5.01
|
Chris
Dolfi | Tom Walls
QB
Aaron Rodgers
QB: Rodgers RB:
Peterson RBrown JJones WR:
White TE:
PK:
DT: |
This
is where drafting with a partner can be tricky - Julius Jones
wasn't Chris' first choice at RB for our last pick, and Aaron
Rodgers wasn't Tom's first choice at QB for us at this pick.
We compromised - Tom picked the RB, Chris picked the QB.
Rodgers was a model of FAD consistency last year - only failing
to score double digits once the entire season. He had at
least 1 passing TD in every game last season, except two.
4th in passing yards (4038yds) and 4th in passing TDs (28) are
numbers we can no only live with - we're thrilled to get at this
point in the draft. Toss in the fact that GB doesn't face
the toughest pass defense schedule (special thanks to playing
the woeful Lions twice a year) and Rodgers nudges out some other
tempting choices for QB for us.
=================================================================================== |
5.02
|
Ian
Allan (via
Cannon trade)
WR
Chad Ocho Cinco
QB: RB: Westbrook
Bush WR: SSmith
Welker
Gonzalez Ocho Cinco TE:
PK:
DT: |
|
I’ve
won this league the last two years. If you look at where the
separation occurred with those teams — why they were better
than the other 11 — it was at wide receiver. I got 1150 points
last year out of Welker, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson and Steve
Smith. The previous year, I had
Smith-Houshmandzadeh-Cotchery-Jennings for 950 points. This is a
PPR format and there’s also the flex position (RB-WR-TE), so
you can start four. Factoring in bye weeks and off games, in
fact, every team should be looking to come out of the draft with
a minimum of four good receivers. But there simply aren’t that
many good wide receivers available. I see Ocho Cinco as a
probable top-15 receiver. Should catch 80-90 balls and 8 TDs. He
dropped off last year, but Carson Palmer was hurt — simple as
that. Ocho can still play; he’ll be fine. Adding him to the
mix of the other guys I’ve got, I’m expecting to get
something like 1100 points out of these four spots — about 380
catches, 4500 yards and 32 TDs.
=================================================================================== |
|
5.03
|
Matt
Pitzer
QB Philip Rivers
QB: Rivers RB: Jones-Drew Grant
WR: Wayne
RWilliams TE:
PK:
DT: |
|
I
really liked Rivers last season but am less wild about him now
that he is coming off a career-high 34 touchdown passes. That
has pushed his value up a little too high because he is unlikely
to match last year's stats. The Chargers will be a high-scoring
team and they are not so much of a running team any more so
Rivers will have plenty of chances. I wanted to take him here
because I didn't want to wait until nearly the end of the sixth
round to take my first QB.
=================================================================================== |
|
5.04
|
Greg
Kellogg
WR
Vincent Jackson
QB: Brady RB:
Tomlinson Wells WR:
Owens VJackson TE:
PK:
DT: |
Jackson has improved
both his receptions and yards in each of his four years in the
league. With QB Philip Rivers growing into a very good NFL
starter, things should only improve for Jackson.
Projecting him for 80 receptions, 1,300 yards and 10 TDs is not
unreasonable based on his growth over the past two years.
=================================================================================== |
5.05
|
Craig
Davis
WR
Santonio Holmes
QB: RB:
Forte Barber WR:
Bowe Edwards Holmes TE:
PK:
DT: |
|
Okay, so I realize his 2008 regular
season wasn’t everything it should have and could have been,
but did you get a chance to watch him in the playoffs? Why do
you think everyone’s consensus #1 receiver right now is Larry
Fitzgerald? It’s not because his regular season numbers but
because of what he did in the post-season, and how can you
argue? The guy was flat out sick in Arizona’s three NFC games
and was clutch in the Super Bowl, leading everyone to believe he
should be the first receiver off the board. Holmes has great
speed, solid hands, and has learned how to run better routes
from following Hines Ward around. Holmes will be the top fantasy
receiver on this team and I believe a steal for me at WR3.
===================================================================================
|
|
5.06
|
Duane
Cahill
TE Tony Gonzalez
QB: Manning RB:
SJackson Jacobs LJohnson WR:
TE:
Gonzalez
PK:
DT: |
|
Some will argue
that tight ends are becoming a position where you can grab
talent in the later rounds, and this draft would seem to bear
that out. In years past, if you wanted one of the top
three tight ends in a draft (whoever those top three turned
out to be), you needed to spend a third rounder - or a fourth
if you were lucky - to get one. To get Gonzo in the
fifth is simply a value pick.
There are two
distinct tiers at TE this year, with the first one now being
gone, and the second consisting of Dallas Clark, Owen Daniels,
Greg Olsen and Chris Cooley. If KWII gets his act
together in Tampa, maybe he joins them. After that,
there is a significant dropoff.
