Oh do I love the draft. It's where teams are built and championships are won and lost. It's also unpredictable, chaotic, and fun. The best part about this year? Everyone was here and showed up to draft! It was full of drama and intrigue. Once again, the #1 pick was a shocker to say the least. Leland took C.J. Spiller over Adrian Peterson. Spiller has a super high upside, and Leland is the defending champions. It's gutsy moves like that that can win titles. So now with the draft in the books here's my 100% worthless and very wrong analysis of each team's draft. Remember, I'm the guy who said Albert's team sucked and he had the worst draft of the year and he made the finals..so basically I don't know crap lol. Nevertheless, it's tradition. So here we go!!
Leland (Tebow4President)
QB- Jay Cutler
WR- Randall Cobb, T.Y. Hilton, Miles Austin, Deandre Hopkins, Markus Wheaton, Keenan Allen
RB- C.J. Spiller, Chris Johnson, Montee Ball, Danny Woodhead, Christine Michael
TE-Rob Gronkowski, Brandon Myers
Leland kicked off our draft and "shocked the league" by bypassing Adrian Peterson for the talents of C.J. Spiller. Spiller is very intriguing and his upside is monumental. If there's a guy with the upside to outperform Peterson it's Spiller. It's also risky because of the lack any other real playmakers on the Bills team. Spiller will also be the main featured back, which is a first for him in his short career. Leland took a ton of fliers on high upside guys. DeAndre Hopkins, Markus Wheaton, Keenan Allen, Montee Ball and Christine Michael. I actually like this approach because with a league so deep, you have to take chances on these kind of players. All it takes is one to blow up and it can be a game changer. Now on the receiver side, I really like T.Y. Hilton and don't get how the Colts have Darius Heyward Bey ahead of him in the depth chart. That will probably change FAST. Miles Austin is very brittle, but when healthy in that Cowboys offense he's very productive. This is where those WR's with upside are crucial. If Austin goes down, and he has great odds of that happening, Leland will have to hope one of them can fill in. I'm very skeptical about Chris Johnson, but really I'm skeptical of A LOT of RB's and this is not a bad pick at all. Another risky pick. Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski is by far with a shadow of a doubt the #1 tight end in the game today....but again health is key. This could end up being the steal of the draft or turn into a disaster. Leland will lean on Brandon Myers until Gronk gets back on the field. If he can survive until Gronk gets back, he'll be a very dangerous team. I'm not a big fan of the QB. Jay Cutler hasn't really been a fantasy friendly QB in a few years, despit having Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall. Now maybe with a new head coach that'll change, but it's taking a giant risk to go with Cutler for a full season. Also with no backup QB on the roster, Leland might have to lean on a Ryan Tannehill or Brandon Weeden for a spot start. It's by far the biggest weakness on his team right now. Hopefully the rest of the team can pick up the slack.
Overall Grade: B, I know I'm tempting fate (especially since I damn play him THIS WEEK), but I can't go higher than a B, only because there's a lot of guys on this team that are question marks. If Spiller lives up to the hype and Gronk doesn't miss much time, this team is probably GOLD. If not, combined with unproven rookies and a low end QB, it might be disasterous. But who am I to question the league champ when I only won 5 damn games last season? Leland knows what he's doing and this team could go under the radar in the beginning of the season before going off and becoming dominant.
