Nothing is more important than money. If money were at stake, I would have taken more than 20 minutes before the draft (and a lot of googling during it) to do my research .
Do you also dive into a pile of gold coins and swim like Scrooge McDuck? That would be awesome.
Frosted_Lightning - Me
12th Pick Overall
- (12) Drew Brees
- (13) Larry Fitzgerald
- (36) Thomas Jones
- (37) Larry Johnson
- (60) Derrick Ward
- (61) Pittsburgh
- (84) Laveranues Coles
- (85) Heath Miller
- (108) Derrick Mason
- (109) David Akers
- (132) Minnesota
- (133) Brett Favre
- (156) Mark Clayton
- (157) Anthony Fasano
- (180) Nick Folk
QB At QB I have Drew Brees and Brett Favre backing him up. This is a solid one-two for me and I expect to make the most of it. Brees is a very productive QB and Favre put up solid numbers with the Jets so I have little to worry about here.
RB I do not have any big time stand outs at RB but I feel good with my selections. With Sanchez at QB, Thomas Jones is going to get the touches needed to make for a consistent fantasy option. He already has proven that he has what it takes to be a solid back and that is all that I need. Johnson was one of my gambles. I think that he has the potential to wake up this year and do something but I will not be crushed if he is still a no show. Derrick Ward is going to surprise a lot of people who did not realize how much of a role he played in the Giants offense.
WR Larry Fitzgerald and Derrick Mason is going to be a big combo for me. This is definitely one of the few years that I feel good about the ability of my WR core to provide me with points in spite of injuries. Having two receivers who are proven favorite targets is going to give me some really good weeks.
TE I don’t care much about the TE position in fantasy football but I do see it as necessary. As a result, I see Heath Miller as an excellent choice under these circumstances. He provided me with consistent points last year and that goes a long way.
DEF I selected the Pittsburgh Steelers. Having an exciting hometown defense to cheer for on Sunday, that is capable of putting up big points, is one of the best things about fantasy football hands down.
K I would have been happy to pick either one of these guys as my kicker in the last round but my connection stopped working and I got booted from the draft in the 10th. Fortunately, I was able to get through more than half of the rounds before I lost my signal.
Overall: I am fairly confident in the ability of my team to make a nice little run this year if the key players stay, mostly, healthy.
To address some points made. I think that while Westbrook is an injury risk, the presence of McCoy taking away touches mitigates some of the risk. Westbrook has never been a between the tackles runner, and McCoy isn’t going to take away his receptions which is a real bonus in this league. Westbrook gets into trouble when they ask him to be that runner he isn’t.
I took Mendenhall over Parker (who went just a few picks later), because I believe by week 4 Mendenhall will be the starter. Parker has been beat up, and has only been in a handful of plays this preseason.
The same with Greene. I don’t believe Thomas Jones will last the whole season, and Washington isn’t built to play every down.
I pretty much agree with the rest of your assessment.
Only in my dreams. In real life, it’s just pennies.
Did anyone else notice that there wasn’t ever a run on TE’s. Taz took Witten in the fourth, followed by me picking Gates, but then Gonzalez wasn’t taken until 15 picks later.
Kinda sucks for once I would’ve been at the front of run instead of behind it. Maybe next year.
No Use For A Name - RetroVertigo
QB - Carson Palmer, Jake Delhomme
You’ve got 2 QBs with only 2 functioning elbows. Not something you can usually consider ideal. I suspect Palmer will be productive and he looks to have a pretty dangerous group of WRs so long as Henry stays out of prison. There are still questions about his health, nursing a high ankle sprain now, and I am very concerned with the fact that he didn’t have surgery in the offseason. I haven’t conducted a rigorous examination but just about every time an baseball pitcher has elbow soreness and opts for “rehab” it’s only a matter of months after his return before he needs Tommy John. I suspect Palmer’s elbow will start acting up again by midseason. In the 7th round it a gamble worth taking, but a more reliable backup situation might have been prudent.
Speaking of backups, Delhomme is going to be an unmitigated disaster this year. His arm is completely shot. If you’re lucky and Palmer’s bye week is a good weather game for Jake you might get by on the back of Steve Smith’s giant balls but if he’s playing in anything resembling wind you might as well leave the roster spot empty. You should have addressed the backup before that predictable run in the 11th knowing how uncertain Palmer is.
Could be a good situation if Palmer is 100% all season, I just have a lot of doubts about that and Hard Knocks is doing nothing to reassure me. Grade: C
RB - Brian Westbrook, LenDale White, Rashard Mendenhall, Shonn Greene
This team was one of a few that essentially decided to approach the draft as a 1 RB league. Westbrook is a pretty good one, especially considering the PPR scoring, but he’s a pretty poor value where you took him. He just isn’t better than LDT or Johnson and you could make a case for Jackson and Gore considering their offenses dependence on them. The Eagles drafted McCoy to lighten his workload and the deeper WR corps should force McNabb to check down to him less often. More critically is that Westbrook is essentially assured of missing 3 games. Way too many issues to build your team around him without hedging your bets at the RB position. In short he’s not the guy you want in a 1 RB strategy.
