lessons learned (1 Viewer)

[noneother]

two leagues, I failed in the same way in both, trusted young RBs, Reggie, and caddy and ronnie brown...

I also had faith in Edge, a new player on a new team... and lost patience in my studs, CJ, and Andre Johnson...

summary, go with established players, returning to their teams, and don't 'fire sale' until the last week...

i would have missed Brees, an exception

guess this could be assistant coach material,

what were your mistakes?

 

[Rogi]

Went early on a young RB - Caddy. (Although Jacobs looks tempting next year - I might repeat this mistake).

Also put faith in Addai but was punished by the RBBC most of the season.

Waited too long on a QB (common "good" advice) and ended up with A. Brooks and Plummer.

 

[joffer]

i didn't mortgage everything i own to move into the #1 pick

 

[bentley]

Started Favre instead of Romo in the semfinals. Earlier this year, I thought the answer might be paying more for Tomlinson than anyone has paid for any player in the history of the auction. That actually turned out to be my best move.

 

[cracKer]

I wasn't in position to draft Tomlinson. One player usually doesn't that big of a difference

this is getting ridiculous.

 

[ScottNorwood]

Started Favre instead of Romo in the semfinals. Earlier this year, I thought the answer might be paying more for Tomlinson than anyone has paid for any player in the history of the auction. That actually turned out to be my best move.

 

[prosopis]

I have not failed yet. I may be in here tommorow night.

 

[Darth Cheney]

In the one league I am knocked out of I did not draft a good QB. I took Vick and Culpepper. For the first few weeks of the season I was convinced that Culpepper was going to right the ship and I started off 1 - 7. After that I started playing the matchups with Vick, Pennington and Alex Smith and won 5 straight to just miss the playoffs. I also found myself with too much RB depth. ( I know that is hard to believe) I always seemed to leave points on the bench as I tried to choose between Dillon, Rudi, Westbrook, Jamal Lewis and Ahman Green. I didn't make good pickups for QB....passing on Grossman, Romo,Young and I let MoJo go early in the season when I needed help at WR. My WR's were decent with Roy Williams, Steve Smith, Edwards, and Cotchery...but they all seemed to score in the same week.

 

[Xenopax]

Traded a good RB for a QB. (Jones-Drew for Grossman when I had basically nothing).

I will pick up a WW QB before trading for a RB away for one now. I have yet to see a QB play well enough to warrant a trade like that.

 

[malice]

If you don't get a stud TE, you need to give a TE at least 4-5 weeks to develop at the start of the season.

Drafted Watson and Cooley in later rounds, and after getting 0-3 pts at the position for the first few weeks, dumped 'em both. I've been playing 'TE of the week' for months now. Alex Smith...David Martin...Jermaine Wiggins...Jerramy Stevens...ended up with Vernon Davis and Tony Scheffler. In past years it's been so nice to have a Todd Heap that you can just plug in and forget about the spot. WW moves are so better used at RB/WR.

And if you get a Lions player at any point in the season, and he has even ONE good game...TRADE HIM ASAP. Value will never get higher (talking to you Kitna).

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

I traded LT after game 3 for LJ and Derrick Mason. I learned not to do that.

Also, auction ALL THE WAY. Never, ever again do I do a stupid snake draft.

 

[NoFBinLA]

In the league I just got knocked out? WR depth -- if I had had someone solid other than R. Williams I might have played them, based on the crappy way he's played the last few weeks.

Had DJax get injured and couldn't plug anyone else in Williams place - they had to sub DJax.

I'll let you know on the other three league next week.

 

[nerangers]

I didn't actually fail during the season in my redraft league, considering I came back from a 2-3 start to finish 10-4, and league high points.

QB was my weak point all season though. This league only allows for 7 FA moves all season, so I could not play the wires like I would have liked to. Drafted Green and Delhomme. Green gets injured and Delhomme never really produced. I ended up with Kitna and Leinart. I think next year I would go after a QB a little earlier.

My RBs definitely carried me (LT, Parker), and a good group of WRs helped (Driver, Williams, Boldin).

This was the wrong week for my team to colapse. The only person who got me TDs today were LT.

 

[lloyd christmas]

What I learned: No matter how good the starting lineup looks, do not trade away all of your depth to get there.

How I learned it: Traded Deuce, Kitna and Reggie Brown to get Harrison. My lineup would have been McNabb, Portis, K. Jones, Harrision, Ward/Glenn/R.Moss.

In dynasty, I re-learned not to panic. If you dont get the trade you want wait a week.

 

[JBTV]

Don't ever draft a RB whose offensive coordinator was running a bed and breakfast a year earlier.

