Last week, we did all right with our Three Ways: Henne didn't have a big fantasy day but he didn't hurt you, same with Bradshaw, Mike Williams scored and was better than a lot of other guys out there. Philip had the right situation but the wrong guy with Norwood, completely whiffed on Trent Edwards, then was spot on about Santana Moss. Our sleepers continue to be a 50/50 proposition: Campbell and Harrison didn't happen, but Aaron Hernandez and Manningham sure did.
We will each give out our picks of a top QB, RB & WR that we see doing well that weekend (starter quality = top 10 in fantasy points at their respective positions that week). These aren't the obvious picks of Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson and Andre Johnson, but more of the guys you have to dig deeper to find.
Here are our Three Ways for Week 3:
Heath:
QB- David Garrard
RB- Jonathan Stewart
WR- Demaryius Thomas
Philip:
QB- Chad Henne
RB- Laurence Maroney
WR- Greg Camarillo
More Sleepers: Marcedes Lewis, Jordan Shipley, Lance Moore, Justin Forsett, Bruce Gradkowski, Tony Moeaki
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Week 3 NFL Picks
Each week, Philip and I are picking all the NFL games as part of the Buffalo Wild Wings All Stars League. These are straight up picks, no point spreads involved. Here are our picks for Week 3 with the tiebreaker being the total score home-away for the MNF game:
TEN, KC, DAL, CAR, BAL, NO, PIT, MIN, NE, WAS, JAX, SD, OAK, IND, MIA
GB 31 CHI 16 - 47 Total Points
Away 31 - Home 16
Our record this season: 21-11
Week 2: 11-5
Week 1: 10-6
TEN, KC, DAL, CAR, BAL, NO, PIT, MIN, NE, WAS, JAX, SD, OAK, IND, MIA
GB 31 CHI 16 - 47 Total Points
Away 31 - Home 16
Our record this season: 21-11
Week 2: 11-5
Week 1: 10-6
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Week 2 Waiver Wire
If you're having a hard time scoring points, here are some guys we like who may be available in your league this week...
Quarterbacks
Kyle Orton DEN - You could do worse than 300 yds and 2 TDs
Josh Freeman TB - He's making good decisions and has developing chemistry with his rookie WR Mike Williams
Bruce Gradkowski OAK - If he starts, there's a good matchup with the Cardinals this week
Jimmy Clausen CAR - He looked good moving the offense late in the game on Sunday. Now, he's been named the starter
Running Backs
Jason Snelling ATL - He's a strong backup who blew up on Sunday after Michael Turner left with an injury. Check the status of Turner before you get your hopes up too high for immediate help.
Mike Tolbert SD - Again, he came in after Ryan Mathews went out with an injury. He looks to be the short yardage back, though, before the injury. He's worth a look in deeper leagues.
Marshawn Lynch BUF - Either his role with Buffalo is expanding under the new coaching regime OR his performance on Sunday was an audition for another team to trade for him (Green Bay??)
Heath Evans NO - Reggie Bush is out 6 weeks and all of the other RB options seem to be hurt. Do they turn to the versatile FB with the awesome first name? Sean Payton called for that onside kick in the Super Bowl...anything is possible.
Wide Receivers
Mike Williams TB - 2 TDs in two weeks - he's no ordinary rookie.
Louis Murphy OAK - He's the most consistent WR on the roster. He's a good pickup if you feel that the QBs can get him the ball consistently too.
Demaryius Thomas DEN - He looked very polished in his debut on Sunday. Orton seemed to favor him, too.
Kevin Walter HOU - He may have been drafted in your league or overlooked due to the Jacoby Jones hype. If Schaub is going to throw for 400 yards, then there are enough fantasy points there to spread around.
Golden Tate SEA - He's an electric talent, and with the dearth at WR in Seattle, expect him to move up the depth chart as the season goes on.
Jordan Shipley CIN - He catches everything they throw at him AND he gets open consistently with so much attention paid to the TOcho Show.
Danny Amendola STL - We're talking a slot receiver that a rookie QB can count on. PPR league players take notice.
Greg Camarillo MIN - This is more of a hope on my part. SOMEONE has to develop and catch footballs from Brett Favre. If Favre can make Chansi Stuckey fantasy relevant, then Camarillo has a shot too.
