SSL4 Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[HellToupee]

QB: Matt Schaub , Jay Cutler

I like this group. I like this group a lot .This duo gives me a punchers chance every week and will have to put up top 5-7 #s

RB: Rashard Mendenhall , Montario Hardesty , Leon Washington , Larry Johnson

I'm a lot higher on Mendy this season than the majority here. I feel after the top 4 & probably Gore he's the safest RB .With or without BB I think the Steelers run the ball a lot more this season. I think Hardesty is going to be the go-to guy in Cleveland but I'm not very comfortable with him as my #2. If fully healthy I like Leon in this format . LJ ?? Ugh.

WR: Hakeem Nicks , Kenny Britt , Chris Chambers , Wes Welker , Austin Collie , Josh Cribbs

Weak at 1st glance but I'm satisfied here. I think Nicks is going to be a solid No. 1. Britt as my number 2....I'd like a mulligan here . I'm ok with Chambers as my 3 but as with Britt he's a dicey proposition. I'm starting to thin Welker will be ready early in the season and he's a group changer for me. I'm not worried about Gonzalez and Collie will prove to be a better player. Cribbs is a nice play as a WR 6 in a best ball format

TE: Vernon Davis

Stud but still needy of a backup here

PK: David Akers

DEF: Arizona Cardinals , Kansas City Chiefs

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Anthony Gonzalez was just ridiculous value..... had to take him.

He was like WR55-60 in all the other SSLs, and I tend to agree with that. As WR82 or so, that's a steal I think.

 

[Pickle Rody]

Anthony Gonzalez was just ridiculous value..... had to take him.He was like WR55-60 in all the other SSLs, and I tend to agree with that. As WR82 or so, that's a steal I think.

Kinda strange that he slipped so far. I think most guys just thought he was gone and forgot about him. I knew he was still there, but I was going to wait, so yes you pulled the trigger at the right time, at least from my perspective.

 

[menobrown]

Anthony Gonzalez was just ridiculous value..... had to take him.He was like WR55-60 in all the other SSLs, and I tend to agree with that. As WR82 or so, that's a steal I think.

Kinda strange that he slipped so far. I think most guys just thought he was gone and forgot about him. I knew he was still there, but I was going to wait, so yes you pulled the trigger at the right time, at least from my perspective.

I'll be honest. I thought he was gone. Had I known he was available I'd absolutely taken him over one my kickets at the 14/15 turn and might have taken him over one of my D's at the 12/13 turn so yea good value. Risky but worth it.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

I saw Gonzo/Berrian around when I picked Buckhalter....Gonzo may have slid because he may be the 5th receiving option on that team right now after what happened last year......he was hurt like on the first series and that team still made the Super Bowl and for sure had two other guys really step up......honestly I think thinking he is ridiculous value is a little over the top......probably mostly based on his name and what he did prior to having two guys behind him really step up all year.....his situation is by no means ideal at this point.....it's not like he has the Ram WR's/TE's in front of him right now.....he's coming off a serious injury and I honestly think Collie and Garcon showed last year that this team does not need to rely on him playing like he did prior to his injury.....so while it looks great to add him to a fantasy roster on paper right now, I think where he was taken in this league in a survivor format is just about right......I put very little into where he was taken in "other SSL's leagues" because all it takes is a couple guys to draft because of name recognition and all of a sudden that makes him value in a totally different draft.....I don't get that.....sorry but in one of these SSL's I think A Gonzo was taken in the 8th and that is just crazy IMO.....nice name pick, but I don't see him getting anywhere near the numbers we have seen him get in the past....so while it may look like a steal, I don't really see any reasons to justify it as such unless you really think Garcon and Collie take some huge steps backward.....

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

I saw Gonzo/Berrian around when I picked Buckhalter....Gonzo may have slid because he may be the 5th receiving option on that team right now after what happened last year......he was hurt like on the first series and that team still made the Super Bowl and for sure had two other guys really step up......honestly I think thinking he is ridiculous value is a little over the top......probably mostly based on his name and what he did prior to having two guys behind him really step up all year.....his situation is by no means ideal at this point.....it's not like he has the Ram WR's/TE's in front of him right now.....he's coming off a serious injury and I honestly think Collie and Garcon showed last year that this team does not need to rely on him playing like he did prior to his injury.....so while it looks great to add him to a fantasy roster on paper right now, I think where he was taken in this league in a survivor format is just about right......I put very little into where he was taken in "other SSL's leagues" because all it takes is a couple guys to draft because of name recognition and all of a sudden that makes him value in a totally different draft.....I don't get that.....sorry but in one of these SSL's I think A Gonzo was taken in the 8th and that is just crazy IMO.....nice name pick, but I don't see him getting anywhere near the numbers we have seen him get in the past....so while it may look like a steal, I don't really see any reasons to justify it as such unless you really think Garcon and Collie take some huge steps backward.....

Collie is the one being overrated now. If Gonzalez is at full strength come training camp (which is iffy, he may start on the PUP) then it's Collie likely losing snaps with Garcon outside. Gonzo goes in the slot. Sure he's the 4th option there at that point (Wayne/Clark/Garcon) but he's #4 on a Top 5 passing attack. At WR50-60 that's not bad average value (and that's about where most have him ranked) so getting WR55 at WR80 is a solid pickup. By the way, Berrian was also the big slip. Didn't get that one either - he fits this format to perfection (3-4 big games and nada most years).

 

[Pickle Rody]

Collie is the one being overrated now. If Gonzalez is at full strength come training camp (which is iffy, he may start on the PUP) then it's Collie likely losing snaps with Garcon outside. Gonzo goes in the slot.

Sure he's the 4th option there at that point (Wayne/Clark/Garcon) but he's #4 on a Top 5 passing attack. At WR50-60 that's not bad average value (and that's about where most have him ranked) so getting WR55 at WR80 is a solid pickup.

By the way, Berrian was also the big slip. Didn't get that one either - he fits this format to perfection (3-4 big games and nada most years).

Yep, I thought tex was gonna' drop a deuce he was so excited to land him. Great value at that spot. I disregarded him after drafting Harvin early.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

I saw Gonzo/Berrian around when I picked Buckhalter....Gonzo may have slid because he may be the 5th receiving option on that team right now after what happened last year......he was hurt like on the first series and that team still made the Super Bowl and for sure had two other guys really step up......honestly I think thinking he is ridiculous value is a little over the top......probably mostly based on his name and what he did prior to having two guys behind him really step up all year.....his situation is by no means ideal at this point.....it's not like he has the Ram WR's/TE's in front of him right now.....he's coming off a serious injury and I honestly think Collie and Garcon showed last year that this team does not need to rely on him playing like he did prior to his injury.....so while it looks great to add him to a fantasy roster on paper right now, I think where he was taken in this league in a survivor format is just about right......I put very little into where he was taken in "other SSL's leagues" because all it takes is a couple guys to draft because of name recognition and all of a sudden that makes him value in a totally different draft.....I don't get that.....sorry but in one of these SSL's I think A Gonzo was taken in the 8th and that is just crazy IMO.....nice name pick, but I don't see him getting anywhere near the numbers we have seen him get in the past....so while it may look like a steal, I don't really see any reasons to justify it as such unless you really think Garcon and Collie take some huge steps backward.....

One more thing about your comments (and we need more commentaries rather than roster lists here)....On the bolded part (about other SSLs) - one of the values of these drafts in getting ADP info for real drafts this early. Even if you don't agree with the answers, the consensus of where a given player is being drafted in many drafts right now is given by these drafts. To be able to look at 3 drafts that have typical ADPs (don't look at rounds because runs happen.... look at WR## or RB##) and see this:

WR46

WR55

WR60

Getting that player - regardless of name - at WR82 represents what should be good value. Not a lock for certain, but if you're getting a player 15-25 spots later than in a typical draft that's pretty good.

(the above is Gonzalez.... here's Berrian):

WR64

WR61

WR63

SSL4 - WR79

 

[Crippler]

Both Berrian and Gonzalez were on my predraft list when I took James Jones. I think I had 5 names on that list so I knew about both but had to fill in other spots for my team. Plus Kevin Smith was another value play compared to the other SSL's as my 14th rounder. Redskins gave me my last D and than PK/PK to fill out my team.

 

[Jason Wood]

RE: A-Gonz. I too thought he was gone. I'm not high on his this year at all and thus wasn't looking for him when I assumed he would be taken off the board. By this time in the draft, I assumed someone else took him many rounds ago and just was focused further down my list. I still don't know that I would've taken him as I'm not generally a fan of taking guys I'm down on simply because they fall, but in the WR80s? Yeah, it would've been a tough decision to argue with.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

I saw Gonzo/Berrian around when I picked Buckhalter....Gonzo may have slid because he may be the 5th receiving option on that team right now after what happened last year......he was hurt like on the first series and that team still made the Super Bowl and for sure had two other guys really step up......honestly I think thinking he is ridiculous value is a little over the top......probably mostly based on his name and what he did prior to having two guys behind him really step up all year.....his situation is by no means ideal at this point.....it's not like he has the Ram WR's/TE's in front of him right now.....he's coming off a serious injury and I honestly think Collie and Garcon showed last year that this team does not need to rely on him playing like he did prior to his injury.....so while it looks great to add him to a fantasy roster on paper right now, I think where he was taken in this league in a survivor format is just about right......I put very little into where he was taken in "other SSL's leagues" because all it takes is a couple guys to draft because of name recognition and all of a sudden that makes him value in a totally different draft.....I don't get that.....sorry but in one of these SSL's I think A Gonzo was taken in the 8th and that is just crazy IMO.....nice name pick, but I don't see him getting anywhere near the numbers we have seen him get in the past....so while it may look like a steal, I don't really see any reasons to justify it as such unless you really think Garcon and Collie take some huge steps backward.....

One more thing about your comments (and we need more commentaries rather than roster lists here)....On the bolded part (about other SSLs) - one of the values of these drafts in getting ADP info for real drafts this early. Even if you don't agree with the answers, the consensus of where a given player is being drafted in many drafts right now is given by these drafts. To be able to look at 3 drafts that have typical ADPs (don't look at rounds because runs happen.... look at WR## or RB##) and see this:

WR46

WR55

WR60

Getting that player - regardless of name - at WR82 represents what should be good value. Not a lock for certain, but if you're getting a player 15-25 spots later than in a typical draft that's pretty good.

