Diamonds in the Sky

It’s officially football time in the FCS. The Diamond Draft presents an opportunity for

teams to bolster their rosters and make a run for the coveted Victor Bowl! This year’s

Diamond Draft features teams with an abundance of cash (DCA, TCB, NorCal) and

teams with little to no room beyond a minimum $1 bid. In this article, I’m going to select

one player per team that I think is a perfect fit given the current roster and budget. Let’s

get started with the defending champs:

DCA – Travis Kelce

In my opinion, DCA’s roster has two areas of weakness: TE and WR1. I’m picking Kelce

here because I think he has a great chance to bounce back this year (his last ride??).

Congrats on the engagement, Mr. Swift. Plus, he’s a guy that Massey can use in trade

negotiations when he ultimately decides to blow up his roster after Week 5.

TCB – Bill Croskey-Merritt

The Boots have the second-most cash in the DD, and they’ll have to use a good portion

of it on this pick. Bill has flown up in ADP the last few weeks with the news of Brian

Robinson Jr.’s trade to SF. Croskey-Merritt has a clear line to RB1 in a top-five offense,

and the Boots love to bet on upside, so this is a natural fit.

NOR – Chris Godwin

NorCal has plenty of cash and plenty of holes to fill. This Diamond Draft should be all

about upside and asset gathering for Beaumont, and Godwin fits both. Once healthy,

Godwin can be a building block for NorCal or be shipped off to a contender at the

deadline for future assets.

KEN – Javonte Williams

Kentucky has built a great roster coming into their rookie season, but RB remains an

area of concern from a depth perspective. No owner will know Williams’ upside more

than Walker, given his time in Denver. RBs in the Diamond Draft are few and far

between, but Walker gets the one with the clearest path to points.

NAS – Cooper Kupp

Nashville comes into the draft as the only team without at least three WRs, so Kupp it is.

I’m sure Kelce will somehow end up on the Riflemen, but Kupp solidifies the starting

WRs. Kupp is on a new team for the first time in his career, but just like the Riflemen, he

looks to produce again at a high level.

COL – Austin Ekeler

Ekeler to the Ice Cats makes all the sense in the world given the lack of depth in

Colorado. Ekeler will at least start the season as RB1 in DC and could be an under-the-

radar pickup for Webb as they look to make it back to the Victor Bowl.

LRC – Trey Benson

The Caps have money to spend in the Diamond Draft for what feels like the first time in

team history. RB depth is also a major concern for Little Rock, so they take a swing on

Benson, who they selected in the Rookie Draft last season. The Caps will need

backfield depth if they are going to secure an FCS-record third Victor Bowl.

Reno – Josh Downs

Reno will have to prioritize their cash with six spots to fill and only $19. Downs is a

perfect fit for the Cutthroats given his big upside and potential to be peppered with

targets, with Daniel Jones officially being named the starter in Indy.

CHA – J.K. Dobbins

J.K. Dobbins as a Bomber just feels right. Enloe has a limited budget but will continue to

try and make more with less with the addition of Dobbins. TE is another avenue the

Bombers could go, but with the emerging Colston Loveland, I think they’ll focus on RB.

TUC – Tyler Allgeier

Tucson has the best roster in the league coming into the Diamond Draft, but they’ll need

to have a clear plan to add depth with only $14. Tyler Allgeier is a perfect fit in Tucson,

given the handcuff to Bijan, plus he can fill in for a spot start when Jeanty is on bye.

VBR – Jerome Ford

VBR is in a tough spot when it comes to the Diamond Draft, with eight spots to fill and

only $11. Cam Skattebo is currently RB2 for the Rovers, so to say RB is a need is a

MASSIVE understatement. Ford gives VBR someone who is actually going to see a

good amount of carries in Week 1 and also serves as a handcuff if/when Judkins arrives

in Cleveland.

POR – Hollywood Brown

The Rippers have a strong starting lineup of WRs, but with Darnell Mooney out for the

majority of the season, the focus should be on high-upside WRs that can add depth.

Skip has long loved Hollywood Brown and now has a chance to get him on the cheap. If

Hendricks is going to secure his first Victor Bowl, he’ll need to uncover some hidden

gems on $1 bids.