First.....thanks for allowing me to be a part of this league.
Halfway Home:
Pre-draft: OK with my draft slot even though I would have preferred to be in the middle with my thoughts heading into this season. Know there are some quality drafters. A few players I am really targeting.
1.02 Aaron Rodgers QB1 GB 10
At 1.02 I wanted a guy who I felt was as close as I could get to a “no doubt, no brainer, automatic, will be in my lineup every week” type of guy in this best ball format. I think Rodgers is about as close as you can get to that and the reason I didn’t take one of the RB’s. To me, RB’s are at more of a risk to get dinged then QB’s and the possibility of them laying an egg or having a down week is higher as well. With this high of a pick, I want a guy that mitigates that risk as much as possible.
Other considerations: None really, except I did think about taking one of the RB’s and then maybe rolling the dice with Vick as my QB as I thought I would be able to get him at the 2-3 turn.
2.13 Steven Jackson RB13 STL 9
I already had a QB so it was nice to see 2 of them go right before my pick here allowing some other positions to fall. Legacy and Razor obviously wanted a top guy and felt they needed to grab one there as Shadow might take one at the turn. This pick was going to be a RB or Hernandez (was glad to see Gates go as TE3). Of the RB’s that were left, Jackson was the guy I was targeting as my pick got closer. I am a KC fan but I am a little skeptical that Charles returns to the player that he once was. Hillis ain’t no joke and a guy that I was hoping to get later in the draft. I think Charles owners will be disappointed this year. Jackson should see a ton of work with Fisher in town. I consider him one of the last of the dying bell cows and he can catch 40-50 balls as well.
Other considerations: Hernandez
3.02 Aaron Hernandez TE4 NE 9
Was glad Shadow didn’t go TE. Had he taken Hernandez, I would have passed on TE here. Those in any of the survivor leagues here at FBG know how much I like Hernandez as I have him in every one of those I am in. Long story short, in this format last year of the non-RB’s, Hernandez only trailed Gronk/Graham/Calvin/Welker in PPG scoring last year; and that was as the 3rd fiddle. Think about that; in this format, NE had 3 of the top 5 scoring non RB’s in the league. I am not as worried about Lloyd as the Welker owners should be. I think Hernandez will still get his targets and receptions. He had 79 receptions in only 14 games. I’m not a big stat guy and I don’t really go chasing them, I just think NE will still throw a ton and Hernandez will get his.
Other considerations: None. Although I was disappointed that I knew this pick would not allow me to have Brandon Marshall on my team.
4.13 Jeremy Maclin WR22 PHI 7
My first really tough choice and I struggled a little with this pick. Going into the draft, I was hoping to get Maclin as my WR2 and Decker as my WR3. I quickly realized with my draft position and the way the draft was going that that wasn’t going to happen. After going back and forth on a few guys I settled on taking Maclin here. I am gambling on some guys that I am really high on (more on that later) and Maclin is one of those guys. Decker is the other.
Other considerations: Easier to explain this pick by talking about who I maybe could have taken. Had Colston made it here, he would have been the pick. I would have liked a Colston/Maclin/Decker combo but Decker would have never made it back to me in the 6th. The two guys that Shadow ended up picking here at the turn were considerations and it was really hard not to pull the trigger on Jackson. But…I’m not sold that he will be the same player in TB, it came down to me feeling I needed to see how it goes for a year with him in TB. I know what I should get with Maclin in PHI. Johnson was also a possibility but the hammy seems to be a little issue there for him as I did some digging.
5.02 Eric Decker WR25 DEN 7
Shadow made this a pretty easy pick for me as he did what I thought he would and took both Jackson and Johnson. I may never know, but I thought if I had taken one of those guys at 4.13 that one of his picks at the turn would have been Maclin, and it really came down to the fact that I like Maclin better than both of them for next year. I was pretty sure Decker would be here at 5.02, but not so sure about Maclin. Had he not taken both Johnson and Jackson I would have had a decision here. Had Jackson been available it would have been a tough call. Decker is playing the old Austin Collie spot and I expect him to have a huge year. He was having a very good year last year with Orton at the helm. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him be more productive than Demaryus Thomas.