(the above is Gonzalez.... here's Berrian):

WR64

WR61

WR63

SSL4 - WR79

I'll comment on this.....I, like probably everybody else "took a look" at the other drafts while our draft was going on, which is very easy to do considering they are all lined up right here in this forum, my point is that I think some guys may have done the same thing and then taken it a step further and taken a guy based on the fact that they saw him go in that same general area or earlier in "other drafts"....almost an automatic justification for taking him....a "how can you argue with this pick, he just went at so and so in SSLX"......some guys might have pulled the trigger just cause everybody else was instead of actually really thinking that player deserved that pick.....just as in the same light some have admitted they assumed he was already gone, and to me that was probably based more on because of where he went in other drafts as opposed to where people think he deserves to go based on his situation....thats all I'm sayin.....

there is something to be gained by these drafts obviously, that is why we do it, and I may look at things a little bit differently, but I just don't like seeing where a guy was taken in other drafts automatically transformed into value/steal in a completely different draft....like to see more substance given about a pick, like you did with your explanation of why you think Gonzo may come back this year and represent value...I think the "great value card" is sometimes tossed around in here a little too much based on getting a guy later than where he went in other drafts as opposed to some actual reasons why it might have been a good pick....

the reason we are even having a discussion about this is because of the variance in where he was taken.....haven't totally put the numbers together (not a numbers guy in fantasy at all, even though that is what it is based on), but based on what you indicated he was all the way from WR46 to WR82....and I think a full 8 rounds worth of picks or so.....so a bunch of WR's taken in between where two drafters thought he was worth.....I think the 8th(46) was definatley way too early and the 16th(82) maybe a tad late......so what we should be getting at is why the big difference, cause that is where the meat is....honestly I think his value lies closer to where you got him, than where he was taken by the others, even the middle two guys, and the reasons I gave above are why and that is why I don't think he was "ridiculous value".....

I know you won't believe this but I have him at WR80 with his value going up or down a little bit down based on what else I would have had on my team at that time......

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Jeff I guess I would also be curious/like to pick your brain a little here then just for discussion purposes.....you said you agree with the others and have Gonzo in the WR 55-60 range.....

12.10 Jeff Pasquino - Brian Hartline - WR72 - MIA

haven't really looked at the makeup of your team/bye weeks etc.......but just wondering if you thought Gonzo was WR55-60, why you took Hartline in the 12th as WR72....it would seem that if you are that high on Gonzo that that might have been the place to pull the trigger since at WR72 he still would have presented "value" based on your WR55-60 ranking....was it that Hartline represented more value to you at that point or that you thought Gonzo would continue to slide, or was it due to some other factors (bye weeks, etc).....

eta: first glance looks like Gonzo would have maybe only shared a bye week with Holmes who is out for the first 4, so just wondering....

also based on ADP in the other SSL's Hartline looks like he would have had a better chance to fall to you later.....and that the play might have been to take Gonzo instead of Hartline, unless of course you have Hartline ranked that much higher than Gonzo.....

14.11 WR 81

12.13 WR 73

13.11 WR 78

 

[tex]

I don't know if people just stayed away from Vinatieri because of his injury or just forgot about him, but I'm reading that he is recovered and ready, so I feel fortunate to get kicker of his caliber this late.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

I don't know if people just stayed away from Vinatieri because of his injury or just forgot about him, but I'm reading that he is recovered and ready, so I feel fortunate to get kicker of his caliber this late.

Don't have the info in front of me, but IIRC there's a rookie pushing him and there's no guarantee he's the kicker on Day 1 nor that he'll ever be the same.

 

[Jason Wood]

I don't know if people just stayed away from Vinatieri because of his injury or just forgot about him, but I'm reading that he is recovered and ready, so I feel fortunate to get kicker of his caliber this late.

Don't have the info in front of me, but IIRC there's a rookie pushing him and there's no guarantee he's the kicker on Day 1 nor that he'll ever be the same.

Correct. Brett Swenson is expected to push Adam in camp. The 2010 version of Adam V is hardly the same guy that people were (snicker snicker) ridiculously suggesting was HOF worthy when he was a Patriot.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Jeff I guess I would also be curious/like to pick your brain a little here then just for discussion purposes.....you said you agree with the others and have Gonzo in the WR 55-60 range.....12.10 Jeff Pasquino - Brian Hartline - WR72 - MIAhaven't really looked at the makeup of your team/bye weeks etc.......but just wondering if you thought Gonzo was WR55-60, why you took Hartline in the 12th as WR72....it would seem that if you are that high on Gonzo that that might have been the place to pull the trigger since at WR72 he still would have presented "value" based on your WR55-60 ranking....was it that Hartline represented more value to you at that point or that you thought Gonzo would continue to slide, or was it due to some other factors (bye weeks, etc).....eta: first glance looks like Gonzo would have maybe only shared a bye week with Holmes who is out for the first 4, so just wondering....also based on ADP in the other SSL's Hartline looks like he would have had a better chance to fall to you later.....and that the play might have been to take Gonzo instead of Hartline, unless of course you have Hartline ranked that much higher than Gonzo.....14.11 WR 8112.13 WR 7313.11 WR 78

A very good and fair question.I targeted Hartline early on as I have him as a starter with very big upside in this format (high YPC and can have big games). Also his bye week fit perfect with the rest of my team as I didn't want my Top 5 WRs to share a bye (so that I'd have 4 guys going each week).Grabbing Hartline a tad early (earliest of all 4 drafts, but at least 40% likely to be gone by my next pick) gave me the best WR I had on my list that didn't share a bye with my Top 4 WRs:Larry Fitzgerald (6)DeSean Jackson (8)Santana Moss (9)Santonio Holmes (7)Brian Hartline (5).....Anthony Gonzalez (7)So while I liked Anthony Gonzalez at the WR5 spot, he wasn't lined up well for byes and he wasn't as big a value in Round 12 as he was in Round 16. I completely expected him to be drafted in Rounds 12-13, but after I had WR5 I pretty much had committed to getting TE2, D/ST and PK in 4 of my final 6 spots. WR6 wasn't a big priority.To see him still out there after I had secured my second defense, TE2 and a kicker, well, I was really surprised. For WR6 to matter, he has to have enough upside to outscore my Top 3-4 guys at least 2-3 times and Gonzalez's upside is huge if he moves up ahead of Collie (or higher).So to answer the question - I was focused on Hartline due to the bye week which gives him a boost over Gonzalez since Hartline will be "in play" for all 4 of my other WR's bye weeks.

 

[tex]

I don't know if people just stayed away from Vinatieri because of his injury or just forgot about him, but I'm reading that he is recovered and ready, so I feel fortunate to get kicker of his caliber this late.

Don't have the info in front of me, but IIRC there's a rookie pushing him and there's no guarantee he's the kicker on Day 1 nor that he'll ever be the same.

Correct. Brett Swenson is expected to push Adam in camp. The 2010 version of Adam V is hardly the same guy that people were (snicker snicker) ridiculously suggesting was HOF worthy when he was a Patriot.

Guess my last pick better be a kicker then, huh?

 

[Jason Wood]

Had a number of flier WRs to choose from in the 18th. Based on rankings, ADP and what I saw in the other SSLs, the Panthers trio (Jarrett, LaFell, Edwards) were all possibilities as were the Bills WR2 candidates (Hardy, Johnson); but I just didn't feel good about any of them. While Robiskie did next to nothing as a rookie, I think the skill set is still there and he looks like a better pure receiver than just about anyone on that roster. I could see him flourishing with a year under his wings if they can have any kind of consistency at QB (a big IF I realize). But to me that last pick is all about grabbing a guy completely off the radar who has as legitimate case for major PT, and Robiskie fits that bill IMHO.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Had a number of flier WRs to choose from in the 18th. Based on rankings, ADP and what I saw in the other SSLs, the Panthers trio (Jarrett, LaFell, Edwards) were all possibilities as were the Bills WR2 candidates (Hardy, Johnson); but I just didn't feel good about any of them. While Robiskie did next to nothing as a rookie, I think the skill set is still there and he looks like a better pure receiver than just about anyone on that roster. I could see him flourishing with a year under his wings if they can have any kind of consistency at QB (a big IF I realize). But to me that last pick is all about grabbing a guy completely off the radar who has as legitimate case for major PT, and Robiskie fits that bill IMHO.

not a huge deal at this point, but out of courtesy to those of us that still have a pick, if we could hold off on name dropping of players that are still available, I think it would be super cool.....lot of things like bye weeks etc, still play a factor in guys that people might be sitting on and someone that respects your "other considerations" at this point might snipe a guy that somebody else wants based on you throwing their name out there....after the draft is over......have at it all you want...I realize even I did some of this earlier and I am being a bit hypocritical so I apologize....

 

[Jason Wood]

Had a number of flier WRs to choose from in the 18th. Based on rankings, ADP and what I saw in the other SSLs, the Panthers trio (Jarrett, LaFell, Edwards) were all possibilities as were the Bills WR2 candidates (Hardy, Johnson); but I just didn't feel good about any of them. While Robiskie did next to nothing as a rookie, I think the skill set is still there and he looks like a better pure receiver than just about anyone on that roster. I could see him flourishing with a year under his wings if they can have any kind of consistency at QB (a big IF I realize). But to me that last pick is all about grabbing a guy completely off the radar who has as legitimate case for major PT, and Robiskie fits that bill IMHO.

not a huge deal at this point, but out of courtesy to those of us that still have a pick, if we could hold off on name dropping of players that are still available, I think it would be super cool.....lot of things like bye weeks etc, still play a factor in guys that people might be sitting on and someone that respects your "other considerations" at this point might snipe a guy that somebody else wants based on you throwing their name out there....after the draft is over......have at it all you want...I realize even I did some of this earlier and I am being a bit hypocritical so I apologize....

Not a problem SF, you're right. I figured given this caliber of opponents nothing I said in the aforementioned is new news, but just in case, I should've held off. Apologies.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Had a number of flier WRs to choose from in the 18th. Based on rankings, ADP and what I saw in the other SSLs, the Panthers trio (Jarrett, LaFell, Edwards) were all possibilities as were the Bills WR2 candidates (Hardy, Johnson); but I just didn't feel good about any of them. While Robiskie did next to nothing as a rookie, I think the skill set is still there and he looks like a better pure receiver than just about anyone on that roster. I could see him flourishing with a year under his wings if they can have any kind of consistency at QB (a big IF I realize). But to me that last pick is all about grabbing a guy completely off the radar who has as legitimate case for major PT, and Robiskie fits that bill IMHO.

not a huge deal at this point, but out of courtesy to those of us that still have a pick, if we could hold off on name dropping of players that are still available, I think it would be super cool.....lot of things like bye weeks etc, still play a factor in guys that people might be sitting on and someone that respects your "other considerations" at this point might snipe a guy that somebody else wants based on you throwing their name out there....after the draft is over......have at it all you want...I realize even I did some of this earlier and I am being a bit hypocritical so I apologize....

