FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

David's Daily Digest

August 16, 2025

Saturday afternoon Edition

FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT COUNTDOWN

I f**king love this time of year, no question my favorite. With the NFL season quickly approaching it’s time to get hyped for this year’s Fantasy football season. My annual Home Fantasy Football League (this is the one where the pot grows during the season and winners take is pretty nice - win this one and you own bragging rights for a year) draft is less than 24 hours away. I consider this 10-man league, a PPR league on steroids with a six pack of Monsters on top.

While our scoring is hyped up considerably, most of the fantasy football standard guidelines, practices, and strategies apply. We draft very closely in the same manner as any typical PPR league, with the exception, this is IDP and our roster is huge.

As I prep for the big day tomorrow, a couple of takes I will be bringing with me for the moment I am on the clock. Bucky Irving (my 22nd round keeper), Derrick Henry, and Chase Brown are off the board to start, so my focus is to build backfield depth and grab a top flight receiver early.

Our draft positions are determined by lottery on draft day, so regardless where I fall, I will be looking at running backs Jahmyr Gibbs (talent is too great to overlook) and Christian McCaffrey (bounce back from 2024 injury season) in the first round. Depending on where I fall, late first round or early, in the second round I will anchor my receiving corp with likely Amon-Ra St. Brown (high floor, steady), Nico Collins (Stroud’s number one), or Drake London (love his volume down the stretch).

As I move through rounds 3 through 8, I am looking at players like DK Metcalf (with his size and skill, Rodgers will feed him the ball), Josh Jacobs (Packers may lean more pass this season, but Jacobs is solid), D’Andre Swift (could be undervalued and a nice sleeper this season), Courtland Sutton (as Nix goes this season, so shall Sutton - could be a nice mid WR3/flex).

Some deeper selections I am targeting include, Zach Charbonnet (Walker’s injury history, the Zach attack could be back), Austin Ekeler (healthy, could lead RB’s in receiving this season), and Mathew Golden (willing to reach a little early to secure this cat as my 3rd receiver).

So much to absorb and consider, with the draft less than 24 hours away, time to do more research, some mock drafts, and of course pick up those necessities that will help me survive the long anguishing marathon that is the Fantasy Draft!

That’s my take.

~David G. Ortega 

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

David's Daily Digest

August 14th, 2025

Thursday Evening Edition

HERE WE GO AGAIN: FANTASY FOOTBALL IS BACK

At the peak of Summer, with the weather sizzling (here in California experiencing triple digits), there’s always a silver lining. The opening of NFL training camps and Preseason games on the NFL Network offer that slight brisk breeze of cool hope and excitement for the NFL & Fantasy Football fan.

With the NFL season still weeks away and Preseason Week 1 in the books, it’s the height of the Mock Draft season and ADP watch. I am a mock-drafting mad-man and I am diving head-first into mocks and public league drafts every day.

There is no better day in the calendar year than Draft day, except maybe Christmas. With NFL action underway, training camps in full swing, and dozens of mock drafts in the books, I am feeling it and getting the itch and great excitement for Draft Day.

The Home league, entering its 20th year has always been the pinnacle of all my annual fantasy football leagues, and with our draft only a few days away, it’s time to get the popcorn ready and your draft supplies together.

The 2025 Fantasy Football Draft Countdown starts now!