Seriously, I'm going to focus some energies on moving into the top 3-4 spots of drafts next year. It seems like picks 5-15 are littered with very feast/famine rb's that you feel should be giving you good value, but aren't really all that sure of. Look at the choices at end of the first round this year...Ronnie Brown, SJax, FWP, Lamont, Caddy, McGahee, Edge, Portis. Those guys got a lot of us in trouble, especially having to pick 2 of them in the wraparound at the top of the 2nd round. But when we were drafting we felt we had 2 rock solid backs. Next year I may grab a stud WR if available at the end of 1 or early 2, then burn 3-5 picks on prospective RB's in the next rounds. One or two are bound to pan out like Gore, Chester, etc. If I burn enough picks in the middle rounds on guys like that, I won't feel as bad cutting one lose if he busts.

Also, I'm surprised by it every year, but it always happens. WR2 or 3 can be picked up off the waiver wire the first week or 2.

I'm also liking more and more grabbing a stud TE early. It was nice to stick Gates in there every week and not worry about it one bit.

Above all, the draft is only the start. I ground out a spot in the semi-finals taking Ronnie Brown in the first, Lamont Jordan in the 2nd, and starting the season with Bledsoe and Roethlisberger as my QB's. I ground out a playoff win with guys like Colston, Dev. Henderson (when Colston went down), a nice trade for Brees, Sammy Morris, and more last minute waiver wire starters because of good matchups than I could count. I'd say the order of importance in building a good team (redraft league) 1) Draft, 2) Waivers first few weeks 3) Working, working, working for a good trade 4) Waivers last couple weeks into the playoffs. If I'd worked the waivers as hard in previous years as I did this year, I'd defintely have turned a couple playoff apearances into titles.

 

[Garts]

I failed by making a dumb decision this week by playing the Saints DEF over the Steelers.

Damn it!

 

[JBTV]

Re-reading my post and thinking about it a little more, I want to ramble a little more on the trading for 1.1 or 1.2. I don't think I really made it very clear.

I'm going to work hard to try and give up a 1st and a 2nd to get back 1.1 or 1.2, and a 3rd or 4th rounder next year. I feel my chances of hitting one a good RB2 from one of my two 3rd rounders is almost as good as hitting on the guy I pick in the 2nd to be my RB2. Barring some crazy scenario, I usually go RB-RB-RB anyways, so I think my skill level at uncovering next year's Gore or Chester would allow me to roll the dice later on my 2nd RB's in order to get a top 2 uber-stud. I think that area of the rankings (RB6-15ish) has become a place where there's so many guys with questions, they're not all that much more valuable than RB15-25ish.

 

[Donny Loved Bowling]

I spent $44 of my $200 auction cap on Reggie Bush. He's paid off lately, but I could've had FWP for the same price.

During the preseason, I dropped Marques Colston and added Cedric Cobbs. Guess I need to do a better job of reading that crystal ball next year.

(Apparently, I am doomed to repeat my mistakes. Two years ago, I cut Gates in the preseason, adding David Terrell. That one actually hurt more.)

 

[Blue-Kun]

3 things I learned.

1. I was always going to be at least 15 points in the hole against the LT player.

2. I learned a lot of the 'sleeper' QB picks was worse than just throwing darts at QB's that would be on the board after round 10.

3. Let everyone else take RB's on terrible teams with no O-line to speak of. Don't trade for them at any price thinking they'll magically rebound.

 

[broncofan13000]

i didn't mortgage everything i own to move into the #1 pick

i had #3 pick and really wanted to move up to #2 to get LT ... should've sacrificied the farm.

 

[Donny Loved Bowling]

I've learned to be more careful in setting waiver selection priorities. All it took for me to learn this valuable lesson was spending the #1 waiver pick on Doug Gabriel instead of Maurice Jones-Drew.

 

[mad sweeney]

I waited until rounds 7-9 to pick QBs and had to play matchups all season. I'd rather take a solid nearly "must start" QB earlier and push a WR pick until later than have to pick between the two Jakes every week. And picking wrong (or being wrong no matter who I pick cuz they both suck). LT is a great buffer for QB mistakes but I'd rather feel confident at that position.

 

[Woz]

Don't pick players with injuries or injury histories coming into the season: Portis, Steve Smith, Deshaun Foster, Randy Moss, Warner.

 

[netnalp]

Taking a QB that has been injured and is on a new team is a risk, taking two can kill you. Culpepper & Brooks in one league, Brooks & Rothesberger in the other.

Don't assume a player will cost to much to trade for, finding an asking price is free. An owner was able to get LJ, Alexander, CJ and Harrison for fairly cheap. Not all paid off but I hadn't considered trying to trade for any of these guys.

 

[msommer]

auction ALL THE WAY. Never, ever again do I do a stupid snake draft.

And then I have to trust Stallworth - cost me two games not toOther than that I did good, two playoffs, still alive.