Drew (I'm a Paul Heyman Guy)
QB-Andrew Luck, Sam Bradford
WR- Danny Amendola, Hakeem Nicks, Cecil Shorts, Michael Floyd, Vincent Brown, Ryan Broyles, Quinton Patton
RB- Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, Daryl Richardson, Ronnie Hillman
TE- Jordan Cameron
With Spiller going #1, Adrian Peterson fell into Drew's lap. Yeah, I don't think he minded that at all. I love Drew's RB tandem of Peterson/Reggie Bush (who I damn wanted). In a PPR league, Reggie Bush is gonna have a monster season and you combine that with the best running back in the league, and it's probably the best RB combo of the league. Daryl Richardson doesn't excite me, but at least he's a starter and it's hard to get a backup that's a starting running back in this league. I'm gonna guess Ronnie Hillman won't factor into Drew's team at all. WR though I'd be a little worried if I was Drew. Relying on Danny Amendola AND Hakeem Nicks to stay healthy and carry your WR corps is a huge risk. Odds are one if not both will get hurt at sometime in the season. Cecil Shorts is an internet expert darling. As a WR #3, Shorts is fine, and could pile up some big garbage numbers as it's expected Jacksonville is gonna suck. Still not 100% comfortable with their QB situation, but Shorts was fine last year so I'm guessing he'll be fine. Drew's hoping Michael Floyd or Vincent Brown can solidify that WR #4 position. In a deep like that this, it's smart to take a couple of fliers on guys like Floyd, Brown and Ryan Broyles. Quinton Patton, honestly I have no idea who that is, lol. Drew took the leap of faith in Jordan Cameron, another guy everyone on the internet loves. With the Tight End depth weak as it is, it's worth taking a shot at someone who has the upside of a top 5 tight end. My personally, I don't like Drew's QB situation. I had Andrew Luck last season, and the games I used he was very underwhelming. I think I would've rather had a Romo or Stafford here. Sam Bradford won't be a bad bye week play, but Drew better bank on Luck building and improving on last year, because if not, combined with an injury prone receiving group, it might be hard to overcome even with AD/Bush.
Grade-B Love the Peterson/Bush combo a lot. If everyone stays healthy and Andrew Luck works out, this will be a championship caliber team. His receivers when healthy are among the best in the league. It's a huge if though. Drew didn't make the playoffs with Peterson last year, if he doesn't get the support from his receivers and QB, he might not again.
Matt (Dr. Light's Robots)
QB-Robert Griffin III, Michael Vick
WR-Roddy White, Jordy Nelson, Reggie Wayne, Golden Tate, Denarius Moore, Jeremy Kerley
RB-Jamaal Charles, Maurice Jones-Drew, Joique Bell, Isaiah Pead
TE- Jared Cook, Brandon Pettigrew
Overview-Matt made his drafting debut last night and I believe did a solid job in assembling a competitive team. Yahoo gave him the Best Draft of the Night award. I like a couple other teams a little bit than Matt's but no doubt it'll once again be a team to be reckon with. Matt went Jamaal Charles at #3, and this is an excellent pick with a high upside in Andy Reid's offense. MJD falls into that Chris Johnson/Steven Jackson/Frank Gore category for me. He's a year older and coming off major surgery. I'm not a fan of him, but where Matt got him and as a RB #2, it's more than fine. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if he did regain his form from a couple years ago. Matt's banking on that. His backup RB's leave a lot to be desired. Joique Bell is dependent on a Reggie Bush injury and Isaiah Pead has been a disappointment since last year and couldn't beat out Daryl Richardson for the starting gig. Hopefully by the time byes roll around, one of those two guys will be in line for some work. This is the year of the injury prone receivers. Roddy White and Jordy Nelson were both dealing with preseasons injuries but both should be ready for week 1. Combine that with Reggie Wayne (who's a PPR stud) and it's a solid receiving group IF (say with me) those injuries don't hamper Nelson and White. I love Golden Tate at the #4 position. Has the potential to be one of the better #4 starters in the league if he and Russell Wilson can fully click. Matt's backup WR's are pretty mediocre and have horrible QB situations. At the very least they are #1's receivers on their respective teams, which doesn't say much but hey..it's something. Matt's taking a flier on RGIII and it's a big risk. With Stafford and Romo still on the board I might have taking the safer pick, but what I do like is Matt backed up RGIII with Michael Vick. Vick has the capability of being a starter on any fantasy team, so if by any chance RGIII regresses, Matt can turn to Vick. Both provide injury risk though. Is this the year Jared Cook takes that big step everyone's been waiting for. With Sam Bradford in St. Louis, he could finally breakout. Have no problem with him as Matt's starter and as a round 9 pick. Brandon Pettigrew is not a bad backup either and if Cook disappoints yet again, can fill in as a decent starter.
Overall Grade-B I know it seems redundant, but a solid B is good in my opinion. When 5 of your top 6 players are injury risks, as talented as they are, it's a little scary. If Matt's team holds up, he'll be a contender.
