I had my money league draft yesterday afternoon. It was a live draft, and its a standard non-ppr yahoo league scoring (4pts per passing TD, 6pts per rushing/recieving/return TD, no return yardage points, 25 passing yards per point, 10 rushing/receiving yards per point)

I had the 7th pick in the snake draft, and there are 10 teams total. After my first round pick (Frank Gore) there was a run of 3 straight QBs, so in the 2nd round I took Randy Moss, but then there was a run of 5 straight QBs after my second round pick. So I could screwed with Jay Cutler and Carson Palmer as my QBs. That is the only real chink in my armor. What do you guys think?

QB - Jay Cutler
RB - Frank Gore
RB - Shonn Greene
WR - Randy Moss
WR - Roddy White
WR - Sidney Rice
TE - Brent Celek
K - Rob Bironas
DEF - SF DEF
BN - Matt Forte, Malcolm Floyd, Santana Moss, Justin Forsett, Carson Palmer, Mike Williams (TB WR)

the guy who drafted Matt Schaub kept talking about how much he doesnt like him, so I might be able to swing a trade with him, but the price will probably be high, do you think its worth pursuing? Or should I stick with Cutler/Palmer?

I think he also has Ryan Mathews and isnt sold on him, so maybe I could trade Shonn Greene and Cutler for Schaub/Mathews? I think Greene is gonna be a monster, so I hate to lose him. Maybe I could offer Forte first and then go with Greene if he rejects?



[Edited on August 15, 2010 at 1:05 PM. Reason : adsf]

8/15/2010 12:58:04 PM

It's worth a shot with Forte. I'd rather keep Greene and just see how it goes with Cutler/Palmer.

8/15/2010 1:10:47 PM

^^ I had the 10th pick. Shonn Greene slipped all the way to 30, so I picked him and Steve Smith up with my 3rd and 4th back to back picks. I could potentially grab someone like a Jacoby Jones off the waiver wire in place of James Jones. I also have 3 sleeper RBs that are fighting for a starting position in the preseason, so I'm probably not going to dump them yet unless I can bait someone into a trade.

^^I think that's a very strong starting team you've got, especially if Sidney Rice can be productive and Shonn Greene lives up to the hype. All your backups look solid. I'd take a hard look at trading Cutler/Greene for Schaub/Matthews, depending on your QB scoring system. It's a really tough call though. I haven't researched Matthews much because he's never available at the spot I'd draft him in.

[Edited on August 15, 2010 at 1:38 PM. Reason : :]

8/15/2010 1:36:52 PM

honestly, I think I'd rather have Jacoby than James Jones. You might want to check to see if Jacoby is returning kicks/punts this year, if he is then he'd definitely be worth a shot if you get points for return TDs and/or yards

8/15/2010 2:37:52 PM

^ I just found out that on Yahoo you don't have to have a Kicker on your roster, so I dropped my kicker for Jacoby. I'll just dump my worst benchwarmer for a kicker right before week 1. Apparently, no one else in my league is aware of this flexibility either because they all have kickers.

8/15/2010 2:58:15 PM

interesting, I didnt know about that. I'm not gonna drop my kicker just to add another bench player, if I had a bottom tier kicker then maybe that would be a different story.

I'm thinking about dropping Mike Williams for one of the following:

Ahmad Bradshaw
Arian Foster
Jacoby Jones
Devin Aromashodu
Eddie Royal
Mohammed Massoquoi
Tim Hightower
Laurence Maroney

I am pretty high on Mike Williams, I think he is going to wind up being the #1 WR for the Bucs, but I might be better off dropping him for a better option

8/15/2010 5:28:36 PM

Here's the results of my draft tonight:

2nd pick!

PPR, 6pt passing TDs (but no extra points for passing ydge milestones)..the best QBs left the board in the first round, so I elected to hold off... hopefully a good decision.

1. (2) Adrian Peterson
2. (23) Calvin Johnson
3. (26) Larry Fitzgerald (hopefully his knee is fine)
4. (47) Cedric Benson
5. (50) Mike Sims-Walker
6. (71) Heath Miller
7. (74) Jay Cutler
8. (95) Matt Forte
9. (98) Ricky Williams
10. (119) Johnny Knox
11. (122) Ben Roethlisberger
12. (143) Lawrence Tynes
13. (146) Chicago

8/15/2010 9:45:41 PM

are you in a 12-team league? If so, your team is very solid. I dont like the Bears defense, why did you wait until the last round to take your defense? Heath Miller is also a little bit iffy as your TE, but overall your team gets a 9/10 ranking from me, especially if its a 12 team league. The more I read about Cutler the more I like him, I think he will have a great year under Mike Martz - they are both enamored with each other and seem to be meshing very well, which bodes well for Cutler this year.