The backups are underwhelming to say the least. You landed basically 3 TD vultures. I like TD vultures as speculative draft picks. If an electric starter gets hurt they’ll be the first to benefit while offering some point opportunities in the meantime. However these guys, who are basically all the same guy, aren’t going to be reliable enough scorers to fill in when Westbrook is injured or the dreaded game time decision. Of the group I like Mendenhall the most as Willie Parker seems like he’s almost done and he’s been getting all the work in preseason, but you really needed a certain starter as a backup or a Westbrook’s handcuff. Grade: C
WR - Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Santana Moss, Steve Breaston, Percy Harvin
You relegated the RB position so you needed to land 3 first line WRs. I think you have two. Andre Johnson is a horse so long as Schaub is throwing to him. I’m not sure Orlovsky or Grossman can pick up the slack. Grossman throws a great deep ball and they could hook up, but he makes a lot of mistakes and if the offense isn’t on the field Johnson is worthless. Of course this presumes that Schaub will be missing significant amounts of time, I think he will as usual and the tweaked ankle in the preseason game only strengthens that opinion. Boldin is a beast and I suspect that he’ll remain Warner’s favorite target, even ahead of Larry Fitz. Much of Larry’s production was during Boldin’s injury and considering the contract situation I bet Boldin stays on the field for 16 games and gets lots of balls. Moss is the problem. I hate the Redskins passing attack and Moss isn’t particularly good in his own right. He always seems to find a way to have a 3 TD game once a year but you’ll be frustrated by some really disappointing weeks in between. He won’t be reliable enough in that offense to replace a RB2. Frankly there were much better options on the board when you drafted him.
Since you need to start 3 WRs your backups will be crucial, probably more crucial than your backup RBs. I really love the pair you have. Breaston is a brilliant compliment to Boldin, if Boldin goes down Breaston is getting all the work and there’s a pretty strong chance he’ll get some solid stats as the 3rd WR in AZ regardless. There aren’t a whole lot of WR handcuffs, but Breaston is about as close as you can get to it. Harvin is a monster upside guy. He could replace Moss as your Flex if Minny is creative in using him and it seemed like he and Favre were building a little something. There’s more than a little chance that he’ll be a complete zero, but all rookies have that issue. Grade: A-
TE - Antonio Gates, Chase Coffman
Gates is elite, I think he’s the #1 TE available but the gap between him and the next 5 or 6 guys isn’t very wide. Taking him in the 4th round is just too much to spend, especially since his numbers are coming back to earth as the SD offense gets a little more diverse. When you spend a 4th rounder on a TE you probably don’t need to be carrying a backup either. Especially not a guy like Coffman who might not even have the starting gig in week one. Grade: B+
K - Josh Brown
One of the best, kicking in a dome for a team with an iffy red zone offense. He kicks 50 yarders which in this league is huge. Normally taking a kicker before the final round is a demerit but this guy is worth the extra round. Grade: A
DEF - Chicago
Man, it really pains me to say this but the Bears defense is going to suck. Mind you, a sucky Bears D will still be a top 20 squad but in fantasy you can do much better. Their pass rush isn’t very fierce and hasn’t consistently generated sacks in a while. The once legendary ball hawks in the secondary are all gone and the group back there now is spotty at best. The LBs are super-elite in pass coverage but don’t play the run well enough when the D line is struggling. There were much better defenses available when you took them. It makes me sick to admit it, but it’s true. Grade: D+
Overall: It’s basically a poor mans version of my team. A one horse team on the ground with the WRs making things happen. The execution here wasn’t nearly as good though. You are missing the key cog, the monster at QB. If you don’t have a monster at QB you need the reliability of two RBs.
Preseason Grade: C
Tazmanian Devils - Tazmanian Devil
QB - Matt Schaub, Jason Campbell
I love Matt Schaub the QB. I jumped on him with both feet the day he got traded to Houston and had him starting for me immediately. He and Johnson and Gaffney made sweet music for me…for about 5 games. Then he got hurt, and it’s been the same song and dance every year since. There’s nothing wrong with drafting an injury prone starting QB who puts up monster numbers in a potent offense, especially in the 6th round so long as you have a good backup…
…and you don’t. Campbell has looked pretty bad all preseason and the organization clearly doesn’t think he’s going to come around. I will say that he’s an excellent value in the 14th round and if he was merely insurance for a durable guy and a bye week starter I’d be sold. But when you sign up for the Schaub experience you have to pencil in 4-5 starts for your backup. If Campbell starts 4 games for you are missing the playoffs. Grade: C
RB - LaDainian Tomlinson, Steve Slaton, Jamal Lewis, Willis McGahee
This is a nice group. I’ve said a few times that I think LDT is due for a resurgence this year and the well rounded Chargers offense will make him even more reliable. He really shouldn’t have slid to the 8th pick and you were very fortunate there. LDT is still a huge threat catching the ball and in a PPR league his value is special. Slaton is basically LDT Lite. Everything is going for him and that offense is perfect for this league, Slaton gets tons of touches and catches tons of balls. Great tandem, both guys are insane values.
