Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
We have 16 teams so one of the things I like to do is break it down into little runs of 4 teams. For example, the top4 teams are going to grab ADP, CJ, Rice, and MJD in some order or another. So it’s fair to compare how they stack up with each other even though you do have to compete against all 15 other teams each week. I’ll start with the team that has the 1st pick-Pictus and move towards the caboose-Duckboy and analyze everything in between.
1st of all I think for the most part many of the teams are solid. But as I dig deeper there are definitely teams that are going to need a lot of things to fall right for them to compete beyond weeks 4 or 5 when the bye weeks start and teams that are built to only win one week are going to have some issues. Let’s jump in here and start dicing these teams up.
Pictus Cat
QB: Eli Manning (5.01) Michael Vick (14.16) Seneca Wallace(20.16)…I like Eli and feel he will have a banner year with the evolution of a strong WR corp and rumors of even more help on the ground coming. Vick could be a real steal too. I don’t discount him getting on the field when the Eagles get inside the red zone. There are stronger QB tandems and PC will need a top10 performance form Eli for this to work, but he doesn’t need to score the most each week, just not the least. I would rate this as middle of the road right now.
RB: ADP (1.01) J.Charles (3.01) Cadillac (7.01) J.Norwood(15.01)…This is explosive. ADP and Charles is just a deadly combo for RB1 and RB2 in a 16 team league. He has a major advantage at RB and I like what he did in the early part of the draft. PC likely wanted a WR/WR combo on the 2/3 turn but as many found out down in the 1-4 slots those WRs simply were gone so PC had to adjust. I do not like his WR1 but I love the combo of Charles and ADP, Caddy and Jerious will have an occasional game or two to toss in but by far the deadliest 1-2 punch at RB, I love it.
WR: St.Smith-NY(2.16) Steve Breaston (6.16) Roy Williams (8.16) Kevin Walter (9.01) Malcolm Floyd (10.16), Malcolm Kelly (13.01) Deon Butler(18.16) Justin Gage(19.01)…Smith is solid but won’t sniff the same numbers he had a year ago…IMHO he’s a sucker pick in the 1st 2 rounds this year despite the 107 receptions form a year ago. Breaston will not post Boldin numbers and might be frightfully short of where people are estimating him. The Roy/Walter combo pick in 8th/9th to me really gave you some backbone to the WR corp and probably saved it from being a real detriment.
Walter/Williams on the 8/9 turn could easily net 100 reception, 1,500 yds and 8-12 Tds between the two of them and I really liked the use of the double down here PC and wanted to post that when you made these picks. Floyd will surprise some folks, I always like him and Kelly is a HR shot if he makes a splash. Not a lot of reliability in this group but it may not be as bad as it looked to begin with. Only had 2 WRs at the end of the 8th round and that is far from what others did. And you got guys late to round out this group.
TE: Owen Daniels(4.16) and Fred Davis(12.16)…This has some big potential if Owens I 100% back and Fred Davis can find some playing time. Cooley could be traded so maybe Davis will look even better in August.
Def/PK: Jets and ???...2 PK I saw that but only 1 defense? Not a fan of that.
Overall: Solid team, gonna get pinched at QB a couple times during the year. Could have been great but I don’t feel you exploited the #1 pick as much as you could have. But many owners would trade for this team I’m guessing. The RB combo really need to pay off for you.
Nugget
QB: Matt Cassell(9.01) Derrick Anderson(12.15)…here is where personal choice and preference starts to take over or dominate one’s thinking. I would not want Cassell by himself which is what you have if Anderson doesn’t see significant playing time. This has the recipe to really blow up in your face. I see a ton of risk here and I don’t see much left to help make this look better. Charlie Whitehurst would have been a nice pick up at some point, and better than Anderson IMHO. This is one of the weakest combos so hopefully you have a decided edge at another position.
RB: Chris Johnson(1.02) Brandon Jacobs(7.02) Darren Sproles(8.15) Derrick Ward (10.15)…Johnson and almost anything is going to be solid if not spectacular. I’m not wild about Jacobs but you got him at a good spot, even better spot on Sproles, even Ward at that point in the 10th offered some value. It’s strong but not as strong as the 1 hole.
WR: St Smith-Car(2.15) TJ Housh (4.15) Percy Harvin(5.02) Derrick Mason(6.15) Patrick Crayton(10.15) Mushin Muhammed(18.15) Brian Robiskie(20.15)…It’s a nice blend of upside with proven guys, not wild about TJ but in this group he’s fine. Harvin should continue to do well, Mason has never had a Boldin across from him, should be open every time. Even Crayton as a WR5 that will probably have 3-4 really nice games and that’s what you want in the WR5 slot.
TE: Vernon Davis (3.02)…I like him but not sold he can repeat his numbers form a year ago. The WRs are going to get more targets and that might impact him some. I would have wanted another TE to combine with Davis. It’s the 16th round as I am typing this and there is no other TE on the roster yet. Nuggett feels comfy with Davis so you gotta respect that as the writer but I would have wanted another TE in the 15-20 range.
Def/PK: 2 and 2, NO and Cle have some return skills that are brought to the table, neither is strong defensively though.
Overall: We’ll see where that QB combo takes you. If Cassell comes alive then you have the potential to go far in this, otherwise I would say middle of the pack but that’s going to be the general rule for a lot of teams…luck is going to be the determining factor as the season unfolds.
BSS
QB: Matt Schaub(3.03) Alex Smith(9.03)…he knows Schaub doesn’t always hold up and while I am not a big Alex Smith fan, BSS used his brain here and knew another QB run was coming and he didn’t want to get stuck holding Sam Bradford. I like the combo and think Smith might throw up a few more games than some would think. Nice job.
RB: Ray Rice(1.03) A.Bradshaw (7.03) Donald Brown (8.14) Mike Bell(16.14) Lynell Hamilton(19..03)…OK wonderboy, you got Rice which is nice, not a huge fan of what you have behind this but maybe you have higher projections than I do. Brown is not a hands guy so he is limited. Bradshaw can’t stay on the field. Everything is riding on Rice and I even would have liked to see you snare McGahee but you opted not to. This position is not as good as it could have been. Wanted to add I wrote most of this before the last 5 rounds…I like the Mike Bell pick, was on my radar but I never pulled the trigger. I like him to crash into the end zone when they get near it.
WR: Greg Jennings(2.14) Hakeem Nicks(5.03) Lee Evans (6.14) Devin Thomas(10.14) Jacoby Jones(11.03) A.Caldwell(18.14) Mark Clayton(20.14)…I like Jennings and Nicks a lot, Evans and Thomas are not terrible behind that. Thomas should see a lot more balls with A.R.E. gone and McNabb under center. Jones is more or less a non factor unless there is an injury. It’s good, not great but very solid.
TE: Kellen Winslow(4.14) Brandon Pettigrew(12.14)…Winslow had a better year last year than many gave him credit for. Pettigrew has some serious injuries he is coming back from, not sure of the upside there.
Def/PK: SD, Wash, Akers and Prater, all make a solid combo for this. Washington might be weak but a better offense should make that defense better too.
Overall: I’m a BSS fan, like most of your drafts, this was another solid effort. Better than most not as good as some.
Depease
QB: Tom Brady(3.04) David Garrard (8.13)…hate DG but in this format he’s fine unless Tim Tebow is drafted. Brady will start most weeks so this is actually solid.
RB: MJD(1.04) Fred Jackson(5.04) M.Lynch(9.04) 10.13 Tashard Choice(10.13) Glen Coffee(19.04)…Getting both Fred and Marshawn was wide IMO…if Lynch gets traded all the better as you’ll pick up another starter perhaps. II thought Lynch went way too late and I wanted to grab him on the turn before but I had to go WR as we will discuss later on. I like it enough for this format, pretty solid.
