SSL2 - Comments

[RedZone 1]

Well, nothing but Kickers and Defenses left for my last 4 picks, so I'm going to glance at the draft. Mine has been pretty hectic.

4.08 MrTwo94 - Tony Romo - QB9 - DAL

8.08 MrTwo94 - Matt Flynn - QB22 - SEA

3.09 MrTwo94 - Steve Smith - WR15 - CAR

5.09 MrTwo94 - Sidney Rice - WR28 - SEA

9.09 MrTwo94 - Nate Burleson - WR49 - DET

10.08 MrTwo94 - Davone Bess - WR56 - MIA

13.09 MrTwo94 - Steve Breaston - WR69 - KCC

14.08 MrTwo94 - Damian Williams - WR75 - TEN

2.08 MrTwo94 - Marshawn Lynch- RB10 - SEA

6.08 MrTwo94 - Stefan Ridley - RB31 - NE

7.09 MrTwo94 - LeGarrette Blount - RB35 - TB

11.09 MrTwo94 - Daniel Thomas - RB52 - MIA

1.09 MrTwo94 - Rob Gronkowski - TE2 - NE

12.08 MrTwo94 - Tony Moeaki - TE27 - KC

Really happy with QBs for a 16 team league. Had to draft them in the 4th and 8th rounds, but with 6 pt passing TDs, I wanted good QBs.

WRs are ok. Breaston and Williams were quick picks - just guys I remembered quietly putting up numbers last year. Really wanted Brandon Lloyd.

Took some gambles at RB. Big fan of the Seattle offense this year and I expect a lot of TDs from Lynch. Was thinking about grabbing Ridley and Vereen, but just stuck with Ridley in the hopes of him landing the BJGE role. I'm a believer in Blount's skills and I've seen too many rookies start slow, so I'm taking a gamble that a motivated Blount earns 200 carries this year. Daniel Thomas - would've rather had Kevin Smith but I timed out. Can't see Reggie carrying the load and Thomas was pretty new to RB last year. Curious to see what he does with some experience under his belt this year.

Really wanted M. Bennett as my TE2, but hopefully TE2 doesn't get used much with Gronk being my TE1. Felt really weird taking a TE in the first round.

General draft notes:

Huge gamble with ADP going 13th overall.

Given the suspect offense and general question marks for a rookie, Richardson as RB11 is too rich for my blood, but it could work out.

Sproles as RB12 really surprised me.

Stevie Johnson had an injured groin most of last year. I think he'll easily outpeform WR23.

Jonathan Stewart seemed like at least a 2 round reach.

Brandon Lloyd at WR26 seems like a steal.

Spiller and FJax going RB20 and RB21 was interesting and I can't say I disagree with it. Spiller will have a larger role. FJax still has skills, but he'll have less touches.

Demaryius Thomas and Decker going 5.08 and 5.10 is noteworthy, too. I remember speculation that there'd be a few rounds between them.

I like Beanie at RB24. Guy did pretty well in an anemic offense last year.

I was really tempted to take Ingram over Ridley, but just couldn't quite do it. Nice upside play, though.

Meachem is a nice upside play, too, but too unproven to get excited about at WR33.

Nothing wrong with Hillis as RB34. This team can support two 200 carry backs and they just added to their OL. I like Hillis' skill set and think he's got a solid chance at double digit TDs in this situation.

I know AJ Green happened last year, but Blackmon as WR37 seems like wishful thinking. I've been wrong before, though.

Really like the Starks and D.Brown picks in the 8th.

Jacoby Ford in the 9th was probably a relative reach at the time, but I think he creeps up draft boards as August approaches. Really wish I'd snagged him when I had the chance. Was hoping to wait until the 11th.

I like this commentary. I worry about Flynn, as that is still an open position battle in Seattle with TJax there. Wilson should not be a concern, but Flynn holds the potential to be a back up if TJax outplays him pre-season and doesn't flop. WR - I like Bess better than Burleson, so nice WR4 there. RBs are a bit better than first glance. Blount may have undergone mental health therapy, Ridley will play well when given the opportunity (limited though) and Thomas may get some short yardage/red zone looks. 40 yards and a TD is solid play for a RB3/4. Breaston may get overlooked, as KC offense has loaded up this year if Baldwin plays well and Bowe stays around. Backfield is stacked. Be interesting to see how Moeaki plays upon return. Didn't watch enough of him. The bad news regarding Britt's recovery may play to Williams benefit.

Not an "A" draft, (hard to do when the league is as even as this one, everyone has drafted well). Not a "C-" but probably a solid B if Flynn gets the start (improving Rice as well, though he played well with TJax a few games) and Blount keeps the starter position. If those two don't happen, then a solid C, maybe C- if both don't happen.

Love the commentary that followed. Good observations.

[RedZone 1]

In light of 294's post, thought I would offer same -

QB Matt Ryan (rd 4, bye 7)

QB Alex Smith (rd 8, bye 9)

RB LeSean McCoy (rd 1, bye 7)

RB Demarco Murray (rd 3, bye 5)

RB Rashad Jennings (rd 11, bye 6)

WR Brandon Lloyd (rd 5, bye 9)

WR Robert Meachem (rd 6, bye 7)

WR Denarius Moore (rd 7, bye 5)

WR Danny Amendola (rd 12, bye 9)

TE Vernon Davis (rd 2, bye 9)

TE Ed Dickson (rd 9, bye 8)

D Detroit Lions (rd 10, bye 5)

D Cincinnati Bengals (rd 13, bye 8)

K Stephen Gostoski (sp?) (rd 14, bye 9)

X

X

X

X

Couple of holes to fill, but solid starters. Week 9 and 7 will be hurdles to get past. I like my QB selection, not powerhouses but both should produce with the receiving crew they both have now. RBs, no question about McCoy and Murray, but Jennings may be only a role player unless MJD holds out to start season, or needs to see reduced use given his high mileage. Weak passing game so far should keep Jax running game busy. Receivers, again, no powerhouse. Lloyd has too many to share the targets with, Meachem could shine or sputter week to week, unless Rivers locks onto him. Rivers hasn't been that kind of QB, so hard to say. Moore and Amendola are both solid WR3s. VDavis is a PPR elite TE. Dickson is a crap shoot. Flacco is a top 5 QB (according to Flacco), but Torrey Smith has really got the talen to open the field. Could play to Dickson's advantage. Ravens have used the TE historically, so cross fingers. Two solid D and a consistent kicker on a powerhouse offense. Just need to get some sleeper hits in depth.

Picks of note:

First round, I really like Foster, Graham, and Rodgers. No bad picks, but those three should be #1 in their positions barring injury.

SEcond round, ADP is risky, and Gates says he is ready, but loss of VJax puts more coverage on him. Loss of Tolbert may help him get more short yardage looks though. I don't like putting much risk in rookies, so Richardson is questionable. Big transition from NCAA to NFL and Cleveland may have qb battle, and doesn't have a strong passing game, so limited scoring opportunities.

Third round, Cruz, VJax, and Findley, like them all here. JCharles, the injury, and Hillis coming into the backfield, along with better passing game, I see a 30% reduction from pro-rated production.

Fourth, great QB round, but Peyton should be the real value, along with Stevie Johnson at the turn. I just can't trust Schaub, and Britt's status wasn't known at this point. Tough pick for Shadowfax if he needs more surgery or longer recovery.

Fifth, DeSean, Demaryius, and Deangelo. Is there a theme here? Like them all, Demaryius can possibly have a career year with Peyton, and Deangelo has always stepped in front of Stewart when push came to shove.

Sixth, this was the first "meh" round. I guess I like Meachem here, and Hillis. Winslow killed a potentially great year with early immaturity, now he is NFL homeless. Tough break, as this is news that wasn't around at the time of the pick.

Seventh, Boldin, TAmme, Holmes, and Palmer, solid picks.

Eighth, so many picks of value, this showed the quality of the league. Bush's role in Chicago will be interesting to watch develop. Forte is still holding out, but he will play. Not in love with the Flynn or Baldwin pick necessarily, but Felix Jones, that could be value.

Ninth, some RB value here. Is Kolb the player with the highest pay to draft value? Won't wish ill for him, but his agent should feel bad for that contract. I think I like the David Wilson pick best, Bradshaw can't take the beating of being a feature back, will split carries pretty evenly.