Not a problem SF, you're right. I figured given this caliber of opponents nothing I said in the aforementioned is new news, but just in case, I should've held off. Apologies.

no problem, but with the recent events involving Berrian and Gonzo falling and people admitting they thought they were gone, it is pretty evident that not everybody has been keeping a real good track of who is left.....

 

[Crippler]

I don't know if people just stayed away from Vinatieri because of his injury or just forgot about him, but I'm reading that he is recovered and ready, so I feel fortunate to get kicker of his caliber this late.

Don't have the info in front of me, but IIRC there's a rookie pushing him and there's no guarantee he's the kicker on Day 1 nor that he'll ever be the same.

Correct. Brett Swenson is expected to push Adam in camp. The 2010 version of Adam V is hardly the same guy that people were (snicker snicker) ridiculously suggesting was HOF worthy when he was a Patriot.

Guess my last pick better be a kicker then, huh?

Since I play in a league where we have 16 teams that start 11 O players and can start 2 PK who are really good 8/9 guys, so I follow them closelyRookie kicker could push Viniateri for Colts' kicking jobMay155/15/2010 12:39:51 PM | MoreJohn Oesher of colts.com reports rookie Brett Swenson is expected to push Adam Vinatieri for the Colts' kicking job in 2010.Vinatieri has the obvious edge if he proves that his knee is healthy, but Swenson is a name to track. There is already speculation that Vinatieri could be on thin ice if Swenson, Michigan State's MVP last year, impresses this summer.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

hey Bass coming in and talking #### in our thread got me thinking....for us newbies, can someone explain how the league advancement ladder works in these things as far as moving up and down.....can't find it anywhere and originally I just thought as guys in SSL1 quit they get replaced by the top guys in SSL2 and so on.....but after seeing some of the posts, not exactly sure that is the case.....?

 

[BassNBrew]

hey Bass coming in and talking #### in our thread got me thinking....for us newbies, can someone explain how the league advancement ladder works in these things as far as moving up and down.....can't find it anywhere and originally I just thought as guys in SSL1 quit they get replaced by the top guys in SSL2 and so on.....but after seeing some of the posts, not exactly sure that is the case.....?

This should get you started...http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...4&hl=ladder

 

[jeter23]

6.01 jeter23 - Brett Favre - QB15 - MIN (4)

8.01 jeter23 - Matt Leinart - QB25 - ARI (6)

3.16 jeter23 - Jonathan Stewart - RB17 - CAR (6)

5.16 jeter23 - CJ Spiller - RB26 - BUF (6)

7.16 jeter23 - Donald Brown - RB32 - IND (7)

13.16 jeter23 - Marshawn Lynch - RB55 - BUF (6)

18.01 jeter23 - Javon Ringer - RB - TEN (9)

1.16 jeter23 - Randy Moss - WR5 - NEP (5)

2.01 jeter23 - Calvin Johnson - WR6 - DET (7)

9.16 jeter23 - Devin Hester - WR53 - CHI (8)

10.01 jeter23 - Mohammad Massaquoi - WR54 - CLE (8)

12.01 jeter23 - Mike Williams - WR69 - TB (4)

17.16 jeter23 - Jordy Nelson - WR - GB (10)

4.01 jeter23 - Brent Celek - TE7 - PHI (8)

14.01 jeter23 - Jared Cook - TE25 - TEN (9)

11.16 jeter23 - Dallas Def8 (4)

15.15 - jeter23 - Houston Def (7)

16.01 jeter23 - Jeff Reed - PK - PIT (5)

My final team, a bit risky but I think I like itQB- Favre is still a top 10 guy, if he plays. Who knows with Leinart, but I think the bandwagon has emtied a little too soon

RB- Boom/bust here. Might not have a starter in the bunch, but I think Lynch and Ringer were good values.

WR- Very top heavy and I like my depth.

TE- Will need a repeat from Celek to have any chance to go deep this year.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Jeff Pasquino

QB: Matt Ryan (8), David Garrard (9)

RB: Ryan Grant (10), Clinton Portis (9), Willis McGahee (8), Jonathan Dwyer (5)

WR: Larry Fitzgerald (6), DeSean Jackson (8), Santana Moss (9), Santonio Holmes (7), Brian Hartline (5), Anthony Gonzalez (7)

TE: Owen Daniels (7), Anthony Fasano (5)

PK: Jay Feely (6), David Buehler (4)

DEF: San Diego (10), Buffalo (6)

By position:QB: Matt Ryan (8), David Garrard (9)

Average to above-average pair. Unlikely to have huge games except for rare shootouts (such as Jax/Indy or Atl/NO) but both are capable starters. Unlikely to win me some weeks but certainly will keep me in the mix to move on each week.

Self Grade: B

RB: Ryan Grant (10), Clinton Portis (9), Willis McGahee (8), Jonathan Dwyer (5)

After getting Grant at pretty good value I kept missing the boat at RB2. Ben Tate was taken a little before I expected, so I let RB2 slide to Portis and McGahee. McGahee's way better than many would believe and could be just enough to keep me going. Portis needs to last all year for this team to win it all - which he might, but no guarantees. Considered another RB or two at Dwyer's spot but didn't like their upside compared to his. Also thought about Kevin Faulk in Round 17 but didn't want to be picking over kicker scraps with my final pick. Should Dwyer become the GL back or if Mendy gets hurt, this team is WAY better.

Self Grade: C+

WR: Larry Fitzgerald (6), DeSean Jackson (8), Santana Moss (9), Santonio Holmes (7), Brian Hartline (5), Anthony Gonzalez (7)

The clear strength of the team. Fitz/DeSean form a formidable 1-2 punch and the other four can cover WR3 pretty handily. Bye weeks are not a problem as the Top 5 don't share a bye. We've 'd Gonzalez and Hartline is a big play starter in my book. Not sure if his value goes up or down if Marshall implodes.

Self Grade: A

TE: Owen Daniels (7), Anthony Fasano (5)

Owen Daniels seems to be healthy, and that's good enough for me. He'll be a Top 5-8 TE again this year. Fasano will be the starter again in Miami with not much else behind him, so that's a decent TE2. Would have liked a Scaife or Scheffler instead, but the draft and bye weeks didn't line up well.

Self Grade: B

PK: Jay Feely (6), David Buehler (4)

Many gloss over kickers, but I think that they shouldn't (despite the meager scoring in the SSLs with no distance bonuses). I have Feely as a Top 5 PK on a team in a good locale (weather-wise) and one that might struggle in the Red Zone. Buehler is a good sleeper kicker with a big offense in Dallas as well. Both have early byes which means I should have two shots at a good PK score after Week 6.

Self Grade: B+

DEF: San Diego (10), Buffalo (6)

Again, often glossed over but defenses can and do matter. SD has one of the easiest schedules this year and they also have a good return game and opportunistic playmakers on defense. The same can be said about Buffalo (KR/PR and turnovers), a team that very quietly had a good defensive season last year. Bye weeks work well - SD off when BUF plays DET, BUF off when SD plays the Rams.

Self Grade: A

OVERALL:

This team will be led by the WRs for sure. RB2 is a weakness by design (something has to be weak in a 16-teamer) and lots of RBs went in this draft. QBs are perfectly capable and TEs are solid enough. San Diego and Buffalo are a nice duo as are the kickers. If RBs work out fine and either Dwyer emerges or if Portis returns to form then they should keep me alive into December and give me a good shot. The team is one RB stud away from being very formidable.

Self Grade: B+

Good draft everyone - and fire away at this squad, good or bad.

 

[tex]

I knew when I drafted Adam V. that he wasn't a lock for the job but from what I read I was confident enough that he would win the job, and in that offense, whoever is kicking will score some points. I also knew when i took him I would be forced to grab a 2nd kicker instead of taking a late round flier on one of the skill positions. Even though the Rams will struggle to win 3-4 games, I'm pretty sure Josh Brown will be their leading scorer, he he kicks indoors, so there you have it. It was an enjoyable draft guys---now it's getting time for the real stuff.

 

[menobrown]

Alright. Draft is over so here is my post about my team.



QB- Chad Henne (5), Alex Smith (9)

What I have here is probably two very solid #2's. I'd rather have a bona fide #1 and a weak #2 but I've got reasons for optimism. Henne closed strong last season with a lot of positive yardage games. Chances are he was going to take a natural progression this year but that could be accelerated with the addition of Marshall and continued improvement of Hartline. Smith has a rebuilt OL and some potentially outstanding weapons.

I do view this draft as the deepest for QB's I've seen in years. I went into the draft wanting to test that theory and wait as long as possible for a QB. In this league it's possible I waited to long. Most drafts I do are 12 team leagues with 4 points for passing TD's and in those leagues this draft only reinforced that opinion but again not sure it's going to end up being applicable here.



RB- Christ Johnson (9), Felix Jones (4), Ben Tate(7), Fred Jackson (6)

I'm loaded here. With RB's like these I think it's clear I should be in SSL1 and I'm drafting against a bunch of rookies....j/k

Seriously not much to say here. Johnson needs no explanation. With Felix production has never been an issue only health and touches and if he can stay healthy this year the touches are going to come. Even if he only averages 15 touches a game he started to catch the ball more last season and he's arguably the most dangerous RB in the NFL with the ball in his hands. In fact I might have the two most game breaking RB's in the NFL. I think Jackson is underrated because I don't think Marshawn Lynch is a Bill for much longer. Ben Tate is an upside pick and I guy who right now I am wrestling with as my #2 or #3 rated rookie RB. The bye weeks work out perfect so I feel comfortable with going with just these 4.



WR- Sidney Rice (4), Jeremy Maclin (8), Malcolm Floyd (10), Johnny Knox (8), Nate Washington (9), Donte Stallworth (8)

Week 8 is going to be tough if I'm still alive and this group is not going to wow anyone on paper but I'm hopeful most weeks they can get the job done. Rice and Maclin are guys I feel very solid as my #1 and #2. Not great but solid. Floyd is in his first full year as starter and with VJ missing probably a few games has a promising outlook. Knox will end up as either the starter or third WR for a probable pass heavy Bears offense and should improve greatly considering last year he was a rookie from Abilene Christian. I think Washington ends up being the Titans #1 or #2 WR and has 50-60 catch potential and should give me a few starter worthy games. Stallworth has finished top 40 WR's most years of his career and is really in an ideal situation for his skill set.