WR: Marquis Colston(2.13) Wes Welker(4.13) Eddie Royal(6.13) Johnnie Knox(11.04) Golden Tate(13.04) Domenick Hixon(18.13) Brad Smith(20.13)…I have been pretty on board to this point with what most people put together but this is one of the worst WR group assembled. Colston fine but lets go thru the others…Welker is a mystery and if you think you’ll get 8 strong weeks out of him the 2nd half of the season…thanks for playing and good luck. Seriously, that guy has some real injuries that he won’t just bounce right back from. You had to get Edelman if you went Welker and you failed to do that.
Now you have Royal as your WR2/3…did you watch any Denver games last season? What makes you believe he will be worth much? I wasn’t a fan last year and told everyone that would listen that he was gonna be a bust, awful pick to follow up Welker IMHO. Knox I actually like the upside and where you got him but what role he will have is a mystery. And when you are drafting rookie WRs that are probably round 2 or later anywhere in your WR1-5 slots…you are asking for real trouble. So far I would rate this WR group as the worst…and in comparison to those drafting around you I would say it’s even weaker.
TE: Dustin Keller(7.04) Anthony Fasano(14.13)…nice pick for the 7th round. I see him improving on his numbers, top10 is not out of the realm of possibilities. Not much else to go with him so between this and your WRs…Depease there are just too many solid to strong tams to have this much glaring weakness. As old lady Wendy’s says…”Where’s the beef?”
Def/PK: GB, Jac, and Nick Folk??? I’m not sure Folk is kicking for Dallas, not sure where he is at honestly.
Overall: Honestly, I would put you down as a candidate to be gone the 1st 4 weeks of the season but maybe others view it completely different.
Let’s look at the 5-8 holes…
Fiddles
QB: Donovan McNabb(5.05), Vince Young(9.05)…solid. Nothing wrong with this combo, got some value, nicely played.
RB: R.Mendenhall(1.05) C.Portis (6.12) Chester Taylor(8.12) Toby Gerhart (12.12) Dexter McCluster (13.05)…what in the world were you thinking at the 5 spot? I would venture to bet he might have slipped to you in the 2nd. Mendy is not a top5 pick, hasn’t posted anything to warrant this selection but you are a Pitt fan so I’ll leave it at that. The rest is a hot mess at best. Not one of my favorite RB stables.
WR: S.Rice (2.12) MSW(4.12) Mike Wallace (7.05) J.Cribbs(10.12) Mike Thomas(11.05) G.Camaillo 18.12 AWE(19.05)…Took 2 WRs from Pitt, add to Mendy, you got a bye week problem at some point, better hope no one else has the same bye week as Pitt on your roster. I like the top3 here, not much else behind it. Not what I might call a deep stable and you waited till very late to take some of these guys.
TE: T.Gonzo (3.05) Dave Thomas (20.12)…nice snare in the 20th round. Gonzo is solid to lead the way.
Def/ST/PK: Atl and KC, Longwell and Gould…solid. I like KC and ATL more than others this year.
Overall: Not excited about the backs and a very average rest of the roster, not a lot of pop in it. But the goal is not score the least, I doubt you would be out right away. Certainly not a favorite to win it all.
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
QB: Tony Romo (3.06) Matt Hass(10.12)…good starter, bad back up. Should have locked up Whitehurst at some point but I also know you feel Romo won’t have a bad game so I don’t think you’re worried. If Hass is traded this might look better but as of now I think this is good but not great.
RB: L.McCoy (4.11) MB III(5.06) DMac (7.06) Larry Johnson(9.06) LenDale White(16.11)…for someone that didn’t grab a RB till the 4th I think you did pretty well here. If DMac or LJ can get going you might have enough to get by here.
WR: A.Johnson(1.06) DeSean Jackson (2.11) Santana Moss (6.11) Jordy Nelson(12.11) LColes(14.11) DHB(18.11) Damian Williams(19.06)…I’m not crazy about the 2nd round pick but I think this is pretty strong at the top. Moss gets a boost from McNabb so that’s value. Got some depth, could be the strength of this team…but again you waited till late to add a nice 2nd row of guys to go behind what you had.
TE: Greg Olsen (8.11) Todd Heap(11.06)…not a fan of this combo. TE under Martz, huh uh.
Def/PK: Chicago, Seattle and Kris Brown…going with 1 PK I assume, not a bad strategy.
Overall: Pretty good, nice depth, has a chance to go pretty far.
Reaper
QB: Jay Cutler(4.10) Josh Freeman (10.10)…Boom or bust. Gonna have weeks with some big numbers when you pair Cutler and Martz, likely to have some very big holes certain weeks as well. Could cost you in a close race in the middle of bye weeks. I’m high on Cutler but if you take him I think you need something steady to go with him, Not Freeman Year2.
RB: F.Gore(1.07) LT(7.07) Ricky Williams(8.10) Javid Best(9.07) James Davis (17.07)…this group is better than some not as strong as others. I like LT so I think you are fine at the 1-2-3-4 holes…Ricky and Best are nice layers behind what you managed to do in the 7th, 8th, and 9th rounds…you found a sweet spot.
WR: Calvin Johnson(2.10) Pierre Garcon(5.07) Jerrico Cotchery(6.10) Josh Morgan(11.07) Tedd Ginn Jr(12.10) M.Jenkins(18.10) Brandon Tate(19.07) Bryant Johnson(20.10)…what I love about this is you found a steal in the 2nd, picked up two more in the 5th and 6th(not wild about them though) comes back again in the 11th and 12th, closes the last 3 rounds trying to find some guys to hit on a few weeks. I’m not sure I love all the WRs but I like the way you put them together. Good solid job of drafting here.
TE: Jermichael Finley(3.07) Zach Miller-JAX(13.07)…2 PPR so had to take someone decent. I like Finley a lot.
Def/PK: Looks like you just took New England…I would not have gone with just 1 defense, that will leave a mark some weeks. But you managed 2 PKs…this format they only get 3 and 1 no matter the distance, I would have gone with 2 defenses.
Overall: Solid job of drafting. Can’t see how you don’t survive till the bye weeks start to take their toll. I wouldn’t be surprised a bit if you were perhaps one of the remaining 4-6 at the end if things fall right here. Nice job Reaper.
Valence
QB: Phillip Rivers(2.09) Matt Moore(10.09…I think when you take Rivers in the 2nd, someone like Whitehurst in the 14th would have been a better selection. I’m not real high on Matt Moore and other than taking up roster space I see little upside there. Like Rivers a lot though so overall you’re fine here. One of these years Rivers might be the #1 QB in FF. He has the tools.
RB: S.Jax(1.08) Cedric Benson(3.08) Tim Hightower(8.09) LaGarret Blount(17.08)…I’m sure your happy with this . It’s not bad but Benson is not a dual threat. Hightower will get more work than some think. I think another RB somewhere along the way would help. Put another way, you can’t afford much injury or games missed with this group.
WR: Michael Crabtree(4.09) Donald Driver(5.08) Julian Eddleman(7.08) Early Doucet (9.08) James Jones(11.08) Kevin Ogletree(18.09) Jarret Dillard(19.08) Limas Sweed(20.09)...I like the upside of Crabtree mixed with the veteran guy like Driver for a nice 1-2 punch at WR. You kept drafting at the position and like Reaper went WR/WR/WR to close the draft. I like it but you can see where guys like myself did draft a deep stable of WRs but got to work a few rounds earlier. Personal preference all the way but in theory I like what you did here. Not a fan of all these WRs but again we are getting down to personal preference.
