FantasyLion.com WCOFF Satellite Fantasy Football Draft Coverage & Discussion Thread
My first real draft starts today. I blogged about this yesterday but I wanted to set up a thread/blog for continuous coverage of how this draft goes. Feel free to comment or ask any questions in the comment section. I’m picking 6th. Some people think it’s crazy to draft this early. I’m not worried about it but for those who think I’m crazy for doing so, I understand your concern. I’ll be posting my picks as I make them. This is a 12-hour per pick live draft. We’re going 20 rounds and the starting lineup criteria is as follows…
1 QB
2 RBs
3 WRs
1 TE
1 Flex
1 K
1 D/ST
PPR and decimal scoring.
Winner of the satellite league wins an automatic bid into the 2011 WCOFF Main Event or $2,000.
I’ll also be tweeting each pick as it happens on Twitter. If you’re not on Twitter, sign up and follow me. I’ll also add the picks here as they’re made.
ROUND 1
- No Mercy - Chris Johnson, Ten RB
- L.A. CONNECTION - Adrian Peterson, Min RB
- CSACMA - Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac RB
- Did this dude just did this? - Ray Rice, Bal RB
- Fantasy Assassins MF - Frank Gore, SF RB
- FantasyLion.com - Andre Johnson, Hou WR
- HAWKNATION - Michael Turner, Atl RB
- JerrysJets - Steven Jackson, Stl RB
- Ficitional Thugs - Rashard Mendenhall, Pit RB
- purestrength3 - Randy Moss, NE WR
- EarlyBird - Ryan Grant, GB RB
- Bills Are Back - Reggie Wayne, Ind WR
POSITION BREAKDOWN: 9 RBs, 3 WRs
My Pick: I knew the big 4 at RB would be taken so this pick was going to be either Frank Gore or Andre Johnson. I had Gore slightly ranked ahead of Gore, but not by much. So when Gore went off the board, I gladly took Johnson who I have ranked #1 at WR. Johnson was one of only 5 non-QBs to score over 300 points in this format last year and the only WR (the other 4 were the big 4 at RB). I’m stoked on this pick, there’s a ton to like about Johnson. I believe in having great WRs and Johnson is the best there is.
Current Roster:
- WR1 - Andre Johnson
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ROUND 2
- Bills Are Back - Aaron Rodgers, GB QB
- EarlyBird - DeAngelo Williams, Car RB
- purestrength3 - Larry Fitzgerald, Ari WR
- Ficitional Thugs - DeSean Jackson, Phi WR
- JerrysJets - Brandon Marshall, Mia WR
- HAWKNATION - Drew Brees, NO QB
- FantasyLion.com - Miles Austin, Dal WR
- Fantasy Assassins MF - Roddy White, Atl WR
- Did this dude just did this? - Jamaal Charles, KC RB
- CSACMA - Calvin Johnson, Det WR
- L.A. CONNECTION - Vincent Jackson, SD WR
- No Mercy - Sidney Rice, Min WR
POSITION BREAKDOWN: 8 WRs, 2 RBs, 2 QBs
My Pick: It was a priority for me to get 2 top WRs with my first 3 picks. I’m very high on Austin, a lot higher than most, but trust me, he’s the real deal. Some are concerned that Dez Bryant will take away from Austin. I think it’s the opposite. A knock on Austin going into this year before the Cowboys drafted Bryant was that his production should go down because this year he won’t take anyone by surprise and he’ll have to face double coverage. Well now with Bryant, he’ll never have to. If teams double Austin, they’ll get burned by Bryant. Austin finished #7 last year at WR despite not starting until week 5. Imagine what he could do with 16 starts? It’s scary and not a stretch to say that Austin could finish in the top 3 and maybe even #1 in this scoring format. I’m not going to go overboard, because I know there’s a lot of mouths to feed in Dallas, but Austin finishing in the top 10 is a safe assumption. With that in mind, I know have 2 top 10 WRs to build my team around and stoked that I’ll have someone to root for on Thanksgiving!
