SSL1 Discussion thread (1 Viewer)

[Sweet Love]

...and we're off. Here is a look at my SSL1 team. I've been very lucky in these Survivor Pools (2 for 2), since I started in 2012, but my luck is going to run out. I have never taken a QB in Round 1 in 17 years and countless leagues, and it is because I hate playing catchup with my core team. With that said, I just felt like there was a drop in need (not talent) right as I was picking, and Manning was sticking out like a sore thumb. It is also fun to mix it up once in a while.

Here are my picks, plus the guys who went ahead and behind me for some context:

Round 1 - Marshawn Lynch, RB SEA; Peyton Manning QB DEN; Brandon Marshall, WR CHI - As I mentioned, never have gone QB first, but in a league where there is such an emphasis on QB play, I went with someone who I feel will keep me from being the lowest scorer each week. Most of his weapons are still there, and what he lost in Decker, he gained back in Sanders and Latimer. Really wanted Lacy here who went two picks before me.

Round 2 - DeMarco Murray, RB DAL; Montee Ball, RB DEN; WR Alshon Jeffrey CHI - Well missed out on Murray (which may not be as bad since the Lee injury occurred, but I felt I had to go RB here and now have two players on the same team (could care less), but with the same bye week (not great...Week 4). Feel like he is one of the last workhorse RBs with upside remaining.

Round 3 - Cameron Jordan TE CLE; Percy Harvin WR SEA; Jason Witten TE DAL - Besides another Week 4 bye, happy with the selection as he should be a PPR monster. Oddly, in SSL1 (drafted back in Feb(?)), I was able to get Harvin as my WR3 in Round 4, but think he is a decent WR1 in a 16 teamer when I already have a QB1 and RB1.

Round 4 - Matt Ryan QB ATL; Roddy White, WR ATL; Cordarrelle Paterson WR MIN - The thought of having "upside" in a guy like Patterson was intriguing, but when comparing QBs, White got the nod. Vincent Jackson went three picks ahead, and I was eyeballing him for my WR2 in lieu of White.

Round 5 - Frank Gore RB SF; Eric Decker WR NYJ; Darren Sproles RB PHI - This is where I felt the available talent plummeted....right before I picked. Gone between my picks were Tate, Trent, Rice, Knowshon, Sankey, Chris Johnson, Gerhart and Gore...Johnson and Gerhart were the real daggers as they went five and two picks before me...man, I could have used one of them, and to add insult to injury, TY Hilton and Torrey Smith went in between there. Decker is "fine" as a WR3 in a 16 team PPR, but I can't help to think, my team would have been much better with one of those others on it.

Round 6 - Julian Edelman WR NEP; Martellus Bennett TE CHI; Michael Floyd WR ARZ - Very, very, very close to pulling the trigger on Floyd as my WR4, but felt that I would have been pummeled on TE if I waited. Three others went by my next pick, and I think Bennett is the safest of that group.

Round 7 - Eli Manning QB NYG; Pierre Thomas RB NOS; Joe Flacco QB BAL - I guess this is where I get rewarded for picking a QB first. As teams are getting their low-end QB1s or high-end QB2s, my bacon is saved because I get someone in Thomas who can put up nice numbers for me...I got very lucky here.

Round 8 - Steve Smith WR BAL; Maurice Jones-Drew RB OAK; Johnny Manziel QB CLE - Got a guy who I hope will be able to give me one more year. I was a little nervous I was going to miss out on another RB, but (1) I was forced into getting someone who has question marks, and (2) I was forced into getting another RB. I am honestly not sure whether I got the Oakland RB to own, and just hope he gets some PPR opportunities.

Round 9 - Fred Jackson RB BUF; Ladarius Green TE SD; Jarrett Boykin WR GB - Ooof! Got sniped on Freddy Jackson. Would have felt fine with my RB combo with him in there (best ball remember), but instead felt it would be nice to strengthen my TEs and picked up Green who I am a little bullish about this year.

Round 10 - Jacquizz Rodgers RB ATL; Michael Vick QB NYJ; Austin Sefarian-Jenkins TE TBB - Not a great pick...could have walked away with Seattle Def, and instead I have a QB who may not even play meaningful snaps this year. At the time of this pick, he was still thought to be in the running for QB1, but since that time, Geno has been getting all the press. Either way, it was a guessing game, but I could have waited five additional rounds and picked up Geno.

Round 11 - Jordan Matthews WR PHI; Stevie Johnson WR SF; Markus Wheaton WR PIT - Happy to have Stevie Johnson and thought of Wheaton with this pick too. I think he has a really good opportunity to do well in this offense and will have the whole offseason to gel with Kap and the rest of the crew. Was really hoping for Baldwin or Jonathan Stewart, but they went six and eight picks ahead of me.

Round 12 - Bengals DEF; Chiefs DEF; Carlos Hyde RB SF - Def does not score much in this league, but wanted to get a decent one and call it a day. I did pass up guys like Ivory, Shonn Greene, and D Freeman, and I may pay for that...again, poor job predicting who would be there for me after the big turn.