TE: Zach Miller(6.09) Jared Cook(12.09)…Don’t get the Cook pick, did nothing as a rookie and still has Bo Scaife in front of him. Miller is good but very hit or miss. This is a not a position of strength for you compared to many others. You take Zach Miller, you better get someone steady to pair with him…Heath Miller would have made a much stronger duo at this position.
Def/PK: You got 2 and 2 here, looks pretty solid.
Overall: Not bad. Some pop at QB, decent RB, some weeks SJax and Benson will put on a clinic. WRs are good, Eddleman will be an exploit the 1st half of the season. TE is kinda so so IMO. This is solid.
Now we move to the 2nd half of the draft. Let’s look at slots 9-12, then 13-16 on the turn.
ShadowMaster
QB: Big Ben(5.09) Matt Leinart(10.08) Jake Delhomme(14.08)…You did excellent here Shadow. You took a chance on Big Ben, he might get a suspension but I doubt it’s more than 1-2 games…probably is reduced if he keeps his nose clean thru training camp. In a 16 team league you managed to find 2 more starters. I like this and think you did a nice job of finding value. Leinart might surprise a few people.
RB: Matt Forte(3.09) Kevin Smith(7.09) Kevin Faulk(12.08) Fred Taylor(17.09) Julius Jones(19.08)…Don’t like this mess at all. Forte is now working with Martz who hasn’t produced big numbers for a RB since Marshall Faulk…Forte is no Faulk. Also splitting time with Taylor. Then you abandon it till the 7th like you had a top4 pick at RB. Kevin Smith is not recovered yet form his knee injury. Faulk and Taylor are on the same team and part time players…Julius? One of the weakest by far, sorry guy.
WR: Reggie Wayne(1.09) Brandon Marshall(2.08) Hines Ward(4.08) TO(6.08) Bess(9.09)…it has the makings of a very strong bunch however you didn’t draft any depth It appears. Bye weeks are gonna hurt you big time. You did a nice job in rounds 1-3 but you need bodies at this position for bye weeks. You did a nice job of getting some big time pop in here but the goal is to not score the least, it looks like you were trying to hit a high score a coupletimes. That help as you gain bye weeks where you cannot be eliminated but again the goal is to not score the least.
TE: Heath Miller(8.09) Bo Scaife(16.08)…Scaife and Miller were steals. My only problem her eis you have a QB1, WR1, and TE1 all form the same team. Bye weeks are gonna cripple you and you have no depth at WR to bail you out.
Def/PK: Pitt and AZ, and St Louis are solid. Actually this is one of the best because you have Pitt which is usually a strong FF def to have. But you added 2 teams from the NFC West…they face Leinart, Whitehurt, Bradford, and Alex Smith…should be lots of opps and with 2 of those defenses you are getting 10-12 games of this? Plus the NFC West also plays the AFC West, not a totally tough division so you might have some more free points. I like this defense monster you created, too bad you didn’t do some other thing along the way…this had the making of a Champion in parts.
Overall: Has some really nice parts…3 QBs, insane top3-4 WRs, solid TE, good Defense…but oh those RBs are gonna get you in trouble and bye weeks will render you done earlier than you should and much to the relief of the rest of us.
Aaron
QB: Aaron Rodgers(2.07) Mark Sanchez(10.07)…I like it, very strong. Nice pairing of an up and coming QB with a stud.
RB: Michael Turner(1.10) Knowshon Moreno(3.10) Jerome Harrison(5.10) Bernard Scott(12.07)…went with only 4 RBs but you made sure you got 3 guys that will see a lot of touches, also backed your play of Benson, most didn’t. Obviously you will have both of them off when Cinci is on bye. Better hope Atl and Cinci don’t have the same bye week. I like Moreno and Harrison fine, nice job of getting 3 RBs in the 1st 5 rounds, gave you the luxury to load up at other positions later.
WR: Dwayne Bowe(4.07) Mario Manningham(7.10) Nate Burleson(8.07) Bernard Berrian(9.10) Louis Murphy(13.10) Brandon Gibson(14.07) Jereme Urban(20.07)…Not a fan of this as a whole. Manningham is your WR2, and he is a WR3 this year for the NY Giants…can’t see how this helps you unless someone hits an injury. Bowe is down right now, Nate is the WR2 in Detroit, Berrian has become a distant memory in MN, Murphy was on my radar but he has no QB play…if you like all these guys props out. I just am not a fan and don’t see the production…course wait till we get to MOP’s mess at WR.
TE: Chris Cooley(6.07) Jermaine Gresham(17.10…Gotta like the TE in Washington, might have tried to get Fred Davis at some point and gone 3TEs. Gresham will not be steady but I am also excited to see who drafts him.
Def/PK: MN, TN, Det, Nedney, and Hanson…3 defenses is always a good play IMO. MN and TN are solid if not better, and Detroit might get better in a hurry if they draft certain guys.
Overall: WRs IMO are a real liability here. I like some of the other positions but I can’t see this team going far into the season.
Norseman
QB: Peyton Manning (2.06) Sam Bradford(11.11)As long As Manning stays upright your fine, but he does have a bye week, might be without a QB that week. Bradford is no gimme to start all 16 games, most rookies don’t.
RB: Shonn Greene(4.06) Steve Slaton(7.11) Jonathon Dwyer(8.06) Willie Parker(13.11) C.Buck(18.06) J.McKnight(19.11)…I’m not very high on Greene. Slaton was some real value in the 7th…Dwyer in the 8th was a big reach IMO. This is not a strong group of RBs but I imagine you understand that. It’s not the worst but it’s not strong IMO.
WR: Fitz(1.11) OchoCinco(3.11) Maclin(5.11) Ashromogue(9.11) Laurent Robinson(12.06) Eric Decker(20.06)…Very strong 1-2-3, some upside at 4…not a lot of depth here but a very strong 1-2-3.
TE: Shiancoe(6.06) Shockey(10.06)…should be fine. Favre loves Shiancoe.
Def/PK: Miami, TB, Feely, Mare…2 and 2, you’re fine.
Overall: It’s top heavy but I don’t like the horses at RB. You probably will have some amazing weeks from your WRs, but those guys are streaky and I think it will come as a shock to you when you get bounced earlier than you should. I would put the over under at about week 8 here.
Ministry of Pain
QB: Favre(5.12) Campbell(12.05) Whitehurst(15.12)…I truly feel Favre will play again. Campbell might be a bad pick till we see where he ends up. I felt like I had to pull the trigger on Whitehurst to round out my QBs. Favre will most of camp so it takes him 2-3 week to get on the same page with his WRs, hopefully JC or Whitehurst is starting by that point.
RB: DWill(1.12) Ryan Grant(3.12) CJ Spiller(6.05) Brian Westbrook(19.12)…short and sweet. DeAngelo, Grant, and Spiller IMO are one of the stronger trios at RB. Spiller is a possible top10 pick but will get touches immediately by wherever he lands. I did notice a lot of value at RB that fell, and I probably will go a different way in the SSL, but I am very confident in my backfield and their ability to carry me some weeks.
WR: Holmes(4.05) Chambers(7.12) Devin Hester(8.05) Massaquoi(9.12) Henderson(10.05) Nate Washington(13.12) Brian Hartline(14.05) Reggie Brown(18.05)…the Santonio suspension really hurts but I still feel I took 8 WRs to counter some of the pop I missed out on at the top of the draft. Chambers looked sensational in KC. But I went and drafted what I felt were guys with upside. Hester and Massaquoi are going to need to take the next step, and Washington, Hartline, and Brown IMHO will all be starting. They might not be top20 guys but every week I feel someone will come thru till I can get Holmes back. Being traded to New York doesn’t inspire me either. I would love this group a lot more if I had taken Ward over Holmes.