Tenth, Bess and Pead are the two picks that stand out here, though Baldwin could really develop this year. I have been targeting him when the situation is right.

Eleventh, not much to say

Twelfth, lot of defense, but I think Amendola could be a PPR producer

Thirteenth, Getting sketchy here. Lafell and Nelson, both could play opposite of great receivers or be siting down the depth chart.

Fourteenth, Chandler gets red zone action. Like this for a late TE pick.

[Jeff Pasquino 43]

4.10 Ben Roethlisberger - QB11 - PIT (4)

8.10 Sam Bradford - QB23 - STL (9)

5.07 Reggie Bush - RB22 - MIA (7)

6.10 Mark Ingram - RB32 - NO (6)

10.10 Ryan Williams - RB44 - AZ (10)

15.07 Bernard Scott - RB60 - CIN (8)

2.10 Roddy White - WR6 - ATL (7)

3.07 Jordy Nelson - WR14 - GB (10)

7.07 Justin Blackmon - WR37 - JAX (6)

9.07 Randy Moss - WR48 - SF (9)

12.10 Brian Quick - WR63 - STL (9)

1.07 Jimmy Graham - TE1 - NO (6)

13.07 Dennis Pitta - TE28 - BAL (8)

11.07 Pittsburgh Steelers - D/ST4 (4)

14.10 Jason Hanson - PK4 - DET (5)

[Jeff Pasquino 43]

Really like the commentary so far. I'll add more once I wrap up.

Was thinking I might gamble on Mendenhall if he had been there at my last pick (he just went). Huge upside of course here if he is healthy later on, but I thought Bernard Scott was a steal this late.

I understand not liking Justin Blackmon, but I had him at the end of the Top 30-36 WRs in PPR this year. He's going to be the WR1 and they'll get him the ball, so I expect 5-6 catches on average a week. That's big numbers in this format and a strong WR3. The touchdowns will be the question, not the catches and yards.

I also love Dennis Pitta, as I think he'll be the top tight end target over Dickson in Baltimore. Joe Flacco is a good friend of his, which never hurts, and Pitta really came on and made big catches for the Ravens down the stretch.

[RedZone 1]

Really like the commentary so far. I'll add more once I wrap up.Was thinking I might gamble on Mendenhall if he had been there at my last pick (he just went). Huge upside of course here if he is healthy later on, but I thought Bernard Scott was a steal this late.I understand not liking Justin Blackmon, but I had him at the end of the Top 30-36 WRs in PPR this year. He's going to be the WR1 and they'll get him the ball, so I expect 5-6 catches on average a week. That's big numbers in this format and a strong WR3. The touchdowns will be the question, not the catches and yards. I also love Dennis Pitta, as I think he'll be the top tight end target over Dickson in Baltimore. Joe Flacco is a good friend of his, which never hurts, and Pitta really came on and made big catches for the Ravens down the stretch.

Blacmon will be the most talented, and thus focus of coverage. He is exceptionally gifted, but he has just made a leap into the NFL. Robinson is NFL proven, has the confidence from last season's breakout for him. Lewis hopefully will return to form, last year was a flop for him. Focus will likely remain on running game unless playcalling changes dramatically. Expect a QB controversy to last all preseason. Mike Thomas should return to his natural slot position, and Lee Evans will be Lee Evans (non-issue, shame since he looked so promising early in his career). Lewis and MJD has very negative feelings about when Garrard was released, not very professional, but have to wonder about locker room leadership. Has the line improved much from last season? Haven't paid close attention to the Jags.This guy will be a beast his third year. He should have a great career. Wish he had gone to the Rams, or Arizona. Would love to see him learn from Fitz.I was not happy about Dickson at that spot, missed out on a TE pick I can't recall right now. Boldin is steady and Smith should really stretch the field. Rice will keep the backers occupied, so Baltimore would be wise to take advantage of two good TEs in formations. You may be right about Pitta over Dickson. Hope Flacco gets his attitude in check.

[MrTwo94 1]

Really like the commentary so far. I'll add more once I wrap up.Was thinking I might gamble on Mendenhall if he had been there at my last pick (he just went). Huge upside of course here if he is healthy later on, but I thought Bernard Scott was a steal this late.I understand not liking Justin Blackmon, but I had him at the end of the Top 30-36 WRs in PPR this year. He's going to be the WR1 and they'll get him the ball, so I expect 5-6 catches on average a week. That's big numbers in this format and a strong WR3. The touchdowns will be the question, not the catches and yards. I also love Dennis Pitta, as I think he'll be the top tight end target over Dickson in Baltimore. Joe Flacco is a good friend of his, which never hurts, and Pitta really came on and made big catches for the Ravens down the stretch.

Yeah, I thought about Mendy when I took Daniel Thomas. The risk/reward ratio is favorable on him that late.5-6 catches = 80-96 receptions. I'll take the under on 80 receptions this year for Blackmon.Man, what you are saying about Pitta is exactly what I was thinking last year. I thought he was a great late round grab, but Dicksen held him off last year and I don't see a reason for Baltimore to suddenly favor Pitta this year. It's not like they were rookies last year.

[MrTwo94 1]

I like this commentary. I worry about Flynn, as that is still an open position battle in Seattle with TJax there. Wilson should not be a concern, but Flynn holds the potential to be a back up if TJax outplays him pre-season and doesn't flop. WR - I like Bess better than Burleson, so nice WR4 there. RBs are a bit better than first glance. Blount may have undergone mental health therapy, Ridley will play well when given the opportunity (limited though) and Thomas may get some short yardage/red zone looks. 40 yards and a TD is solid play for a RB3/4. Breaston may get overlooked, as KC offense has loaded up this year if Baldwin plays well and Bowe stays around. Backfield is stacked. Be interesting to see how Moeaki plays upon return. Didn't watch enough of him. The bad news regarding Britt's recovery may play to Williams benefit.Not an "A" draft, (hard to do when the league is as even as this one, everyone has drafted well). Not a "C-" but probably a solid B if Flynn gets the start (improving Rice as well, though he played well with TJax a few games) and Blount keeps the starter position. If those two don't happen, then a solid C, maybe C- if both don't happen.Love the commentary that followed. Good observations.

I'm not a TJax hater, but I don't really believe that the QB position is truly an open competition. Flynn will start week 1. I may have reached on Blount, but with all the rookie flops and Blount's pure running ability I really wanted him. I guess I'll have to look at each team before I can even start to grade my draft. If this was a 12 team league I could probably eyeball it, but 16 really changes the depth.

[Jeff Pasquino 43]

Man, what you are saying about Pitta is exactly what I was thinking last year. I thought he was a great late round grab, but Dicksen held him off last year and I don't see a reason for Baltimore to suddenly favor Pitta this year. It's not like they were rookies last year.

I get why most would think Dickson over Pitta, but the truth of it is that Pitta's more respected by the players, and he's done more down the stretch.Dickson had 57 catches on 97 targets.Pitta had 47 on 68.That's a pretty significant difference in catch %.Plus they moved Pitta outside as a WR / SE more, which Dickson can't really do. He's purely an in-line tight end. Pitta's always been a receiver first - but even Ray Lewis complimented that he can get blocks done when called upon to do so.Add in that BAL is unlikely to have a FB on the field and I can see 12 personnel (1RB, 2TE) on the field quite often too. Pitta's sure hands and his connection to Flacco is not to be taken lightly. I would not be surprised at all to see Pitta with more targets than Dickson this year.

[bicycle_seat_sniffer 4,636]

QB Drew Bress (6), Matt Cassell(7)

Please dont hold out into the season Drew, Cassell for an occasional big score.

RB Matt Forte(6), Willis Mcgahee(7), Kevin Smith(5), Joe McKnight(9)

Please dont hold out into the season Matt, I usually roll light after RB1, McGahee should produce well with Peyton in tow, Im not buying the Hillman hype, Fox loves his vets. I have Kevin Smith again, yep. McKnight likes cheeseburgers, so do I

WR Miles Austin(5), Jeremy Maclin(7), Eric Decker(7), Greg Little(10), Arrelious Benn(5), Jeremy Kerley(9)

Absolutely love my top4 WR, Id put these guys up against anyones in the leagues. Benn and Kerley? Who knows 17 and 18th rounders who probably wont do squat.