-----------------------------

Ben Tate is undergoing surgery and will be placed on the Injured Reserve, so he is out of the Texans RB picture. This is huge news for Arian Foster who should be the clear cut #1 RB in Houston.

Do you think it is worth it for me to drop Justin Forsett or Mike Williams in favor of Arian Foster now?

8/15/2010 10:11:09 PM

yea DROD, 12 team league.

Most of the defenses I was interested in were off the board by the time I was looking around the 8th-9th rounds (NYJ, Minn, NO etc..). In previous seasons I've been pretty quick to drop&add for a new defense anyway.

Not sure about heath miller but i've been reading he may be the 2nd passing option in Pitt? hopefully... I wanted Celek, but he got taken 2 picks before me that round. Hopefully Cutler's good... otherwise Ben will be in there after week 4 supposedly.

----------

Seems like a solid pickup to me for Foster... is Mike Williams supposed to be that great? You have some good depth at WR.

8/16/2010 7:08:40 AM

Mike Williams is a freak athlete (he wouldve been ranked right around Dez Bryant if he didnt have character issues and miss almost all of his final season with Syracuse), he has ascended to the #1 WR position with Tampa Bay and has a great relationship with Josh Freeman. I know its Tampa Bay's offense, which is pretty anemic, but everything I've read about him is that he should put up numbers close to Kellen Winslows last year (800+ yards, 5 TDs) so he's worth a flier pick. But then again, I feel like the only guy in my league on his bandwagon, so I could drop him and grab him back once he gets hot.

I tried doing that when I drafted Vernon Davis last year, I was really high on him, but after he didnt perform super well in the preseason, I dropped him (I picked up Brent Celek off waivers so it wasnt a big deal) and he wound up being a top tier TE

8/16/2010 10:38:31 AM

Quote :

"why did you wait until the last round to take your defense? "

Last round is for kickers

Second to last round is for defenses

8/16/2010 11:13:02 AM

^ Exactly.

8/16/2010 11:45:47 AM

dont even waste a pick on a kicker...wait till the week of the first game to get one. That way you have one extra slot to grab a RB/WR that may look more promising as the preseason ends.

8/16/2010 11:47:16 AM

i have the 3rd pick...rice or mjd...decide for me!

8/16/2010 12:52:58 PM

I would go with MJD, the whole offense revolves around him so he will get maximum touches. Rice on the other hand has a very solid offense all the way around, so his touches, while getting lot, won't be as much as MJD. Also adding the fact that MJD gets almost all the goal-line touches whereas Rice has to share with McClain and McGahee

Just finished my 1st ever auction draft on espn.

10-team league with Standard scoring. Please Rate

QB Peyton Manning 35
RB Chris Johnson 62
RB Reggie Bush 9
RB/WR Braylon Edwards 7
WR Reggie Wayne 34
WR Calvin Johnson 28
TE Jermichael Finley 8
D/ST Ravens D/ST 1
K Garrett Hartley 1
BE Donald Brown 5
BE Lee Evans 4
BE Montario Hardesty 2
BE Derrick Mason 1
BE Carson Palmer 1
BE Laurence Maroney 1
BE Josh Cribbs 1
Total: 200
Remaining: 0

[Edited on August 16, 2010 at 1:06 PM. Reason : a]

8/16/2010 1:04:31 PM

^^im in the same boat...it's a toss up to me, i guess it depends on the type of league you are in. I'm leaning towards Rice.

8/16/2010 2:18:29 PM

I think its clearly MJD...I think you could even make the case for him over Peterson at #2

8/16/2010 2:39:55 PM

I disagree, and I pick Rice everytime.

