Pretty sure I always wind up drafting either left or right of the middle in this League. Went back and looked. Working backwards: 7, 6, 10, 10, 7, 8, 15, 10, 12, 7, 10, 1...
...essence of mediocrity, and so have been most of my finishes, along with some crappy ones and an occasional bright spot mixed in. Well, the last couple years I've done pretty well (4th in '15, 2nd in '14), but it's certainly not due to getting any kind of hang of it - I'm really not sure if there is any 'hang of it' to get...but something went right. We'll see if I can find that old black magic again in '16. Although I got off to what I felt was a great start, my insistence to not get caught up in the early TE run, with the idea of scooping value elsewhere eventually wound up making TE a mental roadblock that I just couldn't continue to punt - even though I might have been better off doing so...TE wasn't a major factor for me in '14 or '15 (I only had 2 on each Team: Gates(drafted 4th Rd, finished TE5) & M.Lewis(7th/TE45) and L.Green(8th/TE24) & Tamme(11th/TE15)), so who knows...but it's looking like a 3-player pile of crap on this one.
1.07: Allen Robinson (PSU!) - Well, there's the obvious...and if that wasn't enough, there's the nickname - what 's not to like about 'AR-15'?!! I'm not that worried about any regression. I mean, all things considered, Hopkins and Green could have their own issues, and of the 3, Robinson has the least drama/change of circumstance surrounding him, as well as what looks to me like the best QB, and a possible chance for extra games, so...
2.10: Keenan Allen - wowee-zowie, that was a pleasant surprise. Bookend, Dan-O! Nice to have a pick I didn't even have to think about. Slim to no chance at Playoff Games, but sure is primed for an excellent 16-game set. I love everything about the Chargers passing game this year.
3.07: Donte Moncrief - Well, I suppose T.Y. or Cooks could have fallen a little further, but I'll gladly take Moncrief as a WR3 in a 16-Teamer. I think He and Hilton are going to have remarkably similar stat lines at Season's end, and that he has a better TD upside than either Hilton or Cooks, so I just tried not to overthink it and grab what looked to be BPA. Colts have as good a chance to win the Division as ever. Interesting in the sense that I don't think it likely that 2 make it from the ASouth, but with Jax and Indy the most likely, I might have unintentionally mitigated a Playoff game out of at least 1 of my Top 3 picks. Unlikely scenario, they both get bonus stats.
4.10: Mark Ingram - Going 3WR had cost me at TmQB and TE, but yielded a nice reward for obeying one of the Cardinal Rules of waiting on RB. With no RB PPR, it becomes more about grabbing bell-cows or TD guys where you can find value, and I think I got a nice balance of both with Ingram. Just gotta get a full Season out of him, more on that later...like KA, little to no chance of extras, but great potential for an RB season well inside the Top 16. Thought about McCoy, but like upside of Saints O better. Also looked at Brees, but QB targets for later. With 3WR already in the fold, this pick pretty much made itself.
5.07: MIchael Thomas, WR Saints - Had every intention of taking a TE here, with 3 targets in mind, and only 12 picks between my two, but Witten, Gates and Bennett all went, so Michael Thomas becomes the first 'key pick' to this Draft, because I might have been better off taking a TE here that I didn't necessarily like, simply for the volume of points scored. Still plenty of QB available, and I had an 'anchor' RB now, Spider sense was tingling regarding TE...going with Thomas over some of the other established veteran candidates was 100% a potential upside decision to try to mitigate a potential hole at TE. If Thomas lives up to the hype, extra games won't matter.
6.10: TmQB, Chargers - Gambled, and won, just barely. Giants, Jags and Raiders QB went over the picks prior, Rivers was my 1st on my list, and I got him. I'm all in on everything Chargers O, and now having both the guy driving that bus, along with KA...both could put up Seasons that neutralize extra games from playoff participants. Through 6 picks I have 2 Chargers, 2 Saints, a Jaguar and a Colt - not likely getting much Week 18-21 play out of them, so it's all about Regular Season upside.
7.07: Ben Watson, TE Ravens - Since taking Thomas at 5.07, I'd only missed out on TE's I wasn't excited about, and not that many of them, which gives an idea of how many went early, and how I wound up with the Players I did. Ladarius Green, Tye, D.Allen, Top Jimmy, Ebron and Zach Miller had gone in the last 2 rounds, and while I'm not particularly enamored with any of them, it was a real wake-up call that the cupboard was that bare with barely over a 3rd of the Draft complete. This was a tough swing between my picks - lots of attractive RB and WR went, and if any of them had made it to me (Lat Murray, Ajayi, J.Stew, J.Gordon, J.Hill, Gore, DMM, K.White, Duke, Dorsett), I'd have punted TE further. With a long run between my next pick, I really gritted my teeth taking Watson - it really felt like a reach, and it will be if he doesn't dominate the position for the Ravens (which I happen to think he will). Clay, Walford and Rudolph were considerations, due to potentially less competition for touches.This was a real gold mine position in the Draft for RB and WR, and looking back I may have been better off mining those spots, and continuing to punt, if I don't get what I expect out of Watson. Save the Browns, I think the ANorth is wide open, so there's a shot, albeit slim, of extra games.
8.10: Chris Ivory, RB Jaguars - Felt a little better about the Watson pick after this one. Ivory is the kind of back I think it perfect for waiting for in this thing, and when I saw Yeldon there with a short run between my picks, the light bulb went on that with a little luck I could wind up with the Jags backfield if things fell my way...and they did!
9.07: TJ Yeldon, RB Jaguars - like Keenan Allen, Moncrief and Ingram earlier, I didn't spend any time thinking about this one. With Ivory in the fold already, it was Jags aggregate all the way.
Halfway through:
QBChargers
Ingram, Ivory/Yeldon
AR-15, K.Allen, Moncrief, M.Thomas
Watson
At this point, the only thing I'd consider changing would be grabbing my 1st TE over WR4 Michael Thomas, but given what was gone and what was available, it may not be such a bad idea to battle Teams with 2 great TE or deep 3 with what could wind up being the best WR group in the League...Second half analysis/write-up to follow...