Tight Ends
Martellus Bennett DAL - If Jason Witten is out with a concussion, here's the crazy man ready to hop into your lineup.
Marcedes Lewis JAX - He's proving to be a more reliable fantasy play than MJD in this young season.
Aaron Hernandez NE - Tom Brady trusts him, we liked him in the preseason, he can help your fantasy team if you're saddled with a guy like Owen Daniels or Heath Miller right now.
Tony Moeaki KC - He leads his team in targets...and he's from Tonga...'nuff said.
Brandon Pettigrew DET - Dude can block and he can catch the ball. Last season, he was putting up healthy Owen Daniels numbers before he got hurt. He's definitely worth a look.
Defense/Special Teams
Tennessee Titans
Miami Dolphins
Cincinnati Bengals
San Diego Chargers
Quarterbacks
Kyle Orton DEN - You could do worse than 300 yds and 2 TDs
Josh Freeman TB - He's making good decisions and has developing chemistry with his rookie WR Mike Williams
Bruce Gradkowski OAK - If he starts, there's a good matchup with the Cardinals this week
Jimmy Clausen CAR - He looked good moving the offense late in the game on Sunday. Now, he's been named the starter
Running Backs
Jason Snelling ATL - He's a strong backup who blew up on Sunday after Michael Turner left with an injury. Check the status of Turner before you get your hopes up too high for immediate help.
Mike Tolbert SD - Again, he came in after Ryan Mathews went out with an injury. He looks to be the short yardage back, though, before the injury. He's worth a look in deeper leagues.
Marshawn Lynch BUF - Either his role with Buffalo is expanding under the new coaching regime OR his performance on Sunday was an audition for another team to trade for him (Green Bay??)
Heath Evans NO - Reggie Bush is out 6 weeks and all of the other RB options seem to be hurt. Do they turn to the versatile FB with the awesome first name? Sean Payton called for that onside kick in the Super Bowl...anything is possible.
Wide Receivers
Mike Williams TB - 2 TDs in two weeks - he's no ordinary rookie.
Louis Murphy OAK - He's the most consistent WR on the roster. He's a good pickup if you feel that the QBs can get him the ball consistently too.
Demaryius Thomas DEN - He looked very polished in his debut on Sunday. Orton seemed to favor him, too.
Kevin Walter HOU - He may have been drafted in your league or overlooked due to the Jacoby Jones hype. If Schaub is going to throw for 400 yards, then there are enough fantasy points there to spread around.
Golden Tate SEA - He's an electric talent, and with the dearth at WR in Seattle, expect him to move up the depth chart as the season goes on.
Jordan Shipley CIN - He catches everything they throw at him AND he gets open consistently with so much attention paid to the TOcho Show.
Danny Amendola STL - We're talking a slot receiver that a rookie QB can count on. PPR league players take notice.
Greg Camarillo MIN - This is more of a hope on my part. SOMEONE has to develop and catch footballs from Brett Favre. If Favre can make Chansi Stuckey fantasy relevant, then Camarillo has a shot too.
Tight Ends
Martellus Bennett DAL - If Jason Witten is out with a concussion, here's the crazy man ready to hop into your lineup.
Marcedes Lewis JAX - He's proving to be a more reliable fantasy play than MJD in this young season.
Aaron Hernandez NE - Tom Brady trusts him, we liked him in the preseason, he can help your fantasy team if you're saddled with a guy like Owen Daniels or Heath Miller right now.
Tony Moeaki KC - He leads his team in targets...and he's from Tonga...'nuff said.
Brandon Pettigrew DET - Dude can block and he can catch the ball. Last season, he was putting up healthy Owen Daniels numbers before he got hurt. He's definitely worth a look.
Defense/Special Teams
Tennessee Titans
Miami Dolphins
Cincinnati Bengals
San Diego Chargers
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Week 2 - Three Way
Last week, Matt Stafford was on his way to a fine fantasy day before his injury, Hightower had a good day (although he fumbled twice), but the sleepers woke up! Hello Arian Foster and Derek Anderson was better than Schaub & Brees. Philip had Mike Thomas - he was all over it! Crabtree was the worst call of the day, as were any and all 49ers.
We will each give out our picks of a top QB, RB & WR that we see doing well that weekend (starter quality = top 10 in fantasy points at their respective positions that week). These aren't the obvious picks of Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson and Andre Johnson, but more of the guys you have to dig deeper to find.