Keep in mind a few things when you compare the two:

I'll give you:
*MJD is the unquestioned goal line back and in no timeshare.
*He's durable. Hasn't had a track record of injury, so that's good in any starting RB

Flip Side Time:

* MJD is all the Jags have. While that's good from a touches standpoint, defenses are keying in on him.
* Yes, they have Sims-Walker, but he was only good for the 1st part of the year, faltering bad as they year went on
* The difference in offenses bodes well for Rice this year. Multi-Demensional offenses tend to get better results all around, Boldin and Flacco will open up the running game, not hinder it.
* Flacco vs. Garrard. I'd take Flacco all day.
* The Jags are probably the worst team in their division, which is a high-scoring one at that. They will get behind and be forced to abandon the running game altogether when playing Indy, Houston and Tennessee twice a year. MJD would still be involved in the passing game, but to a lesser extent.
* Given that, It's no surprise that 76% of MJD's scoring came in the 1st half of games last year. They aren't good and he's less involved in the 2nd half.
* The Jags defense is terrible, whereas the Ravens are pretty solid. Not a great D, but solid enough to get turnovers and/or allow the offense to pound it in or run down the game.


This is just my opinion, but these factors sway me into Rice's favor every time.



- The Guru

8/16/2010 3:05:12 PM

Ok, I've got p. thomas and schaub as my keepers in a 14 team league and the 6th pick in the draft.

assuming the following players are available who should I pick (give me a top 3 incase one or two were taken):

Colston
j charles
ryan grant
Javhid best
Boldin
Steve smith, south
mccoy
addai
Stewart

its pretty safe to say none will be available 18 picks later when it's my turn again

8/16/2010 3:46:26 PM

Quote :

"The Jags are probably the worst team in their division, which is a high-scoring one at that. They will get behind and be forced to abandon the running game altogether when playing Indy, Houston and Tennessee twice a year. "

elite backs routinely rush for 100+ yards on Indy, even if they're behind...iirc both MJD and Taylor rushed for 100+ each time they played Indy the last year Taylor was there

i get your overall point, but a team like Jacksonville is not going to abandon the running game against a defense like Indy until there are like 4 minutes left in the 4th

8/16/2010 3:52:19 PM

Jacksonville will likely not be that good, but its no lock that Houston or Tennessee will either

The Colts are the only team guaranteed to be better than the Jags, and as TT mentioned, you can still run it on them.

8/16/2010 4:15:41 PM

Thats not to say Rice isn't a beast

I dunno who I would go after if I had the 3rd pick

8/16/2010 4:48:55 PM

Probably Johnson or Peterson after the two mongloids picking 1st and 2nd pick Ryan Grant and Michael Turner, respectively

8/16/2010 4:52:01 PM

keeper league.

my best two keeper options for this years draft: Rodgers or MJD

im torn between which one i want to keep. Ive been leaning towards keeping Rodgers, but if I do... then the last place team from last year who has first pick will take MJD and he is keeping Peyton. He'd be in damn good shape with Manning and MJD.

The league is QB heavy as well point-wise. Dont worry about any other team and keep Rodgers? Keep MJD?

8/16/2010 4:55:21 PM

a few years back we were doing a live draft at the uptown Graduate...the dumbest guy in the league also happened to be playing his first fantasy football league ever...Ladainian went #1...don't remember the rest, I think I got fucked with Portis who dislocated his shoulder in a preseason game later that night...but the dumbass picks Deshaun Foster in the first round

8/16/2010 4:55:51 PM

Quote :

"...but the dumbass picks Deshaun Foster in the first round"

[Edited on August 16, 2010 at 5:59 PM. Reason : What the hell, he should just pick Delhomme in the 2nd]

8/16/2010 5:58:19 PM

it was pretty sad...to halfway defend him though, Foster was the #1 back (i think we had just drafted Deangelo), and he is a Panthers homer...Foster wouldn't have been a terrible 2nd or 3rd back to have, on paper, going into that particular season...but yeah, it was pretty pathetic

the only guys off the board were i think LT, Portis, Westbrook, Larry Johnson, and probably like 2-3 other backs

8/16/2010 5:59:33 PM

So I have the 9th pick in my upcoming draft. I know it's hard to predict who will be there but this is what I'm thinking:

Andre Johnson definitely if he is there
Frank Gore if AJ is off the board and Gore is still around

OR if the above scenarios don't work out, either Randy Moss or Steven Jackson. What do you guys think? (especially those who have already drafted this year)

8/16/2010 6:12:37 PM

^^ Oh. Well I guess that's not completely off.

8/16/2010 6:17:45 PM

Brian Westbrook signed a one-year deal with the 49ers.

