Round: 1
(1) Team moyer - Adrian Peterson RB
(2) GridIron Great - Arian Foster RB
** (3) Beans And Mash - Marshawn Lynch RB
(4) GridIron Dogz - Doug Martin RB
(5) Team Conway - Ray Rice RB
(6) Hernandez end Not so tight - Jamaal Charles RB
(7) Bow To Me - Tom Brady QB
(8) Team awesomeness - Aaron Rodgers QB
(9) Team Hubbard - C.J. Spiller RB
(10) Team phyfe - Alfred Morris RB
Safest Pick: Adrian Peterson, RB
Just putting this here so you remember to draft him first overall. Don't try and get cute with Foster or an up and comer like Doug Martin. Stick with the man who almost broke the single season rushing record coming off a torn ACL.
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Tom Brady, QB
Lots of people have Brady ranked lower this year and for good reason. He's another year older, doesn't have Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, and probably Rob Gronkowski at least for the start of the season. Having said that, it is Tom Brady and he helped Welker, Hernandez, and Gronk become household fantasy names. Still, with the number 7 overall pick? Not smart Team Bow to Me. Especially taking him ahead of Aaron Rodgers. While I would normally back out of a draft room after a pick like this, I decided to wait and see, and indeed Bow To Me picked like normal the rest of the way. I guess just keep in mind that some players in your league will be all about a player and pick him way ahead of where he's projected. It just happens. With so many questions at RB this year though, taking him ahead of Spiller, Morris, and Trent Richardson was a head scratcher.
My Pick: Marshawn Lynch, RB
This was pretty much who I expected to get, and who you should expect to get if you have the number three slot in your draft. 90% of drafts this year will have AP go one and Foster go two. Some people have been high on Martin and Charles due to their quickness and speed, but Lynch has a great offense, an outstanding defense to give the Seahawks a cushion so they can run the ball late in the game, and is simply a beast. With no threat to his position from a backup and an established QB, Lynch is about as safe as AP.
Round: 2
(11) Team phyfe - Peyton Manning QB
(12) Team Hubbard - Drew Brees QB
(13) Team awesomeness - LeSean McCoy RB
(14) Bow To Me - Calvin Johnson WR
(15) Hernandez end Not so tight - Trent Richardson RB
(16) Team Conway - Matt Forte RB
(17) GridIron Dogz - A.J. Green WR
** (18) Beans And Mash - Steven Jackson RB
(19) GridIron Great - Stevan Ridley RB
(20) Team moyer - Brandon Marshall WR
Safest Pick: Calvin Johnson, WR
Matthew Stafford's number one target should continue to post phenomenal numbers this year. Due to this league's odd infatuation with quarterbacks, he dropped to 14 to last round's Riskiest Pick winner, Bow To Me. Amazingly, even though he finished first among WRs in fantasy points and nearly got 2,000 yards, he only scored 5 times. 5! Think that happens again? I don't think so. The yards will be hard to repeat, but his TD total should be higher next year. If he manages to get high marks in both, Johnson could prove to be worth a first round pick this year; a rarity for WRs.
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Peyton Manning, QB
Similar to the Brady pick, it's not so much that Manning is bad, but more so where he was picked. I don't consider Manning better than Brees in fantasy, and McCoy, Richardson, and Megatron's value is all probably better than Manning's. Manning is also 37 so it's not like he's the youngest dude out there. I have the same concern about him as last year being that one hit in the right spot and he could be done for the season given his neck problems. The addition of Wes Welker makes this offense a QBs dream with Thomas and Decker, but taking him at 11 is a bit too high for me.
My Pick: Steven Jackson, RB
I was praying that Jackson would fall to me, especially after Forte was taken. Getting the 1-2 punch of Lynch and Jackson at running back really set me up well for the rest of the draft. As I mentioned earlier, RB is shallow this year so if you can find two quality backs in the first two rounds, I advise you do. Skeptics will point out his low yardage totals from last year, but he was with the Rams. Now, he goes to an explosive Falcons offense that can both a) open up the line of scrimmage with the threat of the passing game and b) score early and often so Jackson can rumble and ring up touches at the end of the game. He never really had either with the Rams, so I think this is a great opportunity for Jackson.