MEEEEEE (Danny's Little Giants)
QB- Cam Newton, Carson Palmer
WR- Larry Fitzgerald, Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Kenny Britt, Mohamed Sanu, Kenny Stills
RB- LeSean McCoy, David Wilson, Ryan Mathews, Bernard Pierce
TE-Greg Olson, Julius Thomas
Overview- You can basically interchange picks 2-10 and it wouldn't be stretch for anyone in that group going between those picks. That's the problem this year..lack of value in the 1st round. The 4th pick is just as valuable as pick #10 because you can get the same type of player there. Spiller was on my draft board, but when he was taken at #1, I had my sights on McCoy. I left Arian Foster and Doug Martin on the board which was really tough for me to do. It was a gut call. I don't know why, but I'm scared to make Doug Martin my #1 back (especially at pick #4). I just couldn't pull the trigger and it might come back to haunt me. Foster was just the whole injury/usage that scared me away. I went pretty safe in McCoy who I think will have a monster rebound year this season. My year will basically bank on one player making or breaking my team....David Wilson. With the injury to Andre Brown, Wilson shot up the draft boards very quickly. I wanted Reggie Bush, but Drew snapped him up in the 2nd round. I thought where I got Wilson and looking at the rest of the depth at RB, I got potentially a hell of a steal. Wilson could be a huge difference maker, and it might be the round 3 Doug Martin or Trent Richardson pick of the season. Is it safer to go with Frank Gore? Probably, but sometimes you gotta take the gamble, and I feel Wilson has top 10 talent especially with no one else on the radar in New York. We'll see though. Ryan Mathews...HATE him as a starter..but as a bye week fill in with so little RB depth...I like it very much. Bernard Pierce really only becomes a factor if Ray Rice gets hurt. In the 2nd round after top tier receivers starting flying off the board, I felt obligated to take what I thought was the last of the top tier receivers available in Larry Fitzgerald. I like the pick considering I was still able to nab Wilson in round 3. I think Pierre Garcon is underrated and has the skills to be a damn good WR #2. He's not a sexy name, but (cliche) if he stays healthy he can put up some elite numbers and I like the price I paid (5th round) considering what was left in the receiver pool. DeSean Jackson..meh I've always thought he was overrated, but as a WR #3 I could do a hell of a lot worse. I'm not gonna lie, my WR 4 position is weeeaaaakkk. I DON'T LIKE Kenny Britt at all, and the only other receivers on my roster are Mohamed Sanu, and Kenny Stills, neither I expect to make a huge dent on my team. Bye weeks are gonna be brutal when I have to use 2 of these guys. Hopefully I can scour the waivers and find someone better. Again, I feel like I got awesome value in round 4 with Cam Newton. QB's fell in our draft, and I couldn't pass up Newton at the bottom of round 4. I've done mocks where Cam's gone in late round 2/early round 3 so I really love this pick. I also have no problem with Carson Palmer as my bye week fill in. He'll be throwing all day long in that offense. I even like where I got Greg Olson, who's probably the defacto a top 5 tight end. I got him in round 8. Julius Thomas was a flier pick as he's the starter in Denver.
Grade- B+ Biased some eh? Probably since it is my team. My running back tandem scares me a little, but I love the potential upside with that, combine that with Cam, Fitz and Garcon..I'm usually very hard on myself, but I must say I really like my team this season. Hopefully I have a bounce back year after a horrible 2012.
