I recently completed a 10-team draft for Yahoo with standard scoring, the only catch was it is a 2 QB league, so some owners felt it necessary to reach for the top tier QB’s a little earlier than normal.
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Before we started drafting all 10 owners drew cards to determine draft order, I drew the ace. Now we do something interesting in our league, we allow whoever drew the highest card to determine their draft order, and I selected the 4th pick!
Everyone was shocked, but let me explain my reasoning. I knew from my research that the top 3 picks should be Foster, McCoy, and Rice. I wanted Rodgers, but I certainly didn’t want to pass up Foster with the first pick. If the first 3 owners selected the top 3 RB’s, I would get the pick I wanted. If they were to reach for Rodgers, I would end up with one of the top 3 RB’s, and get a better pick on the way back.
Sure enough, Foster went first, but then Rodgers and Brady were selected, much to my delight, and I took McCoy with the 4th pick in our draft, and got DeMarco Murray who should be in for a big workload on the way back in the second round.
Another oddity was we draft 18 deep, offering more depth on the bench, and therefore more sleeper picks. I stuck to my plan of only drafting 1 kicker and 1 defense at the end of the draft.
My team name is Waiting for Baseball, given that I am such a big baseball fan.
| Round 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arian Foster(Hou – RB) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Aaron Rodgers(GB – QB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | Tom Brady(NE – QB) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | LeSean McCoy(Phi – RB) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Ray Rice(Bal – RB) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Drew Brees(NO – QB) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Cam Newton(Car – QB) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | Matthew Stafford(Det – QB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | Maurice Jones-Drew(Jac – RB) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | Calvin Johnson(Det – WR) | Cooley As a … |
The five top QB’s all went in the first round, as owners were desperate to lock up one of the big arms. You will see why I wasn’t too concerned.
| Round 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Matt Forte(Chi – RB) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | Eli Manning(NYG – QB) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | Darren McFadden(Oak – RB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | Chris Johnson(Ten – RB) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Marshawn Lynch(Sea – RB) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Michael Vick(Phi – QB) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | DeMarco Murray(Dal – RB) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Rob Gronkowski(NE – TE) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | Jimmy Graham(NO – TE) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Tony Romo(Dal – QB) | 4th & g |
As expected, the top RB’s kept disappearing, but I was still able to select Murray which was a huge surprise to me as I had him as a first round pick for sure…. not that I’m complaining.
| Round 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jamaal Charles(KC – RB) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Larry Fitzgerald(Ari – WR) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | Steven Jackson(StL – RB) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | Matt Ryan(Atl – QB) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Adrian Peterson(Min – RB) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Trent Richardson(Cle – RB) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Julio Jones(Atl – WR) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | Fred Jackson(Buf – RB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | Brandon Marshall(Chi – WR) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | Hakeem Nicks(NYG – WR) | Cooley As a … |
I wasn’t concerned about locking up that QB in the first, as I was able to lock up the breakout talent of 2012, Matt Ryan. Matty Ice should be taking it to a whole new level this year, and I was very happy to land him in the 3rd.
| Round 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | A.J. Green(Cin – WR) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | Andre Johnson(Hou – WR) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | Greg Jennings(GB – WR) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | Jordy Nelson(GB – WR) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Roddy White(Atl – WR) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Wes Welker(NE – WR) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | Doug Martin(TB – RB) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Michael Turner(Atl – RB) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | Darren Sproles(NO – RB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Peyton Manning(Den – QB) | 4th & goal |
I was torn in round 4, I wanted to go after a big WR, but Doug Martin was still sitting there and I didn’t think he would be available on the way back, so I went ahead and solidified by Flex position by taking Martin.
| Round 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Victor Cruz(NYG – WR) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Steve Smith(Car – WR) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | BenJarvus Green-Ellis(Cin – RB) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | Philip Rivers(SD – QB) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Robert Griffin III(Was – QB) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Mike Wallace(Pit – WR) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Reggie Bush(Mia – RB) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | Jay Cutler(Chi – QB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | Ryan Mathews(SD – RB) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | Antonio Brown(Pit – WR) | Cooley As a … |
Since I still needed a solid QB2, I went ahead and picked up Rivers, despite my trepidations about his play last year. This was my big mistake of the draft as I selected a QB with the same bye week as Matt Ryan, which gives me a chance to remind everyone, don’t forget to check those bye weeks while drafting!
