Well there you go. I saved the day! Hooray for me!
Yeah, thanks for volunteering to get that all set.
Well, number 2 overall in projections, continuing my streak of awesome drafts this year. (I’m number one in my other leagues). I can only assume that I will crash and burn. The draft was way more intense and fast paced this year. I was all set up with spreadsheets to enter in data and calculate values. I had to drop it halfway through the first round because it was going to fast for me. My only big disappointment was that I grabbed Kaep for $35. It’s a good value, but I was expecting QBs to go for a lot more like they did last year.
I really like my team. I made a few missteps, but in a league this big it’s hard not to.
1. (4) Matt Prater (Den - K) $ 2
2. (18) Maurice Jones-Drew (Jax - RB) $44
3. (49) Cam Newton (Car - QB) $42
4. (51) Randall Cobb (GB - WR) $40
5. (74) Cecil Shorts (Jax - WR) $19
6. (130) Shane Vereen (NE - RB) $16
7. (137) Andre Roberts (Ari - WR) $ 7
8. (149) Denver (Den - DEF) $ 4
9. (160) Pierre Thomas (NO - RB) $ 6
10. (178) Jordan Cameron (Cle - TE) $ 8
11. (204) Michael Floyd (Ari - WR) $ 4
12. (217) Doug Baldwin (Sea - WR) $ 2
13. (228) Zac Stacy (StL - RB) $ 3
14. (235) Percy Harvin (Sea - WR) $ 2
15. (247) Leon Washington (NE - RB) $ 1
In this league, I typically just draft for value. I’ve tried to go with grabbing two or three elite starters and filling out the rest with $3-7 players, but that hasn’t worked out all that well before. So I ended up with:
QB: Cam Newton wasn’t really on my radar, but I felt he was about $10 under value, so I had to price enforce a little. I guess I’m glad I got him, but would have been happy with one of the middle tier guys.
RB: MJD was my first big buy, and I think that at $44, he was just fine - plenty of other RBs at higher prices that I like just as much. Shane Vereen was a later pick after there was pretty slim pickings left - but I like his options in a .5PPR league and NE’s impending focus on the run. Thomas and Stacy are decent lottery picks for 5-8 touches a game for filling in, which has a lot of value in a 20-team league. Washington was a gamble, hoping he finds a job. He’s done really well for me in this league before.
WR: Cobb, should he maintain his return duties, should be a stud that I got for $15 less than the other WRs he’ll finish the season near. Cecil has huge long ball potential, and I was really happy to get the Floyd/Roberts tandem in Arizona - one of them is going to break out huge this season. Baldwin is an Andy Reid pick. Let’s just ignore the Harvin pick, now shall we?
TE: Cameron is superhyped up this preseason, and I’m surprised I got him for just $8. I’ll take that.
K: Got one!
DEF: Got one of those as well.
X-Factor: I have 6 starters with bye week 9, and that was on purpose. Rosters are too small to go for flexibility - I like to just punt one major week. You’re welcome, SenorBeef.
I had fun, my first ever auction draft. My only real concern is that I think I spent too much on my 2nd RB (DeMarco Murray) and as a consequence ended up with… um… Christian Ponder as my QB? 
Other than that (and that’s a BIG other) think my lineup is fair-to-middling. I might get lucky and do well, but we’ll just have to see.
Can we go in and pick up free agents now?
Players are currently on waivers - you’re free to put in a bid if you like. They should come off tomorrow. Maybe Friday?
Luck for play a significant role. Obviously, with the shallow rosters injuries play a big part in determining who does have a good year.
I’ll try to post my self-review before the Super League draft tonight.
Self review:
Deals: Alfred Morris $52, Darren McFadden $28, Chris Ivory $15
All of my starting RBs I paid near the projected values, which is a huge discount in this league. Morris at $52 I’m particularly happy with.
Probably paid going values for, or a little over: Tony Gonzales $20 Andrew Luck $26 Mike Wallace $24
I’d rather have Stafford at $27, I bid Tony to $20 expecting to get outbid, and Wallace was a desperation buy as I had no wide receivers at that point
Team Composition: I’m really strong at RB, I have a decent QB with a (terrible) backup, a good TE, only 2 WRs worth starting, and basically no one on my bench
Nobody has anybody on their bench. I have Danny Woodhead as my #4 RB and he’s probably the best backup anyone has.