TE Coby Fleener(4), Mercedes Lewis(6), Scott Chandler(8)

Took the rookie and was planning on doubling up quick with a Celek or Greg Olsen type, that was quickly dashed, had to take 3 at this spot, Lewis could rebound nicely after a big 2010, and Chandler got re-signed in Buffalo.

K Lawerence Tynes(11)

Just rolled 1 kicker, Ill worry about week11 if I get there

D NEPats(9), Seattle(11)

Overall, I think I waited too long on a TE, week 7 bye is gonna be tough, and Forte/Brees have week6 off. Ive won a survivor just rolling 1 kicker before, and felt the extra chance at TE scoring was warranted.

[Jeff Pasquino 43]

4.10 Ben Roethlisberger - QB11 - PIT (4)

8.10 Sam Bradford - QB23 - STL (9)

5.07 Reggie Bush - RB22 - MIA (7)

6.10 Mark Ingram - RB32 - NO (6)

10.10 Ryan Williams - RB44 - AZ (10)

15.07 Bernard Scott - RB60 - CIN (8)

2.10 Roddy White - WR6 - ATL (7)

3.07 Jordy Nelson - WR14 - GB (10)

7.07 Justin Blackmon - WR37 - JAX (6)

9.07 Randy Moss - WR48 - SF (9)

12.10 Brian Quick - WR63 - STL (9)

17.07 Devin Hester - WR86 - CHI (6)

1.07 Jimmy Graham - TE1 - NO (6)

13.07 Dennis Pitta - TE28 - BAL (8)

11.07 Pittsburgh Steelers - D/ST4 (4)

16.10 Kansas City Chiefs - D/ST23 (7)

14.10 Jason Hanson - PK4 - DET (5)

18.10 Justin Medlock - PK26 - CAR (6)

Comments to come later.

[Norseman 23]

QB C Newton (6)

         M Sanchez (9)

RB M Turner (7)

        I Redman (4)

       M Goodson (5)

       S Vereen (9)

WR H Nicks (11)

        V Jackson (5)

        M Floyd (7)

        L Moore (6)

        R Cobb (10)

        J Gaffney (9)

TE B Pettigrew (5)

        J Dreessen (7)

K.   David Akers (9)

        J Feely (10)

DEF Chicago (6)

           Tampa Bay  (5)

Will comment when I get a chance

[RedZone 1]

QB C Newton (6)         M Sanchez (9)RB M Turner (7)        I Redman (4)       M Goodson (5)       S Vereen (9)WR H Nicks (11)        V Jackson (5)        M Floyd (7)        L Moore (6)        R Cobb (10)        J Gaffney (9)TE B Pettigrew (5)        J Dreessen (7)K.   David Akers (9)        J Feely (10)DEF Chicago (6)           Tampa Bay  (5)Will comment when I get a chance

Quick comments - Cam is very strong for a QB1, though I wonder if Carolina will regress back to a run-heavy offense with three very strong RBs, investing into Tolbert and keeping DWill and Stewart. Sanchez is iffy with Tebow there. A lot of fan pressure to give the reigns to Tebow, and media too. He will get red zone action, deservedly as he is productive there. Could be a changing of guard before Cam's bye week.RB is weak for PPR league, Turner is downhill in his production, his style is punishing but it is a two way thing. Remainder of backs are back ups, except for Redman based upon opportunity (Mendenhall injury). There is a back I have been expecting to be traded to Pittsburgh, but hasn't happened yet. Goodson's opportunity will be entirely dependent upon a DMAC injury, which is a when not if thing admittedly. Vereen is just in a packed backfield. Addai and Woodhead and the PPR backs on that team, and Ridley is a stronger back for the start. Pass dependent offense anyhow.WR, strong, with very good WR3-6. TE, shining example of value, nice selection.K, D no bye week issues.Dependent upon Redman gaining the role in Pittsburgh, and Sanchez keeping the starting role in NYJ. If the Tebow circus starts early, watch out. If you get past week 6, this is a strong team.

[menobrown 2,700]

QB

Michael Vick (7)

Andrew Luck (4)

RB

Chris Johnson (11)

Ahmad Bradshaw (11)

Roy Helu (10)

Joseph Addai (9)

WR

Reggie Wayne (4)

Jacoby Ford (5)

Johnathan Baldwin (7)

Jerome Simpson (11)

Brian Hartline(7)

Kevin Walter (8)

Greg Childs (11)

TE

Antonio Gates (7)

Jared Cook (11)

K

Janikoswki (5)

D

Eagles (7)

Bills (8)

From a bye week perspective I'll be slimmed down in weeks 7 and 11. 7 does not project so badly as I feel I have capable guys to go in Luck for Vick, Cook for Gates, Bills D for Eagles and up to 5 available WR's and no RB's on bye. Week 11 is going to be slimmed down RB week. Other than that byes look pretty good.

This team was a bit of an experiment. Pasquino mentioned in an earlier post about some people not seeing much of a difference between WR30 and WR60. I'm one of those people and wanted to put that to the test. I believe there to be a fairly small number of automatic start WR's. The kinds of guys that if we had to set a lineup we would automatically put in without thought. The majority are up and down and random. There is still value in this format in a stud WR who can average a high amount of points per game and do so in a fairly consistent fashion but I do believe the up and down type WR's, the WR60 type, has considerable more value in this format when you don't have to actually figure out if you should put them in your lineup.

I've also noticed from few drafts I've seen this year that WR seems to be the one position you can find usable guys later more than any other position but the run on quality RB's, TE's and QB's goes a little faster. So I wanted to put that to the test and really focus on filling in RB, TE, and QB and fill in WR with later round guys.

We'll see how this turns out but here are my thoughts on this team now.

QB- I think Vick rebounds and he's going to run for more than one TD.Luck offers high upside as a backup. One has to figure with the gutting of that team they play from behind often and he also has the ability to utilize his legs to score.

RB- CJ and Bradshaw give me a shot at two fantasy RB1's. Helu's stock has taken a bit of downer with Hightower signing but than again Hightower is not really good at anything other than pass protection and he seems to have a ways to go to get healthy. I feel Helu easily leads the team in touches and I think people are selling him short when they assume he's not going to improve on items such as pass protection in his second year and first full off-season. Improvement in that area that can lead to him not just leading the team in touches but being more of an every down back type. Big upside. I don't know what's going to go on with the NE RB situation but I know I'd rather own one of them in a format that does not require me to set a starting lineup. I never thought Addai was a big time runner but he's solid and still very good at pass protection and as an outlet WR. Recall Peyton tweeting what a good landing spot NE was for him and I got to think he'll carve out a role at least some weeks. Mainly took him for depth and to hopefully help out in week 11 when CJ and Bradshaw are out.

WR- Everyone would say this was the achilles heel of my team and I'd agree. I think Reggie Wayne was great value. Luck is a rook but a lot better than what they trotted out last year and he's the one experienced vet of that group and I expect Luck to utilize him a good amount. I also intentionally wanted to pair a QB/WR or QB/TE duo which I think works well in this format. The rest of my group is a mix of high upside type players in Ford and Baldwin, mixed in with two vets who I think have multiple usable games in PPR format in Walter and Hartline and than 2 shots at high upside Vikings WR's in Simpson or Childs as I figure one if not both starts. I do expect to lose ground to the field at this position but I think I have enough players to get contribution here and the goal of the team was to make myself very solid at every other position which I feel like I've done.

TE- I don't think Gates is up for comeback player of the year but if he was I think he'd win but I think he might have to settle for fantasy comeback player of the year. Now as I say that we are talking about a guy who hobbled his way to 19 fantasy points per game and that's counting one game he barely played. Why do I think he'll improve? Because he say's he is healthy and that's good enough for me. Now I know someone is going to want to pop up and say something about not trusting players when it comes to their comments regarding their own healthy. I think Gates is different because he was the one the past two season saying how much he was hurt and how he was trying to play in a lot of pain. Now he says he's pain free and based on his track record of letting us know when he was not healthy I'm inclined to believe him. I see him having one his best seasons ever. Cook at backup is a nice high upside player who ended the year on a big upswing. If Britt should not be ready to go or limited I think it only helps him.

D

This year I think the Eagles defense is able to do what a lot of people thought they would do last year. I've got them rated as the #1 fantasy defense and the Bills as top 10 and borderline top 5.

K

Janikowski is as good as it gets and if there is a weakness at this spot it's that I only have one.

