by Chris Mooney

Ok, one more draft down, one more to go. I had the #2 pick on my last draft which I wrote about. Since I had the #10 pick last night, I thought I’d write about my strategy for that and who I ended up with.

This is a 10 team league, PPR (Points Per Reception), and starts 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 K, 1 D

Here’s my team:

QB – Donovan McNabb, Matt Schaub
RB – Rudi Johnson, Laurence Maroney, Marshawn Lynch, LaMont Jordan, Julius Jones, Warrick Dunn
WR/TE – Andre Johnson, Lee Evans, Bernard Berrian, Bobby Wade, Vernon Davis, Brandon Marshall, James Jones
K – Neil Rackers
D – San Diego, Green Bay

Rounds 1 and 2 – I knew RB’s would fly off the board, but I knew I’d get two good ones with the 10th and 11th pick. In a PPR league I was not surprised to see Westbrook go 4th, but I was surprised that Reggie Bush went 8th and after Willie Parker (who went 7th). I was happy to get Rudi Johnson with the 10th pick and partner him with Maroney. Rudi’s backup, Kenny Irons, is out for the season and people say Rudi looks leaner and faster…and oh yeah, has improved his pass catching abilty. Maroney, in my mind, was the best RB available. I thought about taking a stud WR, but decided against it for Maroney’s upside if he can stay healthy. I figured some good WR would be available coming back to me.

Rounds 3 and 4 – Here’s where I knew I wanted to grab two good WR’s. I was pleasantly surprised that Andre Johnson made it to me. I think he’s going to have his best year yet. Schaub and Johnson seemed to have clicked right out of the gate. Here some WR’s drafted before Johnson that surprised me: Roy Williams, Javon Walker, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Marques Colston, Anquan Boldin. Anyway, I got Lee Evans with the first pick in the 4th round. I think he’s another that will post some good numbers and was the best WR available.

Round 5 and 6 – The top QB’s were taken ending with Jon Kitna being the last taken. McNabb was available at the end of the 5th round, so I took him. His knee makes we a little nervous, but he’s looked good so far and I think is a great value at the end of the 5th round. The first pick of the 6th round is where I wanted to target a 3rd RB. This is where I took Marshawn Lynch. The jury is still out on him, and people seem to be cooling their high expectations of him. He’s not a great back, but he’s my #3, he’s better than Anthony Thomas, and he’s a starter. That’s enough for me.

Rounds 7 and 8 – Gotta go get my #3 WR with the last pick in the 7th round. Well guess who fell to this Bears fan??? Yes, Bernard Berrian. This guy has a huge upside and can produce #1 WR like numbers. Some WR’s who went before Berrian were: Isaac Bruce, Chris Chambers, and Jericho Cotchery. I was thrilled to get Berrian, and this was not a “Homer” pick either. With the first pick in the 8th, again, looking for best available and you can never have enough RB, so I got LaMont Jordan. He’s looked pretty good, Dominic Rhodes is serving a 4 game suspension, and even in the preseason, Jordan has outplayed Rhodes. Could also be a steal and good trade bait.

Rounds 9 and 10 – Remember what I said about RB’s…can never have enough and if can get a starter in round 9 or later..take him! That’s what I did in drafting Julius Jones. Sure Marion Barber is there and will steal TD’s, but Jones is a viable back playing for a contract. I have no problem taking Jones as my #4 RB. For the first pick in the 10th round I took Bobby Wade. Sure the Vikings won’t score like the Colts, but Wade has distinguished himself as the #1 WR in Minnesota.

Rounds 11 through 18 – These rounds were spent filling up with the best available players along with my Defenses and Kicker. It finished like this:

11th – Warrick Dunn , 12th – Vernon Davis, 13th – Brandon Marshall, 14th – Chargers D, 15th – Neil Rackers, 16th – Matt Schaub, 17th – James Jones, and 18th – Green Bay’s D

Overall, I’m pleased with my draft. Every RB I drafted is a starter. Every WR I drafted, with the exception of rookies Brandon Marshall and James Jones, is or will end up as the #1 receiver on their team. McNabb is a bit risky, but if he stays healthy, he’ll give me a lot of points. If not, Schaub is a decent backup. (I bet the Falcons are kicking themselves now).

by Chris Mooney

Ok..I had two online drafts a couple of days ago in public leagues just to get my feet wet and see where peoples heads were. Love the teams I drafted.