TE- Jermichael Finley (10), Zach Miller(Jaguars edition-9)

I don't rate Finley as the #1 TE but I think he has a chance to be the #1 TE this season. Miller was a rookie 6th round pick out of small college playing a position rookies almost never make a sizable impact. He closed the year well with over half his 21 catches coming in the last 3 weeks highlighted by an 8 catch performance to end the season. I think he should take a nice second year improvement this year and makes for a solid backup.



D- Packers (10), Bears (8)

Pack had a top 5 D last year playing their first year under the 3-4 and they should be more familiar with the scheme this season. The Bears are a perennial top fantasy D that slumped last year but adds Urlacher and Peppers.

K- Robbie Gould (8), Prater(9)

Gould is usually a top tier K and if Cutler will stop throwing picks I think will benefit from the Martz offense. Prater boots some long FG's and is good for some huge games.

I'd say QB and WR are the area's of concern but I can't really rate my team. This is my third survivor league team this year and this team is my least favorite but maybe because the other teams had larger rosters and I was able to land Kolb in the 9th and 10th round in those drafts so it's skewing my judgment.

Good luck to everyone and any comments,even negative one's are always appreciated.

,

 

[Stinkin Ref]

I'll be doing some general observations about how the draft moved along as part of grading my own draft and why I made the picks I did. I know that last part may not mean a ton to anybody else, but it helps me see where I could have done something different etc. I hope others take the time as well, because knowing why you guys made the picks you did is one of the more beneficial parts I think. The other guys you would have considered at each pick is almost as valuable as who you actually took. Also, I am a newbie to these things, but I might take a shot at giving a brief my about each of your teams, but take it for what it's worth and nothing else. Plus if I do it when I have been drinking, I may say something to intentionally piss you off and generate discussion.

Really enjoyed this draft with you guys. Good luck.

 

[menobrown]

The other guys you would have considered at each pick is almost as valuable as who you actually took. Also, I am a newbie to these things, but I might take a shot at giving a brief my about each of your teams, but take it for what it's worth and nothing else. Plus if I do it when I have been drinking, I may say something to intentionally piss you off and generate discussion.

Go for it on the team reviews.Since all but my first and last pick were back to back I did not have a lot of times were I was faced with a this guy or that guy decision. Here are the few I had.4/5 turn- This turn was probably my least decisive. Wanted to get another RB and thought it was a tough call between Felix and Best. Went with Felix because I've seen him perform on the NFL level and think the Dallas offense could be dynamic this year but I do fear Best gets considerably more touches. Next decision was to get my second WR or risk a giant QB run. Stafford was my highest rated QB left followed by Cutler and in the previous drafts I noticed Stafford was going 25-30 picks later than this so I thought I'd try and hope he makes it back. Not close since he went two picks later. No real remorse however as I like Maclin and I needed him.8/9 turn- Ideally I wanted to add a third WR right here but did not like what was left relative to the RB's. Also could not decide between Tate and Fred Jackson. Decided I'd take them both, hopefully trigger a RB run, and since I was not taking a WR I knew at this point I would not pick another RB the rest of the draft and could dedicate more roster spots to WR. Had I gone WR I'd have taken Massaquoi(sp?) right here.No other real major decisions for me. When I went with back to back Defenses I considered just taking one D and grabbing Garret Hartley and than adding another D later.14/15 turn I had a hard time passing on Nate Washington due to team need but noticed a lot of K instability last year and wanted to have two of them that were secured jobs. Ended up getting Nate later so it worked out for me.18- Last pick was the only other one I had to give much thought to. I considered Brandon Tate for several rounds but in the end I kept and continued to pass on him because with only 6 roster spots dedicated to WR I went the safer route and and decided to go with Washington and Stallworth as I feel reasonably confident they get good playing time while Tate is in more crowded fight for playing time. Also considered Deion Branch with the last pick because the bye week worked out better than Stallworth's.

 

[Crippler]

QB: Phillip Rivers(10) , Ben Roethlisberger(5)

Excellent twosome to have. I miss 4 games with Ben but I think it could go down to 2 by the start of the season. Happens all the time with Goodall. Show any remorse and he backs down. Even with missing 4, Rivers will carry and than Ben will come in and explode for this team starting in week 6. If I am still in it by than, I will be dangerous

RB: LeSean McCoy(8) , Matt Forte(8) , Thomas Jones(4), Kevin Smith(7)

My 1-2 is okay but when you wait till the 4th, this will happen. Jones and Smith are both nice value and will help the cause. Overall I dont mind this core of RB's. One of the league weakest probably but it is not the worst.

WR: Andre Johnson(7) , Anquan Boldin(8) , Steve Breaston(6) , Donnie Avery(9) , James Jones(10) Jarrett Dillard

Love this group. Great 1-2-3 and than some nice depth with Avery being a #1 guy. Dillard I hope ends up the starter in Jacksonville because I feel thomas is better for the slot. One of the leagues better cores and I finally build in SL through my preferred position.

TE: Dustin Keller(7) , Jermaie Gresham(6)

2 young upside guys. I like the look of them(maybe better in dynasty) and hope to get some use as TE is valuable

PK: Ryan Succop, NIck Folk

2 young guys who should have starting jobs in the end. That was the key. I was going Garret Lindholm in the 18th as a risk guy but my plans got changed by other picks

DEF: Pittsburgh Steelers (5), Washington Redskins

Love this twosome. Just look at what Nolan did for a team with lesser talent in Denver. Pitt will always be at the top. Lots of sacks and hopefully turnovers for TD's out of this group

I like my team alot. Might be my favourite out of the 3 leagues I have done.

Changes. I looked at Rivers or Finley in the 2nd. I might have liked Finley and Cutler in the 5th instead and grabbed a RB like LT or Tate in the 8th. I had lots of ideas at the end including Zach Miller of the Jags and take Lindholm in the 18th but that was squashed. The rest of the picks, there is not many I change at all.

 

[Pickle Rody]

Ruffrodys:

By Draft Order:

1.06 - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB5, Jac (9) - After Gore & AJ went at 1.03/1.04, I knew I'd be blessed.....hoped for Rice (nice teamramrod) but very happy with MJD.

2.11 - Marques Colston, WR10, NO (10) - Actually hoped DJax (2.10) would get to me....very nice snipe JP. WR1 with a solid top tier QB in Brees. DJax was the only other WR option I considered here. Knew I was going WR.

3.06 - Ryan Mathews, RB11, SD (10) - I know I'm probably in the minority, but I think Mathews is top 10 RB material as a rookie, especially in SD. Boldin went 2 picks prior and he is who I was targeting with this pick. I think he outperforms Wells who went 3 picks earlier.

4.11 - Percy Harvin, WR22, Min (4) - Bit early on him, but didn't think he'd make it to 5.06. He may not live up to his draft slot, but that's okay with me. Hakeem Nicks was the other WR I was targeting this round, sniped 2 picks earlier by Toupee. Nicks will live up to his draft slot, no doubt in my mind, sans injury. Also was targeting TE Owen Daniels here as I think he rebounds nicely from his injury, but he was sniped by JP one pick before me. This was all noted in prior posts.

5.06 - Joe Flacco, QB11, Bal (8) - Commented earlier that I think he is a top 10 QB in 2010...very solid running team added a stud WR in Boldin...Boldin does more for Flacco's value than the switch in teams does for Boldin. Other considerations were Ryan, McNabb and Cutler who went in the very next 3 picks. Less high on Cutler than many others here, but he was considered....Flacco is the QB with the most upside out of this group, in my eyes. Absolutely thrilled to have him.

6.11 - Derrick Mason, WR35, Bal (8) - I really love this pick. I think he will really be my WR2 (and Harvin my WR3) when all is said and done. WR35?....are you kidding me? Kenny Brit was another player I was targeting here (another snipe by Toupee) but I'm really quite glad the choice was made for me, now that Britt's lack of conditioning has been brought to the forefront. TE Carlson was in the mix, but read on....

7.06 - John Carlson, TE14, Sea (5) - A total 40 picks between Cooley at 4.14/TE12 and Carlson at 7.06/TE14, with only one TE (Heath Miller) sandwiched in between. Absolute best value on the board (for my team) when I grabbed Carlson. I do not like Hasselsquirt in the least, but Carlson should prove to be a reliable dump-off when the running game inevitably sucks.....come on now, you know it's true.

8.11 - Matt Moore, QB29, Car (6) - The QB2's didn't really have a strong run here in this league compared to others, but Freeman (Wood) and Campbell (beachbum) were long gone by the time I made this pick and they were the QB's I wanted to pair with Flacco the most. Looking at the remaining QB's, I decided I needed to make this pick here or else get stuck with someone I didn't feel too good about. Moore power to Ruffrodys!

9.06 - Kevin Walter, WR48, Hou (7) - Breaston, Dez Bryant, Aromashodu, Chambers, Cotchery, A. Bryant, Royal, Welker, Burleson, Owens, Gaffney & Avery.....all went before Walter.....thanks guys! I've got Walter ahead of all of them in my rankings. (Happy to do the sniping with him, as JP noted he wanted him.) Shocked Jacoby Jones (DH/TFC) went 6 picks later though.

10.11 - Steve Slaton, RB46, Hou (7) - Here in the 10th, I wasn't sure where I was heading and just let the draft slide to me. I was eyeing up M. Bush until I realized the bye week conflict wouldn't help my team, plus he went to Wood before I could screw myself. Also looked at Maroney, but ultimately decided Slaton was the better gamble......can't really say why......just a hunch.

11.06 - Bo Scaife, TE19, Ten (9) - Considered Olsen here also, and as noted earlier I just felt Scaife was the better option for my team. Solid pick here.

12.11 - Jason Avant, WR73, Phi (8) - 4th WR (out of my 5 total) on a high powered passing offense. I don't care if he is the WR3 in Philly, he will produce some weeks and likely get into my starting lineup at least once. Like I stated earlier, he is extra meat and Philly's high-octane offense might make him very valuable down the stretch for my team.

13.06 - Titans, D15, Ten (9) - As the draft unfolded I planned on a D somewhere in the middle of the D1 run. It went a little farther than I expected, but I didn't want to be left out and grabbed a defense here. I like the Titans to rebound nicely from 2009.