So all in all I see a team very good to great at QB, RB, TE, D and K. Suspect on paper at WR but with enough contributing factors I think it works.

[AhrnCityPahnder 4,544]

Aaron Rodgers 10, Christian Ponder 11

Frank Gore 9, Peyton Hillis 7, Isaiah Pead 9, Toby Gerhardt 11

AJ Green 8, Antonio Brown 4, Anquan Boldin 8 , Santana Moss 10, Steve Smith StL 9 Plaxico Burress ???

Tony Gonzales 7, Dallas Clark 5

NYG 11, WAS 10

Mike Nugent 8, Ryan Succop 7

If Gore, Gonzo and Boldin stay healthy, championship

[nittanylion 637]

QB: Flacco / Skelton / Swiss Army Knife Joe Webb

RB: Foster / Stewart / MBush / Hunter

WR: DzBryant / Cruz / StJohnson / Mike Floyd / James Jones / Swiss Army Knife Joe Webb

TE: Winslow / MBennett

PK: Gould / Hauschka

D/ST: Cowboys / Rams

I really, really, really like me some Joe Webb.

Detailed commentary to follow. I owe it considering I haven't said a word this Draft. Family will do that to you.

[Go Blue 3]

Aaron Rodgers 10, Christian Ponder 11

Frank Gore 9, Peyton Hillis 7, Isaiah Pead 9, Toby Gerhardt 11

AJ Green 8, Antonio Brown 4, Anquan Boldin 8 , Santana Moss 10, Steve Smith StL 9 Plaxico Burress ???

Tony Gonzales 7, Dallas Clark 5

NYG 11, WAS 10

Mike Nugent 8, Ryan Succop 7

If Gore, Gonzo and Boldin stay healthy, championship

If Hillis gives you solid production I do like your starters.

However I think your way too high on Gore. A lot of talk of keeping Gore fresh. They didn't draft LaMichael James and bring in Brandon Jacobs to give Gore more touches. I'm not a San Fran homer, but I'd have to think that Kendall Hunter is also going to see his workload increase. Last year Gore only caught 17 passes. That's probably a trend to continue. I'm not expecting more than 230 carries this year. You drafted Gore as RB 13, but I don't have him in my top 20.

[AhrnCityPahnder 4,544]

I realize we're not going to see 2006 Frank Gore again, but I don't see Brandon Jacobs being any sort of threat to Gore. Hunter and/or the Rookie will each get some touches, but a lot of people are prematurely predicting Gore's demise imo.

1250 combined yards and 9 TDs.

[MrTwo94 1]

Man, what you are saying about Pitta is exactly what I was thinking last year. I thought he was a great late round grab, but Dicksen held him off last year and I don't see a reason for Baltimore to suddenly favor Pitta this year. It's not like they were rookies last year.

I get why most would think Dickson over Pitta, but the truth of it is that Pitta's more respected by the players, and he's done more down the stretch.Dickson had 57 catches on 97 targets.Pitta had 47 on 68.That's a pretty significant difference in catch %.Plus they moved Pitta outside as a WR / SE more, which Dickson can't really do. He's purely an in-line tight end. Pitta's always been a receiver first - but even Ray Lewis complimented that he can get blocks done when called upon to do so.Add in that BAL is unlikely to have a FB on the field and I can see 12 personnel (1RB, 2TE) on the field quite often too. Pitta's sure hands and his connection to Flacco is not to be taken lightly. I would not be surprised at all to see Pitta with more targets than Dickson this year.

Yes, but 60% is pretty solid. A number of things could contribute to that difference, too, but I'm not trying to argue who the better player is. Like I said, I was all about Pitta last year, but something made Cam Cameron favor Dickson and I'm not going to bank on that changing this year. Although it wouldn't be the first time I was a year too early on a guy...No matter how you swing it, 40-50 catches from a late round TE in a best ball format isn't shabby.

[Team Legacy 2]

QB: Cutler6 Tebow9

Looking for a rebound from the Bears this year with Marshall/Jeffrey added to the mix. Cutler is definitely capable of a Top 10 performance if he gets just a little bit of protection.Tebow is my flier who I think will be starting sooner rather than later.

RB: Sproles6, Spiller8, Best5 LeShoure5

Strategy is productive RBs out of the backfield who catch the ball, so I don't have to count on TDs from week to week. Many were surprised by the Spiller pick over FJax, but I see the backfield as a 50/50 split this season and that's not counting the injury/age risk to FJax. Best is excellent value this late as I see it as a Harvin/Collie situation repeat. Risk/reward pick for sure.

WR: Calvin5, Julio7, Mike WIlliams5 Lafell6 DJones8 Royal7

Calvin is the best in the biz, love Julio and what he was able to do in the 2nd half. It's interesting that Mike Williams TB had the same amount of catches as he did the year prior, just didn't catch the deep ones. I love my last 3 picks in Lafell/DJones and Royal. I think each will have a big impact in their team's passing game.

TE: Tamme7, Rudolph11

Expecting big things from the Peyton/Tamme connection. Two tight end sets, with TE being the first read with Peyton's past experience, makes Tamme a special TE whose ADP will only rise throughout the off season. I hear everyone rave about Rudolph, so this pick is more based on what I've heard, rather than what I've seen.

PK: Rackers10, Cundiff8

DST: Jets9, Dolphins7

GRADE: B+

[Team Legacy 2]

QB – Drew Bress (6), Matt Cassell(7)Please don’t hold out into the season Drew, Cassell for an occasional big score.RB – Matt Forte(6), Willis Mcgahee(7), Kevin Smith(5), Joe McKnight(9)Please don’t hold out into the season Matt, I usually roll light after RB1, McGahee should produce well with Peyton in tow, Im not buying the Hillman hype, Fox loves his vets. I have Kevin Smith again, yep. McKnight likes cheeseburgers, so do I WR – Miles Austin(5), Jeremy Maclin(7), Eric Decker(7), Greg Little(10), Arrelious Benn(5), Jeremy Kerley(9)Absolutely love my top4 WR, I’d put these guys up against anyone’s in the leagues. Benn and Kerley? Who knows 17 and 18th rounders who probably wont do squat. TE – Coby Fleener(4), Mercedes Lewis(6), Scott Chandler(8)Took the rookie and was planning on doubling up quick with a Celek or Greg Olsen type, that was quickly dashed, had to take 3 at this spot, Lewis could rebound nicely after a big 2010, and Chandler got re-signed in Buffalo. K – Lawerence Tynes(11)Just rolled 1 kicker, Ill worry about week11 if I get there D – NEPats(9), Seattle(11)Overall, I think I waited too long on a TE, week 7 bye is gonna be tough, and Forte/Brees have week6 off. I’ve won a survivor just rolling 1 kicker before, and felt the extra chance at TE scoring was warranted.

QB - Awesome. Spent a high pick on Brees and a capable backup. RB - Love it, very solid, guys you can certainly count on at the 1 and 2 for production this year. 3 and 4 both represent high reward. WR - I'd be stoked with the top 4 WRs you have. Excellent. Benn as a 5 is actually very intriguing as he does tend to be there for big plays. TE - Something about the first two guys screams value picks. Fleener represents intrigue and has that "special player" feel about him. Lewis is still one of the better TEs in the league, so let's see if his QB figures that out. Overall, best team I've looked at so far, first team actually, however I have a feeling this will end up being my top rated team of the league. Excellent job BSS!

[Team Legacy 2]

4.10 Ben Roethlisberger - QB11 - PIT (4)

8.10 Sam Bradford - QB23 - STL (9)

QB: Solid. I doubt I complain about any QB combos this year as its such a deep group. Obviously having a stud like Cam/Brees/Stafford or Brady gives an edge, but combos like this can compensate. Bradford can't be as bad as last year.

5.07 Reggie Bush - RB22 - MIA (7)

6.10 Mark Ingram - RB32 - NO (6)

10.10 Ryan Williams - RB44 - AZ (10)

15.07 Bernard Scott - RB60 - CIN (8)

RB: Weak group here. Other than Reggie who I think can hold it down there's just a ton of risk. Ingram other than a few power runs last year hasn't shown us much. I do love Ryan Williams but that injury will have lingering effects I'm afraid.