The backups are very solid if uninspiring. Sometimes people try too hard to be smart and sometimes doing the obvious thing is the right way to go. I think you did that, Lewis is the undisputed starter in Cleveland and until he loses his job he has value. I’ve expected him to lose the gig for about 3 years now, and he hasn’t. McGahee is similar, he’s the starter in Baltimore and even though he hasn’t stayed healthy and Ray Rice looks like a future star Willis has value for a FF team. Getting starters in the 9th and 10th rounds are savvy moves. If they lose their jobs early you have time to find replacements since they are just backups. Safe and smart. Grade: A
WR - Dwayne Bowe, Hines Ward, Michael Jenkins
As much as I like your RBs, I hate your WRs twice as much. Yuck. Dwayne Bowe has talent but I have zero confidence in the situation in KC. I’m not sure Cassel is a worthwhile starter in his own right and the coaching staff is a mess. Someone has to catch balls there and Gonzo is gone but I’m not sure Bowe is good enough to win against double coverage. Ward is pretty reliable and I don’t expect his performance to fall off but he’s also not going to improve and between both these starters you just don’t have a potential for 1500 and 10.
You got one backup for two uncertain WRs. A crappy backup at that, one who was probably a reach in the 12th round. Jenkins is going to be the odd man out with the addition of Gonzo. Atlanta isn’t going to run the ball less and you know they are going to go to the TE this year, so Jenkins is going to be the one who loses looks. Bad times. Grade: D-
TE - Jason Witten, John Carlson
Witten is going to have a nice season, the absence of TO will make him an even bigger security blanket for Romo. His yardage and reception numbers will be big, but he’s historically not going to get many TDs. TO was the TD hawk so maybe the new offense will feature Witten more, but you can’t count on it. Still, my previous comments about Gates apply. The difference between Witten and the next 4 or 5 TEs is pretty slim so you could have gotten 85% of the production 2 round later and focused elsewhere here.
I like Carlson this year, Seattle is going to use him a ton. But why take a backup TE in the 11th when you spent a 4th rounder on a stud? Grade: B-
K - Stephen Gostkowski, Mason Crosby
You’ve got probably the top kicker in the league (8th round!) and another top 5 guy. Why, oh, why would you need a second kicker? I’m starting to think this was an autodraft or something. I probably should have paid attention to that before I started these reviews. Grade: D
DEF - New York, Miami
Man, taking a defense in the 7th round is brutal. The Giants will be ok, but not that good. I think they are pretty over rated, they got absolutely destroyed by the Bears and I’m not convinced that pass rush and secondary will look anything like the one from a couple years ago. Don’t forget their coordinator is gone, but even if they are an elite D they aren’t worth a 7th. And why on the hell would you want 2? Grade: C+
**Overall:**Let me get this straight. You have 3 total WRs in a league where you can start 3 and one of those three probably isn’t worthy of a roster spot. Yet you secure backups for highly drafted TE, K and DEFs. That my friends is LUNACY. If not for having the best top 2 RBs this would be a disaster.
Preseason Grade: C-
The difference here is that Crennel favored veterans to an irrational degree, especially on offense, and for some reason really really holds a grudge against the better running back on the roster. With Mangini it’s a fresh start and I don’t expect (and hope not) to see the irrational loyalty to Lewis as he dances and then drills into the back of his lineman for a 2 yard gain all season.
Yep, autodraft. Unfortunately Taz didn’t make it this year.
Isotopes - Petey
QB - Philip Rivers, Chad Pennington
Rivers is sneaky good. The guy quietly has developed into an elite fantasy QB so much so that I score him ahead of Peyton Manning this year. You landed him in the 4th round and that’s going to be a fabulous windfall for you. There’s a minor risk that LDT could have such a strong year and the Chargers division is so bad that Rivers simply never has to throw the ball, but with all those weapons and crappy defenses I find it hard to imagine that he won’t feast all year long.
Pennington is a perfectly serviceable backup. He seems secure in his role and should only play for you one week. I love that you were able to get a guy who scored as well as he did last season for merely a 13th rounder. Grade: A
RB - Chris Johnson, Joseph Addai, Julius Jones, Chester Taylor
Chris Johnson is a blast to watch and I love his value. I have him in the keeper league and I’m counting on him to reproduce what he did last season and in the preseason there’s no reason to doubt that. But, I have this nagging suspicion that he’ll be unable to stay healthy. It’s not based on any knowledge it’s just a gut feeling I have watching him play. Like AP he seems to run like he’s trying to get hurt. I have nightmares where he uncorks that burst of speed around the edge on a run and goes recklessly barreling into a stadium wall after getting shoved out of bounds. I’m less in love with Addai. I’ve stated my position on the Colts offense and the running attack looks to be somewhat mediocre for the 3rd year in a row. Addai will be in a 50-50 timeshare at best and recovering from another injury at worst. Timeshare guys can be solid RB2s on a team that runs really often and well, the Colts won’t.