This isnt great news for my fellow Frank Gore owners, but it also isnt terrible news either. Westbrook will probably get a handful of carries, maybe 8-12 a game, but Gore is still the man in SanFran. This could help keep Gore fresh for the entire season

8/16/2010 6:52:33 PM

^^^Randy Moss in the first round? I'd go Steven Jackson personally (if Gore and AJ are not around).

Which 3 players should I keep between Frank Gore, Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne and DeAngelo Williams?


[Edited on August 16, 2010 at 7:17 PM. Reason : .]

8/16/2010 7:15:53 PM

i'd probably drop Fitz just because they lost Warner (and Boldin)

but you might want a 2nd opinion on that one

8/16/2010 7:19:41 PM

Thoughts on my draft? 12 man standard scoring, I drafted from the 4 position, took Rice over MJD

1QB: Philip Rivers
2RB: Ray Rice, Amhmad Bradshaw, Ricky Williams, Darren Sproles, Fred Jackson
3WR or TE: Roddy White, Greg Jennings, Vincent Jackson, Owen Daniels, Austin Collie, Lee Evans, Mario Manningham
K:Will pick up FA
DST:Eagles

8/17/2010 12:05:19 AM

your team is ehhh, so-so. For a 12-team league its not bad, but I really dont like Vincent Jackson at all this year. Signs really are pointing toward him coming back WEEK 11 at best. Thats a long time to hold onto someone, I have no problem letting someone else have that headache in my league. I guess now that you have him, keep an eye on his status as it could miraculously change before the season starts. Lee Evans is an alright WR3, Collie and Manningham are worthless, I would drop them for someone like Jacoby Jones, Mike Williams, Nate Burleson (if they are available)

I didnt like your RBs at first, but I think Bradshaw, Williams and Jackson could team up to be a decent RB for you, just watch their matchups all season.

I really like Roddy White and Greg Jennings this year, I think Roddy will establish himself as a top 5 WR in the league.

One last thing, keep on eye on Owen Daniels this preseason, hes a huge boom or bust candidate depending on how healed he is from his injury last year. If hes back to early season form from a year ago, he will be a great TE to play. Overall I give your team a 7/10

^^^I also would probably drop Fitz, as hard as that is for me to say. I would hold off on your decision for as long as possible just to make sure no one shows signs of falling off or injury (i.e. Fitz's knee). Also check to see who everyone else is dropping, if the RB pool is stacked but WRs are thin, I would keep Fitz and maybe drop Deangelo. I think Gore and Wayne are definites, Deangelo and Fitz are the only "droppables"

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 8:18 AM. Reason : adsf]

8/17/2010 8:15:33 AM

Had the first pick...I like what I got, lets hear some critiques.


Starters


6. Jay Cutler
(Chi - QB)

2. Brandon Marshall
(Mia - WR)

3. Miles Austin
(Dal - WR)

1. Chris Johnson
(Ten - RB)

4.Knowshon Moreno
(Den - RB)

5. Brent Celek
(Phi - TE)

7. Hines Ward
(Pit - WR/RB)

---------------------

Michael Bush
(Oak - RB)

Justin Forsett
(Sea - RB)

Darren McFadden
(Oak - RB)

Dez Bryant
(Dal - WR)

Leon Washington
(Sea - RB)

Chad Henne
(Mia - QB)

Dustin Keller
(NYJ - TE)

Bernard Berrian
(Min - WR)

Chaz Schilens
(Oak - WR)




Interceptions are only -1 in this league so Cutler is more valuable than someone like Joe Flacco who throws less picks and scores.

Love my recievers, but my RBs after CJ2K are a question mark. Moreno was a nice value pick at the end of the 4th round, but his hamstring worries me. I have the Oakland and Seattle running games on lockdown, so I should be able to get at least one viable performer out of Bush, McFadden, Forsett and Washington. I really like Bush this year.

8/17/2010 8:56:26 AM

How many teams are in your league?

I agree with you about Bush, I think he'll have a decent year. Knowshon is supposed to be the main man in the Broncos offense this year, so he has a lot of upside and I think his injury in camp makes him become a value pick as he has dropped a little on the boards. I wouldnt trust him to be my RB1 this year, but he is definitely a strong RB2 (as long as he is fully healthy and the injury doesnt linger).