 

[Knight who says Ni]

My mistake was buying into the preseason Dolphins hype - I bought it and took Ronnie Brown #6, when I was leaning towards D-Jax. Also, it didn't help that I took Randy Moss in the 3rd, passing on T.O. I guess what I learned is you should usually stick with your instincts and avoid the hype when possible, as tantalizing as it may be ... I actually knew it, this year just reinforced it.

Ni

 

[-OZ-]

1. Don't draft Raiders

2. Don't overthink your lineups

 

[-OZ-]

My mistake was buying into the preseason Dolphins hype - I bought it and took Ronnie Brown #6, when I was leaning towards D-Jax. Also, it didn't help that I took Randy Moss in the 3rd, passing on T.O. I guess what I learned is you should usually stick with your instincts and avoid the hype when possible, as tantalizing as it may be ... I actually knew it, this year just reinforced it.

Ni

 

[TinHat]

Not putting enough stock in preseason

 

[TinHat]

My mistake was buying into the preseason Dolphins hype - I bought it and took Ronnie Brown #6, when I was leaning towards D-Jax. Also, it didn't help that I took Randy Moss in the 3rd, passing on T.O. I guess what I learned is you should usually stick with your instincts and avoid the hype when possible, as tantalizing as it may be ... I actually knew it, this year just reinforced it.

Ni

I'm pretty sure he meant S-Jax

 

[Knight who says Ni]

My mistake was buying into the preseason Dolphins hype - I bought it and took Ronnie Brown #6, when I was leaning towards D-Jax. Also, it didn't help that I took Randy Moss in the 3rd, passing on T.O. I guess what I learned is you should usually stick with your instincts and avoid the hype when possible, as tantalizing as it may be ... I actually knew it, this year just reinforced it.

Ni

I'm pretty sure he meant S-Jax

erm, yes - S-Jax, sorry ...Still working on the coffee this morning

Ni

 

[lions327]

Hindsight is 20-20...so I don't second guess myself too much. It's too easy to say you should have done this or that after week 15.

Next year, I'm going to second guess myself shortly after I draft, and then examine it after the season.

 

[fightingillini]

What I learned this year is:

Rookies CAN make an impact. I usually stay away from rookies like the plague. But after this year, where Colston, MJD, Bush (PPR leagues), Vince Young, and Leinart all made FF contributions this year. I will start evaluating rookies on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Warpig]

I learned that luck will always trump knowledge and skill..

 

[Warpig]

Don't pick players with injuries or injury histories coming into the season: Portis, Steve Smith, Deshaun Foster, Randy Moss, Warner.

Hold on a sec...What about these guysenningtonBreesPalmerGrossmanDeuceThe guys above would have been solid contributors to most teams.

 

[mlball77]

I learned that luck will always trump knowledge and skill..

Yeah, this is a tough lesson to learn. Skill will often put you in a position to win, but luck is usually what decides the outcome.A lesson I have learned this season, don't discount older RBs. Guys like TJ, Dillon, F Taylor etc. Many of them were solid producers, but could be had dirt cheap or close to it in keeper and dynasty leagues. Obviously not long term answers at RB, but a huge help as a RB2 or RB3 if you need some depth there (and RB depth is important).

 

[glumpy]

Waited too long on a QB (common "good" advice) and ended up with A. Brooks and Plummer.

I actually targetted those two QB's in the draft, picking them in rounds 6 & 9, and still think that was a fair move (even though it didn't work). If anything I'd say the problem there was placing too much stock in Oakland's potential in general. Don't really know yet any specifics of what went wrong--made the playoffs and lost in round two this week. I did make the anticipated roster goofs a couple times during the year, and misread a couple waiver wire picks--but all things considered we all know there's a lot of luck involved in this game! On the good side, I was able to ride with 50% of my draft picks all year including #1, 2, 3, & 5 --a number I would think is above average considering injury and/or bust potential.

 

[ffgiant]

I learned that luck will always trump knowledge and skill..

I got to agree, in all my 3 semi-final match up, I played Gates' ownes, which is the main reason I am in the championship game next week. The lesson I learned this year is to pick the player you like, not keep seeking so-called values. I'd rather win or lose on my best judgement instead of other's leftovers. Kevin Jones is a good example, one the main reason I am in the playoff.

 

[perry147]

I learned that luck will always trump knowledge and skill..

I got to agree, in all my 3 semi-final match up, I played Gates' ownes, which is the main reason I am in the championship game next week. The lesson I learned this year is to pick the player you like, not keep seeking so-called values. I'd rather win or lose on my best judgement instead of other's leftovers. Kevin Jones is a good example, one the main reason I am in the playoff.

I agree with this assessment in that I also have learned to sometimes ignore the cheatsheets. Example: Choosing Portis instead of Jordon - I know Portis got hurt but while healthy he was 10000% more productive than Jordon.