Your backups are pretty good values, Taylor especially, but neither has the upside to replace Addai if the common perception about him is correct. Jones could surprise in Seattle because he’s the RB with the best track record and has a chance to get the majority of the work, but the O line there is dismal. Taylor needs AP to miss some time to warrant a start but in a bye week he could contribute some needed points. I don’t quibble with the values either, but I have the feeling you’ll be flexing a WR most of the year. Grade: C+
WR - Calvin Johnson, Terrell Owens, Bernard Berrian, Kevin Walter, Ted Ginn Jr, Chris Chambers
It looks to me like you made the same assessment of your RB situation as I did and you expended a lot of pick value on the WR position. Megatron is a beast and everyone loves him in spite of the Lions issues. I disagree with the consensus somewhat. I’m not a big believer in depending on WRs on crappy teams especially when the QB situation is in such flux. There’s little question that a guy that talented will get his in plenty of games it seems unlikely that the offense will be consistent enough to get him those easy red zone catches. Long story short, I think last years production was unsustainable without a big improvement on offense. He’ll be a top 10 WR, but I’m not sold on him as top 3. TO is never any fun to cheer for but I think the Buffalo experiment will be a decent one, perhaps not a smashing success but I think he’ll justify his third round selection. I’ve talked about how I like Edwards and so long as the Buffalo line can keep him vertical TO will reap rewards.
I have Berrian listed as a reserve here based on your draft order and league page but I think he’ll almost certainly out earn Addai and claim that flex spot. He’s an absolute steal in the 7th round. He put up great numbers last season and the addition of Favre really boosts his value. Walter, Ginn and Chambers are all first rate bench options. Walter and Ginn have the potential to grow into every week starters. This is an embarrassment of riches. Grade: A
TE - Tony Gonzalez
Many experts and websites have Gonzo ranked first among TEs. I think this is insane considering his age and that he’s got to acclimate to a new offense. The fact he was drafted a full round after Gates and Witten indicates our league agrees. Still, he’ll put up very good numbers and I give you special credit for not falling into that artificial TE run in the 4th. You got a much better bang for your buck. Grade: A
K - Ryan Longwell
He’s at the top of the heap and he kicks in a dome and makes 50 yarders. One of the few worth reaching beyond the last round for so long as it’s not too early. Well done. Grade: A
DEF - Indianapolis
The last defense taken in the draft and for good reason. Indy won’t be very good but I have little doubt that you resigned yourself to playing defense roulette here. My big question would be why didn’t you pay more attention to who the week one matchups were. Indy’s poor run defense faces MJD in week one and there are FA Ds out there with much softer week one matchups. You could have saved yourself a roster move and gotten first crack at the best week one matchup. Grade: D
Overall: This team is pretty loaded. Rock solid at QB and crazy deep at WR. Top flight TE and K and a great first string RB. If Chris Johnson stays healthy the entire league, and more importantly me, are in trouble. The consolation is that the depth issues at RB and the WRs on bad teams and a constant question mark at D could be this teams undoing when the playoffs come around. Also, the WR corp while very explosive lacks a really high reception possession guy so he could fall short in some closer matchups.
Preseason Grade: A-
The Gridbirds - brianjedi
QB - Tony Romo, Matt Ryan
I’m OK with Romo as a fantasy QB but there’s just no reason to draft him ahead of Warner and Rivers. His production is at times in consistent and he’ll be missing TO pretty badly in the red zone. His numbers will be OK and the Dallas offense will be pretty good as a whole but I think you’ll be very disappointed with his consistency and he’ll probably lay one or two eggs as the season goes on.
Matty Ice is a fabulous backup. ESPN has Romo ranked 7th and Ryan ranked 8th and I’m inclined to agree with that. In any case I think Ryan is clearly a top 12 QB and probably should be starting somewhere in this league and you landing him as a backup in the 8th is golden. However, Romo isn’t an injury prone guy so spending so much on a backup, no matter how great, is a uncertain move when you spend so much on your starter. One of the teams who drafted a injury prone guy like Schaub, Warner, McNabb or Hasselbeck really needed this guy, I’m not sure you do. Though, if the loss of TO completely undoes the Dallas offense and/or if Roy Williams gets hurt having insurance could prove wise. Grade: B+
RB - Steven Jackson, Clinton Portis, Cedric Benson, Le’Ron McClain
I’m a hater when it comes to Jackson, that Rams team is such a mess that I’m not comfortable putting significant weight on any of their players. Tagging Jackson as your #1 overall pick is going to be an unpleasant experience. I definitely would have gone with Gore ahead of him and after Gore there’s such a big drop off I’d have started taking the top WRs and QBs. The fact that Jackson is pretty much the only show in town has people talking themselves into him and finding a non-RBBC guy is getting rare but Jackson injury history completely undermines all that rationalization. Portis is favored for the exact same reason that Jackson is and frankly they are the same player, I expect their stats to look very similar at the end of the year. Portis at 15 is a solid, safe value while Jackson at 10 is a miss. Going RB-RB pretty much requires you to start a RB in your flex spot and I’m not sure that you’ll be getting game changing numbers out of either of these guys. But, if they offer a reliable 8-10 points every week like clockwork you can build on that.