TE: Antonio Gates(2.05) Martellus Bennett(20.05)…Taking Gates allowed me to wait till the very end and then I simply took Bennett in case he gets on the field more.
Def/PK Balt, Den, and Succop…Love my comb at defense, went with 1 PK, you only get 3 points a FG no matter the distance.
Overall: Risky and probably will blow up in my face. I like my depth at WR but wish Holmes wasn’t on a 4 gamer to start the season…it will likely set him back 6-8 weeks in reality. I could very well be bounced the 1st few weeks.
Toads
QB: Joe Flacco(5.13) Kyle Orton(10.04) Tavaris Jackson(19.13)…nothing wrong here. Should get a good game form one of the two most weeks. It’s safe and you waited till the 5th to take your 1st QB, good job Toads.
RB: JStew(1.13) Pierre Thomas(3.13) W.McGahee(8.04) Maroney(9.13) Arian Foster(17.13) …I like Stew and Thomas but both of them tend to stay under 200 carries a year…maybe more for both this year. I like them don’t get me wrong but they have to improve to justify draft status. McGahee and Maroney are a nice 3 and 4 in a 16 team league. Maroney might be with another vlub which wouldn’t be terrible. I like the Foster pick late.
WR: VJax(2.04) A.Collie(6.04) D.Bryant(7.13) Jabar Gaffney (12.04) Jason Avant(14.04) B.LaFell(20.04)…I’m not a huge VJax fan, just not. Collie is a big reach in the 6th, rookie WR in redrafts no matter who they are typically do not return much on their investment. Gaffney was a nice find. This is a fairly weak group compared to many others.
TE: Brent Celek(4.04) Ben Watson (13.13)…I like it, McNabb is gone but I still like Celek and Watson is going to catch some passes in Cleveland, they have nothing at WR and TE so I expect 4-5 games where he breaks into your starting lineup.
Def/PK: SF, CAR, Dawson and Vinatieri…I don’t rate these too strongly but this seem s a bit weak on the defenses IMHO.
Overall: I think the WRs may be your weak link. It’s gonna be an uphill climb for you.
Getinthemix
QB: Matt Ryan(4.03) Chad Henne(10.03) Tent Edwards(20.03) You have 2 QBs that start for run 1st offenses, bad combo here. We can talk about how we like Ryan and Henne from an NFL stance, I do like them both but in terms of redraft FF, this is not a strong punch IMO when you look at what others have. You pair Henne with a Favre or maybe Eli, don’t like the combo of Ryan/Henne but I like each of them individually if that makes any sense. Edwards in the 20th…I guess a shot in the dark, he could start there.
RB: Beanie Wells(3.14) Thomas Jones(8.03) Michael Bush(9.14) Montario Hardesty(16.03) Ben Tate(19.14)…Wells is no sure thing, Jones will see a lot less touches relieving Charles, Bush is a total unknown right now, Hardesty, Tate…rookie RBs with no idea where they land or the role they will have. Not a strong group of RBs here really.
WR: Roddy White(1.14) Braylon Edwards(5.14) Antonio Bryant(6.03) Donnie Avery(7.14) Harry Douglass(13.14) Donte Stallworth(17.14)…White is strong, Edwards lost some zip with Holmes getting traded for. Bryant is on a power running team, Avery is unproven, it’s a mish mash of parts that seems to be one of the weaker units we have graded. This makes little sense since you had the end turn, you should have been strong at WR IMHO.
TE: Jason Witten(2.03) Shawn Nelson(18.03) I would have grabbed Bennett to go with Witten but that’s just me. You could have grabbed him in the 16th or so, skipped Trent Edwards and still gotten Nelson late and gone with 3 TEs but made sure you had Dallas locked up.
Def/PK: Dallas, NYG, Janikowski, Gostkowski, Looks Goodskowski.
Overall: Not terrible but not one of the front runners IMO. But a little luck and you might make it to the 2nd half of the season.
MenoBrown
QB: Drew Brees(2.02) Kevin Kolb(9.15)…this has the potential to be the best combo of any in this draft. Kolb is unproven but we have seen and caused Philly to deal McNabb is the potential for some big games. You did an excellent job here, seriously jealous of the QB combo here.
RB: Felix Jones(3.15) Joseph Addai (4.02) Ryan Mathews(7.11)…OK, as long as you don’t have bye week issues which will come out next week when the schedule is announced on Tuesday, this is better than some have at the 1-2-3 spot, unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be even an RB4 that I found. I went light in terms of numbers myself and felt I went with talent or quality over quanity at RB. I like Felix and Addai but they are part time players. Mathews will likely see some action but it looks like some part time players and I can see where you will have weeks of potentially nothing. You did well in the 3rd and 4th, but there is no10th and 11th to fill in behind what you took which are not 300 touch type players so there is limited touches to go around.
WR: Randy Moss(1.15) Robert Meachem(5.15) Chaz Schillens(8.02) Lance Moore(12.02) Sammy Stroughter(13.15) Legedu Naanee(18.02) Deion Branch (19.15) Taylor Price(20.02)…Moss is a blast, Meachem might not be the #2 in NO just yet, Schillens is no sure thing either, the rest is a bunch of hit and miss, not sure I see a lot of starters and to me that’s what you need. Guys that will get targets.
TE: John Carlson(6.02) Kevin Boss(10.02)…OK but not strong. Carlson likely will be working with a new QB, Boss is pretty ho hum and NY is looking at their WRs more and more. Nothing special here for me.
Def/PK: 2 and 2, looks solid.
Overall: Weak in the 2nd lines of your RBs and WRs, to me that counters the good you did at QB. I like Kolb but did you need him behind Brees?
Duckboy
QB: Carson Palmer(5.16) Matthew Stafford(8.01)…like Stafford more than Palmer. Cinci has become a power running team, he should fare better this season, his numbers have to come up some. I like what I saw from Stafford last year but the Lions are still a mess. Has some potential but not that strong.
RB: Ronnie Brown(3.16) Reggie Bush(6.01) Justn Forsett(10.01) Leon Washington(11.16) Peyton Hillis(20.01)…This is being held together by thin string, Brown can’t finish a season, Bush can’t stay on the field either, Forsett will be in a 2 back system at best, Leon’s status and role are up in the air a bit…this is not one of the stronger RB stables.
WR: Miles Austin(1.16) Anquan Boldin(4.01), Kenny Britt(7.16) A.Gonzalez(9.16) Earl Bennett(12.01) Demaryius Thomas(13.16) Arrelious Benn(17.16)…this is a nice solid group. I don’t like rookie WRs and wish you had done something different than pasting two rookies in there towards the end of the draft but I think you have some strength here. You need a few things to go your way but who doesn’t?
TE: Dallas Clark(2.01) T.Scheffler(18.01)…I like it.
Def/PK: Buff, Oak, Crosby, Brown…2 and 2, not wild about those two defenses but these types of picks are not usually what makes or break someone.
Overall: You did a good job considering you had the turn and had to wait 30 picks between rounds. Not the strongest team not the weakest team.
Hey guys, maybe when you post back you could list 2-4 teams you think are awesome, 2-4 you think are weak. I actually feel that most teams drafted solid and I don't see anyone that has a clear cut path to the last 4 weeks of the season. The schedule next Tuesday is gonna shake things up massively.
