Challenging Draft. Time will tell. Optimistic I'll be back in SSL2 next Season.
QB Sanchez/NYJ (RD6/BYE7), Freeman/Bucs (RD11/BYE4)
*A serviceable average Tandem with some upside. Screams average to me, though, and that's probably not enough.
RB RGrant/Packers (RD2/BYE10), RBush/Saints (RD4/BYE10), Hightower/Cardinals (RD8/BYE6), FTaylor/Patriots (RD18/BYE5)
*Decent RB1, PPR upside from Bush, and in my opinion, Hightower,too, but not my ideal RB2BC by a long shot.
WR Wayne/Colts (RD1/BYE7), SMoss/Redskins (RD5/BYE9), LEvans/Bills (RD7/BYE6), Bess/Dolphins (RD9/BYE5), Collie/Colts (RD10/BYE7), Avant/Eagles (RD13/BYE8)
*Wayne and insurance (Collie), not an ideal committed WR2 (SMoss), but I like my WR2/3BC - probably not quite enough, though.
TE Gonzalez/Falcons (RD3/BYE8), Scaife/Titans (RD12/BYE9)
*Like this tandem a lot.
D/ST Dolphins (RD15/BYE5), Panthers (RD17/BYE6)
*Like this tandem, too, but like my QB's, likeable but average face value. Like the upside potential.
PK Bironas/Titans (RD14/BYE9), Buehler/Cowboys (RD16/BYE4)
*Like this tandem, too.
Reggie Wayne was my 1st Round choice with the 5 Top PPR RB's off the Board. Given the Scoring System, I felt he was the best available Player, with the caveat that there was a possibility he might be getting some rest late. Made a note to address that. When it came back to me in Round 2, I went with Grant, and how I fare in this Contest is largely going to be determined by that Pick. I'm quite high on Grant, and felt he was the best PPRRB on the Board, and RB1 is an important spot to fill in this thing, but by taking him, I may have committed a tactical error that I don't make when Draft Season is in full swing, and there's no excuse for that: By passing on WR2 here, I allowed at least one Team with strong RB1 to pair up with a strong WR1, which was not good. I would have taken either Jennings or Colston, and possibly wound up with Grant or Jonathan Stewart coming back to me in Round 3. So I got a guy I'm happy with, but probably should have done things differently from a survivor perspective
Would have liked to gone RB or WR with my 3rd Rounder, but with Stewart and SRice going consecutively 2 picks before me, I opted for Gonzo, who I value as Ryan's primary look, and the Falcons best Red Zone threat. That felt OK, but a lot better after I survived the early 4th Rd RB run and came away with Reggie Bush. I'm also a believer in RB2BC and WR3BC, but most of the WR2 candidates looked pretty much the same to me at that point, and RBush gave me a little of both RB and WR in one. Bloom had already stung me with Gore and SRice, and he nailed me again with Eli Manning in Rd 5, who was juicy low-hanging fruit as the last QB I was willing to use an early pick on. Thought he should have gone in Rd 4. I'm predicting Santana Moss to be McNabb's DSJackson in Washington, so I wasn't entirely displeased to land him as WR2. Targeted McNabb, Palmer and Flacco for QB1 in Rd 6, but missed 'em all, and rather than go DMason, who I thought would have made a spectacular WR3 (and who Bloom nabbed right after I picked), I cleared out my next QB tier with Sanchez, who I think has just too much weaponry around him to fail, and with the transition from Thomas Jones/Leon Washington to SGreene/LT, he'll post low-end QB1 #'s easily, with some reasonable upside.
Was considering going back-to-back QB's here with either Big Ben or Vince Young, but again got thwarted (again, Sigmund got me). Selected LEvans as the 1st piece of my WR3BC. A #1 with questionable QB, but a potentially strong running game to take off the heat. Exit T.O., but I think his complementary options offer a reasonable chance for quality 'spikes' (yardage), which I seek out of a committee. Missed on Donald Brown as RB3 next, but I'm firmly believe we haven't heard the last of Tim Hightower in Zona. While I'm not a Leinart guy, from a fantasy perspective, I think it's the hits the Cards D took that will continue to keep Hightower quite relevant in their 2010 Offensive Game plan. He's kind of their 'TE by default', and could be the safety valve Leinart relies upon as he repeatedly checks down. Not the ideal companion to RBush, but he could be 'Bush Light'. May have blown it by not going with Chester Taylor here, who I think will really flourish in the Martz scheme (nice pick, Bloom. Again). Or McFadden. Or Maroney. Was REALLY hoping one of Kevin Walter, Darren Sproles, Kevin Boss or Michael Bush would fall to me in Rd 8. Stymied again. Bloom with the last dagger, of course. Added Bess. With Ginn gone via trade, and the addition of Brandon Marshall on the other side, I believe this is going to be a quality year for Bess, and I'm looking at a floor of 48 receptions. Another 'spiker' (receptions). Missed all my guys again at the turn: Devin Thomas, LT, Thomas Jones and Jason Campbell. Austin Collie was a pleasant surprise though, as Wayne insurance down the stretch should the Colts find themselves running away with things, or Wayne gets nicked. He's no Garcon, but there's definitely chemistry between Collie and Manning.