Here are our Three Ways for Week 2:
Heath: I like these guys to score TDs today...
QB- Chad Henne - if they have a shot, it will be through the air - beware of Wildcat, though!
RB- Ahmad Bradshaw - until they clean up the defense, start all RBs v. Indy
WR- Mike Williams TB - Freeman takes advantage of the poor secondary ala Eli to Nicks
Philip:
QB- Trent Edwards (garbage time TDs save the day)
RB- Jerious Norwood
WR- Santana Moss
We both like Henne and Moss today, btw.
More Sleepers: Jason Campbell, Jerome Harrison, Mario Manningham, TE Aaron Hernandez
Did you know that Tom Brady is 13-3 all time vs. the NY Jets?
We will each give out our picks of a top QB, RB & WR that we see doing well that weekend (starter quality = top 10 in fantasy points at their respective positions that week). These aren't the obvious picks of Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson and Andre Johnson, but more of the guys you have to dig deeper to find.
Here are our Three Ways for Week 2:
Heath: I like these guys to score TDs today...
QB- Chad Henne - if they have a shot, it will be through the air - beware of Wildcat, though!
RB- Ahmad Bradshaw - until they clean up the defense, start all RBs v. Indy
WR- Mike Williams TB - Freeman takes advantage of the poor secondary ala Eli to Nicks
Philip:
QB- Trent Edwards (garbage time TDs save the day)
RB- Jerious Norwood
WR- Santana Moss
We both like Henne and Moss today, btw.
More Sleepers: Jason Campbell, Jerome Harrison, Mario Manningham, TE Aaron Hernandez
Did you know that Tom Brady is 13-3 all time vs. the NY Jets?
Friday, September 17, 2010
Week 2 NFL Picks
Each week, Philip and I are picking all the NFL games as part of the Buffalo Wild Wings All Stars League. These are straight up picks, no point spreads involved. Here are our picks for Week 2 with the tiebreaker being the total score home-away for the MNF game:
ATL, CAR, KC, PHI, TEN, MIA, CIN, DAL, GB, STL, DEN, SD, NE, HOU, IND
SF 13 N0 27 - 40 total pts
HOME - 13 AWAY - 27
Our record so far: 10-6 (yes, we picked Lions and we're still hot about it)
ATL, CAR, KC, PHI, TEN, MIA, CIN, DAL, GB, STL, DEN, SD, NE, HOU, IND
SF 13 N0 27 - 40 total pts
HOME - 13 AWAY - 27
Our record so far: 10-6 (yes, we picked Lions and we're still hot about it)
Passing Notes: NFL Preview with 32 Teams
Passing Notes: NFL Preview with 32 Teams: "Today on the broadcast we talk with Heath Kelts of the fantasy football call-in show (and blog) 32 Teams. Kelts and co-host Philip Galins..."
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
32 Teams 9/14/10 - NFL Week 1
Philip and Heath cover all 32 Teams for Week 1 and preview Week 2 Waiver Wire plays & Sleepers....
Friday, September 10, 2010
Week 1 - Three Way
Each week, Philip and Heath will have a three-way and let you in on the action! No, it's not what you're thinking. We're talking fantasy football, not fantasy island!?! We will each give out our picks of a top QB, RB & WR that we see doing well that weekend (top 10 in fantasy points at their respective positions that week). These aren't the obvious picks of Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson and Andre Johnson, but more of the guys you have to dig deeper to find.