| Round 6 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Antonio Gates(SD – TE) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | Aaron Hernandez(NE – TE) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | DeSean Jackson(Phi – WR) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | Andrew Luck(Ind – QB) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Ben Roethlisberger(Pit – QB) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Brandon Lloyd(NE – WR) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | Dez Bryant(Dal – WR) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Marques Colston(NO – WR) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | Frank Gore(SF – RB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Demaryius Thomas(Den – WR) | 4th & goal |
At this point I had my RB and QB’s all set, so it was time to start concentrating on WR’s. Although Bryant has had injury problems in the preseason, he stated he would be healthy for the opener, and represented a terrific value in the 6th round.
| Round 7 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dwayne Bowe(KC – WR) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Matt Schaub(Hou – QB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | Eric Decker(Den – WR) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | Percy Harvin(Min – WR) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Miles Austin(Dal – WR) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Willis McGahee(Den – RB) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Vernon Davis(SF – TE) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | Ahmad Bradshaw(NYG – RB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | Carson Palmer(Oak – QB) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | Joe Flacco(Bal – QB) | Cooley As a .. |
For my second wide receiver, I found a guy that all the fantasy owners in my league were shying away from. I can’t figure out why, as Harvin will be the go to option in 2012 for the Vikings, and a great WR2 for my fantasy team.
| Round 8 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shonn Greene(NYJ – RB) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | San Francisco(SF – DEF) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | Brandon Pettigrew(Det – TE) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | Anquan Boldin(Bal – WR) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Jeremy Maclin(Phi – WR) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Jason Witten(Dal – TE) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | Stevie Johnson(Buf – WR) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Ryan Fitzpatrick(Buf – QB) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | Donald Brown(Ind – RB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Tony Gonzalez(Atl – TE) | 4th & goal |
And rounding out my wide receiving corps, a guy I’m not terribly fond of because of the sketchy QB play, but Steve Johnson had his moments in 2011, and hopefully will have more in 2012.
| Round 9 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Vincent Jackson(TB – WR) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Reggie Wayne(Ind – WR) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | Pierre Garcon(Was – WR) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | Fred Davis(Was – TE) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Alex Smith(SF – QB) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Torrey Smith(Bal – WR) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Robert Meachem(SD – WR) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | Justin Blackmon(Jac – WR) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | Roy Helu(Was – RB) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | Ben Tate(Hou – RB) | Cooley As a … |
Ok, RB, QB, and WR all taken care of, it was time to go for what appears to be a very deep position this season, especially in TE leagues that only require 1 starter. I picked up Fred Davis here in the 9th round. This is a TE that is projected to be a top 10 TE no matter what site you are looking at, and you just can’t beat the value there.
| Round 10 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Chicago(Chi – DEF) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | Kenny Britt(Ten – WR) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | Jermichael Finley(GB – TE) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | Peyton Hillis(KC – RB) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Jacob Tamme(Den – TE) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Houston(Hou – DEF) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | Beanie Wells(Ari – RB) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Titus Young(Det – WR) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | Jacquizz Rodgers(Atl – RB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Jonathan Stewart(Car – RB) | 4th & goal |
Now for the rounds where owners start making mistakes, you will see the Chicago defense went off the board here, but in all honesty, they won’t put up enough points on a week in and week out basis to make a huge difference over lesser ranked D’s. This is the round where you start targeting your sleepers, and I went after a RB, which is a position that always needs depth on any fantasy roster. Hopefully Beanie Wells will bounce back from injury to be the #1 RB in Arizona.
| Round 11 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Andy Dalton(Cin – QB) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Josh Freeman(TB – QB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | Toby Gerhart(Min – RB) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | Tim Tebow(NYJ – QB) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Mason Crosby(GB – K) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Stevan Ridley(NE – RB) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Jermaine Gresham(Cin – TE) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | James Starks(GB – RB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | Isaac Redman(Pit – RB) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | C.J. Spiller(Buf – RB) | Cooley As a … |
I feel the need to explain why I drafted Tebow here. I made a gentleman’s wager with a fellow owner that Tebow would not be the starter by week 3 of the regular season. I then had the brilliant idea that if I picked up Tebow, it would be a win/win situation for me if he actually got the starters job by week 3. And this being a Denver league I didn’t want to wait to long, and that is how I ended up drafting one of the worst QB’s in football.