14.11 - Jerious Norwood, RB57, Atl (8) - Seriously.....Norwood in the 14th? One little glitch for Turner and Norwood's value skyrockets! I conscientiously avoided getting sucked into the PK1 run that was mounting here in this round. As noted previously, I thought about K. Smith here, but yet again, I went with what I perceived to be the safer pick.

15.06 - Lawrence Tynes, K12, NYG (8) - Yeah.......a PK1 who was very solid last year.....and quite frankly I'm surprised he lasted until PK12.

16.11 - Panthers, D28, Car (6) - Ranked TD19 on the FBG Redraft ranking lists right now.....you guys don't like them? Glad to have them as my TD2.

17.06 - Joe Nedney, K23, SF (9) - Okay, thanks.

18.11 - Tony Moeaki, TE32, KC (4) - I really like Moeaki to earn the starting gig in KC. I know about his injury history. Not too worried considering he is my TE3. If I didn't feel so comfortable in all my other positions, I would not have made this pick, but surprisingly (mostly to myself) I am very comfortable with the rest of my team to take this risk here. Honestly, I didn't see any other players I wanted to add to my team and thought a flyer would be fun!

All right, I gave you my pick-by-pick analysis, so now comes the positional analysis....

By Position:

5.06 - Joe Flacco, QB11, Bal (8)

8.11 - Matt Moore, QB29, Car (6)

Solid combo....not elite, but solid. Bye week covered.....no Clausen does not start by week 8, so I think I am fine here. Others may disagree, and that's fine, but I feel very good about this tandem.

Grade: B+

1.06 - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB5, Jac (9)

3.06 - Ryan Mathews, RB11, SD (10)

10.11 - Steve Slaton, RB46, Hou (7)

14.11 - Jerious Norwood, RB57, Atl (8)

Best 1-2 punch in the league as far as I'm concerned. Slaton and Norwood should be adequate for bye week fill-ins, if all works out according to plan.

Grade: A-

2.11 - Marques Colston, WR10, NO (10)

4.11 - Percy Harvin, WR22, Min (4)

6.11 - Derrick Mason, WR35, Bal (8)

9.06 - Kevin Walter, WR48, Hou (7)

12.11 - Jason Avant, WR73, Phi (8)

Only 5 WR's but this group will be very solid on a week-to-week basis. I cannot say it is the best WR corp in the league, but it is damn close given the variations of WR combo's out there.

Grade: A-

7.06 - John Carlson, TE14, Sea (5)

11.06 - Bo Scaife, TE19, Ten (9)

18.11 - Tony Moeaki, TE32, KC (4)

I like this group a lot. Many may not.

Grade: B

15.06 - Lawrence Tynes, K12, NYG (8)

17.06 - Joe Nedney, K23, SF (9)

2 solid K's.....enough said.

Grade: B-

13.06 - Titans, D15, Ten (9)

16.11 - Panthers, D28, Car (6)

2 solid D's.....enough said.

Grade: B+

Overall I really do think this team has a good shot to finish top 4 in this league. As with any year, unknown issues could arise to derail it, but on paper I really like this team to survive until the near end.

Overall Grade: A-

Please, feel free to comment.....I appreciate all opinions no matter what.

 

[menobrown]

Changes. I looked at Rivers or Finley in the 2nd. I might have liked Finley and Cutler in the 5th instead and grabbed a RB like LT or Tate in the 8th. I had lots of ideas at the end including Zach Miller of the Jags and take Lindholm in the 18th but that was squashed. The rest of the picks, there is not many I change at all.

I guess your decisions heavily impacted my team since I ended up with a bunch of players you just mentioned.

 

[Crippler]

Changes. I looked at Rivers or Finley in the 2nd. I might have liked Finley and Cutler in the 5th instead and grabbed a RB like LT or Tate in the 8th. I had lots of ideas at the end including Zach Miller of the Jags and take Lindholm in the 18th but that was squashed. The rest of the picks, there is not many I change at all.

I guess your decisions heavily impacted my team since I ended up with a bunch of players you just mentioned.

One more change. I would have grabbed Holmes if I did not already have Big Ben and his suspension in the 9th. He is a top 4 round talent

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Ruffrodys:

By Draft Order:

1.06 - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB5, Jac (9) - After Gore & AJ went at 1.03/1.04, I knew I'd be blessed.....hoped for Rice (nice teamramrod) but very happy with MJD.

2.11 - Marques Colston, WR10, NO (10) - Actually hoped DJax (2.10) would get to me....very nice snipe JP. WR1 with a solid top tier QB in Brees. DJax was the only other WR option I considered here. Knew I was going WR.

3.06 - Ryan Mathews, RB11, SD (10) - I know I'm probably in the minority, but I think Mathews is top 10 RB material as a rookie, especially in SD. Boldin went 2 picks prior and he is who I was targeting with this pick. I think he outperforms Wells who went 3 picks earlier.

4.11 - Percy Harvin, WR22, Min (4) - Bit early on him, but didn't think he'd make it to 5.06. He may not live up to his draft slot, but that's okay with me. Hakeem Nicks was the other WR I was targeting this round, sniped 2 picks earlier by Toupee. Nicks will live up to his draft slot, no doubt in my mind, sans injury. Also was targeting TE Owen Daniels here as I think he rebounds nicely from his injury, but he was sniped by JP one pick before me. This was all noted in prior posts.

5.06 - Joe Flacco, QB11, Bal (8) - Commented earlier that I think he is a top 10 QB in 2010...very solid running team added a stud WR in Boldin...Boldin does more for Flacco's value than the switch in teams does for Boldin. Other considerations were Ryan, McNabb and Cutler who went in the very next 3 picks. Less high on Cutler than many others here, but he was considered....Flacco is the QB with the most upside out of this group, in my eyes. Absolutely thrilled to have him.

6.11 - Derrick Mason, WR35, Bal (8) - I really love this pick. I think he will really be my WR2 (and Harvin my WR3) when all is said and done. WR35?....are you kidding me? Kenny Brit was another player I was targeting here (another snipe by Toupee) but I'm really quite glad the choice was made for me, now that Britt's lack of conditioning has been brought to the forefront. TE Carlson was in the mix, but read on....

7.06 - John Carlson, TE14, Sea (5) - A total 40 picks between Cooley at 4.14/TE12 and Carlson at 7.06/TE14, with only one TE (Heath Miller) sandwiched in between. Absolute best value on the board (for my team) when I grabbed Carlson. I do not like Hasselsquirt in the least, but Carlson should prove to be a reliable dump-off when the running game inevitably sucks.....come on now, you know it's true.

8.11 - Matt Moore, QB29, Car (6) - The QB2's didn't really have a strong run here in this league compared to others, but Freeman (Wood) and Campbell (beachbum) were long gone by the time I made this pick and they were the QB's I wanted to pair with Flacco the most. Looking at the remaining QB's, I decided I needed to make this pick here or else get stuck with someone I didn't feel too good about. Moore power to Ruffrodys!

9.06 - Kevin Walter, WR48, Hou (7) - Breaston, Dez Bryant, Aromashodu, Chambers, Cotchery, A. Bryant, Royal, Welker, Burleson, Owens, Gaffney & Avery.....all went before Walter.....thanks guys! I've got Walter ahead of all of them in my rankings. (Happy to do the sniping with him, as JP noted he wanted him.) Shocked Jacoby Jones (DH/TFC) went 6 picks later though.

10.11 - Steve Slaton, RB46, Hou (7) - Here in the 10th, I wasn't sure where I was heading and just let the draft slide to me. I was eyeing up M. Bush until I realized the bye week conflict wouldn't help my team, plus he went to Wood before I could screw myself. Also looked at Maroney, but ultimately decided Slaton was the better gamble......can't really say why......just a hunch.

11.06 - Bo Scaife, TE19, Ten (9) - Considered Olsen here also, and as noted earlier I just felt Scaife was the better option for my team. Solid pick here.

12.11 - Jason Avant, WR73, Phi (8) - 4th WR (out of my 5 total) on a high powered passing offense. I don't care if he is the WR3 in Philly, he will produce some weeks and likely get into my starting lineup at least once. Like I stated earlier, he is extra meat and Philly's high-octane offense might make him very valuable down the stretch for my team.

13.06 - Titans, D15, Ten (9) - As the draft unfolded I planned on a D somewhere in the middle of the D1 run. It went a little farther than I expected, but I didn't want to be left out and grabbed a defense here. I like the Titans to rebound nicely from 2009.

14.11 - Jerious Norwood, RB57, Atl (8) - Seriously.....Norwood in the 14th? One little glitch for Turner and Norwood's value skyrockets! I conscientiously avoided getting sucked into the PK1 run that was mounting here in this round. As noted previously, I thought about K. Smith here, but yet again, I went with what I perceived to be the safer pick.

15.06 - Lawrence Tynes, K12, NYG (8) - Yeah.......a PK1 who was very solid last year.....and quite frankly I'm surprised he lasted until PK12.

16.11 - Panthers, D28, Car (6) - Ranked TD19 on the FBG Redraft ranking lists right now.....you guys don't like them? Glad to have them as my TD2.

17.06 - Joe Nedney, K23, SF (9) - Okay, thanks.

18.11 - Tony Moeaki, TE32, KC (4) - I really like Moeaki to earn the starting gig in KC. I know about his injury history. Not too worried considering he is my TE3. If I didn't feel so comfortable in all my other positions, I would not have made this pick, but surprisingly (mostly to myself) I am very comfortable with the rest of my team to take this risk here. Honestly, I didn't see any other players I wanted to add to my team and thought a flyer would be fun!

All right, I gave you my pick-by-pick analysis, so now comes the positional analysis....

By Position:

5.06 - Joe Flacco, QB11, Bal (8)

8.11 - Matt Moore, QB29, Car (6)

Solid combo....not elite, but solid. Bye week covered.....no Clausen does not start by week 8, so I think I am fine here. Others may disagree, and that's fine, but I feel very good about this tandem.

Grade: B+

1.06 - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB5, Jac (9)

3.06 - Ryan Mathews, RB11, SD (10)

10.11 - Steve Slaton, RB46, Hou (7)

14.11 - Jerious Norwood, RB57, Atl (8)

Best 1-2 punch in the league as far as I'm concerned. Slaton and Norwood should be adequate for bye week fill-ins, if all works out according to plan.

Grade: A-

2.11 - Marques Colston, WR10, NO (10)

4.11 - Percy Harvin, WR22, Min (4)

6.11 - Derrick Mason, WR35, Bal (8)

9.06 - Kevin Walter, WR48, Hou (7)

12.11 - Jason Avant, WR73, Phi (8)

Only 5 WR's but this group will be very solid on a week-to-week basis. I cannot say it is the best WR corp in the league, but it is damn close given the variations of WR combo's out there.