Dad (The Bad Robofies)
QB-Colin Kaepernick Alex Smith
WR-Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Lance Moore, Rueben Randle, Aaron Dobson
RB-Ray Rice, Darren McFadden, Bryce Brown, Jonathan Dwyer, Jacquizz Rodgers
TE-Jimmy Graham, Martellus Bennett
Sigh...again I'm biased. He's my dad so a part of me pulls for him...but honestly....I really don't like this team too much. Dad picked 5 and took Ray Rice. No problem with that. He did what I did, went with the proven commodity. Just like me though, he'll hope that it wasn't a mistake bypassing Doug Martin and Arian Foster. Dad #2 running back I realllly don't like. Darren McFadden is injury prone and is now stuck with arguably the worst collective group of offensive talent in the league. I know the pickings were slim but I think at that point I would've rather solidified the receiver position and waited a couple rounds to take Ryan Mathews than take a huge gamble on McFadden. Dad's backups aren't really any better. Bryce Brown could be a factor if McCoy gets hurt and the same with Jacquizz Rodgers in Atlanta with Steven Jackson. Jonathan Dwyer though? He doesn't have a team and when every pick counts you can't use a round 12 pick on a guy with no team. Dad decided to take Jimmy Graham in the 2nd round and again I don't have a problem with this at all and Dad actually should have a distinct advantage at tight end with Graham being beyond the best at the position. Marty B will backup Graham, and that's good enough for a bye week fill in. When you draft a tight end like Graham early though, you're going to take a hit at the receiver and RB 2 position. Lucky this is a PPR league, so Andre Johnson as a WR #1 isn't that bad, though it'd be nice he got more TD's. Houston's just not built that way though and I don't see them changing their run-heavy approach. Anquan Boldin is NOT a WR #2 anymore. DeSean Jackson, T.Y. Hilton, Cecil Shorts, Miles Austin were all still there as decent low end 2's and instead Dad reached on Boldin who is a borderline #3 at best. In fact Lance Moore his #3 probably has a better ceiling than Boldin and quite possibly so do his #4 Reuben Randle. Dad is basically starting a low end #1 and 3 #3's/high end 4's. At QB, Dad's been pretty fixated on Colin Kaepernick. It's a matter of taste, and I'm not sure Kaepernick at the spot was a wise pick. How dad's team was constructed, he maybe should've shored up the receiver position and waited on QB another round or two, as RGIII, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, and Tony Romo were all still there. The even bigger head scratcher? Alex Smith in the 8th round! Quite possibly the worst pick in the entire draft. If you wanted a backup QB, Big Ben, Michael Vick, Eli Manning were all still there. Alex Smith is undraftable in a 12 team league.
Grade-C, I like the first two picks a lot and the 3rd pick isn't that bad. On paper, it looks like the weakest team in the league. The Bad Robofies might be in for a rough 2013 season.
Kenny (Not Even Lying)
QB-Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford
WR-Demaryius Thomas, Antonio Brown, James Jones, Kenbrell Thompkins, Percy Harvin, Terrance Williams
RB-Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, Deangelo Williams, Knowshon Moreno, Vick Ballard
TE- Kyle Rudolph
Doug Martin slipped to Kenny at #6 and at that spot that's excellent value. Leland actually was debating on Martin at #1 before going Spiller. Martin is intriguing because as a rookie he had two of the biggest fantasy games of the season. Now with a full year under his belt, Kenny's hoping he can provide that #1 pick value and he got him at the 6 slot. I think Kenny didn't think that would happen at all. Kenny took a gamble on his 2nd RB in Lamar Miller. Miller was a preseason favorite of many experts but failed to impress in preseason games. He'll be in a time share for now with Daniel Thomas, but many believe the job will his sooner than later. As a 4th round pick and considering what was left at RB, this could end up being a value pick of the draft. I'm not sold on Deangelo Williams who is so bla, as a backup, I actually like Moreno and Ballard better and where they went in the draft was good value as well. Kenny used his 2nd round pick to get a stud receiver in Demaryius Thomas. He really wanted Brandon Marshall but he went one pick earlier. The only thing to worry about in Thomas is Peyton Manning spreading the ball, but Demaryius should get his and he's an elite WR to start your team off. The rest of Kenny's receiving core is solid if not spectacular. Antonio Brown is expected to take the next leap with the departure of Mike Wallace, and James Jones is in that Green Bay pass happy system. It'd be kind of hard to trust James Jones as a #3, because of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and quite possibly the reemergence of Jermichael Finley. There might be games Jones shines and games he disappears. Take the good with the bad I guess. I love Kenbrell Thompkins as Kenny's #4 option especially early in the season with no Gronk. Brady's gotta throw somewhere. Percy Harvin is also a smart stash pick as he could be ready to go around the time fantasy playoffs start. He should be able to use a DL spot to stash him on his roster. When and if Harvin comes back that receiver crop would be even more dangerous. Terrance Williams is a deep sleeper pick and there's a good chance he doesn't stick on this roster the whole season. QB's took a nose dive in our draft with not one quarterback taken in the first 29 picks. Kenny couldn't resist taking Drew Brees at #30 in the 3rd round and how can you blame him?? Guy is absolute money and in my opinion a better fantasy QB than Rodgers. Kenny then backed him with Matthew Stafford in round 8. I like this move a lot for two reasons. Kenny has trade bait and can either move Drew Brees if he wanted for a elite talent if Stafford regains his form from two seasons ago, or trade Matthew Stafford as well for a comparable talent. Worst case scenario Kenny is set at QB for the bye week. Smart move there. Best 1-2 QB combo by far. At Tight End, Kenny took Kyle Rudolph. He's a touchdown or bust guy, so although he'll be frustrating, tight ends are weak overall and it was a good pick.