The backups are pretty good ones for a team with starters like these. With Jackson’s injury history getting a undisputed starter as a backup option is crucial and Benson, for all his flaws, is that. You won’t want him starting regularly but I think you can feel comfortable with him in bye weeks and even an occasional matchup play. McClain may or may not retain his role as a TD vulture but his performance last season will ensure that he gets his touches. Any injuries to Rice or McGahee and he’s got immediate value. Solid values each. I might have wanted one more body here considering the burden on the position from going RB-RB but you can secure that in FA if needed. Grade: B-
WR - Chad Ochocinco, Donnie Avery, Deion Branch, Patrick Crayton
The WR situation doesn’t do anything to change my perspective on your RB dependence. I am really up on Ochocinco, he’s looked outstanding in camp and he seems to be toning down the drama a few pegs. So long as Palmer stays on the field Chaz will be getting the ball a ton. Housh is gone and as much as I like Henry he’s not going to be a 80+ catch guy, which means the ball shave to go somewhere and 85 is the guy. Hell of a value. Avery has the same burden that Jackson does and while I think he’s undervalued in FF and you got him in a nice spot he shouldn’t be getting WR2 action. As a Flex/WR3 he’s golden, but there will be weeks where you get nothing out of him and as an WR2 he’ll kill you.
The backups are very nice however, outstanding values both, and each could develop as regular contributors if Avery is a miss. I think Crayton actually has more upside than Branch since the gaping chasm left by TO will probably be filled by a committee of Dallas WRs. Crayton has the experience to earn the lions share of that. Branch is going to rely on the health of Hasselbeck and time will tell how healthy he is and how much Housh cuts into his love. Grade: B-
TE - Dallas Clark, Vernon Davis
Dallas Clark’s days as an elite TE are over in my opinion. I wouldn’t mind having him on my roster but I wouldn’t like spending a 5th round pick on him. If you’re counting on him to replace the production of a WR2 you’ll be left wanting. He can be a fabulous compliment but not a centerpiece. If I’m completely wrong about the partial demise of the elite Colts offense they look like the 2006 Colts you can discard this evaluation, but I think I’m right and both Clark and Gonzalez will be steps back from what Manning is used to.
Another team drafting a TE really high and then wasting another draft pick on a backup. It’s a nutty world. Why waste the roster spot on a replacement level TE who could be nearly matched in FA should Clark go down, if you think Davis is due for a break out season why’d you bother using 5th on Clark? Its an enigma. Grade: C
K - Rob Bironas
He’s a good one but taking him in the 9th is probably the worst pick of the draft. He kicks outside and he doesn’t kick that many long ones, which our league favors a lot, he’s the poster boy for kicker randomness. I know he’s had a few 5 FG games and all, but that’s luck. Total waste. Grade: F
DEF - Baltimore, New England
You grabbed the Baltimore defense in the 6th round and there’s been plenty of talk about the under appreciated value of defenses in this league and FFL in general. All this talk is utterly insane. Having a top flight defense is a asset, but drafting one in the first half of the draft will always be stupid. I think the Baltimore defense will take a small step back due to age and the loss of Ryan but they’ll still be pretty damned good…in the 9th round.
I really like New England’s D this year. The additions they made at LB will be absolutely huge for them and you can expect some typical Belichick craziness ensure the occasional huge week. Their division isn’t particularly potent with a Rookie in NY and a shaky line in Buffalo so you shouldn’t have to fear too many shootouts. Great value, but…
…why take 2 defenses if you waste a 6th rounder on a D? Aren’t essentially saying that they are completely incomparable? It’s not like a defense is gonna get hurt. Grade: D+
Overall: This team had a really superb second half of the draft, that kicker reach notwithstanding, and found some excellent values. However all that savvy is undermined by those early reaches for peripheral positions and the low ceiling core starters. I see a lot of 3 and 4 point losses for this team and a lot of bye week frustration.
Preseason Grade: C-
This is something we don’t have to really discuss until next offseason, but given how smoothly our draft went in the auction draft league this year, and generally how much more interesting and fun auction drafts are compared to standard drafts, I’m hoping next year I can convince everyone to switch over to an auction draft format. Hopefully yahoo will do auction drafts next year as a new feature, but even if not, we can do the same thing we do in the auction league - make a leave to draft on ESPN and then take the results and import them into the yahoo league and play out the year there.