Round: 3
(21) Team moyer - Julio Jones WR
(22) GridIron Great - Matt Ryan QB
** (23) Beans And Mash - Maurice Jones-Drew RB
(24) GridIron Dogz - Cam Newton QB
(25) Team Conway - Frank Gore RB
(26) Hernandez end Not so tight - Dez Bryant WR
(27) Bow To Me - Darren Sproles RB
(28) Team awesomeness - Demaryius Thomas WR
(29) Team Hubbard - Percy Harvin WR
(30) Team phyfe - Reggie Bush RB
Safest Pick: Dez Bryant, WR
Some might not call this a safe pick because they're still not believers, but you better start believing. Yes I am a Cowboys fan so there may be a bit of bias here, but if you don't want him then I gladly will, especially at pick number 26. After starting out the year slow, giving more critics the chance to get on his case, he exploded and went for double digit points in Weeks 10-16. This included back to back to back 20 point games and a 34 point monster against New Orleans in Week 16, many people's fantasy championship week. By the way, Calvin only had back to back 20 point games and peaked out at 24 points as his season high. I think Dez has the chance to be the best WR in terms of fantasy this year and is projected to go in the second round! Snag him if you can.
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Frank Gore, RB
I was going to go with Matt Ryan, but I figured I should change up the pace of this category from just quarterbacks (although Ryan was a dumb pick at 22). Yes, he has stayed healthy the past two years, but I think those injury concerns will eventually catch up to him. He's reached age 30, which is usually when RBs start to go downhill. It has certainly helped that he has a stellar offensive line, and Kaepernick's athleticism has helped San Fran's RBs in general because the defense has to respect Kaepernick, leaving gaps for the runners. On top of injury concerns, however, is the fact that I think Kendall Hunter, and especially LaMichael James, gets more touches this year. I could be wrong here, but I think Gore regresses this year.
My Pick: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB
Did I mention how much I love taking RBs early this year? I'll be honest, I was very tempted to take either Newton or Bryant in this spot, since MJD would be my flex but I just couldn't resist. QB is deep this year and WRs are always available late. For a guy who is only a year removed from putting up 1600 yards, I felt that in the third round it was a steal. The main concern coming out of 2011 was the high number of carries (343 in 2011) and his holdout. MJD responded by playing well at the start of the season, including a 24 pointer vs the Colts in Week 3. The injury bug unfortunately hit in Week 5 and he was done for the season. If he can be even the shell of the player he once was, this will be a great pick. Also, just the threat of having Lynch, Jackson, and MJD was awesome. He could also be used as trade bait later since I now had three stud running backs.
Round: 4
(31) Team phyfe - Roddy White WR
(32) Team Hubbard - Jimmy Graham TE
(33) Team awesomeness - Chris Johnson RB
(34) Bow To Me - Rob Gronkowski TE
(35) Hernandez end Not so tight - Larry Fitzgerald WR
(36) Team Conway - David Wilson RB
(37) GridIron Dogz - Vincent Jackson WR
** (38) Beans And Mash - Andre Johnson WR
(39) GridIron Great - Victor Cruz WR
(40) Team moyer - Darren McFadden RB
Safest Pick: Victor Cruz, WR
This is almost by default as I will get to in the next section, as every single one of the players picked in this round comes with a question mark attached, save for Vincent Jackson. Will Julio Jones dominate and make White irrelevant? Is Graham fully healed from off season wrist surgery coming off a season where he led the league in drops? Is CJ2K still even CJ1K? When will Gronk be ready to go and can he stay healthy? Does anyone else on the Cardinals offense know how to play football other than Fitzgerald? Can Wilson fill the void left by Ahmad Bradshaw while fending off Andre Brown for carries? Can Andre Johnson stay healthy and continue to be a viable threat in a run-first offense?
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Darren McFadden, RB
Don't draft him. Seriously. I wouldn't even claim him off waivers. Why? Because you'll think this is the game where he breaks out, start him, and he subsequently breaks 18 bones in his body. There comes a point when you've had enough.
My Pick: Andre Johnson, WR
As I said, he is in a run-first offense. They look to Foster or Owen Daniels in the passing game near the goal line, which contributed to Johnson's mere four TDs last year. I was in a bit of a pickle with this pick because I didn't really want Johnson, but I thought he was the best of what was available. Yes, I know Cruz was still there, but I wanted a true number one WR, not 1a. As you'll see in round 5 there were some tempting options (Kaepernick, Colston, Welker) but nothing that made me jump out of my seat. I felt content with Johnson knowing he had fair trade value if it came to that.
