Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
OK, so I thought it might be a good idea to share some real world drafting and not just theory. The league I drafted in this weekend is pretty normal, 1PPR, 6 pts All TD, performance/TD combo the rest of the way. I will show you who I took and what other players were on the board around those picks. This league is not a total shark league. I make no apologies for that however about 4-6 of us contribute either threads here, internet podcasts, and articles as guests on other sites that we need not mention in the forum.
We certainly have a few guys that take rather interesting picks...I'm sure many of you play in leagues like that as well. The emphasis will not be in the exact players themselves but overall team strength at the end, give you a good idea what your facing.
1QB/1RB/2WR/1Flex/1TE/1Def/1PK
1.04 Clinton Portis RB: It can be argued that in a PPR league that barber may have been the pick but I like the situation Portis is in and a
another small factor is the notion that if Portis went down, I have no problem playing Ladell betts....let's hope I lock him up later.
2.09 Torry Holt WR: Somtimes you just get lucky. Guy ahead of me took marvin harrison...Holt was the #6 WR off the board in our league. Smith, Fitz, Johnson, TO, Harrison in that order. I thought about a RB but when you can grab a WR that can possibly end the season as the FF#1WR I think you bite down. Peyton manning was selected earlier in the draft, quite a few back and then there was a WR run...I really didn't want to see Holt paired with LJ, Shaun, or LT as I will be facing all of these teams twice during the season.
3.04 DeShaun Foster RB: I may have jumped the gun a bit here, however I think the combo of he Williams and Foster can provide top10-15 in the stats dept and at thi spoint in the draft that's a good thing. The real key is getting Williams to back him up. I was not optimistic that I could take Williams in the 8th round like his ADP so I will have to plan on reaching for him a bit.
The 3rd round pick is probably the most difficult for the #4 slot. You have to anticipate that a lot of RB will be off the board by the time it circles back around to you. Also guys like Chambers, Wayne, etc...those option are there if you want to go that route but I am hard pressed to find a major difference in them and maybe 20 more WR after them. I only have to field 1 RB in this league but we all know how lethal a RB in the flex can be.
4.09 Warrick Dunn RB: I am only asking him to be a bye week filler att his point...maybe early to grab that but Dunn is proven to be top20-25 and sometimes even higher over the past several seasons on a team that loves to run the football. If he can produce 1200 total yds, and 5-6 TD that's fine. Not many WR are going to give you at this point in the draft.
There were a lot of WR that went in the 3rd/4th and I would have take Donal Driver here but he went off the board 2 picks before me. I also was gambling that a WR I like would be there for me on the way back in the 5th. Because we play 6 pts Pass TD there was also starting to be a momentum for QBs...something that was exciting to me as I would be one of the last to grab one in the draft.
5.04 Derrick Mason WR: The WR were starting to fly off the board a little faster than I had anticipated. because of the flex there was a 3WR set mentality for a couple of the owners...but this lead to some RB falling to later rounds. The dropff from a Mason down to a Eddie kennison may not seem like much to some of you but I see big things from him this season and I am committed to this new passing game of baltimore...pounding it out hasn't worked for a long time there and maybe Billick can inject some life into this offense. Mason was an 80 catch/1200yds/7-9TD a season guy with mcNair and I am anticipating a return to that.
6.09 Ron Dayne RB: This is going to either be a steal or a real waste if these Mike Bell reports start panning out, but I think Dayne will be in the mix. I think there is trade value with Dayne too. It's amazing what 1 report can do to make you rethink your draft a bit.
7.04 DeAngelo Williams RB: I felt I had to take him here...and about 6 owners piped up they would have taken him on the way down in the 7th or up in the 8th...again i probably would not have landed Foster if I wait till the 4th...and I don't get Williams if I try and ring it out another round to take him. You ahve to be ahead of your buddies when you draft and if that means reaching a round or 2 to lock up who you want then so be it. The Koren Robinsons of the world were going in this round so i felt I didn't miss much.
8.09 Jake Plummer QB: He comes off the board as the 12th QB in my league...I was worried about getting him after a couple of owners started grabbing their QB2...I did not want to end up with a Rothy/Bruynell combo or something weird for waiting too long. I do need a WR3 in a hurry but I feel strong about Plummer when teamed up with another QB that I think have a very favorable pass schedule. I always look forward to Chase Stuart's QBBC article but I tweak that article a bit. What I look for is an established QB with a decent passing offense, and a good schedule. Plummer fit that and he needed to be secured at this point.
9.04 Michael Clayton WR: Remember when he was a 3rd round pick last season? Remember when he tore it up as a rookie? He was hurt all of last season. Galloway had a career like year...he will stretch the field and allow Clayton to work underneath and take off after he catches tha ball, something he is very good at. I wanted Matt Jones but he was taken 2 spots ahead...I also like Clayton and at this point in the draft ot get a guy that could very well post 70-80 catches, 1,000+yds and 5-8TD...this is something you are looking for. I was really looking for guys with upside. Clayton meets the requirements for me.