Current Roster:
- WR1 - Andre Johnson
- WR2 - Miles Austin
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ROUND 3
- No Mercy - Peyton Manning, Ind QB
- L.A. CONNECTION - Steve Smith, Car WR
- CSACMA - Greg Jennings, GB WR
- Did this dude just did this? - Ryan Mathews, SD RB
- Fantasy Assassins MF - Steve Smith, NYG WR
- FantasyLion.com - Joseph Addai, Ind RB
- HAWKNATION - Anquan Boldin, Bal WR
- JerrysJets - Dallas Clark, Ind TE
- Ficitional Thugs - Shonn Greene, NYJ RB
- purestrength3 - Marques Colston, NO WR
- EarlyBird - Chad Ochocinco, Cin WR
- Bills Are Back - Antonio Gates, SD TE
POSITION BREAKDOWN: 6WRs, 3 RBs, 2 TEs, 1 QB
My Pick: This pick came down to Shonn Greene, Joseph Addai, or Pierre Thomas. I was also looking at Anquan Boldin, but though I could wait on him especially since I had 2 WRs. I’m not convinced that Thomas will automatically assume the carries that Mike Bell left as they have Lynell Hamilton who I’m expecting to take over for Bell. This left Greene and Addai. It was not easy, but this early in the season, I decided to play it safe with Addai. Don’t get me wrong, I think Greene will be great, but I want some more clarity this offseason before selecting him over a guy like Addai who has finished in the top 7 in this scoring format in 2 of the last 3 years. Sexy second year players have burned me in the past a la Eddie Royal and Anthony Gonzalez. Just because a young guy looks promising, doesn’t mean it’s a given he will be. Addai’s biggest question mark is Donald Brown and most are worried that last year was a fluke for Addai and Brown will take over for him. Right now, I’m not worried about that. I was not that impressed with Brown’s play last year. Addai is not flashy, but he is the lead back and the trusted back in one of the best offenses in the game. Like last year, Brown’s playing time may be limited to wearing down defenses in the 4th quarter. Should the Colts be in that position, it will likely included a fair to good contribution from Addai. Another plus to Addai is the receptions. He’s averging 40 receptions a year and even with Brown in the mix, I don’t see that dropping off. I don’t need Addai to be a world beater, just consistent. If he can consistently put up 12-15 points a game, then mission accomplished.
Current Roster:
- RB1 - Joseph Addai
- WR1 - Andre Johnson
- WR2 - Miles Austin
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ROUND 4
- Bills Are Back - Dwayne Bowe, KC WR
- EarlyBird - Matt Schaub, Hou QB
- purestrength3 - Pierre Thomas, NO RB
- Ficitional Thugs - LeSean McCoy, Phi WR
- JerrysJets - Tony Romo, Dal QB
- HAWKNATION - Jason Witten, Dal TE
- FantasyLion.com - Michael Crabtree, SF WR
- Fantasy Assassins MF - Matt Forte, Chi RB
- Did this dude just did this? - Knowshon Moreno, Den RB
- CSACMA - Jahvid Best, Det RB
- L.A. CONNECTION - Ronnie Brown, Mia RB
- No Mercy - Cedric Benson, Cin RB
POSITION BREAKDOWN: 6 RBs, 3 WRs, 2 QBs, 1 TE
My Pick: I was looking at Pierre Thomas with this pick, but he was selected 4 picks prior to mine. I wasn’t wild about the value of any of the RBs in this round so I went with an upside pick in Michael Crabtree. Last year, Crabtree had 48 catches in 11 games and no offseason with his team. I expect his reception total to go up in his 2nd year in what should be an improved offense. Crabtree also has a nice schedule. I said with my previous pick that I’ve been burnt by 2nd year players before. That usually comes when there’s some turnover with the team from one year to the next. For instance, Eddie Royal had a new coach last year and was a bust, DeSean Jackson had everything the same and was a stud. Not much has changed in the Niners offense so I’ll look for Crabtree to progress this year like Jackson and not bust like Royal. Also, by avoiding a gamble in the earlier rounds, I could make one in this round. I feel like this is a pretty safe pick and happy with it as Crabtree will most likely perform like a WR2 but will be my WR3. I like the advantage that provides.