1st of all I think for the most part many of the teams are solid. But as I dig deeper there are definitely teams that are going to need a lot of things to fall right for them to compete beyond weeks 4 or 5 when the bye weeks start and teams that are built to only win one week are going to have some issues. Let’s jump in here and start dicing these teams up.
Pictus Cat
QB: Eli Manning (5.01) Michael Vick (14.16) Seneca Wallace(20.16)…I like Eli and feel he will have a banner year with the evolution of a strong WR corp and rumors of even more help on the ground coming. Vick could be a real steal too. I don’t discount him getting on the field when the Eagles get inside the red zone. There are stronger QB tandems and PC will need a top10 performance form Eli for this to work, but he doesn’t need to score the most each week, just not the least. I would rate this as middle of the road right now.
RB: ADP (1.01) J.Charles (3.01) Cadillac (7.01) J.Norwood(15.01)…This is explosive. ADP and Charles is just a deadly combo for RB1 and RB2 in a 16 team league. He has a major advantage at RB and I like what he did in the early part of the draft. PC likely wanted a WR/WR combo on the 2/3 turn but as many found out down in the 1-4 slots those WRs simply were gone so PC had to adjust. I do not like his WR1 but I love the combo of Charles and ADP, Caddy and Jerious will have an occasional game or two to toss in but by far the deadliest 1-2 punch at RB, I love it.
WR: St.Smith-NY(2.16) Steve Breaston (6.16) Roy Williams (8.16) Kevin Walter (9.01) Malcolm Floyd (10.16), Malcolm Kelly (13.01) Deon Butler(18.16) Justin Gage(19.01)…Smith is solid but won’t sniff the same numbers he had a year ago…IMHO he’s a sucker pick in the 1st 2 rounds this year despite the 107 receptions form a year ago. Breaston will not post Boldin numbers and might be frightfully short of where people are estimating him. The Roy/Walter combo pick in 8th/9th to me really gave you some backbone to the WR corp and probably saved it from being a real detriment.
Walter/Williams on the 8/9 turn could easily net 100 reception, 1,500 yds and 8-12 Tds between the two of them and I really liked the use of the double down here PC and wanted to post that when you made these picks. Floyd will surprise some folks, I always like him and Kelly is a HR shot if he makes a splash. Not a lot of reliability in this group but it may not be as bad as it looked to begin with. Only had 2 WRs at the end of the 8th round and that is far from what others did. And you got guys late to round out this group.
TE: Owen Daniels(4.16) and Fred Davis(12.16)…This has some big potential if Owens I 100% back and Fred Davis can find some playing time. Cooley could be traded so maybe Davis will look even better in August.
Def/PK: Jets and ???...2 PK I saw that but only 1 defense? Not a fan of that.
Overall: Solid team, gonna get pinched at QB a couple times during the year. Could have been great but I don’t feel you exploited the #1 pick as much as you could have. But many owners would trade for this team I’m guessing. The RB combo really need to pay off for you.
Nugget
QB: Matt Cassell(9.01) Derrick Anderson(12.15)…here is where personal choice and preference starts to take over or dominate one’s thinking. I would not want Cassell by himself which is what you have if Anderson doesn’t see significant playing time. This has the recipe to really blow up in your face. I see a ton of risk here and I don’t see much left to help make this look better. Charlie Whitehurst would have been a nice pick up at some point, and better than Anderson IMHO. This is one of the weakest combos so hopefully you have a decided edge at another position.
RB: Chris Johnson(1.02) Brandon Jacobs(7.02) Darren Sproles(8.15) Derrick Ward (10.15)…Johnson and almost anything is going to be solid if not spectacular. I’m not wild about Jacobs but you got him at a good spot, even better spot on Sproles, even Ward at that point in the 10th offered some value. It’s strong but not as strong as the 1 hole.
WR: St Smith-Car(2.15) TJ Housh (4.15) Percy Harvin(5.02) Derrick Mason(6.15) Patrick Crayton(10.15) Mushin Muhammed(18.15) Brian Robiskie(20.15)…It’s a nice blend of upside with proven guys, not wild about TJ but in this group he’s fine. Harvin should continue to do well, Mason has never had a Boldin across from him, should be open every time. Even Crayton as a WR5 that will probably have 3-4 really nice games and that’s what you want in the WR5 slot.
TE: Vernon Davis (3.02)…I like him but not sold he can repeat his numbers form a year ago. The WRs are going to get more targets and that might impact him some. I would have wanted another TE to combine with Davis. It’s the 16th round as I am typing this and there is no other TE on the roster yet. Nuggett feels comfy with Davis so you gotta respect that as the writer but I would have wanted another TE in the 15-20 range.
Def/PK: 2 and 2, NO and Cle have some return skills that are brought to the table, neither is strong defensively though.
Overall: We’ll see where that QB combo takes you. If Cassell comes alive then you have the potential to go far in this, otherwise I would say middle of the pack but that’s going to be the general rule for a lot of teams…luck is going to be the determining factor as the season unfolds.
BSS
QB: Matt Schaub(3.03) Alex Smith(9.03)…he knows Schaub doesn’t always hold up and while I am not a big Alex Smith fan, BSS used his brain here and knew another QB run was coming and he didn’t want to get stuck holding Sam Bradford. I like the combo and think Smith might throw up a few more games than some would think. Nice job.
RB: Ray Rice(1.03) A.Bradshaw (7.03) Donald Brown (8.14) Mike Bell(16.14) Lynell Hamilton(19..03)…OK wonderboy, you got Rice which is nice, not a huge fan of what you have behind this but maybe you have higher projections than I do. Brown is not a hands guy so he is limited. Bradshaw can’t stay on the field. Everything is riding on Rice and I even would have liked to see you snare McGahee but you opted not to. This position is not as good as it could have been. Wanted to add I wrote most of this before the last 5 rounds…I like the Mike Bell pick, was on my radar but I never pulled the trigger. I like him to crash into the end zone when they get near it.
WR: Greg Jennings(2.14) Hakeem Nicks(5.03) Lee Evans (6.14) Devin Thomas(10.14) Jacoby Jones(11.03) A.Caldwell(18.14) Mark Clayton(20.14)…I like Jennings and Nicks a lot, Evans and Thomas are not terrible behind that. Thomas should see a lot more balls with A.R.E. gone and McNabb under center. Jones is more or less a non factor unless there is an injury. It’s good, not great but very solid.
TE: Kellen Winslow(4.14) Brandon Pettigrew(12.14)…Winslow had a better year last year than many gave him credit for. Pettigrew has some serious injuries he is coming back from, not sure of the upside there.
Def/PK: SD, Wash, Akers and Prater, all make a solid combo for this. Washington might be weak but a better offense should make that defense better too.
Overall: I’m a BSS fan, like most of your drafts, this was another solid effort. Better than most not as good as some.
Depease
QB: Tom Brady(3.04) David Garrard (8.13)…hate DG but in this format he’s fine unless Tim Tebow is drafted. Brady will start most weeks so this is actually solid.
RB: MJD(1.04) Fred Jackson(5.04) M.Lynch(9.04) 10.13 Tashard Choice(10.13) Glen Coffee(19.04)…Getting both Fred and Marshawn was wide IMO…if Lynch gets traded all the better as you’ll pick up another starter perhaps. II thought Lynch went way too late and I wanted to grab him on the turn before but I had to go WR as we will discuss later on. I like it enough for this format, pretty solid.