Grade: A-

7.06 - John Carlson, TE14, Sea (5)

11.06 - Bo Scaife, TE19, Ten (9)

18.11 - Tony Moeaki, TE32, KC (4)

I like this group a lot. Many may not.

Grade: B

15.06 - Lawrence Tynes, K12, NYG (8)

17.06 - Joe Nedney, K23, SF (9)

2 solid K's.....enough said.

Grade: B-

13.06 - Titans, D15, Ten (9)

16.11 - Panthers, D28, Car (6)

2 solid D's.....enough said.

Grade: B+

Overall I really do think this team has a good shot to finish top 4 in this league. As with any year, unknown issues could arise to derail it, but on paper I really like this team to survive until the near end.

Overall Grade: A-

Please, feel free to comment.....I appreciate all opinions no matter what.

I'll play....

WR - No way that's an A-. Only 5 WRs and two share a bye. I also don't see a ton of TDs across the board. If this group had one more solid WR that didn't share a bye with the rest then maybe a B+, but as it stands I can't give it higher than a B-.

Just add up the # of TDs for those 5 from last year. I haven't but I'd bet it was under 30.

Just checked, I think the number is 27?

I think having just 4 options three times and only 3 WRs once will really hurt your team.

I would upgrade your PK grade to B+/A-. However, I don't know that I'd put a high grade on TEN/CAR. TEN has just 27 turnovers and both clubs only had 32 sacks apiece. TEN also gave up over 400 points last year. CAR just lost their best sack DE (Peppers). Not much of a return game for either. I can see quite a few holes in this pairing, making in just average overall. C+.

I can agree with QB/RB/TE.

Good luck and nice drafting with you.

 

[Pickle Rody]

Thanks for the comments Jeff, much appreciated! Yes, great drafting with you again.......I almost cried when I saw you were right next to me in the draft order as I absolutely hate dealing with you in these things. You generally think a lot like me and I knew we'd be battling for players.........I was right to be worried.

Good luck to you also in 2010!!!!!

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

To play fair I'll add up my TDs for my WRs (and yes, I'm aware that there is more to WRs than just TDs, but odds are that a TD catch (minimum 7 points) will make that WR a viable starter for your lineup).

Larry Fitzgerald 13

DeSean Jackson 10

Santana Moss 3

Santonio Holmes 5

Brian Hartline 4

Anthony Gonzalez* 0 (injured)

So that's a pretty good sample and let's throw AG out. There's 5 WRs that I'd put up against yours and say that they are better at TDs and bye weeks. I'm not trying to discredit your effort here but rather hoping you get why I'm saying that a group with 4-5 WRs every week and 35 TDs last season > a group with fewer TDs and 3-4 WRs some weeks.

(I don't remember if we get KR/PR TDs)

 

[Pickle Rody]

It's cool.....I understand where you are coming from......I guess I am just higher on my 5 WR's than others, or you, may be.

I'll just ask outright.......do you think my team has any chance to get to the final 4 of this league, which is what I hope to accomplish?

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

It's cool.....I understand where you are coming from......I guess I am just higher on my 5 WR's than others, or you, may be. I'll just ask outright.......do you think my team has any chance to get to the final 4 of this league, which is what I hope to accomplish?

I think it has a chance, but in my experience the best WR/TE teams can manage underperforming QB or RB and last quite a while. Underperforming WRs can crush a team - so you're going to need some luck at WR to get into December IMHO.I haven't walked through every team, but I will take a look soon and give my guestimates - as there's no locks to this at all. I will say that despite the "4" on this SSL, there's a lot of Survivor skill in this draft with these owners.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Dear Santana Moss,

Thank you so much for applying the Kiss of Death to my team.

 

[Nugget]

I've ranked the other 15 teams into 3 tiers - listed alphabetically within the tiers.

A Tier

Crippler - Ben is my only real concern - if Phillip throws a stinker you could be out the in the 1st 5 games.

jeter23 - If you have a starting QB you could be great - I'd prefer a 2nd K to Ringer.

menobrown - Solid draft - Mediocrity at QB and questionable WR depth are only concerns.

Jeff P. - RB Depth could be hidden by strong WR's

tex - Lots of value - RBBC players will determine if you can make it to the final 4.

B Tier

BostonFred - 1QB drops you here, plus the WRBC approach. Week 7 could be your ceiling

HellToupee - Questions about Hardesty, Welker, and Collie's role brought you here. Love the QB's.

Jason Wood - RB2 and multiple rook WR lead to a lot of variance.

RC94 - 3 QB's and WR3-6 lead to mid pack.

Ruffrody5 - 3 TE's and 5 WR's land you here. Rook's in the 3rd don't win championships.

C Tier

beachbum - 6 RB's? 4 WR's? There is no flex position.

Future Champs - 3 QB's, 5 RB's, 5 WR's = early exit. My guess - week 4 with no TE and Jamaal Charles off.

Stinkin Ref - 2 Rook RB's and a UFA WR. You may not have a PK as well. TE questions as well.

teamramrod - 2 missed picks? Aaron Brown RB3? Best of luck.

Yellow Line - Only 1 solid WR, Torain is RB4? in WAS?

Just some quick thoughts. As for my team, I did not tier it but WR is a problem - 6 of them but Housh/Bryant are probably WR3 type players and then 4 question marks. My entire season lies on their performance.

 

[glumpy]

I saw Gonzo/Berrian around when I picked Buckhalter....Gonzo may have slid because he may be the 5th receiving option on that team right now after what happened last year......he was hurt like on the first series and that team still made the Super Bowl and for sure had two other guys really step up......honestly I think thinking he is ridiculous value is a little over the top......probably mostly based on his name and what he did prior to having two guys behind him really step up all year.....his situation is by no means ideal at this point.....it's not like he has the Ram WR's/TE's in front of him right now.....he's coming off a serious injury and I honestly think Collie and Garcon showed last year that this team does not need to rely on him playing like he did prior to his injury.....so while it looks great to add him to a fantasy roster on paper right now, I think where he was taken in this league in a survivor format is just about right......I put very little into where he was taken in "other SSL's leagues" because all it takes is a couple guys to draft because of name recognition and all of a sudden that makes him value in a totally different draft.....I don't get that.....sorry but in one of these SSL's I think A Gonzo was taken in the 8th and that is just crazy IMO.....nice name pick, but I don't see him getting anywhere near the numbers we have seen him get in the past....so while it may look like a steal, I don't really see any reasons to justify it as such unless you really think Garcon and Collie take some huge steps backward.....

One more thing about your comments (and we need more commentaries rather than roster lists here)....On the bolded part (about other SSLs) - one of the values of these drafts in getting ADP info for real drafts this early. Even if you don't agree with the answers, the consensus of where a given player is being drafted in many drafts right now is given by these drafts. To be able to look at 3 drafts that have typical ADPs (don't look at rounds because runs happen.... look at WR## or RB##) and see this:

WR46

WR55

WR60

Getting that player - regardless of name - at WR82 represents what should be good value. Not a lock for certain, but if you're getting a player 15-25 spots later than in a typical draft that's pretty good.

(the above is Gonzalez.... here's Berrian):

WR64

WR61

WR63

SSL4 - WR79

I'll comment on this.....I, like probably everybody else "took a look" at the other drafts while our draft was going on, which is very easy to do considering they are all lined up right here in this forum, my point is that I think some guys may have done the same thing and then taken it a step further and taken a guy based on the fact that they saw him go in that same general area or earlier in "other drafts"....almost an automatic justification for taking him....a "how can you argue with this pick, he just went at so and so in SSLX"......some guys might have pulled the trigger just cause everybody else was instead of actually really thinking that player deserved that pick.....just as in the same light some have admitted they assumed he was already gone, and to me that was probably based more on because of where he went in other drafts as opposed to where people think he deserves to go based on his situation....thats all I'm sayin.....

there is something to be gained by these drafts obviously, that is why we do it, and I may look at things a little bit differently, but I just don't like seeing where a guy was taken in other drafts automatically transformed into value/steal in a completely different draft....like to see more substance given about a pick, like you did with your explanation of why you think Gonzo may come back this year and represent value...I think the "great value card" is sometimes tossed around in here a little too much based on getting a guy later than where he went in other drafts as opposed to some actual reasons why it might have been a good pick....

the reason we are even having a discussion about this is because of the variance in where he was taken.....haven't totally put the numbers together (not a numbers guy in fantasy at all, even though that is what it is based on), but based on what you indicated he was all the way from WR46 to WR82....and I think a full 8 rounds worth of picks or so.....so a bunch of WR's taken in between where two drafters thought he was worth.....I think the 8th(46) was definatley way too early and the 16th(82) maybe a tad late......so what we should be getting at is why the big difference, cause that is where the meat is....honestly I think his value lies closer to where you got him, than where he was taken by the others, even the middle two guys, and the reasons I gave above are why and that is why I don't think he was "ridiculous value".....

I know you won't believe this but I have him at WR80 with his value going up or down a little bit down based on what else I would have had on my team at that time......

Love all this commentary on Gonzalez--particularly since I'm the one took him at WR46. I'll start right off with what amount to a disclaimer--my thinking at that time (and now) was that the way the my draft was breaking out WR was my weak link, and that was exactly the opposite from what I had intended coming into the draft. Because of that I was going for upside. AG is not necessarily the #46 Wr on my boards even now--among others left on the table then I think Santonio Holmes is stronger--but the situation in Indy looked good to me. Contrary to what I see as board consensus, I think if he's healthy he'll take back the targets which Garcon and Collie enjoyed with his absence last season. With Manning manning that pass attack I see that being a better potential than Holmes, f'rinstance, and as my WR4 in round 8 it looks like good upside. Interestingly enough, looking back on it, I went with Edelman as my #3 particularly because I don't see Welker coming back in form this year--which is exactly the opposite sense from Gonzalez.

No more, no less. I use these SL's as my primary initial review going into the new season, and generally tighten up the lists as the offseason develops. While I agree that Gonzalez could have been taken later it worked well for my other targets and coming in from the #4 slot things get a little out of order in any case. If healthy I'd actually place him more at WR60 in a standard league, simply because it'll be tough to guess which games he might go off (assuming he does.) But this is a best ball format and values get skewed somewhat.

