just finished my draft: input on the team...

[AJWatson3]

Ok player by position with round taken in (). i drafted 10/10 teams.

QB:
1. Kurt Warner (5)
2. Matt Hasselbeck (9)
Bulger went 3 picks before my last two... might try to trade for him but am comfortable with having MH as my second.

RB:
1. Edgerrin James (1)
2. Jamal Lewis (2)
3. Trung Candidate (8)
4. Troy Hambrick (10)
5. Kevin Barlow (14)

WR:
1. David Boston (3)
2. Koren Robinson (6) STEAL!
3. Chad Johnson (7)
4. Ashley Lelie (11)
5. Mushin Muhammad (13)

TE:
1. Jeremy Shockey (4)
2. Billy Miller (16)

K:
1. Jeff Wilkins (15)
only going with one K on the year

D/ST:
1. New Orleans (12)
only going with one D on the year, their bye isn't until week 10... we'll see how it shapes up. someone better might become available.

[CBMGreatOne]

I really like drafting on a bookend position because then you know who you can get 2nd when you pick 1st, and 3rd when you pick 2nd. Not knowing who was on the board each round I can only offer general comments. Edge is a no guts no glory pick and could be a guy who returns to his old ways, not an ideal situation for round 1, but who's to say? I think guys like Deuce McAllister and Shaun Alexander would have been safer picks, but they may well have been off of the board (I assume Williams, Tomlinson, Faulk, Holmes are long gone).

Jamal Lewis I like, but I don't know if he's worth the #11 overall pick. I understand that many operate under the philosophy that you take RB, RB in round one and round two, but I don't like to force it if it's not there. For instance in one of my drafts I got Tomlinson and McAllister in round 1 and 2 respectively, but in others, although I would have ideally liked to go RB, RB, I didn't feel it was there. I figure at your position, at number 11, I may have gone for a Marvin Harrison, or Donoan McNabb, or Mike Vick (I assume Owens is gone here) one of the absolutely elite players who isn't an RB.

Rounds 3 and 4 are nice. Boston coming off of the ACL injury leaves me a little worried, but indications are that he is healthy and in very good shape. Shockey is a very good pick in round 4 and is definitely gone by round 5 so it was good to shore up your TE position while you could. For me, I'm definitely not taking a TE in my first three picks, but I'd take Shockey or Gonzalez at #4 or Heap at #5 unless someone too good to pass up falls at those picks.

Warner at #5 is a good pick to fill your QB position. In a couple of drafts I've done there's a blitz on QBs in rounds 2 and 3 and all of a sudden every team's got one and you are assured no one else will be taken. In this case I've held out longer than I've liked to take a QB and it didn't cost me. You had to take a QB here though, because you do run the risk of people looking for a backup QB at #7, although it is unlikely.

I take it Robinson was a guy you put at the top of your queue for after Warner immediately after you took Shockey and figured there was no way in heck you'd get him at #6. I agree, he's a steal at that spot, and I guarantee you other teams picked inferior WRs during round 4 and 5 along the way.

Chad Johnson I like a lot at #7. He's a guy that people don't consider, but it's their loss, he put up very solid numbers last year and as a number 3 starter, he'll be better than most teams' representative at that spot.

I like that you didn't go after kickers and defense right after you got your starting offense set also. All of the marquee guys were gone, and once that blitz is over, you're getting very little difference no matter where you draft. Canidate at #8 could be a great pick, as could Hambrick at #10. I've generally seen him go sooner as people are optimistic about what he'll do in Parcells' offense. Ashley Lelie I like, though Muhammad is nothing more than guaranteed mediocrity. Even so, at #13 guaranteed mediocrity is probably a decent move.

Who cares about backup kickers and defenses? It's only a 10 team league, serviceable fill ins will definitely be available.

All in all a solid draft. Very good starters with explosive potential and good depth.