Grade: B+, I'm giving it a B+ because I think the Stafford and Harvin luxury picks could work wonders for Kenny. Even without those two picks, it's a very solid team and Lamar Miller can easily outperform his draft position. A running back with #1 potential at the 6 slot?! Outstanding. A little thin at WR #2/#3 position, but overall it'll be a very competitive team.
Mike (Passion ofthe Puente)
QB-Tony Romo, Eli Manning
WR-Brandon Marshall, Vincent Jackson, Wes Welker, Josh Gordon, Brandon Lafell, Andre Roberts
RB-Arian Foster, Ahmad Bradshaw, Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas
TE-Tony Gonzalez, Fred Davis
It really pisses me off to admit this. Especially since it's Mike Posey and I hate conceding anything to him. But I honestly think this is on paper in contention for best draft. In fact I might even give it a slight edge to the other team I believe is in contention which we'll discuss later. Top to bottom a hell of a draft. Start at #7 with Arian Foster. Could quite possibly be the value pick of the draft. A month ago guy was at worst a lock top 3 pick. Yes there are injury and usage concerns but still, he's proven year after to year to have a knack for the endzone..and he goes at 7!?! Wow..I wish I had the 7th, I'd gladly taken him and then got a high 2nd round pick. RB #2 is a little questionable with Ahmad Bradshaw and his health. That's probably the only weak spot on the team. IF (today's "special word") Bradshaw stays healthy, he's hands down the best running back on the Colts and he'll get plenty of touches in that offense. Upside is limited, but Bradshaw can be more than serviceable, and that's all Mike needs with the talent he surrounded his team with. I actually like taking a flier on Mark Ingram where he got him, and Pierre Thomas as a last round pick...good value there. So what does Posey follow Arian Foster with? How about PPR MONSTER Brandon Marshall. The hip is fine, and the way Marshall dominates in PPR leagues, you're looking at quite possibly the best 1-2 punch in the league if Foster regains his fantasy king form. I love this receiver combination. You know why. It's a mix of everything. You got the guy that can do it all in Marshall, the big deep threat in V-Jax, and the possession receiver in Welker who on this team won't need to score TD's to be valuable. Also on top of that, Josh Gordon as a #4 has the potential to be amazing. His upside could be of a high end #2 and yes Mike will have to wait 2 weeks, but when he gets him, you might be looking at the best #1-4 in the league. Brandon Lafell and Andre Roberts are late round fliers that could be worth a spot start during bye weeks. Mike's patience for waiting for a QB paid off big time in the form of Tony Romo. Romo has his faults in real life, but Romo is money in fantasy. You can't go wrong with him at #79. Eli might not be every week starter material but as just a bye week starter? Definitely works. All this talent and he still managed to get arguably the #2 or #3 active (till Gronk gets back) tight end with Tony Gonzalez and then back him up with Fred Davis, who could probably be a starter on some teams. Damn you Posey....you....drafted.....very.....well (that was hard to type).
Grade-A+ Yep...I went there. This is very well assembled team. Posey drafted at the right place and time and things fell his way. To me I don't see how this team doesn't at the very least make the playoffs (barring injury). Move over Matthew Berry...ah fuck that..not just yet.
