Since you used the boxing gloves, though, I'll point out that I think Duce was a terrible pick. Even if you like him this year (I don't), he won't add much scoring to your team on a weekly basis because Priest and Dillon will both score enough to start most weeks. You were getting a ton of team scoring from your first two picks, but now you're getting a lot less, on average, spread across your first three picks.
that's fine. I can understand that argument and if I was picking later in the 3rd, I could have seen going a different direction.BUT, I know RBs are scarce in any league but especially in a survivor league. Through a season, RBs often get injured or have a bad game or two. Having 3 non-RBBC guys with different bye weeks was important to me, and the only way for me to really do that was to go RB-RB-RB to start the draft. I really don't see anybody out there who was a better value than Staley at the 3.02 spot.My pre-draft plan was to go:RB-RB-RB-WR-QB-QB-QB-then take best value the rest of the way. That assured me of having the 2 most important positions locked up with 3 solid starters, plus I knew I'd have one top-10 WR to anchor my team as well. I feel the TE group is as deep this year as it has been in awhile and was not interested in grabbing a stud TE unless the value was too good to pass up. But, picking where I was at 3.02 and then not again until 4.11, I was pretty sure I wouldn't have a chance at any of the big TEs this year.I would have been willing to adjust if anything surprising happened and someone unexpected slipped to me. For example, Holt would have been a definite temptation were he to fall and Dillon wasn't there. But, with Dillon having a week 3 bye and Holmes having a week 5 bye, I felt it was important to add a 3rd RB who could contribute during those weeks and provide insurance throughout the season. Having 3 RBs on the roster after 3 rounds allows you to draft value the rest of the way instead of being forced to reach on players that may amount to very little. I didn't feel comfortable passing on Staley and waiting until 4.11 or later to grab my RB3. I tried that last year and got burned when I relied heavily on William Green as my RB2...but ended up getting more points from Buckhalter and Betts who I drafted much later.I don't really see Staley as much of a risk at all. As I've said, my draft plan for the first 4 rounds worked out perfectly and I wouldn't change a thing right now. I would, however, have been forced into making some picks I wasn't crazy about if Dillon had gone earlier. My team would look much different now if that had happened.I understand the idea of trying to maximize points and taking a "backup" in round 3 seems like a waste to some, but the flexibility it gives you for later rounds is very underrated, IMO. I've been in both types of drafts and I almost always end up doing better when I am not forced into guessing which RBs will do something in the 5th - 8th rounds or so. Those are picks that are much better spent on sure things at QB and WR. Meanwhile, some of those "stud" WRs that go in the 3rd and 4th round sometimes disappoint big time (i.e., Moulds, Plaxico, KRob last year) and leave your team in shambles before too long.In one draft last year, I thought I made great value picks, but I only had 1 RB on my roster after 4 rounds. I went Shawn Alexander in the 1st, then Randy Moss in the 2nd, then Michael Vick in the 3rd, then Todd Heap in the 4th. I was maximizing my scoring at each of the 4 positions, but in the 5th my best opportunity for a RB2 was Onterrio Smith, who didn't do much unil late in the year. Then, I also ended up chasing him with guys like Jerome Bettis and Correll Buckhalter, instead of taking advantage of the wealth of WR and QB and even TE talent available later on.In survivor, I think flexibility is key. You spread your bye weeks out as much as possible and try to keep your options open. I think grabbing 3 solid RBs in a row did that for me. Just curious, but who do you think would have been a better selection for me at 3.02? Sure, you may not think much of Staley, but truth be told, if Dillon was gone I likely would have taken Staley at 2.11 as my RB2 and then grabbed Kevin Jones at 3.02 as my RB3. I also noticed that you used FBG projections a lot earlier when discussing the worth of Gonzo, Culpepper, etc. Well, did you take a look at their projections for Staley? Top-20 back in normal leagues plus 48 receptions, which puts him nearly on par with your boy DDavis. If I end up with 3 solid top-20 RBs, the rest of my team won't need to do as much to keep me from being eliminated. Being able to rely on consistent RB production each week is a big advantage, and I expect that my 3 QBs and 6 or 7 WRs will score enough as a group to carry me a long way.