I’ll throw my vote in now for switching. I much prefer an auction.
How labor-intensive was porting the results to yahoo? I ask because even if yahoo does implement an auction feature, if it’s as slow/bad as espn’s was last year I would vote to still use espn and port over the results. My memories of the two auctions are like night and day: last year terrible, this year awesome.
I third the switch to an auction, but only if the auction tool is a good one.
I like the Auction format but we have an SDMB auction league already. Right now we have a Keeper league, a traditional draft league and a auction league. We have one of each, why ditch the variety?
Though, if this league were to go Auction I’d bow out of the old Auction league and try to get into the Dynasty League. That might be a plus.
Last Place - Kiros
QB - Kurt Warner, Matt Cassel
Wow, here’s a man that looks at the injury report and scoffs! I’m not feeling Kurt this year and the fact that Leinart looked pretty much unstoppable in the preseason lends me to think that the Cards will have a somewhat short leash with Warner should he falter. Mind you, he’s not going to be a complete bust right out of the gates with all that talent, and he was in the Super Bowl, but there’s a pretty good chance that a minor injury (or major) or a slow 4 game start could have him on the bench. I concede that this is not a probable scenario, but still a possible one. And that fact makes taking him as your starter in the 3rd round ahead of Rivers madness.
Taking Warner as your starter isn’t necessarily something to avoid since his upside is undeniable but you need to have a good backup plan. I’m not sure if Cassel qualifies as that. I think in the 9th round he’s a very good value but the turmoil in KC and his injury really cast a lot of doubt on if he’s going to be worth anything this year. Certain he has upside and he’d be a terrific backup for a team with a steady but uninspiring starter but I’m thinking you wanted a little surer bet behind an injury risk like Warner.
All in all, some great upside but quite a lot of risk too. Grade: B
RB - Frank Gore, Reggie Bush, Leon Washington, Fred Jackson, Tim Hightower
Frank Gore looks like he’s going to be run until he drops in San Fran and in fantasy that’s a good thing. I think his explosive days are far behind him at this point and the wear and tear is going to show itself this year, but that probably won’t hurt you too much since yards per carry isn’t a stat we care about. He’s going to grind into a bunch of yards so long as he’s healthy. The real risk is that the QB situation will be a ongoing mess and the Niners offense will never develop any consistency, which would cost Frank touches and easy red zone opportunities. Reggie gets far too much criticism. He’s not a every down back and anyone who expected him to be is a fool. His health issues are very frustrating for a fantasy owner but one thing you know is that when Reggie is healthy Payton is going to find a way to get him the ball. And when Reggie has the ball he usually does something with it and he gets into the end zone an awful lot for a guy who sees the field so inconsistently. He’s a nightmare as a starting RB but if you can flex him at will, as we can here, he can be a real asset if you’re willing to pay close attention to the matchups and his health status.
You seem to have taken the “backup running back” concept a little to literally. In fantasy you generally want your backup RBs to actually see the field. I kid, I kid. I know these players are all very big upside guys but since you have a spotty guy in Reggie you really could have used a more reliable option for at least one of these spots. With Lynch out Jackson is a hell of a get there, and everyone is flipping out over how good Leon has looked this preseason and Thomas Jones isn’t exactly young or frightening. Tim Hightower is probably going to be the best overall value of all your backups and maybe the best earner period, but I’m betting that Beanie Wells puts him firmly in a support role very early in the season. That’s admittedly a coin flip, but since I drafted Wells quite a bit higher I’m putting my money where my mouth is.
If Frankie goes down you’ll really be wishing you grabbed a boring guy who’s at least at the front of a RBBC like Jones or Benson. Grade: B
WR - Randy Moss, Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery, Nate Washington
I am 100% on board with the Pats offense. I think Brady will be close to a 100% in short order and that means Moss will be golden. They looked good in the preseason and there’s not reason in my book why he shouldn’t be the #1 overall WR. He’s an insane value at 14 and probably should have come off the board at 10. Marshall is a big enigma and could be the difference maker in a lot of leagues if he puts up numbers like last year. That’s a gargantuan IF but the guy has skills and I believe when all is said and done he’ll be on the field in week 1. The QB situation and new scheme are bigger doubts for me than the suspension and contract dispute but I’m willing to bet he has a Dywane Bowe like season. That said, the 4th round is too high. 85 is a much better value there as are most of the other WRs in the 4th round. I bet he’d have come back around to you in the 5th and maybe the 6th if you’d have waited.