Mark (Shock The Monkey)
QB: Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton
WR: Victor Cruz, Dwayne Bowe, Mike Williams, Justin Blackmon, Brian Hartline, Greg Little
RB: Matt Forte, Steven Jackson, Roy Helu, Kendell Hunter
TE: Jason Witten, Zach Sudfeld
The first of the 2 new teams picked next. Mark had pick #8 and had the only other shocking 1st round pick in Matt Forte. Forte's looked really good in preseason and is expected to be a major player in new coach Marc Trestman's offense. Was it a little bit of a reach? Maybe so, but there's no way Forte would've been there at #17 so it wasn't entirely egregious. Also it's a PPR league, so Forte has the talent to play up to his 1st round selection. Mark went RB/RB and took Steven Jackson in the 2nd round. I've said earlier I'm not a big Jackson/MJD/Chris Johnson fan. I know it's a new team, but I dunno, Jackson in the 2nd round, not feeling it. It's a personal opinion thing, because it's around where S-Jax is slotted so it wasn't a reach pick or anything. I would've rather taken a David Wilson or Reggie Bush or Brandon Marshall at WR. Still compared to other teams RB combos, it's a solid combo. When you wait till round 3 for a receiver, the pickings for an elite #1 tend to get slim. Mark took Victor Cruz, and my only concern is injury problems. Cruz was hurt in the preseason but insists he'll be ready to go. Guy can be an absolute stud when in full force, but I know from last year, he can go on droughts. Dwayne Bowe is another one of those receivers with talent but who's really suffered due to terrible QB play. I'm not sure how much better Alex Smith is, but I was scared of Bowe because of the QB situation before, and Alex Smith doesn't sway my opinion much. People look at Mike Williams and think bla but I think that's unfair. The guy outpeformed Hakeem Nicks last year and you get him at a fraction of the price. I like him as a #3. Perfect fit. If you're going to go with suspended guy you have to go with the guy with more upside and less suspended weeks. Justin Blackmon (4 week suspension) over Josh Gordon (2 week suspension) might have been a mistake. Blackmon's not bad, but Gordon has the better ceiling and will be available to use two weeks before Blackmon. Brian Hartline and Greg Little are spot starters who depending on the matchups aren't every week starters but can contribute if the matchup is good. Can't go wrong with Matt Ryan has your QB, Ryan should have yet another excellent season and being able to still pick up Andy Dalton as a backup in the 14th round is great value. Jason Witten is as realiable as one can get at the tight end position. He'll rack up the yards and catches as Romo's safety valve. I don't know the long term value of Zach Sudfeld. Right now, he'll have that value because of Gronk's injury, but where will he fit when Gronk comes back. Can he be the new Aaron Hernandez. Hopefully Mark will only have to worry about using him for one bye week.
Grade-B- I like the outside the box Forte pick at #8. I think that'll work out. Ryan's a great QB, and most weeks Mark will have an advantage at Tight End. I'm not too crazy about the receivers and less crazy about Steven Jackson at #17. All in all a good draft.
Eugene (Sprigville_Warrior)
QB-Russell Wilson, Matt Schaub
WR-Julio Jones, Eric Decker, Tavon Austin, Alshon Jeffrey, Cordarrelle Patterson, Julian Edelman
RB-Trent Richardson, DeMarco Murray, Giovani Bernard, Shane Vereen
TE-Antonio Gates, Tyler Eifert
Eugene was the 2nd team to pick in the back to back and started #9 with Trent Richardson. Great pick here at #9 as Richardson has the skills to outperform his draft spot. After that though, he waited on took DeMarco Murray as his 2nd RB. Being a Cowboys fan, I've seen a lot of Murray, he's definitely got the talent to be a stud. Two things though, he's injury prone and as much as the Cowboys promise to balance their offense out, they can't help but be a pass first team. I might have taken a shot at Eddie Lacy, Gore, or Sproles here over Murray. Maybe the Cowboys actually will make more of an effort to run the ball more. We'll see. One of the biggest surprises was Geo Bernard going in the 4th round. If he can wrestle away the starting job from Benjarvus Green-Ellis this could be a nice pick. He'll still be involved, but with Lamar Miller still on the board, I think he would've been safer. It is nice to have back like Bernard though, just in case Murray falls through. Vereen caught some traction early in preseason but that settle down, but still a solid pick where he was chosen. At receiver, Eugene took Julio Jones with his 2nd round pick. I'm a big fan of Julio Jones and was hoping somehow he would slip to me in the 2nd round (though I basically knew he wouldn't as Kenny wasn't going to let him past him). Always nice to get one of those elite options at receiver. After that though, a ton of question marks at receiver. Eric Decker is very risky as a #2 receiver. With so many mouths to feed, there might be some games Decker goes silent, or some where he explodes for over 100 and a couple TD's. As long as your in a Peyton Manning offense though, the upside is always there. Tavon Austin, the rookie wide receiver, will be Eugene's #3. It's hard to make an unproven rookie a vital part of your squad, but the talent is there and so is the upside. Considering what gets left at the WR #4 position, Alshon Jeffrey isn't a bad play there. I love the flier on Minnesota rookie Cordarrelle Patterson. These kind of lottery tickets can pay off big time. No risk there. Edelman as a last pick, meh, but it's not a roster breaking move or anything. Eugene waited till round 6 to nab a QB, and there's was plenty of quality QB's still left. Russell Wilson here is more than fine, and though it he lost Percy Harvin, he didn't have him last year and had a great season so it shouldn't affect as much as people think. Schaub is basically nothing but a bye week fill in, so as long as that's all he'll have to do, he's serviceable. I dealt with Antonio Gates all season last year and the dude just doesn't have it anymore. I like the idea of taking a 2nd Tight End right away in case Gates regresses even more. Eifert is a promising rookie but is he an every week fantasy starter? We might find out sooner than later.