Round 13 - Christine Michael RB SEA; Mike Williams WR BUF; S Gostowski K NEP - Not one to make excuses, but boy, I screwed the pooch on this one. I loaded up MFL pre-draft on my phone and did not have it done correctly. Really wanted Rod Streater here, and while I got him in Round 15, not sure I gained much value by having Williams on my team...I guess my WR core is in good shape, but was hoping C Michael would fall to me.

Round 14 - Justin Tucker K BAL - He'll have his opportunities and is true starter

Round 15 - Rod Streater WR OAK - See above

Round 16- Jay Feely K AZ

Round 17 - Andre Brown RB HOU - I actually like this pick a lot. Tate has been worth holding for the past few years, and I see nothing that will tell me Brown will not be the same...hopefully he can stay healthy and get some work in as Foster is rested or injured.

Round 18 - Tenn DEF - Very close to going with one DEF...Stepfan Taylor would have been my selection.

So, that is my squad. Not sure I get by Week 4, but if I do, I should do OK. Would like that Vick pick back, but beyond that, no huge regrets. WR, TE and QB (just based on Peyton) are strengths, but not sure I can overcome my lacking RBs. I could put up a goose egg in that spot each week.

ETA: Final Roster:

QB: Peyton Manning, Michael Vick

RB: Montee Ball, Pierre Thomas, MJD, Andre Brown

WR: Percy Harvin, Roddy White, Eric Decker, Stevie Johnson, Rod Streater

TE: Martellus Bennett, Ladarius Green

DEF: KCC, TEN

K: Justin Tucker, Jay Feely

 

[BassNBrew]

I'll round out my roster with a post after my final pick, but for now I'll comment on my last two:

16.12 Lance Moore, WR, PIT

Love the value here as I see Pittsburgh going 3-wide a lot more this year. Moore will bounce back and find the end zone, just like Cotchery did (although asking for 10 TDs is way too much). I can see a 50-600-5 year for him, which is solid for such a late add to my roster.

17.05 Washington D/ST

This one might seem a little odd at first, but I like the Redskins here as a strong compliment to my D1 (STL). The Rams are off on Week 4 and Washington hosts the Giants. Throw in that Washington hosts TB in Week 11 (a late bad matchup for STL, playing Denver) and I like these two matchups. DeSean Jackson should also help the PR/KR teams. With 20+ defenses gone (surprised it took this long, actually) and Nittany looming with two picks (Skins fan), I didn't think WASH would get back to me.

Still thinking about who I want with the last pick.

Finishing my last 2-3 picks thoughts...

I almost took my final player at pick 17, but thought better of the shortage of defenses left. I didn't want a terrible defense to round this out so I took WASH, knowing that my 3 final defensive choices that paired well with STL were WASH, DET and SD. I didn't think any of them would still be there in Round 18 and was appreciative that I could even take my 2nd D I wanted in Rd 17, so I took Washington and tried not to look back.

As it was, several names I wanted fell between my 17th and 18th picks. Andrew Hawkins was the top of my list, and how fitting that BSS took both him and the SD D (no surprise there) - so called that one. My next player on my short list was Donnie Avery, but he fell too. My 3rd option was a RB rather than a WR because I still can't figure out who will be the WR2 in SD - Floyd or V. Brown - so I put Floyd as my 4th option on my list after RB Charles Sims. I liked Sims because he should be the RB2 in TB and also see PPR love out of the backfield. I think he may give me some points early (assuming Rice is suspended) and that could really help - plus he offers major upside if Doug Martin gets injured. With 5 WRs already on my team - none of which share a bye - WR6 was more of a luxury and RB5 was more of a need. First time I've gone off the 2-4-6-2-2-2 normal pattern for me, but I think this squad warranted it.

Final roster:

QB - Andrew Luck (10), E.J. Manuel (9)

I love Luck this year as a standout QB4, and I don't care if people thought I reached for him. The rest of the roster did not suffer for taking him in the late 2nd instead of the early 3rd round. Manuel is the entrenched starter and has upside - all you can ask for from your QB2.

RB - Ray Rice (11), Rashad Jennings (8), DeAngelo Williams (12), Ka'Deem Carey (9), Charles Sims (7)

5 players (one more than usual for me) that don't share a bye. Rice is risky and no true RB1, but most teams don't have bell cows any more. All of these guys can catch and I'll take pedestrian performances that keep me alive from this group.

WR - Calvin Johnson (9), T.Y. Hilton (10), Terrance Williams (11), Odell Beckham (8), Lance Moore (12)

Stud WR1 should drive this group. Hilton / Williams offer explosion, and Beckham will be a solid Top 30-35 guy this year in PPR leagues with the Giants going 3-wide (and having next to nothing at TE). Moore will be the slot WR for PIT, replacing Cotchery, and could get TD upside as a result.