Other considerations: WR was getting pretty wiped out, so it seemed like the play here. My thoughts are that most of us will be scrambling for points at RB2 this year so better lock up my second WR in this start 3 WR format. So there really weren’t a ton of other ways to go here, maybe Lloyd, but I’m not as excited about him as others. He definitely benefits from a McDaniel’s system, but he has never been on a team like he is now with so many other quality receiving options. I think those expecting a “big” year out of Lloyd will be disappointed.
6.13 Denarius Moore WR32 OAK 5
This one hurt. Eight QB’s went in this round where I had the 13th pick. And one of my “boys” was falling to me and I thought I had a shot at a gift. Razor absolutely crushed me here by taking Redman with the pick right before me. I really wanted to add him as my RB2. I mean really wanted to add him. Razor had 2 RB’s already so I thought I would have a shot. But he obviously felt he was a little too much value to pass up. Damn it. Oh well, after this nut shot I switched directions. Moore could be the real deal, he passed my eye ball test, that’s all I can really say. He was next on my list, so I locked down my WR3 here.
Other considerations: :finger: to Razor. Starks was the next RB on my list but I thought Shadow would go a different direction than RB so WR was the pick.
7.02 James Starks RB29 GB 10
Consolation prize is GB running back in the 7th. Not much competition for carries but I hate that Rodgers and Kuhn steal his goaline love. Reports are he could breakout, let’s hope. He is on a high octane offense so we’ll see. Hate this pick, but it was necessary at the time. I immediately started targeting a couple of other guys that I hoped to get in the next couple of rounds to maybe bail out the ####ty start I have had to this draft, especially at RB. Redman pick still hurts. I really only like my Rodgers/Hernandez/Maclin picks at this point. Most of my picks have been dictated by draft position and need, I hate that. Feel like I haven’t really gotten any value other than I think I was able to get Hernandez a little later than where I think he deserves to go in this format.
Other considerations: :stillfinger: to Razor. Thought about Dwilly and even McGahee, but I was targeting Hillman as one of my two saviors at RB and I was planning on going all in with him and didn’t feel like covering myself by wasting a pick on McGahee.
8.13 Ben Tate RB41 HOU 8
Love getting Tate here as I would have taken him over most of the other RB’s who went before him in rounds 7-8. Had Hillis made it to me, he would have been the pick, but other than that I like Tate over the other RB’s taken in rounds 7 and 8. Maybe Brown but maybe not. Tate is the real deal and produces quality numbers even as the RB2 on his team. He is a nice pick in best ball format, cause I don’t have to worry about whether I start him or not. Should Foster go down, I have a top 5 RB. I will also say that my draft position here dictated this pick a little as well. Shadow is behind me with Foster and I didn’t want to allow him to lock up the HOU running game in best ball. Have a feeling he might of as it would have been his last chance.
Other considerations: Crabtree would have maybe been a nice addition here as a WR4 but I have a plan for rounding out my WR core later.
9.02 Ronnie Hillman RB42 DEN 7
This could make or break my team. Not going to say much more. Could be the SOD or worse pick ever. Potential upside here trumped some of the other safer “back up” RB’s still on the board.
Other considerations: None. There may be some others that feel the same way as I do in this league, so I felt I had to get him here. I could say who I would have looked at had he been taken already but some of those guys haven’t been picked yet.
Overall: I suck. While I like some of the players I have, it feels like I should change my name from Stinkin Ref to Reach City, because I have had to snag most of them about a round earlier than I wanted too. Quality drafters here, as expected, and things haven’t shaken down the way I hoped. Best ball is the only thing that may save me.
just because of personal preference and I had the same 
