NFL Mocks Writers Fantasy Draft Results
Yesterday NFLmocks held their first ever Fantasy Football draft made up almost entirely of NFLmocks writers (the lone exception is Brad Andrews of www.buffalowdown.com). I’m going to give you an insight into what I was thinking during my draft. When I have more time this week I’ll break down everyone’s teams and let you see what everyone was thinking.
League settings are pretty standard, but it’s a twelve team league, though it’s a little deeper than the standard league. One starting quarterback, two starting running backs, two starting Wide receivers, a TE, a WR/RB, and an additional RB/WR/TE.
I have every intention of going running back with my first two picks. But then I find out that I’m picking second.
I had the second overall pick .I don’t want that pick. Ugh what am I going to do.
first round:
The first pick off the board was Adrian Peterson.
I’m sitting there with the second pick (I don’t really love picking second) and trying to decide between Chris Johnson who is in the midst of a big holdout and could have a rookie starting quarterback, he’s also a player who’s touched the ball too much in his short career. Arian Foster, Jamaal Charles, or Ray Rice.
I pulled the trigger on Chris Johnson. My thoughts? I love Ray Rice and Arian Foster gets to play in a better offense, but if Johnson has a huge year I’ll be kicking myself all season and I just can’t live with that, so I played it safe here.
Good call. I think. It’s a peace of mind thing. The holdout bothers me some, but not a ton and I think the Titans have enough weapons of offense to keep Johnson churning along.
The draft is a snake draft so my next pick isn’t until pick number 23.
Round 2
My two top targets I think might fall to this point are Legarette Blount and hoping Steven Jackson (not expecting that), but Blount goes off the board pretty early in the second round so I have to choose whether or not I want to go runner, runner on running back by grabbing someone to pair with Chris Johnson.
The best running backs available are Ahmad Bradshaw, Matt Forte, Jahvid Best, and Shonn Greene. I don’t love any of those options a lot to be honest. I think Bradshaw is great, but being a Giants fan I also know that he’s struggled to stay healthy and that in 7 of his last 9 games last season he failed to average four yards per carry. With the new look Giants offensive line, I’m a bit worried. This is a non PPR league and I think Marion Barber will take some of Forte’s touches so I avoid him as well.
My call:
Hakeem Nicks-My favorite player in the league and I just can’t resist the allure of being able to root for him on the field and on my fantasy team. I know he plays physical so there’s always a chance that he could end up hurt and he’s likely to miss a game or two during the season, but the guy is an absolute stud and could catch a 100 passes this year without Steve Smith (Nicks was targeted more than Smith when they were both healthy early on last year as well, I believe).
3rd round
After grabbing Nicks in round two I have one stud WR and one Stud Running back and have to decide what to do. The two picks that come off the board after my pick are Mike Wallace and Philip Rivers. I had no interest inWallace, but was heavily considering Rivers.
I could grab Bradshaw, Best, or Greene here, but I get a little crazy and grab Vincent Jackson. I could have grabbed the other Jackson here, but I should have really grabbed Larry Fitzgerald. Eh, oh well. I think Jackson’ll put up good numbers.
4th round
Now my WR corps is shaping up to be pretty stacked with Hakeem Nicks and Vincent Jackson locking down those positions, but I’m scrambling at running back and I have to wait until the 47th overall pick to consider a running back. DeAnglo Williams comes off the board with the 44th pick, and then Tony Romo, and Mark Ingram.
I have Ryan Grant staring right at my face, but James Starks has looked really good and I pass on Ryan Grant and grab WR Dez Bryant. What am I doing? I can’t resist it the move here. Being a devout Giants fans this hurts me, but I think this guy is amazing and will put up huge numbers this year. Knowing that I can start at least three WR every week (and have to start at least three WR or Running backs) I like the bold move. Luckily I have the 50th pick.
5th round
I have to go running back now. It’s imperative. I look around at the available running backs and they’re not pretty Ryan Matthews, Daniel Thomas, Beanie Wells, Felix Jones? I have no interest in any of these guys. I instead go with a reliable running back who has 1,999 yards rushing the past two seasons and is on a team that should stay in more games because of a greatly improved run defense when I snatch up Fred Jackson of the Buffalo Bills. I’m not that worried about C.J. Spiller stealing his carries I think he’ll stay healthy and he can catch the football to boot. I’m hoping the Bills will get into the end zone more (specifically Jackson) making him a sneaky good pick. We’ll see. Five rounds in and I don’t love my running back situation. And now back to a long wait.
6th round
I know I’m going running back here unless someone I value very highly is available and I also know that I’ll look to grab a good quarterback here as well with one of my two picks.