2.10 Roddy White - WR6 - ATL (7)

3.07 Jordy Nelson - WR14 - GB (10)

7.07 Justin Blackmon - WR37 - JAX (6)

9.07 Randy Moss - WR48 - SF (9)

12.10 Brian Quick - WR63 - STL (9)

17.07 Devin Hester - WR86 - CHI (6)

WR: Love the first 2, not sure if you have ANYTHING other than that. Sure I'm hearing good things about Quick being a stud, but until I see it on the field, I'm not convinced. Blackmon may be a shining light but again, what is Gabbert all about? Without a QB, wide receivers are pretty useless.

1.07 Jimmy Graham - TE1 - NO (6)

13.07 Dennis Pitta - TE28 - BAL (8)

TE: Love the 1.7 pick. That's what I"m talking about right here! You have the best in the biz IMO. Not sure if you have anything other than a 1 or 2 week start in PItta at most.

11.07 Pittsburgh Steelers - D/ST4 (4)

16.10 Kansas City Chiefs - D/ST23 (7)

14.10 Jason Hanson - PK4 - DET (5)

18.10 Justin Medlock - PK26 - CAR (6)

Comments to come later.

My positional comments are above.

Overall: With as weak as the RBs are and as thin as the WRs are top to bottom, I'd expect a stud QB to compliment the TE. Roth isn't chump change, but it just feels like something is mising here. The Ingram/Blackmon picks at 6 and 7 are just too much unknown risk for my tastes. I'm okay with risk (if I've seen them perform in the past) 4th round is where to get a QB IMO so good strategy. If Ingram and Blackmon are who you think they are, look out! Decent job here, but I put it as a middle of the road type of team from what I've seen in the past.

[Team Legacy 2]

QB C Newton (6) M Sanchez (9)RB M Turner (7) I Redman (4) M Goodson (5) S Vereen (9)WR H Nicks (11) V Jackson (5) M Floyd (7) L Moore (6) R Cobb (10) J Gaffney (9)TE B Pettigrew (5) J Dreessen (7)K. David Akers (9) J Feely (10)DEF Chicago (6) Tampa Bay (5)Will comment when I get a chance

QB: Supastar! Pay the price and roll the dice!RB: Hmmm, if Mendy comes back mid season, do you have a #2 RB? Will Turner's age and carries eventually catch up to him? I'm afraid with this group for sure. WR: Deep deep set of WRs here. Just bad luck with Nicks, but I would guess he'll be fine. That's some combo you have there. Floyd is underrated and your Moore and Cobb picks are excellent valueTE: I love Pettigrew in this format. Had he been available in the 4th I would have been hard pressed to pass on him. Decent gamble on Dreesen as a backup with Peyton in the fold. Overall: A+ QB, A TE, A WRs and for the first half the year B+ RBs. The only question is is this team built to survive the stretch run? McFadden may hold the keys because with an injury Goodson might just take you all the way.

[Team Legacy 2]

QBMichael Vick (7)Andrew Luck (4)RBChris Johnson (11)Ahmad Bradshaw (11)Roy Helu (10)Joseph Addai (9)WRReggie Wayne (4)Jacoby Ford (5)Johnathan Baldwin (7)Jerome Simpson (11)Brian Hartline(7)Kevin Walter (8)Greg Childs (11)TEAntonio Gates (7)Jared Cook (11)KJanikoswki (5)DEagles (7)Bills (8)

QB: Love the combo. Again, not many combos I dislike this year. Alot of parity in the league. Most teams that did not get one of the big 4, ended up with a huge upside QB at #2. RB: Very solid thru 3. I think most teams will be hard pressed to put together a better trio than this. My problem is that you spent such a high pick on a bench/bye week player. Bradshaw and CJ2K are your starters. You spent high picks on them so you believe in them. Your starting lineup suffered because you for some reason wanted to hedge your bet. This doesn't work from what I've seen.WR: If there's an F grade at a position, you just earned it. Banking on Luck to resurrect a Wayne career is one thing, but to count on Jacoby Ford and Baldwin for quality week to week WR2 and 3 performance is laughable. Here's the problem, thru the first 8 rounds you filled both QBs and both TEs. Now I don't disagree with this decision, however, you MUST add a quality WR2 in those first 8 picks. I see your dilemma though, WRS went fast and furious and from your position, they just weren't there. I mean, Garcon and Hightower probably look better at this point than Helu/Ford, but hindsight is 20/20. TE: Excellent combo but do you really need the depth? I mean, there is no flex option here. Again, same issue as your RBs. If you don't believe in Gates, don't spend such a high pick on him, that's my two cents. Overall: I have to tell you, I hate the WRs, I mean hate. A few have dynasty upside, more like a year or two down the road, but I just don't like em. The interesting thing is I LOVE the rest of your team, even Helu and Cook who I criticized. They're excellent players, and I can see why they were intriguing picks for your team, but I think in the end the team construction is not sound enough to survive very long in this format. If there was a flex position, You're Gold Jerry!! but there's not.

[Team Legacy 2]

ACP and Nittany, I'll get to you guys.

[Aaron Rudnicki 8,650]

QB - Brady (9), Locker (11)

RB - S.Jackson (9), F.Jackson (8), Starks (10), D.Carter (4)

WR - Jennings (10), Harvin (11), Holmes (9), Manningham (9), Shipley (8), Caldwell (7)

TE - Keller (9), H.Miller (4)

PK - Kaeding (7), Walsh (11)

DEF - Chargers (7), Raiders (5)

I might like this roster better than any other I've put together in these survivor leagues the past few years. Have 4 key guys on bye in week 9 but tried to work around that by focusing on matchups, both in week 8 for possible immunity and in week 9 for the non-bye guys.

In week 9, my lineup may be:

Locker vs CHI

F.Jackson @ HOU, Starks vs ARI, Carter @ TEN

Jennings vs ARI, Harvin @ SEA, Shipley vs DEN, Caldwell @ CIN

Miller @ NYG

Kaeding vs KC, Walsh @ SEA

Chargers vs KC, Raiders vs TB

Considered going with just Brady at QB but Locker was good value where I got him I think. Also could have taken Hasselbeck (or Brady's backup) in the last round but decided to roll the dice a bit and use the spot elsewhere.

For where I drafted them, I am thrilled to get a RB1 and RB2 as good as the Jackson brothers. Both have top-10 potential if they can stay healthy. Starks looks like he should be the feature back in Green Bay, and Carter could certainly emerge in Indy to hopefully provide some depth. Definitely considered grabbing a 5th RB in the last round with guys like Mike Tolbert, Brandon Saine, Vick Ballard, and Jason Snelling, etc. available but none of them stood out to me so I figured a 2nd kicker was more certain to provide some help and backup Kaeding given his ACL recovery.

Receivers are stacked with two studs and a potential 3rd if Holmes can bounce back from a disappointing year.

Keller was great last year and I expect more of the same, but Miller is a very solid and underrated #2.

Not crazy about those defenses but they have some talent and I liked the matchups during weeks 8 and 9 (@ CLE, vs KC, @ KC, vs TB).

This team should put up some big point totals, but will probably flame out early given how optimistic I am about it's chances.

[menobrown 2,700]

QBMichael Vick (7)Andrew Luck (4)RBChris Johnson (11)Ahmad Bradshaw (11)Roy Helu (10)Joseph Addai (9)WRReggie Wayne (4)Jacoby Ford (5)Johnathan Baldwin (7)Jerome Simpson (11)Brian Hartline(7)Kevin Walter (8)Greg Childs (11)TEAntonio Gates (7)Jared Cook (11)KJanikoswki (5)DEagles (7)Bills (8)

QB: Love the combo. Again, not many combos I dislike this year. Alot of parity in the league. Most teams that did not get one of the big 4, ended up with a huge upside QB at #2. RB: Very solid thru 3. I think most teams will be hard pressed to put together a better trio than this. My problem is that you spent such a high pick on a bench/bye week player. Bradshaw and CJ2K are your starters. You spent high picks on them so you believe in them. Your starting lineup suffered because you for some reason wanted to hedge your bet. This doesn't work from what I've seen.WR: If there's an F grade at a position, you just earned it. Banking on Luck to resurrect a Wayne career is one thing, but to count on Jacoby Ford and Baldwin for quality week to week WR2 and 3 performance is laughable. Here's the problem, thru the first 8 rounds you filled both QBs and both TEs. Now I don't disagree with this decision, however, you MUST add a quality WR2 in those first 8 picks. I see your dilemma though, WRS went fast and furious and from your position, they just weren't there. I mean, Garcon and Hightower probably look better at this point than Helu/Ford, but hindsight is 20/20. TE: Excellent combo but do you really need the depth? I mean, there is no flex option here. Again, same issue as your RBs. If you don't believe in Gates, don't spend such a high pick on him, that's my two cents. Overall: I have to tell you, I hate the WRs, I mean hate. A few have dynasty upside, more like a year or two down the road, but I just don't like em. The interesting thing is I LOVE the rest of your team, even Helu and Cook who I criticized. They're excellent players, and I can see why they were intriguing picks for your team, but I think in the end the team construction is not sound enough to survive very long in this format. If there was a flex position, You're Gold Jerry!! but there's not.

