VAMPIRE LEAGUE – WEEK 1 APPROACHES

In this second of the series, we look at the first potential victim of our Vampire as the 2020 NFL season begins with the Texans and the Chiefs. The season has been long awaited and now the fiend has stirred to finally wield the power of the immortal.

THE VAMPIRE’S FIRST KISS

With the ability to twist and manipulate the fixture list, our cunning foe has finally placed his finger upon his first victim. The other 11 can breathe a heavy sigh of relief…if only for one week. 

So, after much deliberation, who is the unfortunate soul who stands against Count Stormula in the first of many battles? Who will battle the Daywalkers in our opening encounter? It is Dracula’s Sun Screen, led by darts player Lewis Venes. 

VENES’ DRAFT

Venes drafted from the fifth spot in the initial draft. He took a balanced approach in the initial rounds of the draft, taking a solid core of Running Backs and Wide Receivers to lead the charge against the Vampire’s horde.

DRACULA’S SUN SCREEN PICKS ROUNDS 1-6 

Pick	Player	Week 1 fixture
1.5	Josh Jacobs (LVR)	CAR
2.8	Kenyan Drake (ARI)	SF
3.5	Kenny Golladay (DET)	CHI
4.8	Amari Cooper (DAL)	LAR
5.5	Chris Carson (SEA)	ATL
6.8	DJ Chark (JAX)	IND

Lewis followed up with his Tight Ends sandwiching in his Quarterbacks, with returning legend Rob Gronkowski forming the upper crust and former Number 1 pick Baker Mayfield part of the Quarterback filling. 

PICKS FROM ROUNDS 7 to 10

Pick	Name	Week 1 Fixture
7.5	Rob Gronkowski (TB)	NO
8.8	Baker Mayfield (CLE)	BAL
9.5	Drew Lock (DEN)	TEN
10.8	Austin Hooper (CLE)	BAL

Finally, the team was rounded off with another Wire Receiver, a Running Back and the obligatory Defense and Kicker to fill the roster spots. Rookie Jerry Jeudy was the last to be taken by Lewis. He figured to be one of 5 Yard’s favourite Receivers in the last Writer’s Battle. 

PICKS FROM ROUNDS 11 to 14

Pick	Name	Week 1 Fixture
11.5	Matt Breida (MIA)	NE
12.8	Seattle Seahawks DST	ATL
13.5	Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU)	KC
14.8	Jerry Jeudy (DEN)	TEN

So why could the Vampire have chosen this outfit to be the first that he faces in the 2020 League? Let’s have a look at some worries about players on the team.

Questionable Status

As it stands, the team that faces off against the Vampire has some question marks around several players. 

Up until recently, Kenyan Drake had worn a walking boot on his foot, and was being held out of practice. This raised concerns about the Cardinals lead back. The player, who transferred from the Dolphins last season, was figured to see plenty of volume from the start of the season. However, the walking boot put doubt into the minds of many analysts and drafters. Would Kenyan be running in Week 1? 

More current reports have seen Drake carrying out open practice without said boot. There are people who may be worried about the volume that he will see in Week 1. Could this be something that Lewis has to think about when putting him in the squad? One poor performance…and Drake could be snatched from his grasp by Count Stormula himself. 

There have also been missed practices for Amari Cooper leading up to Week 1. This could also be something that needs to have an eye kept on it before the matches get underway. 

Waiting With Baited Breath…

With plenty of movement between teams, there are still ample opportunities for the Vampire before the curtain rises. Plenty of time to pull out an unseen agent of evil, and place him tenderly on the battlefield. There has been a virtual merry-go-round of Running Backs just these last two weeks. Adrian Peterson was signed by the Lions after his release from Washington. James Robinson figures to move into pole position at Jacksonville. And Devonta Freeman visits more and more teams. Could these be the next weapons to work on behalf of the dark lord?

One thing’s for sure…

You can’t count out the Count! 

Rob @CowsillRob