WR: Marquis Colston(2.13) Wes Welker(4.13) Eddie Royal(6.13) Johnnie Knox(11.04) Golden Tate(13.04) Domenick Hixon(18.13) Brad Smith(20.13)…I have been pretty on board to this point with what most people put together but this is one of the worst WR group assembled. Colston fine but lets go thru the others…Welker is a mystery and if you think you’ll get 8 strong weeks out of him the 2nd half of the season…thanks for playing and good luck. Seriously, that guy has some real injuries that he won’t just bounce right back from. You had to get Edelman if you went Welker and you failed to do that.
Now you have Royal as your WR2/3…did you watch any Denver games last season? What makes you believe he will be worth much? I wasn’t a fan last year and told everyone that would listen that he was gonna be a bust, awful pick to follow up Welker IMHO. Knox I actually like the upside and where you got him but what role he will have is a mystery. And when you are drafting rookie WRs that are probably round 2 or later anywhere in your WR1-5 slots…you are asking for real trouble. So far I would rate this WR group as the worst…and in comparison to those drafting around you I would say it’s even weaker.
TE: Dustin Keller(7.04) Anthony Fasano(14.13)…nice pick for the 7th round. I see him improving on his numbers, top10 is not out of the realm of possibilities. Not much else to go with him so between this and your WRs…Depease there are just too many solid to strong tams to have this much glaring weakness. As old lady Wendy’s says…”Where’s the beef?”
Def/PK: GB, Jac, and Nick Folk??? I’m not sure Folk is kicking for Dallas, not sure where he is at honestly.
Overall: Honestly, I would put you down as a candidate to be gone the 1st 4 weeks of the season but maybe others view it completely different.
Let’s look at the 5-8 holes…
Fiddles
QB: Donovan McNabb(5.05), Vince Young(9.05)…solid. Nothing wrong with this combo, got some value, nicely played.
RB: R.Mendenhall(1.05) C.Portis (6.12) Chester Taylor(8.12) Toby Gerhart (12.12) Dexter McCluster (13.05)…what in the world were you thinking at the 5 spot? I would venture to bet he might have slipped to you in the 2nd. Mendy is not a top5 pick, hasn’t posted anything to warrant this selection but you are a Pitt fan so I’ll leave it at that. The rest is a hot mess at best. Not one of my favorite RB stables.
WR: S.Rice (2.12) MSW(4.12) Mike Wallace (7.05) J.Cribbs(10.12) Mike Thomas(11.05) G.Camaillo 18.12 AWE(19.05)…Took 2 WRs from Pitt, add to Mendy, you got a bye week problem at some point, better hope no one else has the same bye week as Pitt on your roster. I like the top3 here, not much else behind it. Not what I might call a deep stable and you waited till very late to take some of these guys.
TE: T.Gonzo (3.05) Dave Thomas (20.12)…nice snare in the 20th round. Gonzo is solid to lead the way.
Def/ST/PK: Atl and KC, Longwell and Gould…solid. I like KC and ATL more than others this year.
Overall: Not excited about the backs and a very average rest of the roster, not a lot of pop in it. But the goal is not score the least, I doubt you would be out right away. Certainly not a favorite to win it all.
Pimpin Ain’t Easy
QB: Tony Romo (3.06) Matt Hass(10.12)…good starter, bad back up. Should have locked up Whitehurst at some point but I also know you feel Romo won’t have a bad game so I don’t think you’re worried. If Hass is traded this might look better but as of now I think this is good but not great.
RB: L.McCoy (4.11) MB III(5.06) DMac (7.06) Larry Johnson(9.06) LenDale White(16.11)…for someone that didn’t grab a RB till the 4th I think you did pretty well here. If DMac or LJ can get going you might have enough to get by here.
WR: A.Johnson(1.06) DeSean Jackson (2.11) Santana Moss (6.11) Jordy Nelson(12.11) LColes(14.11) DHB(18.11) Damian Williams(19.06)…I’m not crazy about the 2nd round pick but I think this is pretty strong at the top. Moss gets a boost from McNabb so that’s value. Got some depth, could be the strength of this team…but again you waited till late to add a nice 2nd row of guys to go behind what you had.
TE: Greg Olsen (8.11) Todd Heap(11.06)…not a fan of this combo. TE under Martz, huh uh.
Def/PK: Chicago, Seattle and Kris Brown…going with 1 PK I assume, not a bad strategy.
Overall: Pretty good, nice depth, has a chance to go pretty far.
Reaper
QB: Jay Cutler(4.10) Josh Freeman (10.10)…Boom or bust. Gonna have weeks with some big numbers when you pair Cutler and Martz, likely to have some very big holes certain weeks as well. Could cost you in a close race in the middle of bye weeks. I’m high on Cutler but if you take him I think you need something steady to go with him, Not Freeman Year2.
RB: F.Gore(1.07) LT(7.07) Ricky Williams(8.10) Javid Best(9.07) James Davis (17.07)…this group is better than some not as strong as others. I like LT so I think you are fine at the 1-2-3-4 holes…Ricky and Best are nice layers behind what you managed to do in the 7th, 8th, and 9th rounds…you found a sweet spot.
WR: Calvin Johnson(2.10) Pierre Garcon(5.07) Jerrico Cotchery(6.10) Josh Morgan(11.07) Tedd Ginn Jr(12.10) M.Jenkins(18.10) Brandon Tate(19.07) Bryant Johnson(20.10)…what I love about this is you found a steal in the 2nd, picked up two more in the 5th and 6th(not wild about them though) comes back again in the 11th and 12th, closes the last 3 rounds trying to find some guys to hit on a few weeks. I’m not sure I love all the WRs but I like the way you put them together. Good solid job of drafting here.
TE: Jermichael Finley(3.07) Zach Miller-JAX(13.07)…2 PPR so had to take someone decent. I like Finley a lot.
Def/PK: Looks like you just took New England…I would not have gone with just 1 defense, that will leave a mark some weeks. But you managed 2 PKs…this format they only get 3 and 1 no matter the distance, I would have gone with 2 defenses.
Overall: Solid job of drafting. Can’t see how you don’t survive till the bye weeks start to take their toll. I wouldn’t be surprised a bit if you were perhaps one of the remaining 4-6 at the end if things fall right here. Nice job Reaper.
Valence
QB: Phillip Rivers(2.09) Matt Moore(10.09…I think when you take Rivers in the 2nd, someone like Whitehurst in the 14th would have been a better selection. I’m not real high on Matt Moore and other than taking up roster space I see little upside there. Like Rivers a lot though so overall you’re fine here. One of these years Rivers might be the #1 QB in FF. He has the tools.
RB: S.Jax(1.08) Cedric Benson(3.08) Tim Hightower(8.09) LaGarret Blount(17.08)…I’m sure your happy with this . It’s not bad but Benson is not a dual threat. Hightower will get more work than some think. I think another RB somewhere along the way would help. Put another way, you can’t afford much injury or games missed with this group.
WR: Michael Crabtree(4.09) Donald Driver(5.08) Julian Eddleman(7.08) Early Doucet (9.08) James Jones(11.08) Kevin Ogletree(18.09) Jarret Dillard(19.08) Limas Sweed(20.09)...I like the upside of Crabtree mixed with the veteran guy like Driver for a nice 1-2 punch at WR. You kept drafting at the position and like Reaper went WR/WR/WR to close the draft. I like it but you can see where guys like myself did draft a deep stable of WRs but got to work a few rounds earlier. Personal preference all the way but in theory I like what you did here. Not a fan of all these WRs but again we are getting down to personal preference.
TE: Zach Miller(6.09) Jared Cook(12.09)…Don’t get the Cook pick, did nothing as a rookie and still has Bo Scaife in front of him. Miller is good but very hit or miss. This is a not a position of strength for you compared to many others. You take Zach Miller, you better get someone steady to pair with him…Heath Miller would have made a much stronger duo at this position.