 

[Crippler]

I will try to put some tiers up with no particular order in tier

Top Tier

Pasquino; Solid throughout the lineup. Only issue is a couple of backups like Fasano

Stinkin Ref; Like the QB and RB. WR top 3 is nice but needs someone to step up. TE is weak and 1 PK is dangerous

Crippler: Surving Ben and the TE's and no big name RB are the weak spots. Rest is solid

Toupee; Looks pretty solid throughout but will need some good stuff at RB to happen

Upper Middle Tier

Tex: Solid QB but not big on RB overall and WR has no stud. Weak D also

RC94: Not big on WR's overall and RB's could kill. Only 1 PK also and he could be replaced.

Meno: QB duo to me is weak, and WR4 is on is also. RB's look good to most but I think okay

Wood: Solid throughout but not big on the WR rookie combo or Fatdale

Lower Middle Tier

Ruff: Outside of Flacco, Colston and MJD, there is not much else I like on this team. Too many holes

Nugget. Great QB but I just dont rest of combos and see them all as bottom half

BostonFred. Not big on the BC approach and 1 QB could be a killer even if Peyton

Jeter: I dont like the RB hope approach at all. Overall if Brett is back and the RB surprise he could win

Bottom Tier

Beach: Beyond Marshall, Austin and I think both are risky, he seemed to draft my all dont touch team

Future: Weak QB, dont like WR depth and drafted a few of my dont touch team

TeamRam: Missing last 2 picks was huge. I like the starting unit but nothing beyond that

Yellow; Beyond his top 2 RB, Jennings and Cooley and a good D, not much else I like

 

[Pickle Rody]

Just wanted to say thanks to Nugget for tracking the draft and setting up the discussion thread. Your efforts are appreciated!!!!!

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Just wanted to say thanks to Nugget for tracking the draft and setting up the discussion thread. Your efforts are appreciated!!!!!

Always appreciated.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Refs Draft: (1st half) (first few copied from earlier post)

Liked getting the two slot.

Disclaimer: Bye week really affected a bunch of my picks more than I ever really thought it would, I hated passing on some value, but trying to explain that with each pick would make this post way longer than it already is.

1.02: Adrian Peterson RB MIN (4): Easy pick. Not much to see here. I think Gerhart will be a player so I kind of look at adding him and losing Taylor as kind of a wash. Gerhart looks like a bowling ball and defenses won't be real excited to see him come in when Peterson goes to the bench. Gerhart might help wear down the defense a little more than Taylor did which could open things up a little for Peterson. Hopefully he gets a few more catches between the 20's now and will be in on third down. Wouldn't be surprised though to see MIN bring in some kind of 3rd down back to help out which would suck. Anyway, great base for the RB position

Other considerations here: none

2.15: Steve Smith WR CAR (6): As this pick got closer I was thinking about going QB but only had two that I would have taken (Rivers/Brady). They went in the three picks before mine, so I shifted gears to WR, and also at this point committed in my mind to going after Kolb in the 4th. Have to start 3 WR's so let's get one. Saw some RB's that I would have loved to maybe pair with ADP but thought WR was the play. Was looking at Vincent Jackson here, but I didn't like him possibly getting suspended to start the year. Didn't like anything else I saw besides Smith so I pulled the trigger.

Other considerations here: Vincent Jackson, Jamaal Charles (but same bye week as ADP), Jonathan Stewart.

3.02: Vincent Jackson WR SD (10): Really thought menobrown would take him with one of his two picks, but he passed. So here was VJ staring at me again. Funny how the difference in 4 picks will change your mind about a guy, but here I felt like he was value and a possible suspension didn't bug me as much with Smith on board. Personally I think VJ has a 50-50 chance to get a one game suspension. They talk of being for violating the substance abuse thing, but his last issue was just driving when he wasn't supposed to, not a DUI. Now the previous two were, but you would think a suspension would have already been handed down by now for that. Not sure if he will get one for this last ticket. Also indications are that he was the "model" criminal and has already done his entire community service/road pick up, etc. Hopefully Goddell will take that into consideration. I now have 2 no doubt #1 WR's on their team and a solid start in a start 3 WR league along with a top RB. SD will throw a ton and VJ can make plays . He is big and strong and go and gets the ball which is what I look for in fantasy WR's. Plus SD schedule this year is just cake.

Other considerations here: Charles and Stewart again. Looked at Boldin, but hate their schedule. Was very close to pulling the trigger on Ryan Matthews at the last second, because I just LOVE his situation and SD schedule.

4.15: Kevin Kolb QB PHI (8): As mentioned above I was targeting Kolb here and he fell. As the pick got closer I was hoping for him or Cutler. I was really surprised that only two QB's (Schaub/Eli) went between my picks with 8 teams still needing one, so didn't really sweat this out as much as I thought I would. Looking at the top QB's that were left, I also saw that many of them shared the same bye week (Kolb, Cutler, Ryan, Flacco), not that that really meant anything other than the thought of doubling up here at QB with my next two picks was really out of the question. I love Kolb this year and think he has a very good chance to be top 5-6. Put it this way, all of his main weapons were gone by 5.01. I got the guy that is getting the ball to them. At this point in the draft I think Philly is the only team with RB1, WR1, WR2, and TE gone. Philly throws a ton in Reid's offense and I don't see that changing. In two of the 3 games he played last year he threw the ball 34+ times with one game over 50+ attempts, so this combined with getting rid of DM shows they have confidence in him. Great weapons in Philly. Menobrown has drafted Kolb previously so that factored in a little here as far as taking him now instead of waiting till my next pick.

Other considerations here: none

5.02: Jahvid Best RB DET (7): I really wanted Best. After Matthews, I see him walking into the best situation. No other WR's stood out to me here and I thought RB would be the best way to go. Felix Jones had the same bye week as ADP so when Menobrown took him, I didn't care. Best has little competition and DET has some weapons on offense. Morris does not scare me and Kevin Smith may not be back by the time the season starts. So that is who Best is competing with right now. Love this guys chances to produce right away.

Other considerations here: Ronnie Brown, but the injury, particularly the one he suffered really scared me and Ricky is there. Spiller, currently in a 3 headed monster. Forte, no thanks with Taylor in town. Bush, can't count on those knees, they cost him a couple games last year. Also thought about a TE but saw nothing that deserved this pick.

6.15: Devin Aromashodu WR CHI (8): I have taken him in every survivor draft. He will make or break many of these teams. I think he is the real deal, not much else to say. Was pretty sure I was going to take him with one of my picks here at the turn so I decided to do it now in case meno had visions of taking him as he only had 2 WR’s at this time and I wasn’t sure what he would do. Felt if I wanted him, I had to take him here even though he has lasted longer in other drafts. Liked my 3 WR’s at this point a bunch.

Other considerations here: none really, I wanted him and didn’t want meno to snipe him cause meno had been in a draft with me before and knew how I felt about him and I have no idea if meno thinks he is worth a crap or not. Briefly thought about Carlson but knew meno wouldn’t take another TE for awhile with Finley on board. If I wanted Carlson I knew I could get him with my next pick.

7.02: Matt Cassel QB KC (4): Made it pretty clear in the pick forum how I felt about this pick. Sensed the QB2 run would pass me by being on the end so was forced to take one here. Hated this ####### pick. Maybe a little higher on Cassel than some of the other guys. Like his weapons.

Other considerations here: Carlson, wanted him badly, and Brandon Jacobs.

8.15: Terrell Owens WR UFA (?): As this pick approached I was eyeballing Keller, but after losing out on Carlson it wasn’t a huge blow when he wasn’t available anymore either. Holmes in town, meh. Pivotal point here as I decide to punt on the TE position. TO was too good to pass up here. Had 2 pretty solid guys already at QB, RB, and WR, thought if he lands in the right spot I got a guy who can blow up on any given week. Kinda surprised he is still there. Upside. Could be bad with unknown status/bye week.

Other considerations here: Fred Jackson, but hated the potential 3 headed monster, and LT who I thought meno would take if I didn’t. I looked at my team and thought does TO’s blow up ability help me or LT having a point to prove win out. I went TO and WR here since we start 3, As it turns out, not the best call since meno goes RB/RB and could have taken the guy that I wanted.

9.02: LaDainian Tomlinson RB NYJ (7): Ok so now I think …cool this kicks ###, I have commited to punting on TE and meno passes on LT and goes elsewhere, (I thought he would take LT over others except Jackson). Have no stats, etc to back this up, but I think LT produces this year even with a healthy Greene.

Other considerations here: None. Absolutley none.

Honestly half way through the draft I am pretty happy. Really like my QB's and my 3 RB's even though Best and LT share the same bye which is not perfect by any means and I'll line my 4 WR's up at this point with anybody else's, especially if TO lands in a good spot.

2nd half breakdown to come later:

 

[menobrown]

Hey Stinkin- you had several times were you mentioned what you thought I might do impacted your strategy so I'll let you know.

3.2 Vincent Jackson- I never considered him. Went with Rice with one of those picks and to me in Rice I see a guy who outperformed Jackson slightly last season and is not facing a possible suspension so I gave Jackson no consideration here. Had Finley been picked I'm not sure what I would have done with the other pick but never had to make that decision.

4.11 Kevin Kolb- Yes I was going to take him with one of my picks coming next. Probably the pick I used to take Maclin.

6.15 Devin Aromshadu- Never considered him here. In the first SSL draft this year I got Hester in I think the 9th round as the second Bear WR and in this draft Knox in the 11th as the third Bear WR. To me I don't really rate one Bear WR over the other so I think the value is getting the second or third one later in the draft which is more my goal than taking the first one early.

John Carlson- You were right in that I would not have picked him since I had Finley but if I did not have Finley yes I've have taken him with one of these slots. I took him in my last SSL draft when I got caught out of the major TE run. He's one of my main TE options in drafts were I get caught out of the upper ecehlon TE's.

9.2 LT- Wanted to go with a WR here but saw no value compared to the RB's. LT ended up third on my remaining RB list so in that respect he was close but he was not that close to how I view Tate and Jackson. Tate and Jackson were two guys I'd have had a heck of a time deciding on between them and was glad to get to take them both. One of the reasons I love picking on the ends.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Ref's Draft: (second half)

10.15 Mario Manningham WR NYG (8): Was kind of surprised by the picks between my last pick and this pick, guess I have some guys valued differently. So it was nice to see Manningham still available. To me he represents value at this spot and in this format. As my WR5 he is decent option, he can make plays and may have some big games every once in awhile. Might not be the most consistent guy out there, but we will get a piece of the pie. I had Mario on a few teams last year and actually hated it. Never knew what I would get. Red Wizard of Oz shoes and ####, …..c’mon man. Thought he topped off this WR group with some big play potential.