The backups could very well be the best in the league. You will need them if you have RB issues as I predict but you’ve got plenty of stud talent here to flex a WR regularly if not every week. Holmes should keep getting better and improve on a impressive Super Bowl but the Steelers offense will stay conservative. If Hines Ward misses time watch out though. Cotchery needs the QB situation to play out but he’s in a good position to be one of the most consistent WRs out there, he could have a Housmandzadeh like year if Sanchez plays up to the hype. Washington is a steal in the 11th. The Titans aren’t gunslingers but Collins throws a beautiful deep ball and Washington could be the beneficiary of several play action bombs.
Marshall was a slight reach but overall this is a scary group. Grade: A
TE - Kellen Winslow
Soldier Boy is a bit of an unknown quantity with the move to Tampa and that offense is as much of a mystery as any following the firing of the OC. Who knows how big a role Winslow will play and if he’ll be able to stay on the field and be productive. Tons and tons of reasons for doubt but expect the Bucs to be more run oriented and Winslow could clean up in a play action system. He does have the skills for big numbers. Think you got a good value for the gamble at least. Grade: B-
K - John Kasay
He’s OK and you took him with the second to last pick. Probably going to end up playing kicker roulette but that’s perfectly fine. Grade: C
DEF - Tampa Bay
There’s not much to like about this squad after they got blown up in the offseason and the Week 1 matchup with Dallas probably isn’t an ideal situation. At least you didn’t waste much on it. Grade: C-
Overall: This team might have the most question marks of any team, from the health of 80% of it’s starters to the Marshall and Lynch suspensions. It’s almost as if you tried to increase the degree of difficulty. Still, that WR group could be downright scary and at least while Gore, Warner and Bush are healthy they’ll put up big numbers. You’ll need some good fortune and some good waiver wire work but you have the tools.
Preseason Grade: A-
Frosted_Lightning - Frosted Lightning
QB - Drew Brees, Brett Favre
I love Drew Brees but I don’t love him as much as Brady this year. I like that you didn’t reach for a RB there and I think you’ll be very happy with his numbers. There’s not much else that needs to be said, but the success of this pick will be entirely judged by how he and Brady compare at the end of the year. Also, at some point you have to wonder if Brees will get hurt, he’s exposed to a lot of potential hits.
Favre is a really nice backup. The first 3 or 4 weeks will probably be very dicey until he gets settled and figures things out, and with Brees you’re very unlikely to need him so that’s ok, but there’s a lot of weapons there and I bet he finds a way to use them The INTs will still be there but so will the yards and scores, at least enough for a backup in the 12th round. Nice get. Grade: A+
RB - Thomas Jones, Larry Johnson, Derrick Ward
For a guy who didn’t take a RB until the 36th pick you have to be really happy with what you have to work with here. Thomas Jones won’t be anything special but I bet that Rex Ryan falls in love with him and his work ethic and continues feeding him the ball behind that awesome line. Time will tell if Shonn Greene is the ultimate TD vulture, and with Jones lack of break away ability he might leave a lot of them, but for where you were drafting that’s a solid #1. LJ seems to be a forgotten man these days and I really don’t have a feel for how he’ll be used in Haley’s offense but again I like the value here. I think he’ll be assured of the goal line role and I’m thinking he can be effective in a time share with Charles, especially if Cassel shows any signs of his Patriots success.
Ward, again, is uncertain in the new environment of Tampa but he’ll have the inside track on the lead role and with Graham off a serious surgery he’ll probably be doing the bulk of the goal line work too. He’ll need to prove that he can handle the load but the running attack in Tampa could be doggedly persistent under Morris.
You added Sticky Ricky after the draft and he might be worth something because you are in so serious issues as far as depth goes. I love the value you got waiting so late on RB and the 3 you got are excellent guys, though each with questions, but drafting a big upside guy would have been key. It’s a one RB league which gives you some breathing room but I’d have used one more pick on the position. Grade: C-
WR - Larry Fitzgerald, Derrick Mason, Laveranues Coles, Mark Clayton
Fitzy is an awesome talent and his performance in the post season was epic. However I’m not sold on him as the best over all Fantasy WR. He got a lot of his points when Boldin was out and if Boldin stays on the field for the bulk of the season Fitz is going to take a dip. If Breaston steps up, the running game comes around or Warner is hurt Larry is going to have to come back a ways. OC Haley is gone as well, so it will be interesting to see how that effects Fitz. This amounts to a lot of question marks for him, he’s elite but I don’t like hm #1. Mason isn’t a WR2 in Fantasy, he just isn’t. He’s always been sneaky productive and if Flacco takes a step forward his value goes up a bit but I don’t see him competing with any of the #2 WRS in this league.
You drafted Coles ahead of Mason so perhaps he could be discussed as the defacto #2 WR but it wouldn’t change things. He’s moved on to Cincy and could prove valuable as a underneath possession guy replacing Housh but it’s a new situation. I think Ocho and Henry will be Palmer’s favorite targets by a wide margin, especially in the red zone. The Bengals passing game is suspect due to Palmer’s health and the crappy O-line but Coles has the potential to put up some consistent numbers if everything holds together. Good numbers for a #3 WR that is. You also added Clayton, another Baltimore WR. Did you miss the memo that the Ravens are a run first team? I’m not sure he will warrant a roster spot for long and the worst thing that could happen is that he teases you with a long TD catch in week 1. I like Flacco to improve the passing game but not enough to make Clayton and Mason FFL scorers.