Here are our Three Ways for Week 1:
Heath:
QB- Matthew Stafford
RB- Tim Hightower
WR- Jabar Gaffney
Philip:
QB- Vince Young
RB- Chester Taylor
WR- Mike Thomas
More Sleepers: Derek Anderson (yeah, you read that right), Arian Foster, & Michael Crabtree
Here are our Three Ways for Week 1:
Heath:
QB- Matthew Stafford
RB- Tim Hightower
WR- Jabar Gaffney
Philip:
QB- Vince Young
RB- Chester Taylor
WR- Mike Thomas
More Sleepers: Derek Anderson (yeah, you read that right), Arian Foster, & Michael Crabtree
Week 1 NFL Picks
Each week, Philip and I are picking all the NFL games as part of the Buffalo Wild Wings All Stars League. These are straight up picks, no point spreads involved. Here are our picks for Week 1 with the tiebreaker being the aggregate total score home-away for both MNF games:
NO, NE, TEN, DEN, CLE, DET, NYG, ATL, MIA, HOU, GB, ARZ, SF, WAS, BAL, SD
BAL 17 NYJ 16 - 28 total pts
SD 27 KC 16 - 43 total pts
HOME - 32 AWAY - 44
NO, NE, TEN, DEN, CLE, DET, NYG, ATL, MIA, HOU, GB, ARZ, SF, WAS, BAL, SD
BAL 17 NYJ 16 - 28 total pts
SD 27 KC 16 - 43 total pts
HOME - 32 AWAY - 44
First Time FF Player advice & Draft Recap
My wife and a bunch of ladies are getting together tonight to start an all ladies, first timer Fantasy League. They are a little late to the game, as the season started last night. They will start their season in Week 2 - good for them! They asked me for advice. Here's what I told them:
1. You should draft the "core" of your team in the first 6 rounds of your draft (2RBs, 2WRs, 1QB, 1TE), not necessarily in that order.
2. The next rounds (7-9 or so) are for the best players available who you have targeted but didn't draft yet and also addressing bye week issues from your first six picks (usually RBs & WRs since you should have at least two of each by now).
3. The following rounds (10-15) are for depth on your roster by drafting your backup QB, TE, and drafting your starting Defense/Special Teams unit (DST), and RBs & WRs that you are "swinging for the fences" by drafting (aka finding a guy who scores a lot of TDs or is targeted enough to produce a ton of yardage each week who isn't predicted to do so).
4. The last two rounds (16-17) should go one of two ways: Kicker in the 16th, then a DST or sleeper pick in the 17th - or the reverse of that.
5. DO NOT draft your kicker before these rounds and DO NOT draft two kickers - it's a waste of a draft spot that you could use on a position player that really makes a difference. By "sleeper", we mean a player that you like to do well this year that most people don't really know about - a player that comes out of nowhere to have a breakout season due to injury to guys ahead of him, trade to a new team, &/or change in offensive system or scheme.
6. At the end of your draft, you should have 2QBs, at least 5RBs, at least 5WRs, 1TE, 1K, 1DST - that's 15 out of 17, if you're counting. You can use those other 2 spots any way you like: another RB, WR, backup your TE or add a backup DST. If you draft a backup at any position, you should double check that they don't have the same bye week (ie - drafting Tony Romo and Brett Favre is a bad idea - they are both off Week 4).
7. My last piece of advice: don't drink before round 9 during your draft. You'll like your team better the next day.
************************************************************************************
Looking at my own drafts this season, maybe I need to follow the blueprint a little more. However, I think that's part of the fun - deviating on the fly based on what's happening in your draft and who's still on the board. I targeted SF 49ers defense in all my drafts, but made the decision not to based on the QB run in one of the leagues. RB was the really tough position to get right this year. We'll see how "right" we all are in a few weeks, though, right??
Draft #1: Buffalo Wild Wings All Stars League - our team, the Maury Conklin Group, that Phil and I drafted in the 8 slot of a 12 team PPR league of bloggers and fantasy experts (by round):
1. WR Randy Moss
2. WR Austin Miles
3. RB Ryan Grant
4. TE Antonio Gates
5. RB Ronnie Brown
6. RB Ahmad Bradshaw
7. QB Eli Manning
8. WR Derrick Mason
9. Jets DST
10. QB Ben Roethlisberger
11. 49ers DEST
12. WR Jerricho Cotchery
13. RB Kareem Huggins
14. WR Lance Moore
15. WR Dexter McCluster
16. RB Rashad Jennings
17. K Matt Prater
There's a previous blog post analyzing this draft more in depth. We're weak at QB but feel good about our other positions, overall. Our depth is developmental and provides for some movement when we need to make some Free Agent moves. We're waiting on Huggy to emerge and take us to the promise land later this season. Jennings and McCluster are our sleepers too.
Draft #2: The Whiplash Fantasy Football League, a ten team dynasty league, we keep 6 at any position each year - this means our first round is really the 7th in other drafts. My team, the Opa Locka Bowlsnappers, is the only three-peat champion in the league's nearly 25 year history. I drafted in the 8th slot due to my 3rd place finish last season. The draft order goes 1-10 each round - no serpentine.