TE - Vernon Davis (8), Marcedes Lewis (11)

Davis is a Top 5 TE, and I got very lucky to still have Lewis as my TE2 when pickings got very thin. He should get decent numbers in Week 8 which is about all I really am counting on from him.

PK - Steven Hauschka (4), Nate Freese (DET) (9)

D/ST - STL (4), WASH (10)

Solid kickers with starting jobs (very much counting Freese as having the DET job). STL is a Top 5 defense and WASH is a sleeper D/ST that compliments the Rams well. Two early byes too with my top PK and D/ST.

One regret here is not taking D. Freeman in Round 12 (went STL D). If I had gone Freeman / Defense (such as CHI) I would have felt much better about my RBs and may not have added a fifth one. We'll see if that costs me.

I still think that this team has a reasonable shot to stick around into December.

QB - I was the one who didn't like the early QB pick. Davis surviving to the 3rd helped reduce the damage. Luck offers get consistency and should take another step forward this year. Manual was a good and cheap backup pick. Grade B

RB - Good ideal to add a fifth. Your success will likely hinge on Rice. I grabbed him at the 4/5 turn in the pdsl, but the possible suspension is concerning. Which Rice do we get this year, the bellow or the 2013 shell of himself? Kubiak should help Rice. After that I see a bunch of guys with little upside to be difference makers. Grade C-

WR - Risky. CJ is a stud but if he throws up a clunker you don't have much room for error. I was all over Hilton last year, but now you got Wayne, Nicks, and Allen in the mix. I thought Hilton was going to be a stud, but now I'm not so sure. I think Williams was an outstanding pick. You'll need something from Beckham/Moore, not sure if the stats will be there this year. Overall you are ahead of the curve here and I won't hit you too hard on the depth although it is a concern. Grade B+

TE - Stud lite and a great backup. Not much else to say. Grade A-

D/K - You got a full compliment and they are average to above average within their groups. Grade B+

You should survive deep into the year. Not sure if I see the top end punch to win out at the end.

Thanks BNB.

As to the VDavis lasting to the 3rd, that was a given pretty much as I had several TE options at the 2nd pick but Graham was already gone, so I knew a good TE would make it back to me in the 3rd.

I agree about Rice, but I think having two young RB2s on their respective teams (Sims, Carey) could be the upside that makes this team a winner. As long as Calvin is my WR1, I should get either Hilton or Williams as my WR2 most weeks with either the other guy or Beckham as my WR3. If I need Lance Moore often, this team will not be that good.

Overall I am happy with it and as long as my RBs don't cost me, I have a shot. That's about all you can ask for with these.

It was fun to draft with everyone as well, BTW - until we slowed down for the final week. Nice to be back doing these.

Didn't matter, but you would have been better off taking your preferred TE in the 2nd and getting Luck in the 3rd. Luck was going to be there regardless.

 

[Sweet Love]

I'll round out my roster with a post after my final pick, but for now I'll comment on my last two:

16.12 Lance Moore, WR, PIT

Love the value here as I see Pittsburgh going 3-wide a lot more this year. Moore will bounce back and find the end zone, just like Cotchery did (although asking for 10 TDs is way too much). I can see a 50-600-5 year for him, which is solid for such a late add to my roster.

17.05 Washington D/ST

This one might seem a little odd at first, but I like the Redskins here as a strong compliment to my D1 (STL). The Rams are off on Week 4 and Washington hosts the Giants. Throw in that Washington hosts TB in Week 11 (a late bad matchup for STL, playing Denver) and I like these two matchups. DeSean Jackson should also help the PR/KR teams. With 20+ defenses gone (surprised it took this long, actually) and Nittany looming with two picks (Skins fan), I didn't think WASH would get back to me.

Still thinking about who I want with the last pick.

Finishing my last 2-3 picks thoughts...

I almost took my final player at pick 17, but thought better of the shortage of defenses left. I didn't want a terrible defense to round this out so I took WASH, knowing that my 3 final defensive choices that paired well with STL were WASH, DET and SD. I didn't think any of them would still be there in Round 18 and was appreciative that I could even take my 2nd D I wanted in Rd 17, so I took Washington and tried not to look back.

As it was, several names I wanted fell between my 17th and 18th picks. Andrew Hawkins was the top of my list, and how fitting that BSS took both him and the SD D (no surprise there) - so called that one. My next player on my short list was Donnie Avery, but he fell too. My 3rd option was a RB rather than a WR because I still can't figure out who will be the WR2 in SD - Floyd or V. Brown - so I put Floyd as my 4th option on my list after RB Charles Sims. I liked Sims because he should be the RB2 in TB and also see PPR love out of the backfield. I think he may give me some points early (assuming Rice is suspended) and that could really help - plus he offers major upside if Doug Martin gets injured. With 5 WRs already on my team - none of which share a bye - WR6 was more of a luxury and RB5 was more of a need. First time I've gone off the 2-4-6-2-2-2 normal pattern for me, but I think this squad warranted it.