My pick rolls around and there are a few interesting options here. I can grab the touchdown machine Brandon Jacobs, Ben Jarvis Green Ellis, or backup running back Jonathan Stewart on the Carolina Panthers. I also think Tim Hightower is a bit of a sleeper and he’s available. But, I might have let my real football analysis cloud my judgement here and I snatch up Joseph Addai of the Colts. I think he’s criminally under-appreciated as an all around back, but I also know that in 2009 he had 13 combined touchdowns and that the Colts have put an emphasis on fixing their offensive line this off-season. I’m hoping for a bounce back year. Maybe not the best pick in retrospect.
7th round.
I need a quarterback and I’m jones-ing on three quarterbacks that are available. I also Matt Schuab, Josh Freeman, and Eli Manning. Eli Manning is someone I’ll watch every weekend and having players on your team that you watch makes the game more exciting, but I also know that Eli drives me crazy already so I’ll pass on that heartburn. Now I’m thinking to myself do I play it safe…with the guy who’s in the great offense and always puts up numbers or do I roll the dice on the continued improvement of uber talented Josh Freeman?
I play it safe and grab Schuab and immediately regretted it. Buyer’s remorse. I’ll have rectify that at some point in the draft.
8th round.
Long wait, again. I know I’m grabbing Jimmy Graham if he falls this far. I have no TE yet. I’m also grabbing Kellen Winslow as a back up option or Owen Daniels. Almost all the tight ends are on the board and I’m looking there as the best value. But they all come off the board and I’m thinking what else I can do here. So I look around and just decide to handcuff my talented (but injury prone) QB with another talented QB incase he gets hurt. And I swoop in and grab Matthew Stafford
9th round.
Quick turn around here and I’m thinking I should grab Oakland’s Jacoby Ford. The Eagles or Steelers defense doesn’t interest me yet, and I completely forget that James Starks is available when I grab Cardinals RB Ryan Williams. I think Williams could have a very solid year and was one of my targeted sleepers heading into the draft, but James Starks might have been a better pick. Just hoping that Ken Wisenhunt goes back to his Steelers ground and pound roots.
10th round.
I’m sitting here waiting for it to snake back to me and know that I still need a tight end and a defense. I target a TE I’m interested in and think could have a big year and wait for him to come back to me. My pick comes up and Jets TE Dustin Keller is available, an easy pick for me.
11th round
The next two picks that come off the board are Chris Cooley (don’t need) and New York Giants defense (was probably going to be my pick). I’m still looking at my running backs feeling underwhelmed so I dip into the running back pool and grab at straws when I pull out the Pierre Thomas straw. He could lose goal line carries to Mark Ingram, and Darren Sproles presence could also take away his carries, but he plays in a dynamic offense and has been productive before.
12th round
I’m looking to grab Malcom Floyd if he falls back to me, but he doesn’t so I decide to go defense. The Chargers have a talented defense and a lot of the other top defenses off the board so I grab the Chargers defense and just hope I can get something out of their return game to give me some points.
13th round
My thought here is to grab Darren Sproles and keep him or Thomsas depending on who’s fitting in better with the Saints offense, but instead I grab Houston Texans WR Jacoby Jones. He really, really came on strong at the end of last season (in four games he had 287 yards receiving) and the Texans didn’t address the WR position as a priority in the off-season so he could be a steal if he beats out Walter for the #2 WR spot.
14th round
I’ve been holding onto this pick for awhile hoping I could get him later and he’s still available. I grab Marion Barber. If Forte gets hurt he’s in a pretty good position, he also might take some of Forte’s goal line carries. The Bears wanted to use Chester Taylor to spell Forte more, but he wasn’t that effective. Barber is at his best when he’s a change of pace back and I think he could have 8 or 9 touchdowns this year. One of my favorite picks I’ve made in the draft.
15th round
Mike Williams is in decent position, I think. He’s in a solid wr combo with Sydney Rice. The QB play leaves a lot to be desired, but last year he had 751 yards receiving, he could approach those numbers again. Not a great pick, not really a sleeper, but quality depth and I think I could get by one week with him as a flex option. I’m not committed to him forever, so if can’t get his hands on the ball with Tavaris Jackson at QB and Sydney Rice on the team than I’ll just cut him loose.
16th round:
I still need a kicker and I’m hoping Rob Bironas falls to me, but he doesn’t. I then decide to just go with high scoring teams and hope that’ll work. I’m stuck between Saints Garrett Hartley and New York Giants K Lawrence Tynes. Tynes just suffered a thigh injury so I decide to snatch up Hartley.
Final Roster:
starters:
QB Matt Schuab
RB Fred Jackson
RB Chris Johnson
WR Hakeem Nicks
WR Vincent Jackson
TE Dustin Keller
WR/RB Dez Bryant
RB/WR/TE Joseph Addai
Defense: San Diego Chargers
Kicker: Garret Hartley
Bench:
Marion Barber, RB
Matthew Stafford QB
Pierre Thomas, RB
Ryan Williams, RB
Jacoby Jones, WR
Mike Williams, WR
What do you guys think? Keep in mind it’s a 12 team league.
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