[JeffSchmeff]

Just out of curiosity, who went 1-9 in the first round? Edge could blow up this year, but you might've been able to get a more explosive playmaker at 9 than EJ. Not hating, but seems like kind of a reach so high...

[medicio]

If Edge is back you will have a strong team, i also have Edge but in a keeper league so fingers crossed for both of us on that one. The receivers are strong and if Warner is back then you will go a long way.

[AJWatson3]

the draft was very odd... not all the others were fantasy vets (and there were two women-- who did very well)... but it was still a competitive draft.. some people got drafted WAY too high.

first nine picks, let me remember:
1. Ricky Williams
2. Michael Vick
3. Travis Henry-- I was shocked (#4's sister, she finished second to me last year)
4. LaDanian Tomlinson (from my good friend and best competition, that bastard got the avg. #1 pick at #4!!!)
5. Priest Holmes (my lil bro's team)
6. Clinton Portis (this is #4's girlfriends team, she has a good one.. this is also the guy i wanted to get, though he'd be gone by #4)
7. Deuce McAllister
8. Marshall Faulk
9. Shaun Alexander

then my two picks...

I could have had any WR, but was very worried about the next RB I could get. turns out i could have had Fred Taylor, Corey Dillon, or William Green (all guys I have rated below JLewis). i knew that after the big 3 WR there are about ten guys who get similar production...and i figured i could get one as a steal (Koren Robinson).
so i ended up with my #9 and #10 RB's and still got my #6 and #10 WR's (although I really think Robinson will be better than #10 by the end of the year)...

I am currently trying to trade for NE D/ST (they went in round 11 one pick before i was going to grab them; would have been another steal as they are my #5 rated D). thinking about just keeping NO's because their ST unit is solid...
I am currently trying to trade for Bulger.

Problem with my trades.. every player i have has a lot of potential, besides the obvious ones. Candidate, Hambrick, Barlow, these are guys rated as top25 RB's... and in a league where nobody has less than 4 I am loaded...
am i better off sticking with Hasselbeck as my backup, or should I get Bulger too? he went about two picks before i was set to grab him and is another guys #3 QB. both SEA and STL have weak schedules at the end of the year (our playoffs... SEA has: MIN, STL, AR, SF; STL has: CLE, SEA, CIN, DET).. I would like to have both teams QB's to choose from...

[AJWatson3]

here is a link to the league rosters:

http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/f1/show?page=draftresults&lid=84532

my team: Medical Miracles

i do have Edge, Jamal Lewis, and Boston as my first three picks.

[CBMGreatOne]

I don't care what the situation, I would have taken Owens or Vick over Jamal Lewis at number 11 overall. I know they say to take RBs first, but if it's not there my philosophy is not to force it. IMO Lewis over Owens is forcing it.

[medicio]

That is right Vick had already gone looking at the list but definitely Owens would be my pick there.

[CBMGreatOne]

From that draft I'd say the guy who got Faulk, then Owens is your biggest competition, but who is Erron Kinney?

This is a solid roster
QB- Garcia
WR- Owens
WR- Horn
WR- Toomer
RB- Faulk
RB- Dillon
TE- Erron Kinney
K- Jason Elam
DEF- Pittsburgh

Garcia isn't going to be as good as he was, but this team has a VERY high ceiling if Faulk is healthy. I love this guy's receivers.

[AJWatson3]

the guy with Faulk, that is Mike's team.
he is pretty solid.

i don't like garcia this year, and avoided him on purpose. it's the whole back thing and having a new coach that kind of bothers me. also made me wary of drafting owens.

faulk is a solid number one, if he can stay healthy.

our rosters are kind of wierd.... you start a QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF, WR/TE, WR/RB. so Mike could start 3WR a week with his lineup and only one RB. that is a tough way to win, because WR's don't put up numbers as consistently as RB's....