Final roster:

QB - Andrew Luck (10), E.J. Manuel (9)

I love Luck this year as a standout QB4, and I don't care if people thought I reached for him. The rest of the roster did not suffer for taking him in the late 2nd instead of the early 3rd round. Manuel is the entrenched starter and has upside - all you can ask for from your QB2.

RB - Ray Rice (11), Rashad Jennings (8), DeAngelo Williams (12), Ka'Deem Carey (9), Charles Sims (7)

5 players (one more than usual for me) that don't share a bye. Rice is risky and no true RB1, but most teams don't have bell cows any more. All of these guys can catch and I'll take pedestrian performances that keep me alive from this group.

WR - Calvin Johnson (9), T.Y. Hilton (10), Terrance Williams (11), Odell Beckham (8), Lance Moore (12)

Stud WR1 should drive this group. Hilton / Williams offer explosion, and Beckham will be a solid Top 30-35 guy this year in PPR leagues with the Giants going 3-wide (and having next to nothing at TE). Moore will be the slot WR for PIT, replacing Cotchery, and could get TD upside as a result.

TE - Vernon Davis (8), Marcedes Lewis (11)

Davis is a Top 5 TE, and I got very lucky to still have Lewis as my TE2 when pickings got very thin. He should get decent numbers in Week 8 which is about all I really am counting on from him.

PK - Steven Hauschka (4), Nate Freese (DET) (9)

D/ST - STL (4), WASH (10)

Solid kickers with starting jobs (very much counting Freese as having the DET job). STL is a Top 5 defense and WASH is a sleeper D/ST that compliments the Rams well. Two early byes too with my top PK and D/ST.

One regret here is not taking D. Freeman in Round 12 (went STL D). If I had gone Freeman / Defense (such as CHI) I would have felt much better about my RBs and may not have added a fifth one. We'll see if that costs me.

I still think that this team has a reasonable shot to stick around into December.

QB - I was the one who didn't like the early QB pick. Davis surviving to the 3rd helped reduce the damage. Luck offers get consistency and should take another step forward this year. Manual was a good and cheap backup pick. Grade B

RB - Good ideal to add a fifth. Your success will likely hinge on Rice. I grabbed him at the 4/5 turn in the pdsl, but the possible suspension is concerning. Which Rice do we get this year, the bellow or the 2013 shell of himself? Kubiak should help Rice. After that I see a bunch of guys with little upside to be difference makers. Grade C-

WR - Risky. CJ is a stud but if he throws up a clunker you don't have much room for error. I was all over Hilton last year, but now you got Wayne, Nicks, and Allen in the mix. I thought Hilton was going to be a stud, but now I'm not so sure. I think Williams was an outstanding pick. You'll need something from Beckham/Moore, not sure if the stats will be there this year. Overall you are ahead of the curve here and I won't hit you too hard on the depth although it is a concern. Grade B+

TE - Stud lite and a great backup. Not much else to say. Grade A-

D/K - You got a full compliment and they are average to above average within their groups. Grade B+

You should survive deep into the year. Not sure if I see the top end punch to win out at the end.

Thanks BNB.

As to the VDavis lasting to the 3rd, that was a given pretty much as I had several TE options at the 2nd pick but Graham was already gone, so I knew a good TE would make it back to me in the 3rd.

I agree about Rice, but I think having two young RB2s on their respective teams (Sims, Carey) could be the upside that makes this team a winner. As long as Calvin is my WR1, I should get either Hilton or Williams as my WR2 most weeks with either the other guy or Beckham as my WR3. If I need Lance Moore often, this team will not be that good.

Overall I am happy with it and as long as my RBs don't cost me, I have a shot. That's about all you can ask for with these.

It was fun to draft with everyone as well, BTW - until we slowed down for the final week. Nice to be back doing these.

Didn't matter, but you would have been better off taking your preferred TE in the 2nd and getting Luck in the 3rd. Luck was going to be there regardless.

I'd also like to see how the past winners of the Survivor leagues have fared at QB (i.e. who did the winning teams have). I think we place too much emphasis on the QB in these types of leagues. Truth is, you do not need to have the highest score each week, you just can't have the lowest (and yes, this is oming from the guy who took Manning in the first). By taking Manning, I lost out on RBs...big hole...I would have been better served reaching for a guy like Murray or taking a bona fide #1 like a Marshall versus going Manning in the first. It was not as bad as I thought it would be, but boy, I don't love the prospect of depending on Pierre Thomas as an every week contributor.

I won the SSL 1 last year with Vick, Flynn and Geno as my QBs. I won SSL4 in 2012 with Freeman, Kafka and some other scrub at QB. I didn't even have particularly great TE play (Pettigrew in 2012 and Olsen in 2013). I won because I had no holes in my RB and WR core. I approached the Survivors differently this year, because I thought luck played two much a part of my winning the previous years. I made sure I had a decent QB in 2 of the 3 leagues (Roth in one, Manning in the other), and it is now evident to me that you can't go too early on QB specifically in the SSL leagues with only 18 roster spots. If you use four of those spots on DEF/K, it leaves you with just 14 positional spots...not enough to take advantage of sleepers at RB or WR to make up for the early selection of a QB.