| Round 12 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nate Washington(Ten – WR) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | Darrius Heyward-Bey(Oak – WR) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | Michael Crabtree(SF – WR) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | David Akers(SF – K) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Denarius Moore(Oak – WR) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Mark Ingram(NO – RB) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | Kevin Smith(Det – RB) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Michael Floyd(Ari – WR) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | David Wilson(NYG – RB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Malcom Floyd(SD – WR) | 4th & goal |
Got back to my regular draft strategy in round 12, and went after some more RB depth with Kevin Smith. He isn’t high on my list, but you can never have too many starters on your bench.
| Round 13 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Baltimore(Bal – DEF) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Rashad Jennings(Jac – RB) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | Brian Quick(StL – WR) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | Montario Hardesty(Cle – RB) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Lance Moore(NO – WR) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Russell Wilson(Sea – QB) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Sam Bradford(StL – QB) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | DeAngelo Williams(Car – RB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | Sebastian Janikowski(Oak – K) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | Brent Celek(Phi – TE) | Cooley As a … |
Ever since I read that Montario Hardesty was never fully healthy in 2011, I’ve felt like I owed him another chance, so I went ahead and picked him up because I really don’t trust Trent Richardson and two arthoscopic knee surgeries in one year.
The Final Couple Rounds
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 23: Quarterback Matt Cassel #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after Javier Arenas #21 scored a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders in the third quarter on October 23, 2011 at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Chiefs won 28-0. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
| Round 14 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Matt Cassel(KC – QB) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | Sidney Rice(Sea – WR) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | Santana Moss(Was – WR) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | Terrell Owens(Sea – WR) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Danny Amendola(StL – WR) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Jared Cook(Ten – TE) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | Christian Ponder(Min – QB) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Matt Bryant(Atl – K) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | Randy Moss(SF – WR) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Stephen Gostkowski(NE – K) | 4th & goal |
| Round 15 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Michael Bush(Chi – RB) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Pittsburgh(Pit – DEF) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | Randall Cobb(GB – WR) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | Alshon Jeffery(Chi – WR) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Ed Dickson(Bal – TE) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Coby Fleener(Ind – TE) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Cedric Benson(GB – RB) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | Evan Royster(Was – RB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | Jake Locker(Ten – QB) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | Mario Manningham(SF – WR) | Cooley As a … |
| Round 16 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Deion Branch(NE – WR) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | Owen Daniels(Hou – TE) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | New York(NYG – DEF) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | Denver(Den – DEF) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Blaine Gabbert(Jac – QB) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Shane Vereen(NE – RB) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | Golden Tate(Sea – WR) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Seattle(Sea – DEF) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | Matt Prater(Den – K) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Felix Jones(Dal – RB) | 4th & goal |
| Round 17 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Martellus Bennett(NYG – TE) | 4th & goal |
| 2. | Detroit(Det – DEF) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 3. | Taiwan Jones(Oak – RB) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 4. | Philadelphia(Phi – DEF) | Waiting for … |
| 5. | Garrett Hartley(NO – K) | Chairman Meow |
| 6. | Green Bay(GB – DEF) | Beast Mode |
| 7. | Dan Bailey(Dal – K) | taco tuesdays |
| 8. | Neil Rackers(Was – K) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 9. | New York(NYJ – DEF) | Snortin 100 … |
| 10. | Dallas(Dal – DEF) | Cooley As a … |
| Round 18 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jason Hanson(Det – K) | Cooley As a … |
| 2. | Alex Henery(Phi – K) | Snortin 100 … |
| 3. | Matt Flynn(Sea – QB) | Feindt’s Bums |
| 4. | Cincinnati(Cin – DEF) | taco tuesdays |
| 5. | Billy Cundiff(Bal – K) | Beast Mode |
| 6. | Atlanta(Atl – DEF) | Chairman Meow |
| 7. | Robbie Gould(Chi – K) | Waiting for … |
| 8. | Brandon LaFell(Car – WR) | Gab’s Scabs |
| 9. | Tony Moeaki(KC – TE) | The Swamp Ya… |
| 10. | Mike Williams(TB – WR) | 4th & goal |
hi