Its funny how many people in this thread have Cutler at QB (myself included). I hate him as a person, and didnt do much research on him before my draft because I thought I'd land an elite QB, but now that I have him I think he will put up big numbers this year in Mike Martz's offense. There will be plenty of interceptions, but not enough to offset the TDs/yards he'll get. I just wish he had an elite WR to throw to.

Your receivers are solid. Theres a chance that you replace Hines Ward with Dez, Bush or Forsett early in the year (especially with Big Ben out). I might look to drop Berrian, especially if Favre stays retired. Maybe pick up Jacoby Jones, Mike Williams, or Nate Burleson - all high upside guys who should be on your waiver wire.

Overall you get a 8/10 in the DROD900 ranking system, lots of upside and questions marks on your team, but it could wind up being very strong.

8/17/2010 10:04:37 AM

12 teams

Another thing that I try to do is draft most of my backups on west coast teams, like I did with Schilens and the OAK and SEA running backs. That way, if your starter is questionable, you can wait to see if he plays or not and have a chance to sub him out if he's not not going to play.

8/17/2010 10:12:57 AM

not a bad strategy, I've never thought about doing that before, but it makes sense

8/17/2010 11:12:49 AM

2007 Broncos fans would love your team

8/17/2010 11:29:56 AM

not too gung-ho about my team, but we'll see how it goes ... same league as Slave's team he listed above
----------------------

QB - Brees
WR - Jennings
WR - Cotchery
RB - MJD
RB - Addai
TE - V. Davis
W/R - B. Jacobs
K - Longwell
D/ST - Packers


Bench spots
WR - San. Moss
WR - D. Mason
QB - Roethlisberger
TE - K. Boss
RB - Julius Jones
WR - Manningham
WR - Mike Williams (Tampa)
WR - LaFell (may be dropped)
RB - Mike Bell
DEF - Titans

8/17/2010 11:43:44 AM

is Julius Jones still alive? I feel like I haven't seen his name one time this year.

8/17/2010 11:47:22 AM

i think i got him late when i was digging for people on the top of the depth chart ... he's still #1 as of now for the seahawks, but slave's guys are probably going to overtake him at some point

8/17/2010 11:49:59 AM

I felt this way before the season, and last night only strengthened my belief that Bradshaw and Jacobs will be like Johnson and White were for Tennesee in 2008, with Bradshaw getting most of the work but Jacobs getting most of the scores.

Would've been smart IMO to grad Bradshaw instead of Addai in round 5, although Jacobs in 7 was pretty good value.

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 11:53 AM. Reason : Cotchery is the #3 guy on his own team...numbers might take a dive this year]

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 11:54 AM. Reason : V No...standard throughout except for QB passing TD's wortt 4 and INTs worth 1]

8/17/2010 11:49:59 AM

is that league PPR?

8/17/2010 11:53:11 AM

One of my favorite picks was Roethlisberger in round 10, i think Brees' bye week is wk 10, so Ben should be in full force by then, but who wouldn't want him as a backup QB anyway


yeah i dont necessarily have Cotchery starting wk 1 ... i think Santana Moss may have a quasi-Randy Moss type of comeback year when McNabb throwing to him instead of Campbell this year

i may start him or Derrick Mason instead

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 11:57 AM. Reason : ]

8/17/2010 11:54:48 AM

Quote :

"but who wouldn't want him as a backup QB anyway"

Big Cat

8/17/2010 11:55:28 AM

well i meant fantasy backup

8/17/2010 11:56:17 AM

Yeah I'm not sold on any of the Jets receivers this year. I think Sanchez will be better than last year, but I think he will be more of a game manager for Greene and LT. Plus when he does throw the ball he has quite a few targets in Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, Brad Smith, and even Keller. I just don't see any of them having great years.

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 12:06 PM. Reason : ..]

8/17/2010 12:05:39 PM

Quote :

"Tom Pelissero of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reports that Percy Harvin collapsed during Vikings practice on Thursday morning and left in an ambulance. The issue, which appears to be migraine related, was triggered when the second-year speedster looked to the sky to field a punt. Yikes. Harvin's migraine problems don't look to be going away, and the latest development is more than enough to move the defending Offensive Rookie of the Year down cheatsheets. "

I feel bad for the dude.

8/19/2010 2:14:41 PM

Welker just made a catch and took a hit...and then just caught another pass for a 1st down

I'm not too worried about him fantasy-wise

8/19/2010 8:20:34 PM