 

[Crippler]

I'll round out my roster with a post after my final pick, but for now I'll comment on my last two:

16.12 Lance Moore, WR, PIT

Love the value here as I see Pittsburgh going 3-wide a lot more this year. Moore will bounce back and find the end zone, just like Cotchery did (although asking for 10 TDs is way too much). I can see a 50-600-5 year for him, which is solid for such a late add to my roster.

17.05 Washington D/ST

This one might seem a little odd at first, but I like the Redskins here as a strong compliment to my D1 (STL). The Rams are off on Week 4 and Washington hosts the Giants. Throw in that Washington hosts TB in Week 11 (a late bad matchup for STL, playing Denver) and I like these two matchups. DeSean Jackson should also help the PR/KR teams. With 20+ defenses gone (surprised it took this long, actually) and Nittany looming with two picks (Skins fan), I didn't think WASH would get back to me.

Still thinking about who I want with the last pick.

Finishing my last 2-3 picks thoughts...

I almost took my final player at pick 17, but thought better of the shortage of defenses left. I didn't want a terrible defense to round this out so I took WASH, knowing that my 3 final defensive choices that paired well with STL were WASH, DET and SD. I didn't think any of them would still be there in Round 18 and was appreciative that I could even take my 2nd D I wanted in Rd 17, so I took Washington and tried not to look back.

As it was, several names I wanted fell between my 17th and 18th picks. Andrew Hawkins was the top of my list, and how fitting that BSS took both him and the SD D (no surprise there) - so called that one. My next player on my short list was Donnie Avery, but he fell too. My 3rd option was a RB rather than a WR because I still can't figure out who will be the WR2 in SD - Floyd or V. Brown - so I put Floyd as my 4th option on my list after RB Charles Sims. I liked Sims because he should be the RB2 in TB and also see PPR love out of the backfield. I think he may give me some points early (assuming Rice is suspended) and that could really help - plus he offers major upside if Doug Martin gets injured. With 5 WRs already on my team - none of which share a bye - WR6 was more of a luxury and RB5 was more of a need. First time I've gone off the 2-4-6-2-2-2 normal pattern for me, but I think this squad warranted it.

Final roster:

QB - Andrew Luck (10), E.J. Manuel (9)

I love Luck this year as a standout QB4, and I don't care if people thought I reached for him. The rest of the roster did not suffer for taking him in the late 2nd instead of the early 3rd round. Manuel is the entrenched starter and has upside - all you can ask for from your QB2.

RB - Ray Rice (11), Rashad Jennings (8), DeAngelo Williams (12), Ka'Deem Carey (9), Charles Sims (7)

5 players (one more than usual for me) that don't share a bye. Rice is risky and no true RB1, but most teams don't have bell cows any more. All of these guys can catch and I'll take pedestrian performances that keep me alive from this group.

WR - Calvin Johnson (9), T.Y. Hilton (10), Terrance Williams (11), Odell Beckham (8), Lance Moore (12)

Stud WR1 should drive this group. Hilton / Williams offer explosion, and Beckham will be a solid Top 30-35 guy this year in PPR leagues with the Giants going 3-wide (and having next to nothing at TE). Moore will be the slot WR for PIT, replacing Cotchery, and could get TD upside as a result.

TE - Vernon Davis (8), Marcedes Lewis (11)

Davis is a Top 5 TE, and I got very lucky to still have Lewis as my TE2 when pickings got very thin. He should get decent numbers in Week 8 which is about all I really am counting on from him.

PK - Steven Hauschka (4), Nate Freese (DET) (9)

D/ST - STL (4), WASH (10)

Solid kickers with starting jobs (very much counting Freese as having the DET job). STL is a Top 5 defense and WASH is a sleeper D/ST that compliments the Rams well. Two early byes too with my top PK and D/ST.

One regret here is not taking D. Freeman in Round 12 (went STL D). If I had gone Freeman / Defense (such as CHI) I would have felt much better about my RBs and may not have added a fifth one. We'll see if that costs me.

I still think that this team has a reasonable shot to stick around into December.

QB - I was the one who didn't like the early QB pick. Davis surviving to the 3rd helped reduce the damage. Luck offers get consistency and should take another step forward this year. Manual was a good and cheap backup pick. Grade B

RB - Good ideal to add a fifth. Your success will likely hinge on Rice. I grabbed him at the 4/5 turn in the pdsl, but the possible suspension is concerning. Which Rice do we get this year, the bellow or the 2013 shell of himself? Kubiak should help Rice. After that I see a bunch of guys with little upside to be difference makers. Grade C-

WR - Risky. CJ is a stud but if he throws up a clunker you don't have much room for error. I was all over Hilton last year, but now you got Wayne, Nicks, and Allen in the mix. I thought Hilton was going to be a stud, but now I'm not so sure. I think Williams was an outstanding pick. You'll need something from Beckham/Moore, not sure if the stats will be there this year. Overall you are ahead of the curve here and I won't hit you too hard on the depth although it is a concern. Grade B+

TE - Stud lite and a great backup. Not much else to say. Grade A-

D/K - You got a full compliment and they are average to above average within their groups. Grade B+

You should survive deep into the year. Not sure if I see the top end punch to win out at the end.

