Building a Champion: Xuande

In the first of our 'Building a Champion' series, we break down how Xuande built their 2022 Championship Team. We specifically cover the 8 players they started during the Championship week that got them over the line.

This is Xuande's 2nd Championship, the only league GM to win the league more than once. Many of the below players also contributed to their 2020 Championship team, with a few new faces as well.

QB: Josh Allen

Drafted 3.4 in 2018

An incredible pick in the first rookie draft, Allen has been Xuande's starting QB for years, despite having to give up almost nothing for him. Allen joins fellow 3rd round rookie QBs Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa (along with 8.11 startup pick Patrick Mahomes) as players that might cause QBs to go slightly earlier in future years. Allen had another stellar year in 2022 as the #2 overall QB, after back-to-back #1 years in 2021 and 2020. A 35+ point performance in Week 15 was instrumental in getting Xuande further in the playoffs.

RB: David Montgomery

Drafted 1.03 in 2019

The last viable RB in the 2019 draft, Montgomery has been right with his other draft mates (Miles Sanders and Josh Jacobs) and has been a stable of Xuande's roster since. Montgomery posted a low RB2 season in 2022, but the stability he provided at the position (only missing one full game) allowed Xuande's WRs to get the team over the top.

RB: Jeff Wilson

Added from waivers for $150 in 2020

One of two players added from waivers, Wilson wasn't an RB1 that could blow the doors off of a matchup, but was a solid RB2 for Xuande. There were plenty of ups and downs, but around 10 points each in the Championship and semi-final game is solid enough for a win.

WR: CeeDee Lamb

Drafted 1.07 in 2020

A great value at 1.07 in the loaded 2020 draft, Lamb put up a great season this year as the WR6 overall. Without hitting a WR1 season his first 2 years, any worries Xuande may have had have been obliterated; and at only 23, they will hope Lamb can ball out for years to come.

WR: Amari Cooper

Drated 3.9 in the 2017 Startup Draft

Cooper has had a career year for Xuande - despite Brissett at QB, Cooper finished as the WR9 in half PPR. With his other WR1 year coming in 2019, Cooper chose a great year to turn it on again.

TE: George Kittle

Drafted 11.9 in the 2018 Startup Draft

Drafted in the same round (but after) other TEs Delanie Walker, Eric Ebron, Jimmy Graham and Jordan Reed; Kittle was an incredible value in the 11th round for Xuande. The TE4 this year, in a bleak landscape Kittle provided a relatively solid floor and huge upside, posting 4 games with more than 18 points.

FLEX: Rashid Shaheed

Added from waivers for $0 in 2022

A surprise player for the Saints, Xuande added Shaheed after Week 6, the first week Shaheed had ever set foot on a regular season NFL field. The Weber State product was not a weekly starter, but popped late in the year and remains an upside rookie.

FLEX: A.J. Brown

Traded for with jerrr in 2019 - acquired Ronald Jones, A.J. Brown and 2021 1st (Trey Sermon) for Zach Ertz

In hindsight, the trade for Brown was one of the best trades of the league's history. Now, Ertz is at the tail end of his career; but in Week 5 of 2019 he was a top-5 TE and a possible piece that could win a Championship. Brown was still in his rookie year hitting around 50% of snaps, and only began to blow up after Week 12. The 1st round pick that Xuande got back perhaps didn't get the best value in the end, but Brown alone more than justifies the trade. He is now tied to a great offense, is only 25, and just put up a top-5 WR year to help lead Xuande to the Championship.