Robot drafts Calderon a third Drake London

Calderon's 2026 draft began without him. Two of his fourteen picks were autodrafted and both landed at the top of it: CeeDee Lamb at 13, dropped exactly where the market had him, and Drake London at 20, one spot ahead of it. That is the third Drake London of Calderon's career after 2023 and 2024, which means the machine has quietly picked up his habits. Josh Allen and his 370.0 points sat on that same board until 28. The man who lost last year's final to Maciuba spent his first two rounds elsewhere.

The bill came due at running back. Jadarian Price went at 52, the 24th back off the board, and he is the starting running back on this football team — 177.9 points, sixteenth of sixteen among the league's RB1s, in a league where the best one projects for 335.2 points. Kenny Gainwell holds the flex at 151.6 points, fifteenth of sixteen. Behind them is Jonah Coleman at 44.9 points, the smallest number on the roster. Derrick Henry and his 267.7 points went at 15, two picks after the robot took Lamb, and the position was never addressed again in any serious way. Price starts every Sunday, and every Sunday that is the worst RB1 seat in the league.

The good news is genuine and it is all caught, not carried. Lamb is the fifth-best WR1 in the league at 241.9 points, and London is the best WR2 in the league at 222.4 points — first of sixteen, the only place on this roster where Calderon leads anything. Colston Loveland at 45 gives him the third-best tight end in the league at 171.1 points and, not incidentally, the best player here that a human being actually chose. It all totals 1515.2 points, thirteenth of sixteen, which is what happens when a roster can catch everything thrown at it and has nobody to hand the ball to.

1515.2 points, 13 of 16
SlotPlayerProjAt this slot
QB Caleb Williams 304.2 10 of 16
RB Jadarian Price 177.9 16 of 16
WR CeeDee Lamb 241.9 5 of 16
WR Drake London 222.4 1 of 16
TE Colston Loveland 171.1 3 of 16
DST Bears D/ST 104.0 12 of 16
K Chase McLaughlin 142.1 14 of 16
FLEX Kenny Gainwell 151.6 15 of 16
Bench
WR Makai Lemon 126.3 WR55 overall
WR Josh Downs 139.1 WR46 overall
WR Jalen McMillan 110.3 WR63 overall
RB Jonah Coleman 44.9 RB69 overall
TE Terrance Ferguson 105.0 TE23 overall
WR Denzel Boston 117.4 WR58 overall

Half-PPR season points. The lineup is fixed by draft order, so switching service changes the numbers and never who is in the chair. The written copy above is from the median and does not move.

RdOverallPlayerPosVerdict
1 13 CeeDee Lamb auto WR 5 vs 5 routine

The robot made this one and put him exactly where the market had him, which is the kindest thing anyone will say about autodraft this year. Derrick Henry, 267.7 points, was still sitting on ESPN's board and went two picks later at 15, and this roster never did find a running back.

2 20 Drake London auto WR 8 vs 7 routine

Third Drake London of Calderon's career after 2023 and 2024, except this time a machine did the reaching for him, one spot behind the market. Josh Allen and his 370.0 points were on the same board and lasted until 28.

3 45 Colston Loveland TE 4 vs 3 routine

Tier one at the position and 171.1 points, third-best starting tight end in the league. The best thing on this roster that a human actually chose.

4 52 Jadarian Price RB 24 vs 24 questionable

He went precisely where the market had the 24th back, and that is the indictment: the 24th back off the board is this team's starting running back at 177.9 points, sixteenth of sixteen among the league's RB1s. Everything wrong with the season traces to this seat.

5 77 Caleb Williams QB 9 vs 9 routine
6 84 Kenny Gainwell RB 29 vs 30 questionable

Rico Dowdle, 172.6 points, was on the board and went at 91; Chuba Hubbard, 165.9 points, lasted until 99. Gainwell is 151.6 points and the fifteenth-best flex starter of sixteen.

7 109 Makai Lemon WR 43 vs 48 reach

Five spots ahead of where the market had the 43rd receiver, for 126.3 points. Jordan Addison (148.7 points) went at 114 and Quentin Johnston (152.8 points) at 117.

8 116 Josh Downs questionable WR 46 vs 50 reach

Four spots early on a man listed Questionable, and Quentin Johnston and his 152.8 points went the very next pick at 117.

9 141 Jalen McMillan questionable WR questionable

The second Questionable receiver in three picks, at 110.3 points. Zach Charbonnet, 121.0 points and the one man in Seattle who can take Jadarian Price's job, sat on the board until 147.

10 148 Jonah Coleman RB questionable

At 44.9 points he is the smallest number on the roster, and the services cannot even agree on that much, with CBS at 23.2 and Draft Sharks at 74.0. Isiah Pacheco (79.0 points) went the next pick and Alvin Kamara (94.8 points) the one after that.

11 173 Terrance Ferguson TE routine

A second tight end, 105.0 points on the bench, behind a tier-one tight end, on a roster whose running backs were Price, Gainwell and Jonah Coleman.

12 180 Denzel Boston WR routine

At 117.4 points he was the biggest number left on the board, which after the previous four rounds counts as a change of policy.

13 205 Chase McLaughlin K routine
14 212 Bears D/ST DST routine

The third Bear on the roster after Caleb Williams and Loveland, and nobody can agree what they are: ESPN says 71.1 points, RotoBaller says 151.0.

Keeps going back to

  • Sterling Shepard — 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
  • Drake London — 2023, 2024, 2026
  • Phil Dawson — 2012, 2013, 2015