10.09 LJ Smith TE: Last person to take a TE. Some teams even started grabbing their backups...Ben Watson got snatched up by the Alge Crumpler owner...why? I felt Smith has upside and I didn't want to get stuck with Alex Smith later or something close to that.
11.04 Brett Favre QB: WOW! To get him at this point in the draft...I was a little surprised but look at the pass schedule he and Plummer bring to the table. Especially weeks 14-17 too. Only a couple of rough match ups between the 2 and I think Plummer/Favre is a terrific mid round combo that should be able to produce for almost any team.
12.09 Mark Clayton WR: As my WR4 I see upside with this pick. What if mason doesn't quite pan out as I hope and Clayton becomes the focal point of the passing game? i doubt it with Heap on the field too but I see Clayton making big strides this season for Baltimore. He is a bye week filler for the moment and I have some plans for the later round picks and WR. Troy Williamson ios an example of a WR that went off the board in this round.
13.04 Ladell betts RB: Gotta protect the 1st round investment and I like Betts a lot. I hope he gets his touches as Saunders has said. Portis stand a better chance of holding up the whole season if he is limited to about 17-20 carries a game. I have no fear of betts getting the goal line carries but if something happened to Portis I would feel OK is Betts was going to run the show a couple of weeks. When drafting those RB early try and think about their back ups too. If S.Jackson went down on St Louis, who would succeed him and would they produce? How bout Pittman in TB behind "Cadillac"...I like that situation a lot better than some of the others in the 1st round. Injuries are part of the game, and you can't overlook the likelihood of your RB getting shelved for a few weeks during the season.
14.09 Miami Dolphins Def/ST: Lots of defenses long gone...I like Miami and their chances this season.
15.04 Kevin Curtis WR: Just could not believe he was on the board still. A great back up play for my Holt pick...and if Bruce is down again I may have a starter. My 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks all have their back ups...I am completely happy with how that played out.
16.09 Corey Bradford WR: Starting presently
17.04 Dallas Cowboys Def/ST
18.09 Reche Caldwell WR: I like him preseason last season. he is in camp and getting a lot of reps...I like the upside for an 18th round pick.
19.04 Bobby Engram WR: The best WR8 on any roster in my league...
Not a sexy pick but if Burleson doesn't play up to snuff or DJax misses time, he will see a lot of targets.
20.09 R.Longwell PK: Had to take 1 PK and he was the best of what was left.
Guys with the #4 pick, fire away and I'll try and help. Questions, comments, concerns, chime in.
We certainly have a few guys that take rather interesting picks...I'm sure many of you play in leagues like that as well. The emphasis will not be in the exact players themselves but overall team strength at the end, give you a good idea what your facing.
1QB/1RB/2WR/1Flex/1TE/1Def/1PK
1.04 Clinton Portis RB: It can be argued that in a PPR league that barber may have been the pick but I like the situation Portis is in and a
another small factor is the notion that if Portis went down, I have no problem playing Ladell betts....let's hope I lock him up later.
2.09 Torry Holt WR: Somtimes you just get lucky. Guy ahead of me took marvin harrison...Holt was the #6 WR off the board in our league. Smith, Fitz, Johnson, TO, Harrison in that order. I thought about a RB but when you can grab a WR that can possibly end the season as the FF#1WR I think you bite down. Peyton manning was selected earlier in the draft, quite a few back and then there was a WR run...I really didn't want to see Holt paired with LJ, Shaun, or LT as I will be facing all of these teams twice during the season.
3.04 DeShaun Foster RB: I may have jumped the gun a bit here, however I think the combo of he Williams and Foster can provide top10-15 in the stats dept and at thi spoint in the draft that's a good thing. The real key is getting Williams to back him up. I was not optimistic that I could take Williams in the 8th round like his ADP so I will have to plan on reaching for him a bit.
The 3rd round pick is probably the most difficult for the #4 slot. You have to anticipate that a lot of RB will be off the board by the time it circles back around to you. Also guys like Chambers, Wayne, etc...those option are there if you want to go that route but I am hard pressed to find a major difference in them and maybe 20 more WR after them. I only have to field 1 RB in this league but we all know how lethal a RB in the flex can be.
4.09 Warrick Dunn RB: I am only asking him to be a bye week filler att his point...maybe early to grab that but Dunn is proven to be top20-25 and sometimes even higher over the past several seasons on a team that loves to run the football. If he can produce 1200 total yds, and 5-6 TD that's fine. Not many WR are going to give you at this point in the draft.
There were a lot of WR that went in the 3rd/4th and I would have take Donal Driver here but he went off the board 2 picks before me. I also was gambling that a WR I like would be there for me on the way back in the 5th. Because we play 6 pts Pass TD there was also starting to be a momentum for QBs...something that was exciting to me as I would be one of the last to grab one in the draft.