Current Roster:
- RB1 - Joseph Addai
- WR1 - Andre Johnson
- WR2 - Miles Austin
- WR3- Michael Crabtree
ROUND 5
- No Mercy - Hines Ward, Pit WR
- L.A. CONNECTION - Tony Gonzalez, Atl TE
- CSACMA - Brent Celek, Phi TE
- Did this dude just did this? - Santana Moss, Was WR
- Fantasy Assassins MF - Vernon Davis, SF TE
- FantasyLion.com - Tom Brady, NE QB
- HAWKNATION - LaDainian Tomlinson, NYJ RB
- JerrysJets - Mike Sims-Walker, Jac WR
- Ficitional Thugs - Steve Breaston, Ari WR
- purestrength3 - Beanie Wells, Ari RB
- EarlyBird - Percy Harvin, Min WR
- Bills Are Back - Jonathan Stewart, Car RB
POSITION BREAKDOWN: 5 WRs, 3 RBs, 3 TEs, 1 QB
My Pick: I was really looking to get Jonathan Stewart here, but I could not pass up on the value of Tom Brady. Last week when I was following the other WCOFF satellite draft, Brady and Romo fell to the 5th round. I thought that was too good to be true and would jump all over it if given the opportunity in my draft. Romo went last round, but Brady made it to this round. This is a classic case why I usually wait on a QB. Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are coveted this year and no doubt they are great QBs, but over the course of last season Rodgers averaged 3 more points than Brady and Brees 2 more. I’m willing to give up a few points a week in order to address other positions like I have. Some people are likely down on Brady because they feel he and Moss are getting older and that Welker may not return 100% from his knee injury. I was concerned about those issues too until the NFL draft. Since the NFL draft, the Patriots have added 3 young targets and Torry Holt. All 4 of those options may or may not work, but my feeling is collectively they can provide Brady with enough options to keep this offense clicking. Brady does have a difficult schedule, but this team is built on the pass and Brady should be solid. This is probably my best pick of the draft so far.
Current Roster:
- QB - Tom Brady
- RB1 - Joseph Addai
- WR1 - Andre Johnson
- WR2 - Miles Austin
- WR3 - Michael Crabtree
ROUND 6
- Bills Are Back - CJ Spiller, Buf RB
- EarlyBird - Hakeem Nicks, NYG WR
- purestrength3 - Philip Rivers, SD QB
- Ficitional Thugs - TJ Houshmandzadeh, Sea WR
- JerrysJets - Felix Jones, Dal RB
- HAWKNATION - Jeremy Maclin, Phi WR
- FantasyLion.com - Jermichael Finley, GB TE
- Fantasy Assassins MF - Jerome Harrison, Cle RB
- Did this dude just did this? - Pierre Garcon, Ind WR
- CSACMA - Mike Wallace, Pit WR
- L.A. CONNECTION - Lendale White, Sea RB
- No Mercy - Robert Meachem, NO WR
POSITION BREAKDOWN: 6 WRs, 4 RBs, 1 QBs, 1 TE
My Pick: There were some really solid selections this round. Headed into this round, I was eyeing Felix Jones and was also considering my boy The Ghost. Unfortunately Jones went 2 picks before me and I held off on Harrison for now. However, the more I think about it, the more I think Harrison will be able to hold off Hardesty and have a solid year. I am also concerned about James Davis’ presence in that Cleveland backfield. For now, I’m going to take the wait and see approach with the Cleveland backs. Maclin was also a guy I was looking at for my flex position and bye week WR starter. He went also. My next option was Jermichael Finley. I like Finley a lot. Maybe I could have got him next round, but I wasn’t willing to find out. Finley had 44 catches for 575 yards and 4 TDs in the last 8 games of the season (including the playoff loss in Arizona). That’s my kind of production! Finley gives me another good to great player on a good to great offense. You can’t go wrong with these types of players and now my team has 6 of them. Finley did get dinged up last year, but hopefully he can stay healthy and perform like a top 5 TE like I’m expecting him to.