Def/PK: You got 2 and 2 here, looks pretty solid.
Overall: Not bad. Some pop at QB, decent RB, some weeks SJax and Benson will put on a clinic. WRs are good, Eddleman will be an exploit the 1st half of the season. TE is kinda so so IMO. This is solid.
Now we move to the 2nd half of the draft. Let’s look at slots 9-12, then 13-16 on the turn.
ShadowMaster
QB: Big Ben(5.09) Matt Leinart(10.08) Jake Delhomme(14.08)…You did excellent here Shadow. You took a chance on Big Ben, he might get a suspension but I doubt it’s more than 1-2 games…probably is reduced if he keeps his nose clean thru training camp. In a 16 team league you managed to find 2 more starters. I like this and think you did a nice job of finding value. Leinart might surprise a few people.
RB: Matt Forte(3.09) Kevin Smith(7.09) Kevin Faulk(12.08) Fred Taylor(17.09) Julius Jones(19.08)…Don’t like this mess at all. Forte is now working with Martz who hasn’t produced big numbers for a RB since Marshall Faulk…Forte is no Faulk. Also splitting time with Taylor. Then you abandon it till the 7th like you had a top4 pick at RB. Kevin Smith is not recovered yet form his knee injury. Faulk and Taylor are on the same team and part time players…Julius? One of the weakest by far, sorry guy.
WR: Reggie Wayne(1.09) Brandon Marshall(2.08) Hines Ward(4.08) TO(6.08) Bess(9.09)…it has the makings of a very strong bunch however you didn’t draft any depth It appears. Bye weeks are gonna hurt you big time. You did a nice job in rounds 1-3 but you need bodies at this position for bye weeks. You did a nice job of getting some big time pop in here but the goal is to not score the least, it looks like you were trying to hit a high score a coupletimes. That help as you gain bye weeks where you cannot be eliminated but again the goal is to not score the least.
TE: Heath Miller(8.09) Bo Scaife(16.08)…Scaife and Miller were steals. My only problem her eis you have a QB1, WR1, and TE1 all form the same team. Bye weeks are gonna cripple you and you have no depth at WR to bail you out.
Def/PK: Pitt and AZ, and St Louis are solid. Actually this is one of the best because you have Pitt which is usually a strong FF def to have. But you added 2 teams from the NFC West…they face Leinart, Whitehurt, Bradford, and Alex Smith…should be lots of opps and with 2 of those defenses you are getting 10-12 games of this? Plus the NFC West also plays the AFC West, not a totally tough division so you might have some more free points. I like this defense monster you created, too bad you didn’t do some other thing along the way…this had the making of a Champion in parts.
Overall: Has some really nice parts…3 QBs, insane top3-4 WRs, solid TE, good Defense…but oh those RBs are gonna get you in trouble and bye weeks will render you done earlier than you should and much to the relief of the rest of us.
Aaron
QB: Aaron Rodgers(2.07) Mark Sanchez(10.07)…I like it, very strong. Nice pairing of an up and coming QB with a stud.
RB: Michael Turner(1.10) Knowshon Moreno(3.10) Jerome Harrison(5.10) Bernard Scott(12.07)…went with only 4 RBs but you made sure you got 3 guys that will see a lot of touches, also backed your play of Benson, most didn’t. Obviously you will have both of them off when Cinci is on bye. Better hope Atl and Cinci don’t have the same bye week. I like Moreno and Harrison fine, nice job of getting 3 RBs in the 1st 5 rounds, gave you the luxury to load up at other positions later.
WR: Dwayne Bowe(4.07) Mario Manningham(7.10) Nate Burleson(8.07) Bernard Berrian(9.10) Louis Murphy(13.10) Brandon Gibson(14.07) Jereme Urban(20.07)…Not a fan of this as a whole. Manningham is your WR2, and he is a WR3 this year for the NY Giants…can’t see how this helps you unless someone hits an injury. Bowe is down right now, Nate is the WR2 in Detroit, Berrian has become a distant memory in MN, Murphy was on my radar but he has no QB play…if you like all these guys props out. I just am not a fan and don’t see the production…course wait till we get to MOP’s mess at WR.
TE: Chris Cooley(6.07) Jermaine Gresham(17.10…Gotta like the TE in Washington, might have tried to get Fred Davis at some point and gone 3TEs. Gresham will not be steady but I am also excited to see who drafts him.
Def/PK: MN, TN, Det, Nedney, and Hanson…3 defenses is always a good play IMO. MN and TN are solid if not better, and Detroit might get better in a hurry if they draft certain guys.
Overall: WRs IMO are a real liability here. I like some of the other positions but I can’t see this team going far into the season.
Norseman
QB: Peyton Manning (2.06) Sam Bradford(11.11)As long As Manning stays upright your fine, but he does have a bye week, might be without a QB that week. Bradford is no gimme to start all 16 games, most rookies don’t.
RB: Shonn Greene(4.06) Steve Slaton(7.11) Jonathon Dwyer(8.06) Willie Parker(13.11) C.Buck(18.06) J.McKnight(19.11)…I’m not very high on Greene. Slaton was some real value in the 7th…Dwyer in the 8th was a big reach IMO. This is not a strong group of RBs but I imagine you understand that. It’s not the worst but it’s not strong IMO.
WR: Fitz(1.11) OchoCinco(3.11) Maclin(5.11) Ashromogue(9.11) Laurent Robinson(12.06) Eric Decker(20.06)…Very strong 1-2-3, some upside at 4…not a lot of depth here but a very strong 1-2-3.
TE: Shiancoe(6.06) Shockey(10.06)…should be fine. Favre loves Shiancoe.
Def/PK: Miami, TB, Feely, Mare…2 and 2, you’re fine.
Overall: It’s top heavy but I don’t like the horses at RB. You probably will have some amazing weeks from your WRs, but those guys are streaky and I think it will come as a shock to you when you get bounced earlier than you should. I would put the over under at about week 8 here.
Ministry of Pain
QB: Favre(5.12) Campbell(12.05) Whitehurst(15.12)…I truly feel Favre will play again. Campbell might be a bad pick till we see where he ends up. I felt like I had to pull the trigger on Whitehurst to round out my QBs. Favre will most of camp so it takes him 2-3 week to get on the same page with his WRs, hopefully JC or Whitehurst is starting by that point.
RB: DWill(1.12) Ryan Grant(3.12) CJ Spiller(6.05) Brian Westbrook(19.12)…short and sweet. DeAngelo, Grant, and Spiller IMO are one of the stronger trios at RB. Spiller is a possible top10 pick but will get touches immediately by wherever he lands. I did notice a lot of value at RB that fell, and I probably will go a different way in the SSL, but I am very confident in my backfield and their ability to carry me some weeks.
WR: Holmes(4.05) Chambers(7.12) Devin Hester(8.05) Massaquoi(9.12) Henderson(10.05) Nate Washington(13.12) Brian Hartline(14.05) Reggie Brown(18.05)…the Santonio suspension really hurts but I still feel I took 8 WRs to counter some of the pop I missed out on at the top of the draft. Chambers looked sensational in KC. But I went and drafted what I felt were guys with upside. Hester and Massaquoi are going to need to take the next step, and Washington, Hartline, and Brown IMHO will all be starting. They might not be top20 guys but every week I feel someone will come thru till I can get Holmes back. Being traded to New York doesn’t inspire me either. I would love this group a lot more if I had taken Ward over Holmes.