Your are rolling today man and appreciate the critique.Main things I'd add in defense of the team. Injuries are going to happen and players don't perform every week. In a best ball format I'd rather have a high upside guy who projects as bench type player, like Helu and Cook, than a mediocore starter. I just think it's an overly realistic opinion for instance to think I can just obtain 2 RB's and just assume they are going to both stay healthy and productive all 16 weeks. Same for TE's, I think Gates is healthy now but in 2010 TE's were dropping like flies and overall the position has had a lot of missed games the past few years as we've seen TE's become more involved. I recall the first one of these contests I did which was that 2010 seaon and I picked Finley in the second round and Cooley in the 8th. I got criticized for grabbing a backup TE so early but in Finley was toast after 4 weeks Cooley was productive all season.Other than that only thing I'd add is I'm not counting on Ford and Baldwin for quality week to week production. I'm counting or should I say hoping that my 7 WR's combine to give me 3 quality starts each week while the rest of my lineup carries the team.In this format I do tend to lower the value on what I view as non-elite WR's more than any other position due to availability. In this particular draft I did take that to an extreme, and again part of that was just to put this my WR devaluation strategy to the test. So I fully expect harsh criticism of my WR's and maybe of the team in general but I'm glad I did it this way as I'm interested to see how it turns out. One thing for sure my team needs to perform highly at every position other than WR or I need to hit gold on some of these WR's or I'll be shaky.

[Sweet Love 179]

QB: Flacco / Skelton / Swiss Army Knife Joe WebbRB: Foster / Stewart / MBush / HunterWR: DzBryant / Cruz / StJohnson / Mike Floyd / James Jones / Swiss Army Knife Joe WebbTE: Winslow / MBennettPK: Gould / HauschkaD/ST: Cowboys / RamsI really, really, really like me some Joe Webb.Detailed commentary to follow. I owe it considering I haven't said a word this Draft. Family will do that to you.

I'm in SSL4, but just checking things out, but I like what you did here. I actually went a similar route as you with QB (mine are Freeman, Skelton, and my Hail Mary, Mike Kafka). I'll be keeping an eye on your team to see how you do, since we went away from conventional wisdom and waited on QBs. The payoff is stronger RBs and WRs (though you did better than me I think). The tough thing is the Winslow trade...I don't see how Miller's 25 receptions now split between the two of them to make either even worthy of scoring much on a weekly basis, but do like your selection of Bennett as a backup very much.

[Shadowfax 21]

Matthew Stafford (5)

Andy Dalton (8)

Need Stafford to justify his first round status and give me a bit of an edge on QB scoring but there are lots of good QB pairings this year for best ball. Side note…loving the QB 4th round options in River, Romo, Ryan, Vick, Eli, and Peyton if healthy.

Jamaal Charles (5)

Shonn Greene (9)

Pierre Thomas (6)

Bernard Pierce (8)

This group hinges on Charles. Supposedly his rehab is going well and he’s determined to come back stronger. While Hillis will be a factor, Charles put up numbers with limited touches before and still was a top 5 pick last year. But to mitigate some risk, I went with a safe boring option in Greene (over Ingram, Best and Ridley who all went later that round). It’s encouraging that NYJ didn’t bring in another RB option so he should still get majority of carries. We’ll see how they use Tebow. Liking the Thomas pick a little more with Ingram having another surgery, as his value will most likely depend on Ingram’s health. Pierce should have some value backing up Rice. Not a great group here but as was the case the whole draft, I just kept missing out on players I wanted by 1-3 picks every round.

Wes Welker (9)

Kenny Britt (11)

Darrius Heyward-Bey (5)

Laurent Robinson (6)

Stephen Hill (9)

Rueben Randle (11)

Not sure how Welker keeps doing it but he’s a PPR monster. I expect the TDs to come down a bit but he’s a solid WR1. Bad news/luck with Britt. Let’s hope it isn’t much of a setback. Wanted Washington to offset this risk but Jackal sniped him right before me. Thought about Wright but decided to hope the best with Britt and picked Hill who should start right away. I hope DHB continues his progression but wouldn’t be shocked to see him fall back into oblivion. LRob has Gabbert throwing to him. Yay! The NYG WR3 seems to have value and Randle seems to have the edge there.

Fred Davis (10)

Anthony Fasano (7)

Hopefully Davis plays like he did last year. I wanted to pair him with Celek, Gresham or Cook but missed out on Gresham and then next round Jackal and Meno surprised me going with TE2 with Witten and Gates already on board. I was a bit surprised at Fasano’s numbers last year and with Marshall gone, someone in Miami has to catch the ball, right?

Matt Bryant (7)

Connor Barth (5)

Houston (8)

Arizona (10)

Got 2 of each. Surprised that K2 and DST2 lasted so long. More and more each year are going with 1 kicker and it’ll be interesting to see how they do. Survived a while last year with no kicker but lost in the end giving up that 5-10 points each week.

This draft didn’t go as I hoped. Nobody really fell to me that I wanted (kept getting sniped) and was picking from my next tier and many times I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. Not my best effort. Kind of meh on the team with too many unknowns….Charles, Greene and Tebow effect, Thomas will depend on Ingram, Britt’s knee, DHB progression or regression, 3 rooks in Hill, Randle and Pierce, Davis role in Washington, etc. Need a lot to go my way and might be asking a bit too much.

[RedZone 1]

Wow, Team Legacy did a lot of work on a number of the teams, so let's give him some feedback.

QB: Cutler6 Tebow9

Looking for a rebound from the Bears this year with Marshall/Jeffrey added to the mix. Cutler is definitely capable of a Top 10 performance if he gets just a little bit of protection.Tebow is my flier who I think will be starting sooner rather than later.

My thoughts - The Chicago front office is playing contract hardball with Forte and Urlacher. That could be locker room cancer if there are hard feelings, and Chicago played the run fabulously last year. Everyone is banking on Marshall and Cutler turning back the clock, but unless they find a source that can supply 1.21 gigawatts, that may become a disappointment. Tebow will be, as a wildcat QB in for six to ten plays, a ten-point QB at best on average. If he fails to gain the start from Sanchez by week 6, this could be a flawed strategy. The Tebow offense is dissimilar from any standard NFL offense, so it is hard to say if the line, playcalling, blocking, will be there immediately for him to shine when he does take the reins. A very solid McGahee is missing from the NYJ offense as well, so he remains to be seen in regards to value.

RB: Sproles6, Spiller8, Best5 LeShoure5

Strategy is productive RBs out of the backfield who catch the ball, so I don't have to count on TDs from week to week. Many were surprised by the Spiller pick over FJax, but I see the backfield as a 50/50 split this season and that's not counting the injury/age risk to FJax. Best is excellent value this late as I see it as a Harvin/Collie situation repeat. Risk/reward pick for sure.

My thoughts - BAsically three backs, with Leshoure and Best being a best ball out of Detroit. Not a bad strategy, I did Murray and FJones in one of the PDSLs. Great PPR, and top two are pretty solid every week starters, minus bye weeks of course. However, Leshoure is out for a few weeks with his two pot arrests surely, better for Best, but can he handle the increased workload? Not sure how much Smith will challenge them.

WR: Calvin5, Julio7, Mike WIlliams5 Lafell6 DJones8 Royal7

Calvin is the best in the biz, love Julio and what he was able to do in the 2nd half. It's interesting that Mike Williams TB had the same amount of catches as he did the year prior, just didn't catch the deep ones. I love my last 3 picks in Lafell/DJones and Royal. I think each will have a big impact in their team's passing game.

