Chris Smith had a surprise issue today, so I moved from League 12 at the last minute. Taking the 1.02 wasn't too bad, but only getting 30 minutes to set up the dominator and check for news was kind of a bummer. Oh well - on to the draft.
Pick-by-pick
1.02 - RB Ray Rice, Bal
I knew Chris Johnson wouldn't be there, and Adrian Peterson has an early bye. Ray Rice isn't bad. Ho hum.
2.11 - TE Jason Witten, Dal
I was hoping my fellow drafters would be unaware of the importance of 1.5 PPR for TEs (0.5 for RBs and 1.0 for WRs). Of course, that notion went out the window when Antonio Gates and Dallas Clark went at 1.07 and 1.08. Then, the same two drafters (Instinctive and Crippler) each take another TE in Round 2. But wait - Witten is still on the board. Of course, his early bye stinks to high heaven, but this dude is going to score big time for four weeks. I happily scoop him up.
3.02 - TE Tony Gonzalez, Atl
I sort of hoped Randy Moss would make it here, but then again he has an early bye. I really couldn't afford to have two bye-week players in the first two rounds. Luckily(?), Moss went at 2.12, so my TE3 (with this scoring and five-week season) was an easy selection. At this point, I'm pretty stoked to have two elite TEs. Except for a late-rounder to shore up Witten's bye week, I'm done at this extremely vital position.
4.11 - WR Michael Crabtree, SF
I'm super high on Crabtree (my WR7 in this format), and he is quickly my selection. I like his talent and his early-season schedule. Most people will disagree, but he is an anchor for my WR corps.
5.02 - RB Knowshon Moreno, Den
Another guy I'm higher on than most. Hopefully, he'll be ready to roll in Week 1. If so, he's very good value in the 5th round and an excellent 2nd back. I considered Jay Cutler, but pass for two reasons: 1) He might make it back, and 2) I'll be ticked off if Moreno is on someone else's roster and playing as good as I think he will be.
6.11 - QB Matt Ryan, Atl
It might be a bit early, but I like getting a pair of QBs and rolling with them. Of course, Cutler doesn't make it back, but Ryan is solid and has an OK early-season schedule.
7.02 - WR Pierre Garcon, Ind
I'm not a huge fan of Garcon, but this is an easy pick for three reasons: 1) I really need another WR, 2) Garcon is great for best-ball leagues (where your best line-up is automatically started), and 3) He'll be part of a three-headed committee (if I can swing it).
8.11 - RB Brandon Jacobs, NYG
Despite having only two WRs, I'm thrilled to take Jacobs here. The dude could score a pair of TDs against anyone and is capable of turning in huge statistical games. I'll gladly take that in the 8th round.
9.02 - QB Carson Palmer, Cin
Yep - still only have a pair of WRs, but I'm perfectly capable of shotgunning that position. It's time to complete my QBBC. Excepting Week 1, Ryan and Palmer have very compatible schedules. Plus, both are able to put up big games. Thrilled at QB.
10.11 - RB Darren McFadden, Oak
Homer Alert! This dude was made for best-ball scoring. Hopefully, he'll take it to the house a couple of times in a couple of games. I'm probably done at RB.
11.02 - WR Mohamed Massaquoi, Cle
Another best-ball stud. In 2009, Massaquoi had five games of at least five catches or a TD. The rest of the season, he was invisible. Hopefully, he'll give me a couple of those big games.
12.11 - WR Austin Collie, Ind
And here is Part 2 of the committee mentioned with the Garcon pick.
13.02 - San Diego Chargers Defense
I wasn't planning on taking a defense at this point, but the Chargers stood out here. For some reason, they were my DEF3 in this scoring system, and it didn't take long to figure out why. They open with Kansas City, Jacksonville, Seattle, Arizona, and Oakland. While all five of those offenses won't be as bad as we expect, I'll certainly take my chances.
14.11 - WR Anthony Gonzalez, Ind
Hello, Part 3. With Garcon, Collie, and Gonzalez, I should get at least one stud WR every week.
15.02 - WR Devery Henderson, NO
Who wouldn't want a guy that is capable of turning two catches into 105 yards and two scores?
16.11 - PK Garrett Hartley, NO
I may be in the minority, but I enjoy scoring at every position. Hartley will work as long as he boots an occasional FG to go with those PATs.
17.02 - Tennessee Titans Defense
This might be a bit of a reach, but I like having two defenses with decent schedules. While they have to travel to the Giants and the Cowboys, Tennessee gets home dates with Oakland, Pittsburgh (without Ben Roethlisberger, of course), and Denver. Mix all of that together, and you get a Top 5 defense in this league format. That's pretty good in the 17th round, and I doubt they will be available in the 18th.