last season Owens started the first four games averaging <5 catches for 50 yards and only one TD. of course he had good/great games in 9 of the next 12. so that is basically seven games last year when you got no fantasy production from the best WR in football. i can't handle that on my roster. i don't see any reason why he would perform better this year given the surrounding circumstances.

last season Toomer had the best of his career, big reason because Hilliard was out. Shockey was the only other target, and they practically ignored him in the red zone. but this is a new season and NY has already made it a point to make Shockey the man. in last years regular season Toomer scored 8TD's, 3 against IND in week 16. so the guy piles up the yards, but the TD's are more scarce. and this year there will be even less to go around. he put up solid yardage numbers in 11 regular season games, in five of those he didn't score a TD, so his fantasy production would have been weak.

and the ever consistent joe horn. he has three straight seasons over 1200 yards and averaged 8 TD's. great numbers. i think the streak ends this year because of donte stallworth.. that kid is gonna be awesome. i think he will prove to be the big-play guy for their passing game, taking away a lot of opportunities from joe horn. in the beginning of the season and the end (when stallworth was healthiest) you could already see this happening. in the first and last four games of the season horn saw a lot of passes come his way. averaged 6 for 65 and scored 1TD in those 8 games. stallworth produced far fewer catches, but got the important ones... averaged 4 for 56 yards and scored 6TD's. of course NO went on a bit of a tailspin to end the season, so those numbers may not mean jack, but i really think Stallworth is gonna take a lot of looks from Horn. his numbers will suffer because of it.

so mike is flirting with an incredible season, but i don't see it happening.

i am of course staking my hopes on healthy season from my three top draft picks... don't know how that will turn out either. but it sounds like EDGE is gonna be great and should put up typical EDGE numbers.. he has something to prove this year. he missed two games due to injury last year and had about 100 less carries than his typical 16 game season numbers show. he just missed 1000 yards, but fell very short in the TD totals. if he doesn't pick that up I am doomed. unless trung candidate goes nuts in the backfield.

and Jamal Lewis is also two years removed, so he should have that extra gear this year... last year, without it, he piled up 1327 and 6 TD's rushing and 442 and 1TD through the air, so i need him to get a few more TD's, but his yards shouldn't suffer at all. this is a running team with a great OL. they are gonna play ball-control and he is a three down back who gets goal-line carries.

i am one of those who almost always goes RB/RB and it has never failed me.

i am also going to get production from my TE spot that only 2 or 3 other teams will. Shockey is going over 1000 yards and will score at least 6 TD's (i expect 8). that is production like a #1 or #2 WR. unlike erron kinney who has 57-633-2 for his entire three year career. so that is basically no production from that position for him.

[Duke]

All I'd like to say is don't waste your roster spot for Bulger. Matt won't let you down, I believe so. He's probably better than Warner this year (or at least equal) in term of FF.

I agreed on Stallwort. He's on my team too.

[theposse]

AJ- I think your team looks great! Robinson and Johnson in the 6th and 7th were unbelievable deals. All the very top RBs were gone before you picked, so there's about 5 guys who would all be valid RB picks there, none of whom would be around in round 3 for you. I personally would have probably gone James and Ahman Green, but can't argue with Lewis either. The only other possible pick there is Harrison, I think, but it's tough to say- you might be looking at Eddie George as a best-case-scenario for an RB with your #3 pick (and possibly someone like James Stewart as a worst-case) - so I think it's safer to just go RB/RB as you did.

I'd be a bit nervous with Boston in the 3rd round (even at the end of it) because he's already had some minor injury this year and I have this (perhaps not valid) opinion that he may be susceptible to injury, and plus I'm not that sold on Brees, and of course it's Marty-ball so there won't be a ton of throwing. But- doesn't really matter because you did so well on your WRs and also at TE and QB. Keep Hasselbeck- I'm expecting good numbers from him this year.

[AJWatson3]

thanks for the input. really looking forward to the season. i like my chances after having browsed through each weeks matchups.