Last night, though, I had my first live draft with people I know. I like public leagues and all, but nothing beats being in a league with people you know and can trash talk with all season long. It’s a 10 team yardage (including PPR) league. Here’s the roster I ended up with.

QB – Tony Romo, Matt Schaub
RB – Stephen Jackson, Ahman Green, Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Jackson, Chris Brown, Brian Leonard
WR – Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Brown, Bernard Berrian, Bobby Wade, Jacoby Jones
K – Adam Vinateri, Neil Rackers
D – Dallas and Green Bay

Here some comments from the draft:

LT went first, so I obviously took Stephen Jackson with the #2 pick I had. Larry Johnson followed at #3. The #4 pick is where it got interesting. The guy with #4 took Peyton Manning.

First tip - Do not take a QB in the first round even if it is Peyton Manning. You’ll be kicking yourself once you get a look at the RB you ended up with.

After the top tier RB were off the board by my 2nd pick, I knew I was going for a top tier WR. Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, and Marvin Harrison were gone, so I had to decide between T.O, Holt, or Wayne (in my mind). Updating my own ranking, I decided on T.O. I keep hearing about Torry Holt’s knee issues and I think they will spread the ball more in St. Louis. As for Wayne, I just can’t take the ups and downs of wondering which week will be his and which will be Harrison’s. T.O. is the guy in Dallas, period. I think he will click with Romo.

Second tip – If you are picking anywhere from #1 to #5, chances are that the top tier RB will be off the board. This is when you need to grab the stud WR. I’ll take Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, etc…over Ronnie Brown, Willis McGahee anyday. You’ll be able to get a decent #2 RB in Round 3 or 4.

In Round 3 for me, I took Larry Fitgerald after Wayne was snatched up. I was banking on being able to get a decent RB in Round 4. With a guy taking Manning in the 1st and someone else taking Donald Driver in the 2nd, I was pretty confident I would. After my initial rankings, I kept hearing a lot of good things about how Fitzgerald has looked faster in camp. Even though I do think the Cards will “try” and run more, they’ll soon realize that Edge is a shell of his former self and will end up needing to throw.

Third tip – Take what your league gives you. I mean come on, Manning in the first, Donald Driver in the second?? Drafting towards the top, I would typically go RB, WR, RB. In this case, I saw some very questionable picks, so I took another top WR hoping another decent RB would be available coming back to me.

During Round 4 I got a little nervous because there was a run on RB’s. Based on how the draft was going, I was targeting Cedric Benson. Well, he got drafted, so I ended up with Ahman Green. From what I’ve been reading, Green looks rejunvenated and could end up being a steal.

Just in case Ahman doesn’t work out, I came back with Marshawn Lynch in Round 5.

Fourth tip – During the middle rounds, you should definately continue drafting based on need, but you need to also look at taking the best player available. I like Lee Evans and he was available to me in Round 5, but I could not pass up a starting RB. The jury is still out on Lynch, but I told myself to wait on another WR until next round. RB’s are still the most valuable position.

From here on out, I took best available according my gut. I got Reggie Brown and Bernard Berrian as my #3 and #4 WR (not necessarily in that order). I’m extremely happy with those picks.

I’m also pleased to have gotten Romo in the 8th round. That Romo to T.O. combo could be something special this year.

I got another potential starting RB in Round 9 in Brandon Jackson. Sure there is Morency in the background, but at Round 9, I’ll take the gamble with Jackson. I’ve been hearing some good things about him.

The next rounds were spent taking my stud RB backup, Brian Leonard. I got my kickers and defense. For sleepers, I drafted Bobby Wade (Vikings WR), Matt Schaub (Texans QB), and Jacoby Jones (Texans WR). In the 14th round, Bobby Wade was worth taking. He could end up the #1 WR for the Vikes.