Grade: C+ Love the Richardson-Julio Combo, and Russell Wilson should be a top 10 QB. For my Cowboys sake, I hope Demarco Murray proves me wrong and stays healthy and is bad ass..I can't be confident about that though. If some of the gambles pan out(Bernard, Tavon Austin, Eifert) it could be an under the radar team.
Ryan (Hoosier Daddy)
QB-Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger
WR-Marques Colston, Torrey Smith, Stevie Johnson, Sidney Rice, Darrius Heyward-Bey
RB-Marshawn Lynch, Steven Ridley, Eddie Lacy, Ben Tate, Chris Ivory, Michael Bush
TE-Heath Miller
Ryan picked at #10 and Marshawn Lynch was there and that's terrific value at #10. Lynch sometimes goes as high as #2 but usually falls in the #5-8 range, so to get him at #10 is definitely great for Ryan. Ryan than took Steven Ridley at #15. If Ridley lives up to the potential, this could be a dangerous 1-2 running back combo. Ryan went RB happy and instead of solidifying another position he took yet another RB in Eddie Lacy. The good thing is if Lacy pans out he's one got one of the better back up running backs in the league. It could also potentially turn into trade bait later in the season. Ben Tate as a 4th running back is definitely nice, especially if Foster for some reason can't go the whole season. Chris Ivory is meh, but again he's just RB Depth as is Michael Bush. Ryan waited until round 4 to pick a position other than running back. He went Marques Colston. Colston is a low end #1, and he's very consistent and dependable. Ryan took Torrey Smith as his 2nd receiver and he's basically a boom or bust receiver. If he doesn't catch long balls, he won't be a factor. He only had 49 catches last season, so unless he becomes a better well rounded receiver, there will be games he disappears in. Stevie Johnson is a decent #3 but that Buffalo QB situation hurts him greatly. I don't know if I'd want to trust him as my #3. Sidney Rice as the #4 option is bla, but could provide some decent return. Heyward-Bey is bench fodder and might be worth a spot start if the matchup is enticing during bye weeks. Ryan went Tom Brady as his QB, and there's a little risk there, with so many different weapons than last season. I still think Brady will put up nice numbers and at #63 it actually became a nice value pick. Big Ben is Ryan's Backup and that's fine for a bye week fill in. Ryan totally whiffed on tight end. Heath Miller is hurt and isn't coming back anytime soon. He didn't pick a backup tight end, with so many tight ends off the board, Ryan's tight end is gonna be really crappy.
Grade: B, The Marshawn/Ridley Combo should carry this team, and Brady is great especially where Ryan got him. The receivers are an average group, not great but exactly bad either. Tight End though hurts Ryan big time. There's really nothing out there in free agents.
