If a bunch of ultimate minds got together and had a fantasy draft of the best players in the men’s game, what would it look like?
When Skyd contributor Charlie Enders pitched the above idea to the team in October of last year, we knew we could have some fun with it. Sure, the idea is by no means a new one; drafts have been done previously, first by The Huddle in 2009 and again by some members of the Philadelphia Spinners in 2012, but the fantasy landscape is ever-shifting. Jimmy Mickle, taken 43rd in the 2012 draft, is now a first round pick. Chase Sparling-Beckley was first in ‘09 and ‘12, but isn’t playing anymore. The exception: the omnipresent Beau Kittredge, who maintained a spot in the top seven of every draft.
Eight fantasy teams drafted 16 players each in reverse snake order. Initial pick order was determined by a randomizer. Players must have played competitive ultimate in either the USA Ultimate series, the semi-pro leagues, or internationally in 2013 to be declared eligible for the draft. After drafting, managers split their team into offensive and defensive lines under the premise that they would have a month of practice to develop some chemistry before a hypothetical tournament.
Each manager then wrote a short summary of why they selected the players they did and how they would craft their cream strategy based on their player combinations. We then turned to an all-star triad of judges in Brandon Malacek, Alex “Dutchy” Ghesquiere, and Kyle Weisbrod to see what they thought of each team’s picks.
Let the debate begin:
| Round | Elliot Trotter | Jones/Smith | Charlie Enders | Zack Purdy | Neeley/Nagle | Tony Leonardo | Jimmy Leppert | Coit Stevenson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beau Kittredge 1 (Revolver) | Kurt Gibson 2 (Doublewide) | George Stubbs 3 (Ironside) | Ashlin Joye 4 (Revolver) | Jimmy Mickle 5 (Johnny Bravo) | Josh Markette 6 (Ironside) | Matt Rehder 7 (Sockeye) | Tyler Degirolamo 8 (Doublewide) |
| 2 | Bart Watson 16 (Johnny Bravo) | Dylan Tunnell 15 (Chain Lightning) | Dylan Freechild 14 (Rhino) | Mark Lloyd 13 (GOAT) | Jeff Graham 12 (The Ghosts) | Reid Koss 11 (Sockeye) | Mac Taylor 10 (Revolver) | Nick Lance 9 (Johnny Bravo) |
| 3 | Nate Castine 17 (Sockeye) | Mike Natenberg 18 (Doublewide) | Simon Montague 19 (Sub Zero) | Alan Kolick 20 (Truckstop) | Nicky Spiva 21 (Chain Lightning) | Jack Marsh 22 (PoNY) | Adam Simon 23 (Sockeye) | Will Driscoll 24 (Doublewide) |
| 4 | BJ Sefton 32 (Sockeye) | Hylke Snieder 31 (Johnny Bravo) | Will Neff 30 (Ironside) | Danny Karlinsky 29 (Sockeye) | Ryan Farrell 28 (Johnny Bravo) | Jared Inselmann 27 (Chain Lightning) | Peter Prial 26 (Ironside) | Josh Ackley 25 (Johnny Bravo) |
| 5 | Russell Wynne 33 (Revolver) | Seth Wiggins 34 (Seattle Rainmakers) | Eric Johnson 35 (Johnny Bravo) | AJ Nelson 36 (Machine) | Robbie Cahill 37 (Blackbird) | Brian Stout 38 (The Ghosts) | Jay Clark 39 (Chain Lightning) | Jonathan Helton 40 (Machine) |
| 6 | Timmy Perston 48 (Rhino) | Jack Hatchett 47 (Ironside) | Christian 46 Johnson (Ring) | Anatoly Vasilyev 45 (GOAT) | Alex Evangelides 44 (Sub Zero) | Tom Rogacki 43 (Australia) | Ethan Pollack 42 (Doublewide) | Brandon Malecek 41 (Ironside) |
| 7 | Brett Matzuka 49 (Ring of Fire) | Grant Lindsley 50 (Sub Zero) | Jeff Loskorn 51 (Doublewide) | Josh Wiseman 52 (Revolver) | Kevin Richardson 53 (Doublewide) | Nick Schlag 54 (Revolver) | Tyler Kinley 50 (Sockeye) | Brian Hart 56 (Madison Club) |
| 8 | Ken Porter 64 (Ring of Fire) | Jolian Dahl 63 (Chain Lightning) | Kevin Underhill 62 (Furious George) | Andrew Hagen 61 (Revolver) | Tim Gehret 60 (Sockeye) | Sam Harkness 59 (Sockeye) | Cassidy Rasmussen 58 (Revolver) | Henry Konker 57 (Johnny Bravo) |
| 9 | Adam Holt 65 (Sockeye) | Noah Saul 66 (Ring of Fire) | Martin Cochran 67 (Revolver) | Jordan Jeffery 68 (Revolver) | Sean Keegan 69 (Truck Stop) | Justin Foord 70 (Clapham) | Matt Rebholz 71 (Ironside) | Alex Nord 72 (Polar Bears) |
| 10 | Danny Clark 80 (Ironside) | Adrian Yearwood 79 (GOAT) | Cody Bjorklund 78 (Rhino) | Frank Barich 77 (Sockeye) | David Cranston 76 (Truck Stop) | Husayn Carnegie 75 (District 5) | Alex Thorne 74 (Doublewide) | Jesse Roehm 73 (Johnny Bravo) |