Matt Schaub could be a steal as well. Let everyone go after Rex Grossman, Chad Pennington, and Delhomme earlier in the draft if they want. I’d say, while they do that, go for the RB and WR sleepers, then take Schaub as your backup. He’s looking good and has a brand new offense with plenty of weapons.

On another note, based on some other news around the league

In a press conference today, Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson said the team believes WR Donald Driver (foot) “will probably” be ready to play in week #1, but that additional tests will be done for confirmation purposes.

With the injury to Donald Driver, we’re not sure the severity. With that being said, James Jackson jumps way up in my rankings. He’s outplayed Greg Jennings easily this preseason, and with Donald Driver’s injury, Jackson is worth a late round flyer. Best of all, if Driver misses any time, Jackson will step right in.

The Lions are to make a decision soon on whether to put Kevin Jones on the PUP list. With all that up in the air, go get Tatum Bell. Even if they don’t put Kevin Jones on the PUP list, he hasn’t played a down,and coaches have raved about the play of Tatum Bell. This offense is perfect for him. Mike Martz system will utilize Tatum’s running style and pass catching ability.

David Boston was arrested on DUI charges. If you were thinking of him as a sleeper, forget it, and steer clear of any Dolphin if you can.

The Packers D is looking good and could be a steal. Don’t overpay for the Bears and Ravens. If you can get Minnesota or Green Bay, you’ll be happy. The Pack have been playing lights out all preseason.

by Chris Mooney

Well there is no doubt that most draft are probably going to be taking place this week or next week, so I wanted to update my list of sleepers based on things that have transpired over the last couple of weeks.  Go out and get these guys if you can.  Some may be a high risk, but they’re worth taking a flier on in the middle to late rounds in your draft.  Keep these guys on your radar.

1. Vincent Jackson ( WR/Chargers) – Nothing has changed here.  Probably a little undervalued in most drafts.
2. Brandon Jackson (RB/Packers) – Even if Morency is ready for the opener, it may be too late. 
3. Jacoby Jones (WR/Texans) – I’d take a flyer on him late.  He’s a playmaker, and may do well with people focusing on Andre Johnson and Ahman Green…Matt Schuab seems t be doing better as the preseason goes along.
4. Bernard Berrian (WR/Bears) – Don’t hear a lot of talk on Bernard, but this guy could be a steal in the mid to late rounds.  People are down on Rex and may steer clear of Berrian, but don’t you.  Go get him and reap the rewards of maybe even having him as your #3 WR.
5. Bobby Wade (WR/Vikings) – Could end up being the #1 WR in Minnesota and you don’t hear much talk about him.  May not get a lot of TD’s, but in PPR leagues, could be a steal.
6. LaMont Jordan (RB/Raiders) – He just stunk last year, therefore, his stock is at an all-time low.  Dominic Rhodes is suspended for the first 4 games, and was also outplayed by Jordan in the last preseason game.  Jordan actually looked decent.  Would not be a bad #3 RB.
7. Brandon Marshall (WR/Broncos) – Will end up as the #2 WR in Denver over Rod Smith. 
8. James Jones (WR/Packers) – Greg Jennings has not looked good this preseason.  As of this post, he’s yet to catch a pass.  Jones on the other hand, as looked solid.  He could surplant Jennings as the #2 WR in Packerland.
9. Chris Brown (RB/Titans)) – The Titans will be horrible this year, but someone has to carry the ball and LenDale White has not stepped up.  Chris Brown may be a steal late in your draft.
10. DeShaun Foster (RB/Panthers) – While DeAngelo Williams seems to be the #1 on the depth chart, let everyone go ahead and take him, while you get the guy that may end up being #1.  Foster has definately looked better thus far.

by Chris Mooney

Who will be this year’s Marques Colston?  No one really knows for sure, but my guess would be Vincent Jackson of the Chargers.  I’m thinking he’s not on many people’s radar, and he could end up posting some #1 WR like stats.  LaDainian probably won’t repeat last year’s stats, which means the ball will be distributed elsewhere.  Gates stats are sure to rise, but Vincent Jackson I think will surprise some.  Eric Parker is out for 10 weeks, and defenses will key in on Gates (and LaDainian out of the backfield), which means Vincent will have little double coverage.  He’s a guy with the size and speed to gain a lot of big yardage plays. 