My thoughts - Top two will be every week starters, solid picks. Last four should produce a WR3 each week. Better if Lafell gets the WR2 locked down in Carolina.

TE: Tamme7, Rudolph11

Expecting big things from the Peyton/Tamme connection. Two tight end sets, with TE being the first read with Peyton's past experience, makes Tamme a special TE whose ADP will only rise throughout the off season. I hear everyone rave about Rudolph, so this pick is more based on what I've heard, rather than what I've seen.

My thoughts - Really think Tamme is highly, but deservedly rated. Unless Dressen really gets Peyton's confidence, could see Clark like numbers. Just two WRs getting positive press really in Denver, so two TE sets could be common, and both Denver TEs could be plays. Having Kahlil (sp?) anchoring the line should help free up the TE a bit. Not a real Minnesota offense believer this year. Late byes, so should be little issue.

PK: Rackers10, Cundiff8

DST: Jets9, Dolphins7

GRADE: B+

I would not give a B+. I can't remember who, maybe BSS? schooled me one year on what an A,B,C, etc team should consist of.

Marshall got locked down at times last year, still has some propensity for trouble, so Cutler without a guaranteed (NFL) starting QB2 is not a strategy I would take. The only problem I have with your RBs is depth, with your RB3,4 being handcuffs. WRs, nice as mentioned. Focus on defense misbehaving by the officiating should open the passing game even more, so all WRs get a bump, and Calvin should really benefit. TE, not superstar due to Dressen's presence, but very good. Tamme could be Vernon Davis good, or Pettigrew. I believe that Denver will tailor the offense to Peyton's strentgths, but new team fades the ability to key in two year's prior numbers.

A team like this, I give the starters a B+, but due to QB primarily, drop it to a B.

[nittanylion 637]

QB: Flacco / Skelton / Swiss Army Knife Joe WebbRB: Foster / Stewart / MBush / HunterWR: DzBryant / Cruz / StJohnson / Mike Floyd / James Jones / Swiss Army Knife Joe WebbTE: Winslow / MBennettPK: Gould / HauschkaD/ST: Cowboys / RamsI really, really, really like me some Joe Webb.Detailed commentary to follow. I owe it considering I haven't said a word this Draft. Family will do that to you.

First, about the Draft:1.01: Arian Foster, RB Texans - Gave about a minute's thought each to Rice and McCoy. In the end, it came down to TD's (floor/ceiling).2.16/3.01: WR Cruz, Giants, WR DzBryant, Cowboys - Really wanted to go WR/WR here. Was hoping Green would fall. Only other player in the debate was Mike Wallace, but I'm a huge Antonio Brown backer. Some might say tremendous windfall with Nicks going down, I actually see it as a hindrance to Cruz, as I think he needs Nicks on the field to consistently do his thing, so I'm wishing Hakeem a speedy recovery. Prognosis grew more positive during this writing.4.16/5.01: WR StJohnson, Bills, RB JStewart/Panthers - The QB run in Round 4 dropped Johnson right in my lap, and I couldn't say no. Stewart was a little tougher, and as it turns out, much more controversial. Much has been written about strategies for these Leagues over the years, and for years I've been a big RB2BC guy. I also don't think I've ever had the 1st overall pick in one of these, and I can be a risk manager drafter, and we're 64 players in and I don't have a backup plan if something happens to Foster and that makes me nervous. That QB run dropped more than just Johnson, and there was a lot of tempting low-hanging fruit with this pick, but landing Johnson had me feeling so good about my WR, and there was nothing compelling at QB and TE. I think the Panthers Offense can support a tremendous amount of ground production from Newton, Williams and Stewart, and really DeAngelo was the final player on my list besides Stewart at this point. Wasn't getting either at 6.16, so I grabbed the younger guy, who I'm hoping will be the Red Zone bull.6.16/7.01: TE Winslow, Bucs-Hawks, QB Flacco - Oh, boyzeez...well, at least I made a good decision not to chase the runs and reach for a QB or TE at 4/5 turn, as only 2 QB and 3 TE went off the board since that time. I had targeted Flacco, so was pleased that he fell to me here. With all the positive change going on in Tampa Bay, I was really looking forward to what Winslow could do this year. Would have taken Keller had he fallen though, and I really had to debate between Winslow and Olsen. I have to look at the Winslow trade to Seattle as a mixed blessing. On the one hand, the QB situation is in flux, and Zach Miller doesn't help, but on the other, Winslow is an emotion driven player, and this has absolutely put a chip on his shoulder, and while Miller is a NICE TE, a healthy and motivated Winslow is elite, and Bevell's Offense is capable of heavy TE production. He should be the Red Zone receiving TE, and in that area of the field, shouldn't have much competition for looks.Still have work to do at both QB and TE, though...8.16/9.01: RB Michael Bush, Bears, WR Michael Floyd, Cardinals - I was absolutely blindsided by the QB run from 7.15 to 8.14. Never saw it coming, and actually, it quite irked me, because I respect the draft skills of everyone in these Leagues, and at some point we're all supposes to be skilled and savvy enough that runs like these shouldn't occur, as we continue to scoop the value that falls when they start. If that's what happened, I wouldn't have had any trouble landing a solid-to-decent QB2 at this turn...but then again, my two Mike's had no business being there either when the Draft came back to me. Palmer didn't faze me, but when Fitzpatrick and Dalton followed Luck in succession, I was crushed, and found myself hoping that Bradford...BRADFORD(!!!), would fall. That's pretty sorry. Then again, I landed Mike & Mike. Huge fan of Mike Bush. Thought he'd land a starting gig somewhere. Now, I had Forte in my biggest High Stakes League last year, and until he got hurt, he was a monster, no doubt. Now we've got injury recovery, unhealthy contract situation, and by far the most talented back in a series that have been brought in to share time. I think Bish is in a position to put up very solid RB2 #'s this season. Almost went with a rookie 2-for with David Wilson. Dom scooped him up at 9.02, solid. Love Mike Floyd's skills, and situation as well. In my opinion, he has Julio Jones/AJ Green talent written all over him. Fitz is a cerebral WR who knows how valuable it is to both him and the Cards to have a legitimate threat on the opposite side of the field, so I like the mentoring angle. QB situation isn't ideal, but I'm a Skelton backer, and it stands to reason that if Kolb is playing well enough to be starting over Skelton, that only means good things for Fitz, Floyd and the Cards passing game.1/2-Way Point: Flacco//Foster, Stewart, MBush//Cruz,DzBryant, StJohnson, MkFloyd//Winslow - I think my Team stands up to any other in the League, and although I see some comparable ones, I don't see a better RB1-3 and WR1-4. How am I going to resolve QB, and I really want a 2nd TE!10.16/11.01: RB Kendall Hunter, 49'ers, TE Martellus Bennett, Giants - I seem to recall being in a bit of a hurry when this turn came around, and being mildly annoyed that Jake Locker, Matt Cassell and Randall Cobb were all taken in the 10th. In a surprising twist, the TE's remaining on my short list were Seattle Zach Miller and Bennett. Miller went at 10.15, but had I gone with Miller, I would have wound up with both Seattle TE's (Winslow/Miller), now instead I get to have both TE's off in late Week 11 after the Winslow Trade. Lovely. I love Kendall Hunter's game and situation, but in retrospect I probably should have taken a stud D/ST (there were only 2 off the board at the time) to help make up some comparative ground at QB, because once again, I was the victim of an unexpected run, and almost wound up getting screwed out of a solid D/ST between here and the next round...12.16/13.01: D/ST Cowboys, WR James Jones, Packers ...and what a run it was! At the last turn, I could have selected D/ST 3. By the time it came back to me, I was looking at D/ST 16. Rough going in that the Giants and Falcons went at 12.14 and 12.15, but I still was able to land the Cowboys. I really like the work they did this offseason shoring up their biggest weakness, the secondary. If they can control the offensive turnovers, I think it's a pretty safe bet they can outperform their draft position here, and at least finish in the top 12. I had really hoped to bag Randall Cobb earlier in the draft, and when Jones was still there, I couldn't resist getting a piece of the Packers high-powered passing game. Jones is a nice bench WR for this format, in the sense that he's a textbook big play feast/famine guy, and an injury to Jennings or Nelson would catapult him, and at WR5 I don't have to depend on him for the weeks he sometimes disappears in a cloud of 3/30/0. Considered LaFell and Breaston.14.16/15.01: PK Robbie Gould, Bears, QB John Skelton, Cardinals - Third time's a charm = jumped right into the run in spite of myself and got a solid PK in Gould. There hadn't been a QB taken in four full rounds since Tebow was taken as QB 30 at 10.13, and I still only had Flacco. Of all the dreck remaining, I had a shot at 2 'starters' with Weedon and Gabbert, neither of who's offense offered much excitement, so Skelton was kind of just hanging around there as a guy in a decent situation with absolutely tremendous upside potential. Even after I made the pick, I knew I'd still probably have to waste a remaining pick to make up for missing out on that run.16.16/17.01/18.16: D/ST Rams, PK Steve Hauschka, QB/WR Joe Webb, Vikings - I really ground my teeth when I missed the Redskins by two picks. That's a D that's absolutely outperform it's draft position, but I'll settle for the Rams, in Jeff Fisher's return to the NFL. If I was a Rams fan, I'd be elated, as one thing's for sure, they are going to play inspired football, and compete. Hauschka was the remaining PK who played for an offense that might score above the League average points....and then there was Joe Webb, my final pick. I absolutely love Joe Webb, and I'm not a fan of Ponder, and I'm predicting that Webb is going to spend a significant amount of time under center for the Vikes this season...and do well! Which puts me in an extreme minority. Which doesn't usually work out too well. I love guys like this. Drafted Brad Smith everywhere last year hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with a WR who'd post QB stats. Bottom line is this though: you find this kind of pick on only two types of teams: either those that are so good and deep they can afford a 'flyer', or those who are desperate. In the end, my QB situation still is a bunch of IF (Flacco performs like a QB1), IF (Skelton wins the starting job), IF (Webb has any impact whatsoever).So I'll call my QB situation what it is: desperate. Amazing that my 18th Round Pick might carry such weight. Not just Webb, but what I did with it. Gabbert was still there, but the fact that he didn't get drafted speaks volumes about his expected production. There were other flyer conventional QB's. Perscribing to the theory of improving your weakness by making your strengths, stronger, I could have taken a TE3 or WR6, but that's the deal with Webb. Again, I love the guy, and I strongly feel he's going to make an impact with the Vikings, if not at QB, then at WR, where besides Harvin, I don't think they've got anyone more complete than Webb. Simpson is not multi-dimensional, and Webb is better than Jenkins and the rest. If Ponder beats out Webb, that means the Vikes QB situation is better than average, and if he's playing WR, it's likely he'll be on the field in all 3WR sets.I like what I did at RB and WR, and I think that alone could get me through 7 weeks. No Stewart and Mike Bush Week 6, but I'm at full strength everywhere else. Week 8, is going to be a hurdle (no Flacco, Foster, StJohnson, but it's do-able. Week 11, with only six Teams left, no Cruz, and no TE's. That's probably as far as this Team goes, F'ed by circumstance. I think I can hold my own with PK and D/ST. The outcome of the Winslow trade is going to play a major factor in just how far I go, I think, because to make it to Week 12 when the remaining teams are back to full strength, every one of my position groups is going to have to perform at a high enough level to mitigate the potential fallout at QB.QB Flacco/8, Skelton/10, Webb/11RB Foster/8, Stewart/6, MBush/6, Hunter/9WR Cruz/11, DzBryant/5, StJohnson/8, MkFloyd/10, JaJones/10TE Winslow/11, Bennett/11PK Gould/6, Hauschka/11D/ST Cowboys/5, Rams/9Fun Draft, great competition. Good Luck, all!