Current Roster:
- RB1 - Joseph Addai
- WR1 - Andre Johnson
- WR2 - Miles Austin
- WR3 - Michael Crabtree
- TE - Jermichael Finley
ROUND 7
- No Mercy - Wes Welker, NE WR
- L.A. CONNECTION - Matt Ryan, Atl QB
- CSACMA - Jay Cutler, Chi QB
- Did this dude just did this? - Donovan McNabb, Was QB
- Fantasy Assassins MF - Donald Driver, GB WR
- FantasyLion.com - Ricky Williams, Mia RB
- HAWKNATION - Reggie Bush, NO RB
- JerrysJets - Julian Edelman, NE WR
- Ficitional Thugs - Kevin Kolb, Phi QB
- purestrength3 - Kellen Winslow, TB TE
- EarlyBird - Ben Tate, Hou RB
- Bills Are Back - Marion Barber, Dal RB
POSITION BREAKDOWN: 4 QBs, 4 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE
My Pick: I needed a RB and this had to be the round I grabbed my 2nd back. This pick came down to Ahmad Bradshaw, Ricky Williams, and Thomas Jones. I figured I could wait on Bradshaw and Jones, so Ricky was an easy pick. Ricky is getting older, but he proved last year that he can still get it done. Additionally, now that Brandon Marshall is on the team, things should open up for Brown and Ricky. I’m not worried about the timeshare either because before Ronnie went down, Ricky was averaging over 15 points a game in this scoring format and after Brown went down, we all know what a stud Ricky was. Who knows if Ronnie Brown will return to full strength week 1 or avoid the injury bug this year? What I do know is Brown has only managed to play a full 16 game season once in his 5 year career. With that said, I like Ricky’s chances to start at some point this year. This is another reason I’m not committed to grabbing 2 RBs early because you can usually get a solid back like Ricky worth starting as your 2nd back in one of these mid rounds. Furthermore, let’s say I had 2 backs I drafted earlier in the year and I was compelled to starting them every week because of it. Then I would have a hard time benching one of them should Ricky be facing an easy matchup. Well I don’t have to worry about that and Ricky can be an every week starter. Now there’s no guarantee Ricky will be as solid as he was last year, but it didn’t cost me much to find out. If Ricky can chip in for 12-15 points a game with the occasional 20+ performance, I’ll be very happy.
Current Roster:
- QB - Tom Brady
- RB1 - Joseph Addai
- RB2 - Ricky Williams
- WR1 - Andre Johnson
- WR2 - Miles Austin
- WR3 - Michael Crabtree
ROUND 8 POSITION BREAKDOWN: 6 WRs, 4 RBs, 1 QBs, 1 TE My Pick: Jones is an ageless wonder. He takes great care of himself and isn’t your typical 31-year old RB. Normally 30+ year old RBs don’t have career years like Jones did in 2009. Everyone and their mother is on the Jamaal Charles bandwagon and rightfully so, the dude had a great end to the 2009 season and was a fantasy beast. However, Charles isn’t built for every down/full season type of work. If the Chiefs plan to use him that way, he likely won’t hold up. Futhermore, teams indicate their plans with the urgency of their moves in free agency. The Chiefs went out and signed Jones right away. I am fully confident that Charles will have a great season but you don’t bring in a guy like Jones just to sit on the sidelines. Jones will spell Charles and may even take over the goalline duties. I like Jones’ chances to outproduce what most people think he will. Every year Jones seems to get counted out. Admitedly, I wrote him off last year, but I won’t make the same mistake this year. Jones should be good for 8-12 points most games and sprinkle in some 15+ point performances. The upside with a back like Jones in his situation is that he won’t need a lot of carries to get a fair amount of points (assuming he’s the goalline back of course). Jones won’t have the privilege of running behind the best OL in football this year, so I’m not expecting 1400 and would be content with 900 yards or so. Jones is an overall nice option as he can be my flex player, my 2nd RB, or a bye week fill in. Finally, the Chiefs have one of the easiest schedules vs the run. I always like having guys with favorable schedules. I’m not counting on Charles missing any time, but if he does, Jones vs that schedule could be fantasy gold. Current Roster:
- QB - Tom Brady
- RB1 - Joseph Addai
- RB2 - Ricky Williams
- WR1 - Andre Johnson
- WR2 - Miles Austin
- WR3 - Michael Crabtree
- TE - Jermichael Finley
- Flex - Thomas Jones