Mayra (Bigger Balls)
QB-Aaron Rodgers, Josh Freeman
WR-Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryant, Greg Jennings, Chris Givens, Malcolm Floyd, Santana Moss
RB-Darren Sproles, Rashard Mendenhall, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Fred Jackson
TE-Vernon Davis, Owen Daniels
Yeah, picking #11 isn't bad at all. Not at all. My 2nd favorite team in the league. I thought Mayra did an excellent job drafting at the 11 spot. How the HELL do you get Calvin Johnson and Dez Bryant TOGETHER?! Are you KIDDING ME?!? This is a PPR league, these two on the same team, good lord it's unfair. You could start a practice squad player at the #3 WR and still dominate. She loaded up some more and Greg Jennings and Chris Givens. Many are very high on Givens, him and Greg Jennings with Dez and Calvin provide an excellent group of wide receivers. Malcolm Floyd and Santana Moss are just veteran receiver fill ins who might play on a bye week. I mean how can you get better than Calvin and Dez? How about adding AARON RODGERS to the mix! Rodgers slid all the way to 35 (amazing value here) and a trio of Calvin, Dez, and Rodgers is unbelievably intimidating. Josh Freeman is Mayra's backup but hopefully for Mayra he'll only be needed for one week. So you would think well no way Mayra got any kind of decent running back because she waited until the 4th round to finally get a back. NOPE..wrong. Darren Sproles fell into her lap. Sproles is known as the running back where PPR format spikes his value considerably. In a PPR he's a 2nd-early 3rd round talent, but to get him in round 4?! More than fine as an RB #1 on a team that has Dez ,Calvin, and Rodgers. Admittedly the one thing I don't like and the only reason I like Mike's team more, is Mendenhall as Mayra's #2. Just not a fan of his at all and it's the one glaring weakness on this team. Her backups aren't exactly great either. Better hope Gio Bernard doesn't take over Green-Ellis' role by the time bye weeks roll around because it'll turn BJGE into a shaky spot start at best. Spiller should dominate the touches in Buffalo, so Fred Jackson is teetering on fantasy irrelevancy barring a Spiller injury. If Vernon Davis finally gets it all together he could definitely be a top 3 Tight End and yet another dangerous weapon on Mayra's Squad. If not, Owen Daniels is more consistent (Boring, but consistent) and he can take over the starter duties if Vernon Davis struggles.
Grade: A, solid A draft which is even more impressive considering her draft position. On paper, has to be one of the favorites to win it all.
Albert (Channel 4 News Team)
QB: Peyton Manning, Joe Flacco
WR: A.J. Green, Steve Smith, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Kendall Wright, Jacoby Jones
RB: Alfred Morris, Frank Gore, Le'Veon Bell, LaMichael James
TE: Jermichael Finley, Jermaine Gresham
Albert was the final team drafting in the 1st round and he took A.J. Green at #12. I thought Albert might be the team to pull the dual stud receiver combo, but instead he chose to go running back at #13. The rest of Albert's receiving core is a little underwhelming. Steve Smith is a year older and I don't know if he's really a WR #2. As a #3 he's fine, but a #2 is really stretching it. Mike Wallace is probably a high end #3 as well, so that's fine where he was drafted. Emmanuel Sanders as the #4 receiving isn't too bad considering he's now the #2 in Pittsburgh. Kendall Wright could provide some decent value, but Jacoby Jones? Ugh..he'll be off Albert's team in no time. Albert took Alfred Morris at #13. This is fine pick at #13, though I have my reservations about Morris, I'm fine with him as a RB #1. I really like Frank Gore and where he went (#36). Gore can still play and put up numbers and with Crabtree out and no real receiving threats outside of Vernon Davis, Gore will still be depended on and he makes for an excellent RB #2. I also like the stashing of rookie Le'Veon Bell. He looks like he'll only miss a couple weeks and he'll be an excellent bye week fill in. LaMichael James though? He's not even Gore's backup (Kendall Hunter is) and he's hurt. For the first time in a long time, Tom Brady is NOT Albert's QB...it's ok though, he only replaced him with Peyton Manning. Manning should put up typical Peyton Manning numbers and be an elite QB in the fantasy world. Joe Flacco as the backup though?? Hope Peyton Manning doesn't get hurt. Flacco won't cut it. This is supposed to be "the year' Jermichael Finley lives up to his lofty expectations. Everything is there, the offense, the opportunity, he's just failed to live up to the hype in the past. With the tight end situation so murky, it's worth the risk to see if Finley can finally put it all together. Gresham though might end up losing some touches to rookie Tyler Eifert, so he might not be that great of backup plan.
Grade: B, Running Back situation is very solid, Receivers could be better (outside A.J.Green of course) and of course the QB situation is pretty damn good. Definitely a contending team as always as it's Albert and he always finds a way to win.
And that's the draft. The draft is in the books but now it's time to see what happens ON THE FIELD!! I'll probably post up Matchups and Predictions tomorrow!