[Go Blue 3]

I should have posted this sooner, but here it is.

6.02 QB Robert Griffin III (10)

7.15 Carson Palmer (5)

2.02 Darren McFadden (5)

4.02 Doug Martin (5)

5.15 Chris Wells (10)

11.15 Ronnie Hillman (7)

1.15 Larry Fitzgerald (10)

8.02 Doug Baldwin (11)

9.15 Austin Collie (4)

12.02 Kendall Wright (11)

13.15 Leonard Hankerson (10)

15.15 Chris Givens (9)

18.02 Ryan Broyles (5)

3.15 Jermichael Finley (10)

17.15 Kellen Davis (6)

10.02 San Fran D/ST (9)

16.02 Minnesota D/ST (11)

14.02 Mason Crosby (10)

For waiting on QB, I was pretty excited with my combo. I'm not expecting Can Newton numbers from RG3, but I do really like his potential. I view him as a top 15 QB with top 10 upside on any given week. That's exactly how I see Palmer this year. Palmer finished the second half of 2011 as a top 10 QB and I think he should build on that with a year of chemistry with his WR's. Grade: B

Granted, RB isn't exactly where you want to be strong in a PPR league, but somebody has to have the best trio of RB's in the league. I know it's a what if, but I view McFadden as a top 5 RB when healthy. I'm not afraid of Martin being a rookie at all. He should be a workhorse right out of the gate. I viewed him as the end of a tier of 3 down RB's when I grabbed him as the 18th RB off the board. In hindsight, I would have drafted a WR instead of Martin if I had known that Beanie would be available at 5.15. I viewed that as crazy good value, so I went that route. Hillman is already the #2 in Denver and McGahee is going to be 31 this year with not much value as a pass catcher. With Manning under center, I could see a few explosive games for Hillman as a rookie. I'm hoping I never need him with my Big 3, but you never know. Grade: A

I got Larry Fitz. Woot Woot. Ok, that's where it falls off a cliff. Granted, I'm much higher on Baldwin than anyone I know, but even with that said, I only have him ranked as WR 29. I decided to go with quantity here. Depending on Britt's knee, Wright might be a very nice surprise. Collie should have some decent PPR value. With all my RG3 excitement comes Leonard Hankerson. I'm not expecting any consistent production, but I could see some big weeks. Givens should start in St. Louis. Broyles could be second half star this year if Titus Young stays in the doghouse. Other than Fitz, my starters could change every single week. I'm good with that as long as someone scores points. Grade: C-

I was surprised that Finley was there at 3.15, but very glad. Finley is too talented too not be a top 5 TE. I fully expect his numbers to increase in that explosive offense. Now that Mad Martz is gone, Kellen Davis is my sleeper TE to jump into the top 25 this year. Grade: B+

I decided to go with only 1 kicker, so I wanted to make it a good one. Mason Crosby should never give me anything less than 3 points per week. I fully expect him to be a top 5 option at seasons end. Grade: He's a kicker on a very strong offense. Good enough.

I wanted the San Fran defense, so I had to reach for them because of my draft slot. I was ok with that. They should finish top 5 and give me a weekly advantage. I grabbed a decent second defense in Minnesota. Nothing special there. Grade: Defense, who cares.

It may seem like I didn't even look at them, but I was looking at bye weeks. I just decided to go with my rankings over any bye week issues. I'm going to have some trouble week 5 and I'm going to be in big trouble week 10, if I make it that far. This is by far the most rookies I've ever drafted in a redraft or survivor league. That does worry me a bit, but I'm not overly concerned. Overall I really like my team and I don't see an early exit. I'd say middle of the pack with the potential to go a long way, if my WR's step up. Grade: B

[OldMilwaukee 35]

League has been set up on MFL SSL2

Please confirm your rosters.

[Domination 15]

League has been set up on MFL SSL2

Please confirm your rosters.

Thanks Old Mil...

Not a big deal b/c it wouldn't have effected my score, but Zach Miller is showing up as a FA w/ no score. I also have him in WSL & he did score, so not sure what's up. Whenever someone has a chance to check for me I would appreciate it.

Dom

[ShadowMaster 1]

League has been set up on MFL SSL2

Please confirm your rosters.

Thanks Old Mil...

Not a big deal b/c it wouldn't have effected my score, but Zach Miller is showing up as a FA w/ no score. I also have him in WSL & he did score, so not sure what's up. Whenever someone has a chance to check for me I would appreciate it.

Dom

Fixed

[Aaron Rudnicki 8,650]

oof

I liked this team too.

gll peas

[Norseman 23]

Don't know if this is the right spot, but I should have Malcolm Floyd on my team, not Michael Floyd.

Thanks

[ShadowMaster 1]

Don't know if this is the right spot, but I should have Malcolm Floyd on my team, not Michael Floyd.Thanks

Fixed