Originally planned on getting a 'super elite upper tier' D/ST1, but when the Ravens went in Rd11, and QB's getting thinner by the second, went with Josh Freeman, who I really grew to respect in the latter half of last Season with his penchant for having a 'Cornerback Mentality' (short memory regarding mistakes). The Bucs are building something in Tampa, and I see his risk of being pulled as minimal, and the addition of Benn, who I think is a pro-caliber Player, and a nice committee at RB gives him the upside of a high-end QB2. (17-24). The Buckhalter/Choice 11/12 turn was pure brilliance and really crushed my hopes of landing a nice complement to RBush/Hightower. Really like Bo Scaife as TE2, again as a check down/move the chains/safety valve type for VYoung. Thought I might strike it rich with McCluster as my 'poor man's Harvin', but got sniped. Wanted to get another upside WR, since Collie is more or less Wayne insurance. Went Avant. Just like I think SMoss gets a boost with the arrival of McNabb in DC, I think DSJackson takes a hit in Philly, and Maclin begins to emerge, and without Westie or McNabb in Philly, the passing game may become a little more conventional. Defenses will scheme to take away Celek, and have to respect Jackson and Maclin, but I don't think McCoy/Bell are enough to keep the Eagles out of many a 3WR formation, and I like Avant as a Bess type ('Welker Lights). A 32-reception floor, with 48-catch upside, for what it's worth from a WR5/6, and part of a committee.
Got an upper-tier PK in Bironas, who should get plenty of opps due to frequent stalls in the Red Zone, and has plenty of leg for the distance FG's. Lost out on Pats and Saints D/ST prior to that pick, but helped start a PK run, hoping that would bump a half-decent D/ST down to me in Rd15. Missed on Chargers and Falcons on the way back, but I respect everything on a Parcells Team as having potential. I like Henne as a game-manager, and Marshall/Bess as chain movers, and the Dolphins as a Team that keeps games close in 2010, which might lead to some big plays out of the D. If I land a premium D/ST, I'm comfortable drafting only one, with an early Bye while there are still plenty of Teams around to finish at the bottom, but I'm not one to only draft one PK. Grabbed the Dallas PK, because I think they'll find themselves in the Red Zone quite a bit. On the flipside, I knew I was going to be away the next day, so I PM'd Bloom to pick the highest ranked D/ST (FBG's) who's Bye didn't conflict with the Dolphins when I came around again. I was hoping to land Carolina, as I always like D's that have the support of a strong running game, and there aren't many stronger than Carolina's. Oh, how the mighty have fallen: Fred Taylor in the 18th Round of a Fantasy Draft..and probably rightly so, but I don't think one can count out Freddy T or the Pats Offense, and you can't ever count out Belichick/Brady. He's as big a risk as anything else this late, especially with age and injury, and he's almost not even an afterthought in PPR formats, but there's a world of opportunity for a healthy Fred, and even at his age, I think he's by far the best pure runner on that Team, and can make a statistical impact there if the injury bug doesn't bite.
In the end, I think I've got a steady average baseline QB pairing, a solid PPR RB1/2, but not nearly the ideal RB2BC I had hoped for. I like my WR Corps, but wish I had a stronger dedicated WR2 to go along with my WR3BC of Evans/Bess/Collie/Avant. Gonzo and Scaife, Dolphins and Panthers and Bironas and Beuhler are tandems that I think are fairly ideal if they live up to expectations.
Anything can happen, of course, but I think the likely destination for my Team is a return to SSL2. I think my early miscue allowing at least one of the Teams that went RB in Round 1: Picks 1-6 to land a bona-fide WR1 in Round 2 may play a role in my undoing.
Many thanks to everyone for presenting a thought-provoking exercise, and some very challenging competition. I love SSL, because it gets me really primed for success in all the High Stakes Leagues I compete in..and of course I'm equally thankful for everyone's patience. I'm not the greatest guy with timing or lists.
Good Luck to all!
I agree on Britt, IIRC I made the pick and the next day or was it hours, the "news" of him being out of shape came out. I'd probably be selling if I owned him and could get value for him.
- I think he's basically TJ Duckett at the very, very best, and his career is about to go off a cliff, just like Duckett's did in year five.
- I think he's basically TJ Duckett at the very, very best, and his career is about to go off a cliff, just like Duckett's did in year five.
Carpenter has no competition and was very solid last year hitting 25-28 FG. I expect more opportunities this year with Marshall and Henne opening up the offense.