Keepers:
QB Drew Brees
RB Ray Rice
RB Chris "Beanie" Wells
WR Marques Colston
WR Steve Smith (NYG)
WR Mike Wallace
1. RB Justin Forsett
2. RB Ricky Williams
3. WR Santana Moss
4. TE Zach Miller
5. 49ers DST
6. RB LaDainian Tomlinson
7. RB Kareem Huggins
8. QB Ben Roethlisberger
9. WR James Jones
10. RB Willis McGahee
11. WR Danny Amendola
12. Chargers DST
13. K Stephen Gostkowski
14. WR Lance Moore
I don't feel so good about this draft, overall. I'm VERY weak at RB (we start 3 each week) and I kept the wrong player (WR Mike Wallace) thinking that RB Ahmad Bradshaw would fall to me at #8. He was gone at #5 - Wallace would've fallen to 8. I spent a good portion of the rest of the draft trying to fix this issue.
I feel good about where I got Zach Miller, but I overpaid for the 49ers and Huggins. I like the handcuff of McGahee to Rice - RayRay's my franchise, after all. There will be better options out there in Free Agency than Danny Amendola, so I moved him this week to pick up RB Peyton Hillis. I think he scores a TD or two Week 1 in Tampa Bay.
Draft #3: The Foodstamp League, a 12 team redraft PPR league. My team BigBen'sBathroomPass drafted in the 8th slot. That must be my number this year - I better not finish that way, given the value I was able to find in this draft:
1. RB Maurice Jones-Drew
2. WR Miles Austin
3. QB Tony Romo
4. RB Jahvid Best
5. WR Hakeem Nicks
6. WR Dwayne Bowe
7. WR Santana Moss
8. RB Ahmad Bradshaw
9. RB Jerome Harrison
10. TE Heath Miller
11. WR Dexter McCluster
12. WR Jabar Gaffney
13. RB Leon Washington
14. Chargers DST
15. RB Peyton Hillis
16. K Nick Folk
The biggest surprise I had here was enjoying MJD falling to me in the 8th slot. Here I got one of the big stud RBs normally not around past the 4th pick at a late 1st round price. I then decided to go big on WRs in this draft - we have to start 3 of them AND a flex RB/WR, so having many strong options each week is key to winning this league. There was a big premium early on the elite QBs, so Romo was good value in the 3rd round. I like where I got Heath Miller as Zach Miller went 2 rounds before. I'll look for a Jermaine Gresham or Tony Moeaki to possibly emerge as a starter on the waiver wire - Heath should be good for the foreseeable future as a good outlet for Dixon in PIT. I LOVE where I got Leon Washington and Peyton Hillis - awesome value, if they do what I think they can this year. The Charger DST has the benefit of the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL. I'll pick up another DST if they falter - some team always emerges that no one thinks will do well. I already moved Nick Folk in favor of Adam Vinatieri, who may have more opportunities vs. Houston in Week 1.
Draft #4: The Six Boroughs League, a ten-team PPR keeper league. We keep 3 at any position. This is the inaugural season. Philip and I are both in this league. My team, the Randolph Ruinators, drafted in the 10th slot of our serpentine draft.
1. WR Randy Moss
2. WR Miles Austin
3. RB Jahvid Best
4. QB Peyton Manning
5. RB Matt Forte
6. RB Ronnie Brown
7. TE Zach Miller
8. WR Santana Moss
9. Jets DST
10. 49ers DST
11. RB Leon Washington
12. WR Louis Murphy
13. RB Kareem Huggins
14. RB Peyton Hillis
15. QB Eli Manning
16. TE Todd Heap
17. WR Laurent Robinson
18. WR Lance Moore
19. K Neil Rackers
Ah, the joys of the "sandwich pick" 10th slot. It's really enjoyable to draft in the 1st or 10th slots because you can target 3 or 4 players, then get two at a time. My strategy here was to get keeper quality players in the first 6 rounds, get an elite QB, wait on TE till after the 6th round, grab the best DSTs as a pairing, and then get my sleepers as a pairing. I was able to accomplish ALL that, and then I had what was my favorite value sandwich pick pairing: Eli Manning and Todd Heap in the 14/15th rounds. To have both Mannings appeals to the Saints fan in me, and Todd Heap was so good during the fantasy playoffs last year, it gives me faith that he can fight off the two rookie TEs and beat single coverage more often this year with all the new weapons in the BAL offense. This was, I feel, my most balanced team that I was able to draft this year.