18.11 - PK Adam Vinatieri, Ind
I might have waited too long to get my 2nd kicker. While I love the Colts offense, I have a tinge of doubt about Vinatieri. Oh well, I'll grab another high-scoring option next round.
19.02 - PK Neil Rackers, Hou
Sure, there is a chance that Rackers won't win the job in Houston, but I'm still good with him on the roster for three reasons: 1) The Texans should score a lot, 2) I have no problem taking Kris Brown in the 24th, and 3) Rackers could get cut and still find work before the season begins.
20.11 - WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oak
Taking multiple Raiders seems wrong, but Heyward-Bey is another solid best-ball player. Plus, adding shells to my WR shotgun is never a bad idea.
21.02 - WR Brandon Tate, NE
Is it bad to take one of Tom Brady's starting WRs in the 21st round?
22.11 - TE Zach Miller, Jac
I kind of wanted Toby Gerhart here, but he was taken at 22.02. Oh well - this is one of my breakout players for 2010. While I'd prefer to have him the final five weeks of the season, I'm OK with him here.
23.02 - WR Brandon LaFell, Den
I waivered between him and Eric Decker. LaFell won the coin flip.
24.11 - RB Peyton Hillis, Cle
The homer in me came out again, but Hillis is an OK 24th round pick. Hopefully, I'll never need him, but insurance is always good. Of course, one pick later, I'm reminded of my kicker plan as Kris Brown becomes Mr. Irrelevant. Oh well.
Position-by-position
QB Matt Ryan, Atl
QB Carson Palmer, Cin
Excellent combo. Each is in my Top 10 for this league format.
RB Ray Rice, Bal
RB Knowshon Moreno, Den
RB Brandon Jacobs, NYG
RB Darren McFadden, Oak
RB Peyton Hillis, Cle
If Rice performs as expected, I should easily find another starter in this group. The top three here are among my Top 20 backs.
WR Michael Crabtree, SF
WR Pierre Garcon, Ind
WR Mohamed Massaquoi, Cle
WR Austin Collie, Ind
WR Anthony Gonzalez, Ind
WR Devery Henderson, NO
WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oak
WR Brandon Tate, NE
WR Brandon LaFell, Car
On the surface, this is a weakness, and I could be putting too much faith in Crabtree. I still have complete confidence that this group will find three or more solid outings every week. Even if you take out Crabtree, there should be enough firepower available here.
TE Jason Witten, Dal
TE Tony Gonzalez, Atl
TE Zach Miller, Jac
Along with Ray Rice, here is the strength of this team. If these two TEs perform as expected (each is in my Top 4), this squad should easily advance to Round 2.
PK Garrett Hartley, NO
PK Adam Vinatieri, Ind
PK Neil Rackers, Hou
Unless the amazing happens and Vinatieri and Rackers are both out of jobs, this will be a position of strength. And yeah, it's fashionable to dismiss kickers, but a few extra points are a few extra points.
San Diego Chargers Defense
Tennessee Titans Defense
There are some excellent matchups here, and each of these defenses are in my Top 5.
Final Thoughts
My predraft strategy was to get a stud back in Round 1 and then gain an advantage at tight end. I feel I was able to do that with my first three picks.
If that occurred, I was willing to lag behind the field at wide receiver for a while and solidify my quarterbacks and backfield. The reasoning is twofold: 1) It's easier to shotgun wide receivers, and 2) If you're going to shotgun one position, your other positions need to be solid and can't take up much of your roster. Fortunately, I was able to accomplish this as well.
Finally, if possible, I very much prefer to avoid bye weeks and did pretty well. It is just so important to have a full roster available every week. Witten was too good to pass up, even with the early bye, and Tate was my 8th drafted receiver. With only a pair of bye-week issues, I'm thrilled.
Other Teams?
I like the following to advance to Round 2:
go2extrems - Was gifted Kellen Winslow in the 9th. Would like to have a better RB3, but this team should advance with ease.
And two of these three:
Ministry of Pain - While he's behind the curve at QB, RB, and TE (in a huge way), his WRs are so stellar that it might not matter. Looming bye-week concerns as he'll be hard pressed to find a flex starter in Week 4 and will need Dallas defense to be solid in Week 5.
PigSkinLiquors - Very good at QB, RB, and WR. Very weak at TE (but he did shotgun it), which might hold him back. Also, will need to build a cushion before the bye weeks hit.
Todd Lafferty - Stellar at QB and RB, and that should make up for deficiencies at WR and TE. With another solid TE and two more WRs (rather than those last two backs), I'd call this squad a shoe-in to advance.
you're chat is funny
If folks can post their teams up like this it makes it pretty easy to discuss.