5.04 Derrick Mason WR: The WR were starting to fly off the board a little faster than I had anticipated. because of the flex there was a 3WR set mentality for a couple of the owners...but this lead to some RB falling to later rounds. The dropff from a Mason down to a Eddie kennison may not seem like much to some of you but I see big things from him this season and I am committed to this new passing game of baltimore...pounding it out hasn't worked for a long time there and maybe Billick can inject some life into this offense. Mason was an 80 catch/1200yds/7-9TD a season guy with mcNair and I am anticipating a return to that.
6.09 Ron Dayne RB: This is going to either be a steal or a real waste if these Mike Bell reports start panning out, but I think Dayne will be in the mix. I think there is trade value with Dayne too. It's amazing what 1 report can do to make you rethink your draft a bit.
7.04 DeAngelo Williams RB: I felt I had to take him here...and about 6 owners piped up they would have taken him on the way down in the 7th or up in the 8th...again i probably would not have landed Foster if I wait till the 4th...and I don't get Williams if I try and ring it out another round to take him. You ahve to be ahead of your buddies when you draft and if that means reaching a round or 2 to lock up who you want then so be it. The Koren Robinsons of the world were going in this round so i felt I didn't miss much.
8.09 Jake Plummer QB: He comes off the board as the 12th QB in my league...I was worried about getting him after a couple of owners started grabbing their QB2...I did not want to end up with a Rothy/Bruynell combo or something weird for waiting too long. I do need a WR3 in a hurry but I feel strong about Plummer when teamed up with another QB that I think have a very favorable pass schedule. I always look forward to Chase Stuart's QBBC article but I tweak that article a bit. What I look for is an established QB with a decent passing offense, and a good schedule. Plummer fit that and he needed to be secured at this point.
9.04 Michael Clayton WR: Remember when he was a 3rd round pick last season? Remember when he tore it up as a rookie? He was hurt all of last season. Galloway had a career like year...he will stretch the field and allow Clayton to work underneath and take off after he catches tha ball, something he is very good at. I wanted Matt Jones but he was taken 2 spots ahead...I also like Clayton and at this point in the draft ot get a guy that could very well post 70-80 catches, 1,000+yds and 5-8TD...this is something you are looking for. I was really looking for guys with upside. Clayton meets the requirements for me.
10.09 LJ Smith TE: Last person to take a TE. Some teams even started grabbing their backups...Ben Watson got snatched up by the Alge Crumpler owner...why? I felt Smith has upside and I didn't want to get stuck with Alex Smith later or something close to that.
11.04 Brett Favre QB: WOW! To get him at this point in the draft...I was a little surprised but look at the pass schedule he and Plummer bring to the table. Especially weeks 14-17 too. Only a couple of rough match ups between the 2 and I think Plummer/Favre is a terrific mid round combo that should be able to produce for almost any team.
12.09 Mark Clayton WR: As my WR4 I see upside with this pick. What if mason doesn't quite pan out as I hope and Clayton becomes the focal point of the passing game? i doubt it with Heap on the field too but I see Clayton making big strides this season for Baltimore. He is a bye week filler for the moment and I have some plans for the later round picks and WR. Troy Williamson ios an example of a WR that went off the board in this round.
13.04 Ladell betts RB: Gotta protect the 1st round investment and I like Betts a lot. I hope he gets his touches as Saunders has said. Portis stand a better chance of holding up the whole season if he is limited to about 17-20 carries a game. I have no fear of betts getting the goal line carries but if something happened to Portis I would feel OK is Betts was going to run the show a couple of weeks. When drafting those RB early try and think about their back ups too. If S.Jackson went down on St Louis, who would succeed him and would they produce? How bout Pittman in TB behind "Cadillac"...I like that situation a lot better than some of the others in the 1st round. Injuries are part of the game, and you can't overlook the likelihood of your RB getting shelved for a few weeks during the season.
14.09 Miami Dolphins Def/ST: Lots of defenses long gone...I like Miami and their chances this season.
15.04 Kevin Curtis WR: Just could not believe he was on the board still. A great back up play for my Holt pick...and if Bruce is down again I may have a starter. My 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks all have their back ups...I am completely happy with how that played out.
16.09 Corey Bradford WR: Starting presently
17.04 Dallas Cowboys Def/ST
18.09 Reche Caldwell WR: I like him preseason last season. he is in camp and getting a lot of reps...I like the upside for an 18th round pick.
19.04 Bobby Engram WR: The best WR8 on any roster in my league...
Not a sexy pick but if Burleson doesn't play up to snuff or DJax misses time, he will see a lot of targets.20.09 R.Longwell PK: Had to take 1 PK and he was the best of what was left.
Guys with the #4 pick, fire away and I'll try and help. Questions, comments, concerns, chime in.
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All day, every day. Holt outscored Gates by what, 20 total pts. last year? Gates' TE eligibility with Holt-like stats makes him an early second rounder who you can grab in the late 2nd.Check your VBD.