You’re painfully shallow at RB and had you solidified the WR position to go 3 deep and give you some options with you flex you could have been OK, but instead you squandered it and didn’t even solidify your WR2 spot let alone your flex. It’s going to be a frustrating season. Grade: D
TE - Heath Miller, Anthony Fasano
Wow, these guys suck. A LOT. You shit your 8th pick down your leg by drafting Miller, Fasano is actually rated ahead of him, because he will bring you next to nothing. He could well get a red zone TD here and there but he’s just not a factor in the passing game and I suspect that Mendenhall will be where the bulk of the TDs end up from inside the 5.
So what’s worse that taking a poor TE in the 8th round? Drafting a backup for him later on. And what’s even worse than that? When that backup is rated higher than that reach. And what’s even worse than that? When you drop the better of the two after the draft.
Not your finest moment I’m afraid. Grade: F
K - David Akers, Nick Folk
Yikes, here we go again. Akers isn’t a very good choice at kicker. He doesn’t have a long leg and he kicks in adverse weather. The Eagles will probably be better in the red zone to boot, meaning fewer chip shots. Still, he can be productive. Of course not 10th round productive…
And then you grab a nice little backup for him. How little we learn. Oh, and then you dropped him. Grade: D-
DEF - Pittsburgh, Minnesota
Pittsburgh is a great defense. Not 6th round great, but awfully damned good. But stop me if this sounds familiar, why would you draft a backup defense to one of the best in football? You spend a 6th round pick on a defense so you can plug them in an forget about them, not so you can swap them around with your backup. Hell, I even think the Minny defense is pretty damned good but they don’t have any business on this roster. Grade: C-
Overall: This is one team that really doesn’t value their draft picks. From early reaches for TE, DEF and K to superfluous backups there so much wasted stuff here it’s crazy. There was some real promise in the first 5 picks, but this team is going to need a ton of help to survive the bye weeks and injuries.
Preseason Grade: D
Not at all. Unlike their in-season commisioner roster management tools, the import draft function is set up well. As you type in a last name, it brings up an autocomplete list that you can select from of any that match the name. So I just look down the list and type in cutler [enter] since there’s only one cutler, or johnson and click on Andre Johnson. I think the whole process may have taken a half hour.
I think you may have been gangraped by a group of escaped convicts after the ESPN draft last year, but it’s blacked out of your memory and so you associate all the negativity with the draft, because aside from the scramble to all get into the same room, I don’t remember at all the 4 hours of torture you seem to remember it as.
Anyway, ESPN’s draft software was very good this year - the ability to pause the draft and adjust nomination and bidding times was a nice touch.
I can see that point of view, definitely. But I think now each league has established its own history and is a worthwhile league in its own right even if they aren’t differentiated by draft type. I find the auction format to be so superior that I’d rather do it twice than factor in the variety factor.
You don’t remember it? First, as I recall it we couldn’t pause it, so I was dying for a cigarette. Then there was the timing, which was atrocious. It was something like 30 seconds, so every bid meant another 30 seconds minimum before the player could be won. When we got down to the $1 no-contests, that 30 second wait was pure agony. That stupid circular timer thingy was evil incarnate. It got so bad I believe we instituted a gentlemen’s agreement to stop sniping; either raise immediately or stay out of it.
Then there was the nomination delay, which I think was also 30 seconds, but may have been 45. There were countless times when people didn’t actually nominate anyone, so the whole time would pass before the default player would get put on the block. It didn’t take long for several people to start yelling after about 5 seconds to hurry up and nominate someone.
It was pretty damn bad.
(Looking at last year’s thread, it looks like there was an additional 45 minutes of scramble time before the auction started that no doubt made it seem much longer. But I definitely recall that interminable circular counter thing that was like Chinese water torture.)
Maybe you’re right, I don’t remember it as being that bad. If I recall, I think the starting timer for bidding was 30, but if you bid with under 10 seconds left it just bumped it back to 10 seconds, which is similar to this year.
I do recall people pointlessly waiting till the last second to bid frequently which was toned down this year. I had a few last second bids, but it was a “hmm, is he really worth that much? … ah… yeah fine” type things rather than some sort of tactic.
I’m looking to unload Marion Barber, Ray Rice, or Knowshon Moreno. I think they’re all going to be productive starters and going 5 starters deep at a position where you can start 2 is somewhat wasteful - plus McCoy could be a stud when Westbrook gets snapped in half.
I’m looking to upgrade at QB, WR, TE, and D. If you need RBs, send me a PM with an offer and we can discuss.