| 11 | Brodie Smith 81 (Chicago Wildfire) | Cam Harris 82 (GOAT) | Jacob Anderson 83 (Doublewide) | Kiran Thomas 84 (Doublewide) | Joel Wooten 85 (Chain Lightning) | Jacob Taylor 86 (Ironside) | Byron Liu 87 (Chain Lightning) | Tim Morrissy 88 (Johnny Bravo) |
| 12 | Miles Montgomery-Butler (Ironside) 96 | Masahiro Matsuno95 (Buzz Bullets) | Phil Murray 94 (Sockeye) | Sam Kanner 93 (Revolver) | Russell Wallack 92 (Ironside) | Jeff Lindquist 91 (GOAT) | Eli Kerns 90 (Polar Bears) | Matty Zemel 89 (Johnny Bravo) |
| 13 | Teddy Brower-Jarus 97 (Ironside) | Nick Stuart 98 (Sub Zero) | Jack McShane 99 (Johnny Bravo) | Jon Cox 100 (PONY) | Austin Gregersen 101 (Johnny Bravo) | Greg Swanson 102 (Chain Lightning) | Colin Camp 103 (Madison Club) | Misha Herscu 104 (Ironside) |
| 14 | Hector Valdivia 112 (Madison Club) | Chris Kosednar 111 (Sockeye) | Jacob Janin 110 (Rhino) | Joel Schlachet 109 (Revolver) | Devon Anderson 108 (Revolver) | Asa Wilson 107 (Chain Lightning) | Tommy Li 106 (Polar Bears) | Tristan Green 105 (Ring of Fire) |
| 15 | Dane Olsen 113 (Machine) | Aaron Liu 114 (Vanc. Nighthawks) | Jon Levy 115 (Revolver) | Markham 116 Shofner (Truck) | Dom Leggio 117 (Streetgang) | Trent Dillon 118 (Oakland) | Elliott Erickson 119 (Chain Lightning) | Camden Allison- 120 Hall (Rhino) |
| 16 | Cole Sullivan 128 (Florida United) | Ben Faust 127 (The Ghosts) | Aaron Honn 126 (Rhino) | Alex Kapinos 125 (Ironside) | Mark Elbogen 124 (Condors) | Tom Abrams 123 (Clapham) | Tommy Lamar 122 (Ring of Fire) | Brett Kolinek 121 (Machine) |
After the completion of the draft, each draft team assembled their players into offensive and defensive lines with two subs. Click on each team to see their owner essay discussing their draft strategy and how they think their team will fare.
Offense: Beau Kittredge, Bart Watson, BJ Sefton, Timmy Perston, Hector Valdivia, Adam Holt, Danny Clark
Defense: Nate Castine, Russell Wynne, Ken Porter, Brodie Smith, Miles Montgomery-Butler, Teddy Brower-Jarus, Brett Matzuka
Subs: Dane Olsen, Cole Sullivan
Bryan Jones and Zack Smith, Team Jones Smith
Offense: Dylan Tunnell, Michael Natenberg, Chris Kosednar, Grant Lindsley, Noah Saul, Cam Harris, Nick Stuart
Defense: Kurt Gibson, Hylke Sneider, Jack Hatchett, Jolian Dahl, Adrian Yearwood, Masahiro Matsuno, Seth Wiggins
Subs: Ben Faust, Aaron Liu
Charlie Enders, Team Saint John’s Sucks
Offense: George Stubbs, Christian Johnson, Jeff Loskorn, Dylan Freechild, Simon Montague, Phil Murray, Jacob Janin
Defense: Kevin Underhill, Will Neff, Eric Johnson, Martin Cochran, Cody Bjorklund, Jacob Anderson, Jack McShane
Subs: Aaron Honn, Jon Levy
Offense: Alan Kolick, Mark Lloyd, Danny Karlinsky, Josh Wiseman, Jordan Jeffery, Markham Shofner, Joel Schlachet
Defense: Ashlin Joye, AJ Nelson, Anatoly Vasilyev, Andrew Hagen, Frank Devin Barich, Sam Kanner, Jon Cox
Subs: Alex Kapinos, Kiran Thomas
Jonathan Neeley and Joaquin Nagle, Team Inside Breaks
Offense: Jimmy Mickle, Jeff Graham, Mark Elbogen, Robbie Cahill, Tim Gehret, Dom Leggio, Sean Keegan
Defense: Nicky Spiva, Russell Wallack, Kevin Richardson, Alex Evangelides, Ryan Farrell, David Cranston, Austin Gregersen
Subs: Devon Anderson, Joel Wooten
Offense: Josh Markette, Jack Marsh, Greg Swanson, Brian Stout, Justin Foord, Jeff Lindquist, Nick Schlag
Defense: Reid Koss, Trent Dillon, Jared Inselmann, Sam Harkness, Jake Taylor, Husayn Carnegie, Asa Wilson
Subs: Tom Rogacki, Tom Abrams
Jimmy Leppert, Team Knuckle Puck
Offense: Matt Rehder, Peter Prial, Colin Camp, Cassidy Rassmussen, Matt Rebholz, Alex Thorne, Eli Kerns
Defense: Mac Taylor, Adam Simon, Tyler Kinley, Ethan Pollack, Byron Liu, Jay Clark, Tommy Lamar
Subs: Tommy Li, Elliott Erickson
Coit Stevenson, Rob Ford’s Toronto Rush
Offense: Tyler DeGirolamo, Nick Lance, Will Driscoll, Josh Ackley, Alex Nord, Jesse Roehm, Tristan Green
Defense: Jonathan Helton, Brandon Malecek, Brian Hart, Henry Konker, Tim Morrissy, Matty Zemel, Misha Herscu
Subs: Camden Allison-Hall, Brett Kolinek
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