Thanks BNB.

As to the VDavis lasting to the 3rd, that was a given pretty much as I had several TE options at the 2nd pick but Graham was already gone, so I knew a good TE would make it back to me in the 3rd.

I agree about Rice, but I think having two young RB2s on their respective teams (Sims, Carey) could be the upside that makes this team a winner. As long as Calvin is my WR1, I should get either Hilton or Williams as my WR2 most weeks with either the other guy or Beckham as my WR3. If I need Lance Moore often, this team will not be that good.

Overall I am happy with it and as long as my RBs don't cost me, I have a shot. That's about all you can ask for with these.

It was fun to draft with everyone as well, BTW - until we slowed down for the final week. Nice to be back doing these.

Didn't matter, but you would have been better off taking your preferred TE in the 2nd and getting Luck in the 3rd. Luck was going to be there regardless.

I'd also like to see how the past winners of the Survivor leagues have fared at QB (i.e. who did the winning teams have). I think we place too much emphasis on the QB in these types of leagues. Truth is, you do not need to have the highest score each week, you just can't have the lowest (and yes, this is oming from the guy who took Manning in the first). By taking Manning, I lost out on RBs...big hole...I would have been better served reaching for a guy like Murray or taking a bona fide #1 like a Marshall versus going Manning in the first. It was not as bad as I thought it would be, but boy, I don't love the prospect of depending on Pierre Thomas as an every week contributor.

I won the SSL 1 last year with Vick, Flynn and Geno as my QBs. I won SSL4 in 2012 with Freeman, Kafka and some other scrub at QB. I didn't even have particularly great TE play (Pettigrew in 2012 and Olsen in 2013). I won because I had no holes in my RB and WR core. I approached the Survivors differently this year, because I thought luck played two much a part of my winning the previous years. I made sure I had a decent QB in 2 of the 3 leagues (Roth in one, Manning in the other), and it is now evident to me that you can't go too early on QB specifically in the SSL leagues with only 18 roster spots. If you use four of those spots on DEF/K, it leaves you with just 14 positional spots...not enough to take advantage of sleepers at RB or WR to make up for the early selection of a QB.

Should you not have more room for the sleeper RB and WR when you go QB early. You might be able to get away with only 1 or draft a guy deeper so you can take a RB/WR in round 7 or 8 instead of having to draft 2 QB's by than if you go QBBC approach. A Geno,. Schuabb, Fitzpatrick, Henne, Bridgewater all seem to be going round 11 or later. But you miss out on the stud RB-WR to lead the crew. I dont think there is any right away to go with this. Load at at WR1, 2 and 3 and maybe only go 5. Load at RB1, 2 and than grab backups or find just a 3rd guy and go 4. ONly going 1 PK or 1 D. Who knows what is correct. I have only won 1 of these and the factor in that was hitting phillip Rivers in the 8th as my QB.

 

[BassNBrew]

I'll round out my roster with a post after my final pick, but for now I'll comment on my last two:

16.12 Lance Moore, WR, PIT

Love the value here as I see Pittsburgh going 3-wide a lot more this year. Moore will bounce back and find the end zone, just like Cotchery did (although asking for 10 TDs is way too much). I can see a 50-600-5 year for him, which is solid for such a late add to my roster.

17.05 Washington D/ST

This one might seem a little odd at first, but I like the Redskins here as a strong compliment to my D1 (STL). The Rams are off on Week 4 and Washington hosts the Giants. Throw in that Washington hosts TB in Week 11 (a late bad matchup for STL, playing Denver) and I like these two matchups. DeSean Jackson should also help the PR/KR teams. With 20+ defenses gone (surprised it took this long, actually) and Nittany looming with two picks (Skins fan), I didn't think WASH would get back to me.

Still thinking about who I want with the last pick.

Finishing my last 2-3 picks thoughts...

I almost took my final player at pick 17, but thought better of the shortage of defenses left. I didn't want a terrible defense to round this out so I took WASH, knowing that my 3 final defensive choices that paired well with STL were WASH, DET and SD. I didn't think any of them would still be there in Round 18 and was appreciative that I could even take my 2nd D I wanted in Rd 17, so I took Washington and tried not to look back.

