thing working in his favor. He is very likely the only tight end to ever be featured in a Disney football movie. With no competition, Budds sits atop a list of one.
T.C. Williams Titans – DEF
Yep, going back to that same well. There’s not much I have to say here. The Titans defense is as dominant as they come, allowing just 13 points per game last season. Defensive Coordinator Bill Yoast will likely have this unit ready to go once again and while there may be some more exciting teams out there, the Titans are a lock as a top three fantasy defense. Opponents will especially not want to test their left side.
Gus – Kicker – California Atoms
There’s nothing in the fantasy football rulebook that says all of your… oh right, we already covered this. Funny how often this comes up. Anyway, as a rule of thumb when it comes to fantasy football, you should never draft a kicker until the last round of your draft. Gus is the only exception. Last season, Harrison Butker was the second highest scoring kicker in fantasy with 166 points. Gus was the only kicker ahead of him… with 385. It’s unheard of that a team’s offense runs through a kicker, but that’s the case for the Atoms, and it’s effective.
Overvalued Players
Jerry “Rev” Harris – Quarterback – T.C. Williams Titans
Yes, “Rev” is a former fantasy star and still is a very talented player. That doesn’t change the fact though that he is no longer a starting quarterback. After suffering an injury, Harris lost his job to Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass and it looks like that’s going to stick. Harris will still be involved in the Titans offense, likely to be used in some Wildcat formations (Bass still can’t make that pitch), but he will not touch the ball nearly enough to warrant his current QB13 ADP (Average Draft Position). Unless your league offers some big incentives for quarterback rushing stats, let someone else scoop up Harris.
Jamal Webber – Running Back – Boston Rebels
As I mentioned earlier, the Rebels offense will live and die on the back of Joe Kingman. Whether it’s with his arm or his legs, Kingman will be the one making the big plays for this team. Webber is a talented player on a very good team and he will likely have a fair amount of opportunities to score touchdowns, but the workload just will not be there. Webber is being drafted in the third round around other backs like Leonard Fournette and Le’Veon Bell, two players who will likely see at least twice as many touches as Webber this season.
Vince Papale – Wide Receiver – Philadelphia Eagles
This is probably the most perplexing trend happening in drafts this year. Papale – a primarily special teams player with one career reception – is being drafted in nearly 70% of leagues. This is a player with a great story no doubt, but he is on the bubble of even making the team, nevermind seeing enough offensive snaps to be fantasy relevant. Papale is being drafted as WR51, ahead of guys like Mecole Hardman and CeeDee Lamb, who can both potentially help your team in much bigger ways.
Ray Budds – Tight End – T.C. Williams Titans
Yes, he is the “Top Guy” and also overvalued. Budds is being drafted in 23% of leagues, despite the fact that he will likely not see the field in 2020, thus overvalued. He’s still the top guy however, because again, there are no other tight ends in Disney football movies.
South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs – DEF
You remember that time Bobby Boucher showed up at half time and the Mud Dogs won the Bourbon Bowl? The former waterboy is a bigtime playmaker and the anchor of this defense, but overall this is not a good team. This defense will likely put up some points from Boucher’s sacks, but they’ll also give up a bunch of points and be a frustrating defense for fantasy owners. They’re still likely to be a top 10 fantasy defense, but they are currently being drafted too high as DEF3 behind San Francisco and T.C. Williams.
Barney Gorman – Kicker – Philadelphia Eagles
Don’t draft a kicker (not named Gus) before the last round of your draft. Period. Gorman is another great story and the guy is a good kicker, but even if he ends up being the second highest-scoring kicker (Gus will be first) the difference between him and the 15th best kicker will only be a handful of points. Don’t spend a pick on a kicker, especially one who has missed clutch kicks and lost his job in the past.
Undervalued Players
Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass – Quarterback – T.C. Williams Titans
Bass can throw the ball a mile and will likely do so on several occasions this year, but the Titans offense will still be very run-heavy. That certainly limits his ceiling, but Bass is still a safe pick to be a top 10 fantasy quarterback this season. Meanwhile, he is being drafted as QB12, just one spot ahead of “Rev” Harris whose primary function will be as “Sunshine’s” backup. Going on average in the 11th round, Bass is a great value this year and should probably be snagged a few rounds earlier. Plus, if Coach Boone allows Bass to run more, his upside could be much higher.
Greg Meaney – Running Back – Louisiana Cougars
Meaney is an absolute tank who is likely to see the bulk of his touches in the red zone, making him a candidate to score 10+ touchdowns this season. So why is he going undrafted in 51% of leagues? The last time most fantasy players saw Meaney, he was being powerbombed by Mud Dogs linebacker Bobby Boucher and the Cougars went on to suffer a humiliating loss. That recency bias is causing Meaney’s draft value to plummet, making him a great late round flier. When he gets going in all his “big choo choo train” glory, he is very tough to stop.
Bobby Boucher – Wide Receiver – South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs
Speaking of Boucher, he might just be a value late in your draft as well. I know, I know, he’s a linebacker. But due to his performance in the final play of last year’s Bourbon Bowl, he now also has WR eligibility. He is going undrafted in everything but IDP (Individual Defensive Players) leagues, making him essentially free. He may not see the field much as a wide receiver, but if he does, the upside is huge. Boucher is definitely worth a look in the last couple rounds of your draft. Last round of the draft, can’t hold anything back now.
Ray Budds – Tight End – T.C. Williams Titans
Only. Tight End. Ever. Featured. In. A. Movie.
Boston Rebels – DEF
The Rebels could get into some shootouts this year, with Kingman slinging the ball all over the field. But let’s not forget their defensive performance last year against New York. In a championship game, they held the Dukes to just seven points. Yes, Kingman was the hero on the final play, but it was really the defense that won that game. We could see more of that next season and they’re currently being drafted as DEF16 and undrafted in 42% of leagues, making them a great value pick.
Derek Wallace – Kicker – South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs
Again, don’t draft a kicker until the last round of your draft. With that being said, Wallace is a serviceable player who is simply forgotten by, well… everyone. He is currently being drafted in only… 0% of leagues, so again he is completely free. It’s hard to find a kicker who is undervalued, but this is about as close as you can get.
Want to watch these players in action? You can find most of these films on Disney+ now!