In a league
where you have to start a TE, why not grab a guy you know you
can count on to produce? You'd better believe that with
a weapon like Gonzalez in the arsenal, Matt Ryan won't throw
complete only 19 passes to TEs again this year. Look for
a typical 900-yard, 7-8 TD season from Gonzo in his new digs.
===================================================================================
|
|
5.07
|
Tony
Holm
RB
Pierre Thomas
QB: RB: CJohnson
KSmith Thomas WR: CJohnson
TE:
Witten
PK:
DT: |
I was looking for
a RB or WR here and narrowed it down to a hand full. I
went with Pierre Thomas because I felt he had the most upside of
the group. Thomas flies under the radar due to Reggie Bush
but from Week 10 - Week 17 when Pierre Thomas was
handed the rock, he was the 3rd best RB in the FAD behind
DeAngelo Williams and Maurice Jones-Drew. While Reggie
Bush will certainly steal some carries, the Saints will line up
Bush in a number of positions this year and give Pierre Thomas
time to show what he can do.
=================================================================================== |
|
5.08
|
Brian
Hulett
RB
Jonathan Stewart
QB: RB:
Gore McFadden Stewart WR:
Jennings Marshall TE:
PK:
DT: |
The
days of handcuffing NFL teams' #2 backs are long over in many
cases. Quite a few such teams have found the one-time
fantasy nightmare--the two-headed rushing monster--to be a valid
strategy, leaving fantasy owners free to use such
"backups" as valid spot starters. Those Carolina
cats are a case in point: DeAngelo Williams had his
long-expected breakout season and, at the same time, rookie
Stewart smashed it between the tackles for 836 yds and 10
TDs, totally respectable numbers as a fantasy RB3, with no
reason to expect less this year with stability at the
Panthers' skill positions.
=================================================================================== |
|
5.09
|
Shannon
O'Leary | John Georgopoulos
QB Jay Cutler
QB: Cutler RB:
Williams Portis Lynch WR:
TE: Gates
PK:
DT: |
Talented...
Strong Arm... Cocky.... Time to put up or shut up... The Bears
gave up enough that they should do everything they can to
provide the tools. The running game is in place, and they are in
the market for a number 1 Wide Out. Worthy of a 5th round pick,
and could pay dividends, even in Chicago.
===================================================================================
|
|
5.10
|
Chris
Rito | Mike Nazarek
QB Kurt
Warner
QB: Warner RB:
Westbrook WR:
AJohnson Colston Boldin TE:
PK: |
| Yep,
we have put off drafting a RB#2 for at least one more
round. The drop off from Warner to the remaining QBs is
substantial in our eyes, so we struck now. Much
like the analysis for an earlier pick, we felt that
there was not enough difference between the remaining
handful of passable RB#2 candidates to merit jumping on
one now; we can take our QB of choice now and let Ian
and Mike cull the RB herd of the sick and dying before
we select again as the draft snakes back to us. In our
eyes, it is not impossible to believe that we have
drafted five players thus far that could all be in the
top 5 at their position at year's end. Downside? Warner
is a bit gray and maybe a little too prone to
interceptions for a league that penalizes them (as this
one does), but that is about all. He can still
sling it as well as anyone - and has the best trio
of targets of any thrower in the NFL at his disposal, so
even a major injury at WR would not shut down the aerial
show in Arizona. |
=================================================================================== |
|
5.11
|
Ian
Allan
RB
LenDale White
QB: RB: Westbrook
Bush White WR: SSmith
Gonzalez Ocho Cinco TE:
PK:
DT: |
I’m going conservative with this
pick. I actually have four running backs graded higher than
White, most notably Joseph Addai. It also pains me to pass on
Dallas Clark, the highest-rated tight end on my draft board.
White doesn’t catch any passes, which really hurts him in this
format. But I feel like I just want to make sure I’ve got a
guy who’s going to be on the field for 16 games (particularly
after using an earlier pick on Reggie Bush, who’s had knee
problems). I’ve got an outstanding quartet of wide receivers
already. I feel like if I can just put an adequate team around
those wide receivers (making sure I’m not taking zeros), this
team will be very good.
=================================================================================== |
|
5.12
|
Mike
Harmon
QB Tony Romo
QB: Romo RB:
Slaton Ward
WR: Moss
Housh TE:
PK:
DT:
|
I’ll admit to hesitating quite a bit
about this selection. What’s the plan in the post-TO era? I
suspect that the Cowboys turn more to the running attack, but
Romo will continue to sling the ball around. A full off-season
of work with Romo will make Roy E. Williams a stable
contributor, Jason Witten is Jason Witten, and then …
there’s my pause. Which of the young receivers steps up?
=================================================================================== |