Originally used for stocks and crypto, “Pump and Dump” has turned into my favorite offseason draft phrase. Whether we are doing it subconsciously or not, all of us CFF drafters have pumped and dumped before. What exactly is this cutting-edge draft phrase that is sweeping the nation? Let’s visit Urban Dictionary (and scroll down like 5 definitions) to learn more…
It’s a fairly easy idea to grasp, and this offseason, I’m not just going to wait until August to discuss the top players who have been pumped and subsequently dumped. This will be an ongoing monthly series dedicated to players being irresponsibly drafted higher than their true value and inevitably going to be dumped within the next month or two of drafts. Drafts have begun and I’m already on the stinky scent of many players…
Anyone Wearing the Scarlet Block R
If you wear a block R and wear scarlet then you’re getting pumped right now. And in two months, when people really dig into their schedule, they will be dumped to the wayside and never talked to again. The early ADP at face makes sense. Kyle Monangai was a great CFF asset for drafters the past two seasons. Insert the next man up (CJ Campbell or Antwan Raymond), and you have yourself a high-round pick, right? Right? Not so fast, my friend…
Who was the last Rutgers running back besides Monangai to break 750+ rushing yards? That would be Robert Martin all the way back in 2015! Don’t worry, it’s not like future NFL relevant(ish) running backs Isiah Pacheco, Gus Edwards, or Raheem Blacksheer were on this roster between then and now. So, do we really want to take a shot in drafts at a running back room we don’t even know the answer to when the system hasn’t been that good for RB1s?
On top of this, Rutgers has one of the worst CFF schedules you can find this season. Their Underdog best ball draft playoff schedule consists of Bye Week, at Ohio State, and home against Penn State. They also play Oregon, Iowa, and at Minnesota in 2025. When exactly were you hoping to start a Rutgers running back again?
Cam Coleman, Auburn, WR
It’s only right to include an Auburn Tiger in the first edition of this series considering their history with toilet paper… Coleman went to Auburn with big time recruiting pedigree and expectations. And for the most part, everyone was happy with how his 2024 went. With Payton Thorne at quarterback, he still managed nearly 600 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. For most of the season, he didn’t look like he was on track for that type of production, though. Of his 598 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns on the season, 306 yards and 6 touchdowns came in their final three games.
In two recent drafts, this man has gone WR5 twice (one being P4 only and the other all of FBS). I know there are serious question marks at the position, but this feels like quite the overreaction to three games. KeAndre Lambert-Smith was relevant/good all season, and he still finished as WR22 when it comes to Underdog’s best ball scoring (P4 only). There’s also the fact that Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels, the quarterbacks most likely to see significant snaps in 2025, have yet to prove much through the air in their careers. There may be some hype here because we remember that one great CJ Daniels year at Liberty with Hugh Freeze. That great Daniels year where he still only ended up as WR66!
Jonah Coleman, Washington, RB
Apparently, if you’re a Coleman then you’re likely being pumped these days. The Washington running back lands here because everyone seems to be gravitating towards a not-so-settled running back group and his decent floor. He ended the season rushing for 1,011 yards and scoring 10 times. The problem here is his total production landed him at RB29 for P4/Underdog leagues. This doesn’t line up with his 2.01 (all of FBS) and 3.05 (P4 only) draft position in recent weeks.
Coleman will certainly be impacted by Demond Williams being the quarterback instead of statue Will Rogers. Combine this with more and more running back rooms in better systems being decided, and we’re seeing him dumped to the wayside by the end of April.
Dylan Raiola, Nebraska, QB
Where would you draft a quarterback who is a negative rusher, had just 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in 2024 and isn’t really in an offensive system that is going to be volume-heavy? Would you take him 9.09 (all of FBS) or 6.10 (P4 only)? Well, thats exactly where Raiola has been pumped up to at the beginning of this offseason.
It has to be name recognition because even if he’s throwing 400+ times and finding the end zone 25+ times, he’s still not worth his ADP to kick off the draft season. Carson Beck finished QB18 of P4 quarterbacks and that was with a touchdown and 86 yards on the ground to go with 28 passing touchdowns and 3,429 yards. Doesn’t that feel like his absolute best case? Don’t buy the pump here! I expect Raiola to be a guy who gets taken in the 20-25th rounds when we’re at peak best ball drafting season.