As it was, several names I wanted fell between my 17th and 18th picks. Andrew Hawkins was the top of my list, and how fitting that BSS took both him and the SD D (no surprise there) - so called that one. My next player on my short list was Donnie Avery, but he fell too. My 3rd option was a RB rather than a WR because I still can't figure out who will be the WR2 in SD - Floyd or V. Brown - so I put Floyd as my 4th option on my list after RB Charles Sims. I liked Sims because he should be the RB2 in TB and also see PPR love out of the backfield. I think he may give me some points early (assuming Rice is suspended) and that could really help - plus he offers major upside if Doug Martin gets injured. With 5 WRs already on my team - none of which share a bye - WR6 was more of a luxury and RB5 was more of a need. First time I've gone off the 2-4-6-2-2-2 normal pattern for me, but I think this squad warranted it.

Final roster:

QB - Andrew Luck (10), E.J. Manuel (9)

I love Luck this year as a standout QB4, and I don't care if people thought I reached for him. The rest of the roster did not suffer for taking him in the late 2nd instead of the early 3rd round. Manuel is the entrenched starter and has upside - all you can ask for from your QB2.

RB - Ray Rice (11), Rashad Jennings (8), DeAngelo Williams (12), Ka'Deem Carey (9), Charles Sims (7)

5 players (one more than usual for me) that don't share a bye. Rice is risky and no true RB1, but most teams don't have bell cows any more. All of these guys can catch and I'll take pedestrian performances that keep me alive from this group.

WR - Calvin Johnson (9), T.Y. Hilton (10), Terrance Williams (11), Odell Beckham (8), Lance Moore (12)

Stud WR1 should drive this group. Hilton / Williams offer explosion, and Beckham will be a solid Top 30-35 guy this year in PPR leagues with the Giants going 3-wide (and having next to nothing at TE). Moore will be the slot WR for PIT, replacing Cotchery, and could get TD upside as a result.

TE - Vernon Davis (8), Marcedes Lewis (11)

Davis is a Top 5 TE, and I got very lucky to still have Lewis as my TE2 when pickings got very thin. He should get decent numbers in Week 8 which is about all I really am counting on from him.

PK - Steven Hauschka (4), Nate Freese (DET) (9)

D/ST - STL (4), WASH (10)

Solid kickers with starting jobs (very much counting Freese as having the DET job). STL is a Top 5 defense and WASH is a sleeper D/ST that compliments the Rams well. Two early byes too with my top PK and D/ST.

One regret here is not taking D. Freeman in Round 12 (went STL D). If I had gone Freeman / Defense (such as CHI) I would have felt much better about my RBs and may not have added a fifth one. We'll see if that costs me.

I still think that this team has a reasonable shot to stick around into December.

QB - I was the one who didn't like the early QB pick. Davis surviving to the 3rd helped reduce the damage. Luck offers get consistency and should take another step forward this year. Manual was a good and cheap backup pick. Grade B

RB - Good ideal to add a fifth. Your success will likely hinge on Rice. I grabbed him at the 4/5 turn in the pdsl, but the possible suspension is concerning. Which Rice do we get this year, the bellow or the 2013 shell of himself? Kubiak should help Rice. After that I see a bunch of guys with little upside to be difference makers. Grade C-

WR - Risky. CJ is a stud but if he throws up a clunker you don't have much room for error. I was all over Hilton last year, but now you got Wayne, Nicks, and Allen in the mix. I thought Hilton was going to be a stud, but now I'm not so sure. I think Williams was an outstanding pick. You'll need something from Beckham/Moore, not sure if the stats will be there this year. Overall you are ahead of the curve here and I won't hit you too hard on the depth although it is a concern. Grade B+

TE - Stud lite and a great backup. Not much else to say. Grade A-

D/K - You got a full compliment and they are average to above average within their groups. Grade B+

You should survive deep into the year. Not sure if I see the top end punch to win out at the end.

Thanks BNB.

As to the VDavis lasting to the 3rd, that was a given pretty much as I had several TE options at the 2nd pick but Graham was already gone, so I knew a good TE would make it back to me in the 3rd.

I agree about Rice, but I think having two young RB2s on their respective teams (Sims, Carey) could be the upside that makes this team a winner. As long as Calvin is my WR1, I should get either Hilton or Williams as my WR2 most weeks with either the other guy or Beckham as my WR3. If I need Lance Moore often, this team will not be that good.

Overall I am happy with it and as long as my RBs don't cost me, I have a shot. That's about all you can ask for with these.

It was fun to draft with everyone as well, BTW - until we slowed down for the final week. Nice to be back doing these.

Didn't matter, but you would have been better off taking your preferred TE in the 2nd and getting Luck in the 3rd. Luck was going to be there regardless.

I'd also like to see how the past winners of the Survivor leagues have fared at QB (i.e. who did the winning teams have). I think we place too much emphasis on the QB in these types of leagues. Truth is, you do not need to have the highest score each week, you just can't have the lowest (and yes, this is oming from the guy who took Manning in the first). By taking Manning, I lost out on RBs...big hole...I would have been better served reaching for a guy like Murray or taking a bona fide #1 like a Marshall versus going Manning in the first. It was not as bad as I thought it would be, but boy, I don't love the prospect of depending on Pierre Thomas as an every week contributor.