TE: Antonio Gates(2.05) Martellus Bennett(20.05)…Taking Gates allowed me to wait till the very end and then I simply took Bennett in case he gets on the field more.
Def/PK Balt, Den, and Succop…Love my comb at defense, went with 1 PK, you only get 3 points a FG no matter the distance.
Overall: Risky and probably will blow up in my face. I like my depth at WR but wish Holmes wasn’t on a 4 gamer to start the season…it will likely set him back 6-8 weeks in reality. I could very well be bounced the 1st few weeks.
Toads
QB: Joe Flacco(5.13) Kyle Orton(10.04) Tavaris Jackson(19.13)…nothing wrong here. Should get a good game form one of the two most weeks. It’s safe and you waited till the 5th to take your 1st QB, good job Toads.
RB: JStew(1.13) Pierre Thomas(3.13) W.McGahee(8.04) Maroney(9.13) Arian Foster(17.13) …I like Stew and Thomas but both of them tend to stay under 200 carries a year…maybe more for both this year. I like them don’t get me wrong but they have to improve to justify draft status. McGahee and Maroney are a nice 3 and 4 in a 16 team league. Maroney might be with another vlub which wouldn’t be terrible. I like the Foster pick late.
WR: VJax(2.04) A.Collie(6.04) D.Bryant(7.13) Jabar Gaffney (12.04) Jason Avant(14.04) B.LaFell(20.04)…I’m not a huge VJax fan, just not. Collie is a big reach in the 6th, rookie WR in redrafts no matter who they are typically do not return much on their investment. Gaffney was a nice find. This is a fairly weak group compared to many others.
TE: Brent Celek(4.04) Ben Watson (13.13)…I like it, McNabb is gone but I still like Celek and Watson is going to catch some passes in Cleveland, they have nothing at WR and TE so I expect 4-5 games where he breaks into your starting lineup.
Def/PK: SF, CAR, Dawson and Vinatieri…I don’t rate these too strongly but this seem s a bit weak on the defenses IMHO.
Overall: I think the WRs may be your weak link. It’s gonna be an uphill climb for you.
Getinthemix
QB: Matt Ryan(4.03) Chad Henne(10.03) Tent Edwards(20.03) You have 2 QBs that start for run 1st offenses, bad combo here. We can talk about how we like Ryan and Henne from an NFL stance, I do like them both but in terms of redraft FF, this is not a strong punch IMO when you look at what others have. You pair Henne with a Favre or maybe Eli, don’t like the combo of Ryan/Henne but I like each of them individually if that makes any sense. Edwards in the 20th…I guess a shot in the dark, he could start there.
RB: Beanie Wells(3.14) Thomas Jones(8.03) Michael Bush(9.14) Montario Hardesty(16.03) Ben Tate(19.14)…Wells is no sure thing, Jones will see a lot less touches relieving Charles, Bush is a total unknown right now, Hardesty, Tate…rookie RBs with no idea where they land or the role they will have. Not a strong group of RBs here really.
WR: Roddy White(1.14) Braylon Edwards(5.14) Antonio Bryant(6.03) Donnie Avery(7.14) Harry Douglass(13.14) Donte Stallworth(17.14)…White is strong, Edwards lost some zip with Holmes getting traded for. Bryant is on a power running team, Avery is unproven, it’s a mish mash of parts that seems to be one of the weaker units we have graded. This makes little sense since you had the end turn, you should have been strong at WR IMHO.
TE: Jason Witten(2.03) Shawn Nelson(18.03) I would have grabbed Bennett to go with Witten but that’s just me. You could have grabbed him in the 16th or so, skipped Trent Edwards and still gotten Nelson late and gone with 3 TEs but made sure you had Dallas locked up.
Def/PK: Dallas, NYG, Janikowski, Gostkowski, Looks Goodskowski.
Overall: Not terrible but not one of the front runners IMO. But a little luck and you might make it to the 2nd half of the season.
MenoBrown
QB: Drew Brees(2.02) Kevin Kolb(9.15)…this has the potential to be the best combo of any in this draft. Kolb is unproven but we have seen and caused Philly to deal McNabb is the potential for some big games. You did an excellent job here, seriously jealous of the QB combo here.
RB: Felix Jones(3.15) Joseph Addai (4.02) Ryan Mathews(7.11)…OK, as long as you don’t have bye week issues which will come out next week when the schedule is announced on Tuesday, this is better than some have at the 1-2-3 spot, unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be even an RB4 that I found. I went light in terms of numbers myself and felt I went with talent or quality over quanity at RB. I like Felix and Addai but they are part time players. Mathews will likely see some action but it looks like some part time players and I can see where you will have weeks of potentially nothing. You did well in the 3rd and 4th, but there is no10th and 11th to fill in behind what you took which are not 300 touch type players so there is limited touches to go around.
WR: Randy Moss(1.15) Robert Meachem(5.15) Chaz Schillens(8.02) Lance Moore(12.02) Sammy Stroughter(13.15) Legedu Naanee(18.02) Deion Branch (19.15) Taylor Price(20.02)…Moss is a blast, Meachem might not be the #2 in NO just yet, Schillens is no sure thing either, the rest is a bunch of hit and miss, not sure I see a lot of starters and to me that’s what you need. Guys that will get targets.
TE: John Carlson(6.02) Kevin Boss(10.02)…OK but not strong. Carlson likely will be working with a new QB, Boss is pretty ho hum and NY is looking at their WRs more and more. Nothing special here for me.
Def/PK: 2 and 2, looks solid.
Overall: Weak in the 2nd lines of your RBs and WRs, to me that counters the good you did at QB. I like Kolb but did you need him behind Brees?
Duckboy
QB: Carson Palmer(5.16) Matthew Stafford(8.01)…like Stafford more than Palmer. Cinci has become a power running team, he should fare better this season, his numbers have to come up some. I like what I saw from Stafford last year but the Lions are still a mess. Has some potential but not that strong.
RB: Ronnie Brown(3.16) Reggie Bush(6.01) Justn Forsett(10.01) Leon Washington(11.16) Peyton Hillis(20.01)…This is being held together by thin string, Brown can’t finish a season, Bush can’t stay on the field either, Forsett will be in a 2 back system at best, Leon’s status and role are up in the air a bit…this is not one of the stronger RB stables.
WR: Miles Austin(1.16) Anquan Boldin(4.01), Kenny Britt(7.16) A.Gonzalez(9.16) Earl Bennett(12.01) Demaryius Thomas(13.16) Arrelious Benn(17.16)…this is a nice solid group. I don’t like rookie WRs and wish you had done something different than pasting two rookies in there towards the end of the draft but I think you have some strength here. You need a few things to go your way but who doesn’t?
TE: Dallas Clark(2.01) T.Scheffler(18.01)…I like it.
Def/PK: Buff, Oak, Crosby, Brown…2 and 2, not wild about those two defenses but these types of picks are not usually what makes or break someone.
Overall: You did a good job considering you had the turn and had to wait 30 picks between rounds. Not the strongest team not the weakest team.
Hey guys, maybe when you post back you could list 2-4 teams you think are awesome, 2-4 you think are weak. I actually feel that most teams drafted solid and I don't see anyone that has a clear cut path to the last 4 weeks of the season. The schedule next Tuesday is gonna shake things up massively.
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knew you had more game than pulling just one rabbit out of a hat.... 
.. If he merely stays healthy, plays 16 games instead of 10, and barely improves, his stats will be well into the upper half of #2 QB's... Again I loved the value there - Freeman was the last guy standing that I was assured had a starting job.
The #4 and #5 rated RB by Gosselin. Think they both could go in the 2nd. Here's hoping.