So, what do we learn from all this? Well, there are many ways to skin a cat, and if you know the rules of your league and the players, you've got to be flexible with your draft strategy if circumstances dictate it.
1. You should draft the "core" of your team in the first 6 rounds of your draft (2RBs, 2WRs, 1QB, 1TE), not necessarily in that order.
2. The next rounds (7-9 or so) are for the best players available who you have targeted but didn't draft yet and also addressing bye week issues from your first six picks (usually RBs & WRs since you should have at least two of each by now).
3. The following rounds (10-15) are for depth on your roster by drafting your backup QB, TE, and drafting your starting Defense/Special Teams unit (DST), and RBs & WRs that you are "swinging for the fences" by drafting (aka finding a guy who scores a lot of TDs or is targeted enough to produce a ton of yardage each week who isn't predicted to do so).
4. The last two rounds (16-17) should go one of two ways: Kicker in the 16th, then a DST or sleeper pick in the 17th - or the reverse of that.
5. DO NOT draft your kicker before these rounds and DO NOT draft two kickers - it's a waste of a draft spot that you could use on a position player that really makes a difference. By "sleeper", we mean a player that you like to do well this year that most people don't really know about - a player that comes out of nowhere to have a breakout season due to injury to guys ahead of him, trade to a new team, &/or change in offensive system or scheme.
6. At the end of your draft, you should have 2QBs, at least 5RBs, at least 5WRs, 1TE, 1K, 1DST - that's 15 out of 17, if you're counting. You can use those other 2 spots any way you like: another RB, WR, backup your TE or add a backup DST. If you draft a backup at any position, you should double check that they don't have the same bye week (ie - drafting Tony Romo and Brett Favre is a bad idea - they are both off Week 4).
7. My last piece of advice: don't drink before round 9 during your draft. You'll like your team better the next day.
************************************************************************************
Looking at my own drafts this season, maybe I need to follow the blueprint a little more. However, I think that's part of the fun - deviating on the fly based on what's happening in your draft and who's still on the board. I targeted SF 49ers defense in all my drafts, but made the decision not to based on the QB run in one of the leagues. RB was the really tough position to get right this year. We'll see how "right" we all are in a few weeks, though, right??
Draft #1: Buffalo Wild Wings All Stars League - our team, the Maury Conklin Group, that Phil and I drafted in the 8 slot of a 12 team PPR league of bloggers and fantasy experts (by round):
1. WR Randy Moss
2. WR Austin Miles
3. RB Ryan Grant
4. TE Antonio Gates
5. RB Ronnie Brown
6. RB Ahmad Bradshaw
7. QB Eli Manning
8. WR Derrick Mason
9. Jets DST
10. QB Ben Roethlisberger
11. 49ers DEST
12. WR Jerricho Cotchery
13. RB Kareem Huggins
14. WR Lance Moore
15. WR Dexter McCluster
16. RB Rashad Jennings
17. K Matt Prater
There's a previous blog post analyzing this draft more in depth. We're weak at QB but feel good about our other positions, overall. Our depth is developmental and provides for some movement when we need to make some Free Agent moves. We're waiting on Huggy to emerge and take us to the promise land later this season. Jennings and McCluster are our sleepers too.
Draft #2: The Whiplash Fantasy Football League, a ten team dynasty league, we keep 6 at any position each year - this means our first round is really the 7th in other drafts. My team, the Opa Locka Bowlsnappers, is the only three-peat champion in the league's nearly 25 year history. I drafted in the 8th slot due to my 3rd place finish last season. The draft order goes 1-10 each round - no serpentine.