It’s interesting how valuable every dollar ends up being. At first it seems like “who cares if I spend $55 on my first running back instead of $47, not that big a deal”, but then you realize later on that the extra 8 dollars later could be tiers of difference in the middle and later part of the draft.
There were a few good values to be had late, but overall I felt like this league was very competitive and competent - there were very few “wtf” picks, either people paying too much for someone, or paying too little. In the auction league because of the way it flowed out, there were a lot of “how the fuck did ___ go for ___” late in the draft, but not so much in this draft.
First trade. Curry Porkrinds gives Quinton Patton and Carson Palmer, Red Hochuli Peppers gives Sidney Rice.
I’m still looking to trade a starting RB and TE for a WR and scrub RB.
QB: Drew Brees $56, Blaine Gabbert $2
I have never had a good year in this league with a medium to low level QB. This season I decided to go back to a starting QB who has big point potential. There is something nice about having a set it and forget it QB.
Gabbert is a starter and I got him for $2. Not sure what else to say there.
RB1s: Ahmad Bradshaw $21, DeAngelo Williams $19, Ronnie Hillman $3, Mikel Leshoure $2
Well, nothing special here really. Bradshaw should have a decent season and hopefully that will help provide some consistency in a position that is severely lacking for me. Most people are staying far far away from Williams this season but he will start the season as the only real backfield option for the Panthers. Hillman and LeShoure are just good backups for later that might be surprises.
WR: Vincent Jackson $41, Miles Austin $13, Justin Blackmon $14, Santana Moss $4
Right after the draft, I was not happy at all about my WR situation. After a few days of thinking, however, I have come around. Jackson for $41 was a pretty big risk and I may been better off going for a big name RB. However, if Freeman can get out of his funk, Jackson will be a great number 1 for me. Austin at $13 is a steal if he can stay healthy. Romo has a way of spreading the ball around that should see Austin getting some nice opportunities. My other instant regret that has turned around was Justin Blackmon for $14. He will be out for 4 weeks on suspension but even when he is back, he still likes to drop passes. In this league, beggars cannot be choosers so I definitely needed another solid WR and Blackmon has a lot of upside to fill that 3rd WR slot. If Moss remembers that he used to be pretty damn good then I will be more than happy to have picked him up for $4. As it stands now, he will be one of my weekly WRs until Blackmon returns.
TE: Vernon Davis $17, Tyler Eifert $2
I love that I was able to get Davis for $17. He is a consistent player who gets a lot of looks and makes some big plays.
K: Josh Brown $2
He has impressed me in the preseason and the Giants like to kick. Definitely worth the $2 in this league where every point is a big deal.
DEF: Dallas $3
I am gambling on their ability to adjust their talent to a new scheme.
Overall:
There is a lot of room on my team for improvement and there are a few key areas where everything may go horribly wrong. I don’t need my WR/RB to be superstars but if they are all at least consistent, then I should be able to field a competitive team most weeks.
Second trade of the season! I give Darryl Richardson + Jon Baldwin. enalzi/Rough and Tumblrs gives DeSean Jackson and Bilal Powell. My WRs are kind of terrible. My RBs are kind of awesome with or without Richardson, and Baldwin hasn’t learned the 49ers’ offense and will be inactive week 1. Powell is basically just another warm body who might wind up starting. Over the course of the season Yahoo! projects that I will gain 7 points from the trade and enalzi will gain 12.
Great trade on both sides, from what I can tell. Well done.
I put Newton and Cobb on the block, but I don’t have anything in particular I want in return - obviously another QB if you’re looking at Cam.
A rare trade from me. I don’t think I made a single trade last year. (probably because I got burned the year before by trading away Gronk just before he took off).
I think this Julius Thomas thing is going to work out.
Well, I trade away a wide receiver and move Jacoby Jones up, and he immediately gets injured.
This is why I don’t make trades.
Eh. You’re still much better at the RB position than you were. I don’t think it’s too early to say I won’t be finishing last in this league again, even though I’m still not very good at auction drafts.
I am officially in love with the Chiefs D. 32 huge points to make up for the complete lack of competence by my RBs. Too bad that don’t play the Jaguars every week.