I won the SSL 1 last year with Vick, Flynn and Geno as my QBs. I won SSL4 in 2012 with Freeman, Kafka and some other scrub at QB. I didn't even have particularly great TE play (Pettigrew in 2012 and Olsen in 2013). I won because I had no holes in my RB and WR core. I approached the Survivors differently this year, because I thought luck played two much a part of my winning the previous years. I made sure I had a decent QB in 2 of the 3 leagues (Roth in one, Manning in the other), and it is now evident to me that you can't go too early on QB specifically in the SSL leagues with only 18 roster spots. If you use four of those spots on DEF/K, it leaves you with just 14 positional spots...not enough to take advantage of sleepers at RB or WR to make up for the early selection of a QB.

Last year teams taking a zero at QB during a given week were actually a hair more successful at avoiding elimination then the field in general. Basically there was always another team decimated at RB/WR/TE that put up even a worse week. I've run the numbers in the past that basically showed if you draft a top QB, your backup QB is basically worthless unless said stud gets injured.

 

[Bronx Bomber]

Is this a one team league? Why so much critique of Jeff's team?

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Is this a one team league? Why so much critique of Jeff's team?

I think they were just using my discussion as a kickoff to a general topic, but fair point.

Do we have a full list of the teams yet? Post that and I'll comment thru the week.

 

[Bronx Bomber]

Well regardless of what we think about the early preseason coach speak, I'm feeling better about grabbing Michael to protect Lynch in this format.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Based on recent news, loving the Sims addition.

 

[FF Ninja]

ETA: Final Roster:
QB: Peyton Manning, Michael Vick

RB: Montee Ball, Pierre Thomas, MJD, Andre Brown

WR: Percy Harvin, Roddy White, Eric Decker, Stevie Johnson, Rod Streater

TE: Martellus Bennett, Ladarius Green

DEF: KCC, TEN

K: Justin Tucker, Jay Feely

I like this breakdown, but it might be more relevant to post the guys of the same position drafted before and after your pick.

I like the Green pick in the 9th. I thought long and hard about taking him over Heath there, but with the PPR, I had to go Heath. Really like Green's upside. I'll be shocked if he doesn't see more targets than Gates in the second half of the season, if not sooner. Pairing the upside with a solid vet like Bennett was probably wise.

Why am I only counting 17 players? Oh, I see you didn't put Mike Williams on the final list.

I'd have taken Ivory over KCC. They are an overrated defense due to some lucky scoring plays last year and you need the help if MJD is as broken down as I anticipate.

I like your top trio of WRs. No standout, but should all be good guys for PPR. Decker won't score TDs this year, but he should get at least 130 targets as clearly the best WR out there.

 

[FF Ninja]

Didn't mean to take Tannehill above Wilson, but that's what I get for drafting with my phone. I do like Tannehill this year with the beefed up offensive line so I'm not upset. Veldheer and Cooper should do wonders for Palmer's O-line, too. I didn't really want the 6th pick, but everything else couldn't have gone better. Got my target guy in each round so far, although I didn't have a specific target for QB1 or RB1.

QB15 Tannehill

QB18 Palmer

WR9 Fitzgerald

WR24 Wallace

WR44 Nicks

RB4 Forte

RB16 Mathews

TE7 Olsen

TE20 H. Miller

Added:

WR Britt

WR M.Austin

WR S.Rice

RB J.Hill - SofD

RB Stewart

K Bailey

K Janikowski

D Packers

D Vikings

The improved offensive lines in Miami and Arizona should help both QBs. I don't expect them to win me any weeks, but I do expect both to contribute and keep me from elimination.

I really wanted Cotchery where I got Britt. Wanted a consistent vet, but instead took a complete roll of the dice. I'd have probably taken Britt in the next round if he was available, though. Reunited with Fisher, he's got one more shot to prove himself. Austin should be the WR1 in Cleveland. If his hamstrings get right, he'll be a viable best ball play from time to time. Sidney just needs to stay healthy. It was a good sign that Seattle brought him back. Main mistake was all the week 4 byes. Good luck Wallace and Nicks in week 4. At least it's an early bye.

Jeremy Hill is my prediction for Steal of the Draft. Not a great PPR player, but given where I got him (10.11) he's a steal. Already running ahead of BJGE in camp, he'll see at least 200 carries and half a dozen touchdowns. Stewart is in a bad situation but he's only 27 and has talent. I'll take that in the 11th round. Mathews is criminally undervalued for the second season in a row. He finished top 12 last year and didn't even get utilized properly during the first half of the season.

Olsen and Heath are both consistent producers. Much like my QBs, they are safe plays for best ball. Each week, one of them should have 5 receptions. Except for week 12 where they both have a bye. Whoops. I got by last year with my TE1 (Finley) on IR, so I'm not that worried about it.

Don't care about kickers or defense, just so long as both kickers keep their jobs.