We try not to be too self-indulgent here at RotoScoop, but examining others’ drafts can be a pretty helpful tool in preparing for your own. Saturday we started our ninth annual Fantasy Football Draft. Get ready for a round-by-round blow of the action, starting with the first four rounds (Scoring is pretty standard: 1 QB, 2 WRs, 2 RBs and a flex with 0.5 points per reception).
Dalton’s Strategy – This year, I think it’s pretty important to draft two backs in the first couple of rounds. There are about 16 WRs with similar value who can usually be had in rounds three and four. As always, wait on the QB position.
Robby’s Strategy – I am usually pretty conservative when it comes to drafting. I want solid, consistent guys who will get me to the playoffs because once you are there, it is anyone’s ballgame. I also look for guys with favorable matchups during the playoffs (weeks 14-16) and use that as a tiebreaker when deciding on similar talents. While this strategy (and some luck) has allowed me to make the playoffs all eight years that we have played, I haven’t won a title since repeating the first two years. I also like to load up on solid starting running backs early because the flex position causes RB talent to fall off significantly more quickly than WRs.
ROUND ONE
1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Steven Jackson
3. Joseph Addai (Robby)
4. Frank Gore
5. Travis Henry (DDD)
6. Larry Johnson
7. Shaun Alexander
8. Laurence Maroney
9. Brian Westbrook
10. Rudi Johnson
11. Willie Parker
12. Willis McGahee
Dalton Says
My Pick: There is a clear-cut top-4 (Larry Johnson no longer qualifies with the holdout, record setting-touches issue. Although he is a beast). So while I could have almost certainly gotten Henry later, he wasn’t coming back to me in Round 2, and he was the highest on my board, so I pulled the trigger. Literally four hours later he’s limping off the field with a potential season-ending knee injury. I am going to write extensively on Henry later on, but I obviously wouldn’t have been so aggressive selecting him after the injury occurred.
Best Pick: LaDainian Tomlinson, but that’s no fun. I like Maroney at No. 8 and Parker at No. 12 especially.
Worst Pick: I’ve already said it, but McGahee is going way too high for my taste.
Robby Says
My Pick: While Frank Gore is the consensus No. 3 pick in most drafts, I went with the inferior talent on the superior offense. Addai is the safer option in my book.
Best Pick: Injury rumblings caused Willie Parker’s stock to drop a bit, but he is still a top 6-7 pick on my board.
Worst Pick: Peyton Manning and Willis McGahee are great picks on the wheel for the 2nd and 3rd round, not the 1st and 2nd.
ROUND TWO
13. Peyton Manning
14. Ronnie Brown
15. Maurice Jones-Drew
16. Reggie Bush
17. Cedric Benson
18. Clinton Portis
19. Marshawn Lynch
20. Brandon Jacobs (DDD)
21. Steve Smith
22. Terrell Owens (Robby)
23. Deuce McAllister
24. Thomas Jones
Dalton Says
My Pick: I’m not particularly high on Jacobs and consider him an injury risk, but at least he’s slated to get most of the work, including the goal line duties. Not many other options at RB can say that at this point, and I still see 16 WRs I’d be happy to employ. Jacobs is also the type of unknown pick who could blow up. However, he’s also quite risky.
Best Pick: Jones-Drew and Reggie Bush. If you don’t get a top-4 pick this year, try to aim for No. 12 and get two RB1 types at the wheel.
Worst Pick: Manning went 2-3 rounds too high.
Robby Says
My Pick: With Dalton and his fiancée stealing Brandon Jacobs and Steve Smith respectively, I was forced to reach at either WR or RB. Ultimately, I went with Terrell Owens, who sits as my clear-cut No. 2 wideout and has a great fantasy playoff schedule.
Best Pick: Reggie Bush fell about 4-5 spots too far. I like him more than MJD…
Worst Pick: Deuce McAllister will be hard pressed to match last year’s numbers.
ROUND THREE
25. Marvin Harrison
26. Chad Johnson
27. Edgerrin James (Robby)
28. Adrian Peterson
29. Reggie Wayne (DDD)
30. Carson Palmer
31. Michael Turner
32. Torry Holt
33. Randy Moss
34. Roy Williams
35. Antonio Gates
36. Larry Fitzgerald
Dalton Says
My Pick: I really, really wanted “AD” here but got swooped on one pick before my turn. If Jacobs wasn’t there for me the previous round, I probably would’ve taken Peterson in Round 2. Anyway, Wayne is the No. 2 WR on my board, so I was happy to get him in the middle of round 3. Marvin Harrison is going to start aging one of these years, right?
Best Pick: I have a man-passion for Peterson, but other than him, I really liked the Gates pick. I strongly considered him myself.
Worst Pick: If LaDainian Tomlinson wasn’t in the picture, Turner would have been a legitimate first round pick. However, he probably could have gone a little later.
Robby Says
My Pick: While I was incredibly low on him last year (I had him ranked 11th among running backs while almost everyone else’s rankings had him well into the top-10), and Dalton lit into his high ADP just last week, Edgerrin James fell into my lap at 27, and I just had to take him. He can’t be any worse than last year, can he? Can he??? On second thought, maybe I should’ve taken Holt or Wayne…
Best Pick: Antonio Gates will put up comparable numbers to the WRs and RBs picked in his range.
Worst Pick: Michael Turner was a reach and a half. Good golly.
ROUND FOUR
37. Jamal Lewis
38. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
39. Marques Colston
40. Vince Young
41. Lee Evans
42. Anquan Boldin
43. Plaxico Burress
44. Javon Walker (DDD)
45. Reggie Brown
46. Carnell Williams (Robby)
47. Tom Brady
48. Donald Driver
Dalton Says
My Pick: Folks, he showed up to practice the day after having his best friend die in his arms wearing a still-bloodied shirt (which he still owns, by the way). Has there ever been a more motivated athlete in the history of professional sports? Walker had a scare with his knee last week, but hopefully it was just scar tissue breaking up, and theoretically, he should be even more explosive in this his second year removed from surgery. Sure, his numbers declined when Jay Cutler took over last year, but all signs point to the second-year signal caller being a good one, and his superior arm strength should result in plenty of long hookups. With Travis Henry and Walker, I’m putting an awful lot of eggs in the Broncos’ basket.
Best Pick: Nine of the 12 picks this round were wide receivers, and I can’t argue with any of them. Of course, I love Vince Young’s fantasy prospects this season, but I was hoping Lee Evans fell to me. I seriously considered taking him with my previous pick and have him easily ranked as a top-5 WR.
Worst Pick: As previously mentioned, I don’t see Jamal Lewis being worthy of a top-10 round pick.
Robby Says
My Pick: Wow, first Edge James and now Cadillac Williams?! Two first-round talents from the ’06 draft just fell into my lap. Seriously, while ‘Dre Johnson, the last elite WR, was tempting, Caddy should find paydirt more than once this year with the departure of Mike Alstott, and Jon Gruden wants him to catch 60 balls. I’d be happy with 50.
Best Pick: As the proud owner of Lee Evans last year, it was tough to see him go. The man has some serious talent.
Worst Pick: Put Jamal Lewis in a body bag.
(Note: We’ll continue with draft analysis later this week)
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