It's two days later and I'm still recovering from the draft. I'm suffering from what my fiance likes to call "Post-Draft Panic". Was Terrell Owens worth the number five pick overall, or will that come back to screw me when T.O. decides to push Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones too far? Should I have taken Cadillac Williams in the second round instead of Larry Fitzgerald? I know any of you fantasy football traditionalists reading this think I must be off my rocker for not going for a RB in the first FIVE rounds .... and I can't say I blame you. My thought at the time was that wide receivers (this includes tight ends) in this league are a more valuble commodity due to a scoring system that awards points to only those who score TDs or get 100 yards rushing or recieving. Plus, the longer the TD, the more points you receive. So the recievers were going fast and furious. (20 of the first 40 picks were receivers!) And I figured, screw it .... grab my receivers early while I can and worry about RBs later.
Now mind you, I don't think I made out too bad on running backs, I managed to grab the Carolina duo of DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams, handcuffing them to guarantee I have a starter to plug into my "run and shoot" offense. I also handcuffed the Cowboys backs, nabbing Julius Jones and Marion Barber. And with my last RB I grabbed Laurence Maroney, who I believe will get the starting job away from Cory Dillon by midseason. My RBs could definitely could have been worse if this was a league of traditional drafters who believe you must have two RBs in the first three rounds. But as it went, I think I came out all right.
Now IF Terrell Owens quits messing around and gets his butt on the field, I'll have THE best receiving corp in the league!! Owens, Fitzgerald, Wayne, and Williams should be a potent foursome. Former Buckeyes Jenkins and Holmes are project picks who I hope I can use during bye weeks.
The biggest suprise in this draft? The defending champ, owner of the Radnor Rangers .... took Neil Rackers .... IN THE FOURTH ROUND!! Wow, I'm still shaking my head about that one.
More to come, here are some more photos:
More to come.
1 comment:
I have to respectfully disagree with you that your team will possess THE best corps of receivers in the league, even if Terrell shows up and plays nice. Nope, that honor belongs to the Toronto Tigers. Here's why. Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, and Roy Williams combined for 29 touchdowns and 3863 yards last year. Meanwhile, Chad Johnson, Randy Moss, Hines Ward and Reggie Brown combined for 32 touchdowns and 3983 yards. I know, Terrell only played part of the season and his numbers were WAY down. This year, his numbers should go up...absolutely. Of course, Randy Moss played at less that 100 percent nursing an injury all but 2 games, and his numbers will go up, too...still leaving you behind. In addition, the Cardinals passed at a ridiculous rate last year, helping to keep Fitzgerald's numbers high. The Cardinals had to pass like that because they had no running back...umm... they have a running back now, and he is pretty good. Good enough to take at least SOMETHING away from the receivers, even behind a bad line. Even if he isn't a huge difference maker, passing stats are going to suffer at least a little, so Fitz's numbers are going down. That...and Warner does throw to Boldin more. Speaking of Warner, you need to hope he stays healthy (talk about a big IF) Leinert may be the most NFL ready of the rookies, but he was the last to report, and unless he is the 2nd coming of Dan Marino, he will struggle, like all rookies do.. (and don't forget about that bad line...)so Larry will not have the year he had last year. As for Reggie Wayne...5 touchdowns last year, and barely over 1000 yards (1004). With no proven running game, the Colts will be faced with well designed pass defenses all year. Coordinators found out how to slow the Colts receivers last year, that trend will continue now that Edge isn't around to help. Lastly, we have Roy Williams. Speaking of a guy that needs to stay healthy...if he doesn't play, he can't get you stats...and the most damning evidence of all...he has JON KITNA throwing to him. There is a reason he is a journeyman QB, that Seahawks gave up on him, and that the Bengals drafted Carson Palmer a few years back. He is called the best back-up in the league for a reason...HE IS A BACK UP, nothing more. How did the Bengals like his play in the 2nd half of the playoff game last year. Mister Williams, meet your new QB. I think there is a definite cap on the numbers you can expect from that group, as compared to the high upside guys on the Tigers squad. First is Michael Ir--ummm I mean Chad Johnson. He may not get double digits in TDs every year, but he pretty much floats around that area every single year (10, 9, 9) Also, if you saw how good Carson looked in his comeback game...wow, the Bengals offense will be something this year...and even if Carson gets hurt, you can still expect Chad's numbers to be around 8-9 TDs and 1200 yards. If Palmer stays healthy, I expect that number to go up. Now to Randy Moss, once feared as the the most explosive WR in the game. Last year, much to my chagrin, he slowed by injury (was it a gr-gr-gr-groin injury?) Anyway, when healthy I could get double digit TD passes to this guy, and it looks like Brooks and Moss are getting their timing down in preseason. Also, the Raiders defense is so bad, Oakland amy lead the league in pass attempts instead of the Cardinals this year as they will be playing from behind. A lot. With Hines Ward, you get a guy who had double digit TDs and 975 yards in a conservative offense. I hear that will change, as Bettis' retirement and Staley's bad play have left serious questions about the Steelers ability to pound the ball all season. Parker is a good back, but not a behemoth in the Bettis/Steeler mold. He is a fast guy, and wont take the pounding normally afforded a Pittsburgh rusher. The Steelers plan on making use of Big Ben's talents more, which will increase Ward's stats. Now, we come to the last receiver on our list...one "Mr. Upside" Reggie Brown. He is developing a good report with a now rejuvenated McNabb. He had a good first year, and there is an expectation that he will do nothing but grow by leaps and bounds in his 2nd year in the pass-happy Andy Reid offense. The trade for Stallworth only increases his stock, in my opinion, as Stallworth is not an impact player, but it will force opposing defense to pay him some attention (as opposed to the nobodies the Eagles had opposite Brown before) This is a VERY good situation for Brown, leaving the Tigers with a set of four with huge upside. Your WR are good, but several of them may have hit their ceiling, which I don't think Owens will totally make up for (and I hear Parcells will limit his playing time somewhat in the early going, since he hasn't practiced and the Cowboys offense hasn't looked bad without him. That rapport Glenn has with Bledsoe is strengthening, and Glenn wont see the double teams, so...) One last note... At the 4-5 WR position on both fantasy teams, I also give the nod to Nate Burleson and Roddy White over Michael Jenkins and Santonio Holmes. White has looked better than Jenkins on the Falcons, and Burleson is a veteran who will start opposite a clear number 1 on an explosive offense. Santonio will have to work hard to get on the field opposite Ward at the outset, and WR rookies traditionally don't do so well. That's my opinion...that and a dollar may get you a cup of coffee at the gas station.
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