Keepers:
QB Drew Brees
RB Ray Rice
RB Chris "Beanie" Wells
WR Marques Colston
WR Steve Smith (NYG)
WR Mike Wallace
1. RB Justin Forsett
2. RB Ricky Williams
3. WR Santana Moss
4. TE Zach Miller
5. 49ers DST
6. RB LaDainian Tomlinson
7. RB Kareem Huggins
8. QB Ben Roethlisberger
9. WR James Jones
10. RB Willis McGahee
11. WR Danny Amendola
12. Chargers DST
13. K Stephen Gostkowski
14. WR Lance Moore
I don't feel so good about this draft, overall. I'm VERY weak at RB (we start 3 each week) and I kept the wrong player (WR Mike Wallace) thinking that RB Ahmad Bradshaw would fall to me at #8. He was gone at #5 - Wallace would've fallen to 8. I spent a good portion of the rest of the draft trying to fix this issue.
I feel good about where I got Zach Miller, but I overpaid for the 49ers and Huggins. I like the handcuff of McGahee to Rice - RayRay's my franchise, after all. There will be better options out there in Free Agency than Danny Amendola, so I moved him this week to pick up RB Peyton Hillis. I think he scores a TD or two Week 1 in Tampa Bay.
Draft #3: The Foodstamp League, a 12 team redraft PPR league. My team BigBen'sBathroomPass drafted in the 8th slot. That must be my number this year - I better not finish that way, given the value I was able to find in this draft:
1. RB Maurice Jones-Drew
2. WR Miles Austin
3. QB Tony Romo
4. RB Jahvid Best
5. WR Hakeem Nicks
6. WR Dwayne Bowe
7. WR Santana Moss
8. RB Ahmad Bradshaw
9. RB Jerome Harrison
10. TE Heath Miller
11. WR Dexter McCluster
12. WR Jabar Gaffney
13. RB Leon Washington
14. Chargers DST
15. RB Peyton Hillis
16. K Nick Folk
The biggest surprise I had here was enjoying MJD falling to me in the 8th slot. Here I got one of the big stud RBs normally not around past the 4th pick at a late 1st round price. I then decided to go big on WRs in this draft - we have to start 3 of them AND a flex RB/WR, so having many strong options each week is key to winning this league. There was a big premium early on the elite QBs, so Romo was good value in the 3rd round. I like where I got Heath Miller as Zach Miller went 2 rounds before. I'll look for a Jermaine Gresham or Tony Moeaki to possibly emerge as a starter on the waiver wire - Heath should be good for the foreseeable future as a good outlet for Dixon in PIT. I LOVE where I got Leon Washington and Peyton Hillis - awesome value, if they do what I think they can this year. The Charger DST has the benefit of the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL. I'll pick up another DST if they falter - some team always emerges that no one thinks will do well. I already moved Nick Folk in favor of Adam Vinatieri, who may have more opportunities vs. Houston in Week 1.
Draft #4: The Six Boroughs League, a ten-team PPR keeper league. We keep 3 at any position. This is the inaugural season. Philip and I are both in this league. My team, the Randolph Ruinators, drafted in the 10th slot of our serpentine draft.
1. WR Randy Moss
2. WR Miles Austin
3. RB Jahvid Best
4. QB Peyton Manning
5. RB Matt Forte
6. RB Ronnie Brown
7. TE Zach Miller
8. WR Santana Moss
9. Jets DST
10. 49ers DST
11. RB Leon Washington
12. WR Louis Murphy
13. RB Kareem Huggins
14. RB Peyton Hillis
15. QB Eli Manning
16. TE Todd Heap
17. WR Laurent Robinson
18. WR Lance Moore
19. K Neil Rackers
Ah, the joys of the "sandwich pick" 10th slot. It's really enjoyable to draft in the 1st or 10th slots because you can target 3 or 4 players, then get two at a time. My strategy here was to get keeper quality players in the first 6 rounds, get an elite QB, wait on TE till after the 6th round, grab the best DSTs as a pairing, and then get my sleepers as a pairing. I was able to accomplish ALL that, and then I had what was my favorite value sandwich pick pairing: Eli Manning and Todd Heap in the 14/15th rounds. To have both Mannings appeals to the Saints fan in me, and Todd Heap was so good during the fantasy playoffs last year, it gives me faith that he can fight off the two rookie TEs and beat single coverage more often this year with all the new weapons in the BAL offense. This was, I feel, my most balanced team that I was able to draft this year.
So, what do we learn from all this? Well, there are many ways to skin a cat, and if you know the rules of your league and the players, you've got to be flexible with your draft strategy if circumstances dictate it.
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