Here my top 10 players I’m picking to fly under the radar in most drafts and provide good value to hopefully help you on the road to the championship.

1. Vincent Jackson (Chargers) – see above
2. Jon Kitna (Lions) – He’ll probably throw for close to 4000 with at least 25 TD’s.  He has no QB competition, so he’s the man in Motor City.
3. Cedric Benson (Bears) – Thomas Jones is in the Big Apple, so Benson is finally getting his shot.  He’s definately playing with a chip on his shoulder and there is talk that he’ll be more involved in the passing game.
4. Jerious Norwood (Falcons) – Dunn has had back surgury, plus he’s getting up there in football years.  Norwood has shown that he has big play potential, but just needs more touches.  This year he may get his wish.
5. Devery Henderson (Saints) – Now that defenses are on to Colston, he’ll likely draw double coverage.  With Joe Horn gone to the Falcons, Henderson will get som ball thrown his way.
6. Troy Williamson (Vikings) – Looking good during pre-season and may develop a solid relationship with his QB, Tarvaris Jackson.  Travis Taylor has gone to the Raiders, thus leaving the #1 WR position to Williamson for the taking.
7. Brett Favre (Packers) – Yes he’s at the end of his career, but he’s motivated to break some records before it’s all said and done.  He’s got some weapons in Driver and Jennings.
8. LaMont Jordan (Raiders) – QB situation is a bit shaky to say the least, and Dominic Rhodes is suspended for the first 4 weeks.  Jordan really stunk last year, so I look for him to bounce back a bit.
9. Brandon Jackson  (Packers) – Morency is hurt, and Jackson has a greater upside.  The #1 job may be his to lose.
10. Joe Horn (Falcons) – Horn will probably be the #1 receiver on the Falcons.  Vick will probably miss siginificant time, if not the whole season, which means it’s Harrington time.  Harrington does not have a strong arm, so I think Horn will benefit with a lot of catches in the slot.

by Chris Mooney

After many years of thinking that was the only way to go, I now say no.  I guess for one, it depends on where you fall in the draft order.  This year, I think there is really a lot of depth at the running back position.  The only draft position where I might feel more obligated to draft a running back with my first two picks might be if I were drafting towards the end simply because most people fall into the logic that they MUST pick two RB’s in the first and second rounds and if that happens, by the time it gets back to you at the end of the third round, there will be no RB’s left.

So what do you do if you draft at the beginning, you ask?

Last year I had the #2 pick in a league.  Knowing I was going to get a stud RB in either Larry Johnson or Ladainian Tomlinson, I was fortunate to get LT. 

So what happened coming back in the 2nd round? 

Well, true to conventional drafting strategy, most top tier RB’s were taken by the time it got back to me at the end of the second round and I found myself getting ready to do something I’d never done in probably 10 years, and that’s taking a QB with my 2nd round pick.  Yes, not since I picked Steve Young in the 1st round years ago, Peyton Manning was available, so I snagged him up.  Then I came back with a Reggie Wayne in the 3rd.  A trio of LT, Peyton, and Wayne is not to bad.  I guess my point is to draft for value.  Taking Manning, the #1 ranked QB, did my team a lot better than had I taken a 2nd tier RB like a Thomas Jones or Corey Dillon. 

So this year, change your way of thinking.

Don’t feel obligated to take a RB with your 2nd pick if there are no top tier ones left.  Getting a stud RB in the 1st round like LT, Stephen Jackson, etc..then completing your next two picks with a top tier WR (Steve Smith, Chad Johnson) or top rated QB (only Peyton Manning, Palmer, and maybe Brees though) will give you a pretty good foundation for a top rated team.  You’ll be able to get another RB in the 4th like a Kevin Jones (or Tatum Bell) or Carnell Williams to round off your core lineup.