Other considerations here: McGahee if he would have fallen. TE was an option but thought Manningham was too much value to pass up here and meno only had two WR’s on his roster at this point so I thought he might be looking at WR. Not sure if Manningham was on his radar or not, here, but figured if I wanted to snag another one, now was the time, and again, if I wanted a TE I could probably get it with next pick since meno had Finley on board.

11.02 Jeremy Shockey TE NOS (10): Punted TE up until this point. The Saints will score, he may help move the chains and get some red zone love. If he stays healthy this is a fairly solid guy to get in round 11. If you don’t snag a top 5 guy, the rest are a coin flip as to where they will finish IMO.

Other considerations here: Olsen and there were still some top flight DST’s on the board.

12.15 Toby Gerhart RB MIN (4): Ton of directions I could have gone here, but honestly Gerhart seemed like the best option even if I didn’t have ADP. Didn’t want to a DST as I think their value is very limited in these leagues. I looked at the MIN depth chart and besides ADP and Gerhart I think there is only one other RB really on there. Obviously that will change, but what I see here is ADP/Gerhart and not a ton else. Gerhart could get some goal line love and I think he spell ADP on occasion quite often. I could honestly see him and ADP both putting up starter type points on occasion. If ADP does go down, I have some insurance.

Other considerations: Olsen if he would have continued his free fall, Berrian and maybe Lynch.

**I was well aware at this point that my 4 RB’s shared two bye weeks and it would dictate future picks but I wasn’t overly concerned, it just meant I needed to get a fairly solid RB5 at some point.

13.02 INDY DST (7): My worst pick so far IMO. Was scrambling out the door and didn’t want to hold up the draft. I hate DST in this format. Meno took the two I would have preferred, but Freeney and company will get some sacks etc.

Other considerations here: Lynch and MIA DST as I think they will tough and I like the addition of Mike Nolan. Thought about Heap, but liked Scheffler’s situation better and thought he would make it back to me. But bottom line if I would have had more time I probably should have took Berrian here and said to heck with DST and locked up my WR position.

14.15 Tony Scheffler TE DET (7): As this pick got closer I was targeting Buckhalter, Scheffler, and/or Berrian. Was glad to see Weaver, Norwood and Kevin Smith go earlier in the round instead of Buckhalter. Meno had 4 RB’s already and only one TE, so thought Buckhalter would make it back and I should probably get Scheffler here in case meno was thinking about taking a second one on the turn. I think Scheffler was brought in for a reason, and he could see substantial time with Pettigrew’s injury still looming. Even with a healthy Pettigrew, I could see Scheffler getting some catches. My TE’s are obviously pretty weak, but they could be average. I sacrificed this position to be strong elsewhere so I can’t complain. Once you chose to do it, you can’t make the mistake of trying to make up for it too soon and passing up value. This is about what I expected.

Other considerations here: Buckhalter and Berrian. Maybe should have taken Berrian and settled for Shawn Nelson or something if Scheff didn’t make it back to me.

15.02 Correll Buckhalter RB DEN (9): Buckhalter was the guy I wanted as my RB5. Currently backing up Knowshon but he should still gets plenty of action. Could see him getting the goaline work, and I think he will be in on 3rd down and catch some passes.

Other considerations here: Really wanted to pull the trigger on Berrian, but the more I thought about it, I really needed Buckhalter. Berrian would have been a bonus, not a need.

16.15 Olindo Mare PK SEA (5): Got to have PK, he was franchised, so hopefully job security. The reason I took Mare over some others was because of his bye week (5). I had pretty much decided at this point that I was going with one PK. He has an early bye, but more importantly he will be the only person I have on a bye that week, so I have the rest of my roster to hopefully cover what points I miss at the PK position.

17.02 Tampa Bay DST (4): Three defenses left, wanted to have two to chose from. Nothing to see here.

18.15 Legedu Naanee WR SDC (10): As mentioned earlier I was going with 1 PK. That decision was partly strategy, but also forced by some of the decisions I made in this draft. Two of my 5 WR’s share a week 8 bye and TO hasn’t signed yet. So if he ends up on a team with a week 8 bye I would only have two guys going. I was really high on Naanee heading into last year and was surprised/disappointed in his season. I am jumping back on for a couple reasons. I think he has the skills and he is the #3 WR on a prolific passing team. I think he could easily push Floyd for the #2 spot. Now, obviously, he shares the same bye week as Vincent Jackson, so I had to weigh the cost/benefit of that decision and decided to gamble that it wouldn’t hurt me and I liked Naanee’s potential better than others still on the board. In addition, and this is what put the pick over the top for me, is that if Jackson does miss any time with a suspension, I should be covered as you would think Naanee would see an increase in action.

Other considerations here: LeFell and Damian Williams. There were a few others, but bye weeks eliminated them.

will add some other comments in another post........

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Stinkin Ref’s Position Analysis and Self Grade:

Quarterbacks:

4.15 Kevin Kolb - QB9 - PHI (8)

7.02 Matt Cassell - QB20 - KCC (4)

I am probably higher on Kolb than some, but as I mentioned, all of his weapons were gone in this draft by 5.01, I don’t believe that can be said about any other QB. I believe Cassel is a solid QB2 and with the addition of Jones and McCluster and Moeake, this team has some new toys for Weis and Cassel to play with. Kolb needs to prove himself and Cassel had a ####ty year last year. Self Grade: B+

Running Backs:

1.02 Adrian Peterson - RB2 - MIN (4)

5.02 Jahvid Best - RB22 - DET (7)

9.02 LaDanian Tomlinson - RB40 -NYJ (7)

12.14 Toby Gerhart – RB53 -MIN (4)

15.02 Correll Buckhalter - RB - DEN (9)

Any time you start with Peterson, you should be decent. Best was a solid pick and could be ROY, LT lands in a great spot for him at this point in his career. Gerhart may surprise in how much he gets involved as I think MIN is a playoff team heading into the season and they will want to keep ADP fresh. Gerhart could be in to run out the clock (secure the rock) and could get some GL love. Buck is solid backup who could contribute any week. Self Grade: B

Wide Receivers:

2.15 Steve Smith - WR12 - CAR (6)

3.02 Vincent Jackson - WR14 - SDC (10)

6.15 Devin Aromashodu - WR38 - CHI (8)

8.15 Terrell Owens - WR45 - UFA (?)

10.15 Mario Manningham - WR62 - NYG (8)

18.15 Legedu Naanee – WR90 – SDC (10)

If VJ doesn’t get suspended and/or I make it past his suspension, this is a solid group. Obviously TO’s landing spot/bye week is huge, but I expect him to put up solid numbers no matter where. As WR4 on this team he should produce just fine. And many of you probably look at him as my WR3 because you are probably not as high on DA as I am. That is fine, swap em, doesn’t really matter to me cause I just for some reason think DA is the real deal. Some might say Manningham is WR3 worthy in this format so with him and Naanee backing up the top 4, I’ll put these 6 up against anybody right now. Self Grade: A

Tight Ends:

11.02 Jeremy Shockey - TE18 - NOS (10)

14.15 Tony Scheffler – TE27 - DET (7)

Easy to point to this position as the weakness of the team with regard to QB/RB/WR/TE and I am cool with that because that means the other positions are strong. You must sacrifice something and I did here, however I still think I got pretty good value for as long as I waited. In the other survivors I think took a stud TE early, so different direction here.

Self Grade: C

Place Kicker:

16.15 Olindo Mare – PK21 – SEA (5)

Decided to go with one, but the one I took is the only player I will have on bye during week 5 so I am hoping having a full roster to chose from that week will make up for any lost points here that week. Seattle placed the franchise tag on Mare so he shouldn’t be going anywhere. Have seen some discussion about the 1 PK strategy, not sure where I weigh in on it, but my picks in this draft really dictated that I give the strategy a shot. Self Grade: D

Defense/Special Teams:

13.02 Indianapolis Colts DST14 (7)

17.02 Tampa Bay Buccaneers DST29 (4)

So hard to tell, and you never know. A team takes one to the house and it can help win you a week.

Self Grade: C

Overall:

The individual grades by position may not reflect the combined outcome. Quite honestly, I thought I had a pretty solid draft. I wouldn’t trade this team straight up with any of the others at this point.

Self Grade: A-

 

[Stinkin Ref]

General Draft Comments:

Enjoyed this draft and really enjoyed being on the end. I think it is easier than being in the middle. I was able to target guys and really only had to keep track of what Meno was doing which is actually kind of a relief/break. Meno had rounds were he double up on positions (QB/RB/WR/DST/PK) so he actually made it even a little easier. It wasn’t so much that he dictated who I picked as much as when I picked them. I have no idea how he valued players, but I could get an idea of what direction he was heading. Looks like in the first part of the draft not much played out with regard to Meno and I and any affect on the draft, however I think things could have been completely different had he gotten Kolb.

The bye weeks messed with me a little. Even though I don’t put a ton of stock in them it dictated my play a couple of times. Wondering if there is some strategy to those bye weeks with 6 teams off, like trying to have as many guys available those weeks as possible compared to other teams or not, etc. Also being a newb, I guess I could have taken a better look at the “early bye week=good thing” strategy. I initially thought there might be some benefit to having as many guys available as possible; as long as possible, and that might somehow correlate to increasing your odds of winning. Not really the case I guess.

I think Austin is going a little high.

I think Mendenhall is going way too high and in this format people might be underestimating the affect that “no Big Ben” may have. Some think it automatically means better things for Mendy, meaning they will lean on him, etc…..I’m not so sure it won’t be the opposite.

Pitt Players: Even if Big Ben’s suspension gets reduced to 4 games, they have a bye week 5 so you are really without him and his impact for 5 weeks. I stayed away from Pitt players as much as possible.

The Gore/AJ picks while surprising didn’t change things that much, although the Rice/MJD owners may disagree.

The way the QB2 were drafted could leave some guys in a tough spot. I don’t really want to call it a run, but whatever it was left a few guys really scrambling and I think changed the dynamics of the draft a little and allowed other to snag value when some felt pressured to reach for marginal QB2’s.

Not sure Spiller will have the impact/touches to justify his ADP across the board.

AZ QB situation scares me enough to stay away from Fitz, Breaston, and Doucet.

Brandon Jacobs/Bernard Berrian = good value in this draft.

Anthony Gonzalez……nevermind

Kyle Orton should not be counted on in any way/shape/form this year unless he is traded.

Two cents breakdown on the way.