Round: 5
(41) Team moyer - Colin Kaepernick QB
(42) GridIron Great - Randall Cobb WR
** (43) Beans And Mash - Wes Welker WR
(44) GridIron Dogz - DeMarco Murray RB
(45) Team Conway - Marques Colston WR
(46) Hernandez end Not so tight - Danny Amendola WR
(47) Bow To Me - Russell Wilson QB
(48) Team awesomeness - Tony Gonzalez TE
(49) Team Hubbard - Montee Ball RB
(50) Team phyfe - Eric Decker WR
Safest Pick: Colin Kaepernick, QB
Another round with players with question marks, but I think Kaepernick answered all his questions during his run to the Super Bowl last year. I was one of the skeptics that didn't think he would get the job done and thought Alex Smith (who was having a good year until he got hurt) gave them the best chance to win. Well, that proved to be pretty dumb. Coming out of San Fran's bye week, Kaepernick exploded onto the scene and put up double digit points the rest of the way, extending his success into the post season. Now he comes back as the certified starter with another year with the offense. His passing skills and, more importantly to fantasy players, running skills are undeniable and make him a great pickup especially in the 5th round.
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Montee Ball, RB
Rookies, especially while still in July, should make anyone nervous. Although the Broncos got rid of McGahee, it's still not a guarantee Ball even starts. Although he impressed at Wisconsin, I'm not sure how he will do in the pros. All I keep hearing about is Welker, Thomas, and Decker, so where will Ball get his points? It could end up like in Atlanta where the WRs get the points early on and then the RB comes in and cleans up. The difference is that in Atlanta, Jackson is an established NFL runner. Ball is coming into a new offense and will have his growing pains as a rookie. Some think he will be fantasy rookie of the year, but I believe he will be a flex at best by the end of it.
My Pick: Wes Welker, WR
Speaking of the Broncos, I decided to pick one of their talented receivers. Once again, I was in a bit of a bind and picked the best of a bad lot of players at the time. Murray has always had health problems and I already had 3 RBs, Colston has injury history, Amendola does as well and is with a new team, I didn't want Wilson because I wanted to wait on QB, Gonzo is getting old with too many mouths to feed in Atlanta, and Decker was just another Broncos receiver. Both Welker and I understand that the numbers won't be as high as they were in New England, but it's not like he won't do anything. Thomas and Decker should open up the middle for Welker and, given Manning's fading arm strength, will probably still see his fair share of targets. I think Welker is a pretty safe pick and should post decent fantasy numbers, especially for a 5th round WR.
Round: 6
(51) Team phyfe - Jason Witten TE
(52) Team Hubbard - Robert Griffin III QB
(53) Team awesomeness - Jordy Nelson WR
(54) Bow To Me - Mike Wallace WR
(55) Hernandez end Not so tight - Chris Ivory RB
(56) Team Conway - Andrew Luck QB
(57) GridIron Dogz - Dennis Pitta TE
** (58) Beans And Mash - Reggie Wayne WR
(59) GridIron Great - Vernon Davis TE
(60) Team moyer - Eddie Lacy RB
Safest Pick and My Pick: Reggie Wayne, WR
I'll combine both into the same one here as I decided to take the veteran WR as my first bench player. I predicted he would have a comeback year last year with Luck at QB and he responded in a big way. While I still think he will put up good numbers, he has a chance to regress a bit this year, but not by much. Luck targeted him early and often last year and has found a chemistry with Wayne. I might not feel as comfortable about this pick if he was in my starting lineup, but since I got him for my bench, I feel pretty good about this pick.
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Dennis Pitta, TE
Pitta is a solid tight end, but not better than Davis, and not worth the number 57 pick. He certainly showed flashes of greatness last year including a 24 point game against Denver last year in many people's fantasy playoffs. Keep in mind, however, that he also put up two zeros, a one, one two, and three threes. His five pointer in Week 16 also didn't make people very happy. Theoretically, he should get more targets now that both Ed Dickson and Anquan Boldin are gone, but I'll believe it when I see it. If you need a TE and he falls, then grab him, but not when players like Davis and Wayne are still available.
Round: 7
(61) Team moyer - Hakeem Nicks WR
(62) GridIron Great - Matthew Stafford QB
** (63) Beans And Mash - Pierre Garcon WR
(64) GridIron Dogz - BenJarvus Green-Ellis RB
(65) Team Conway - Dwayne Bowe WR
(66) Hernandez end Not so tight - Tony Romo QB
(67) Bow To Me - Ahmad Bradshaw RB
(68) Team awesomeness - Steve Smith WR
(69) Team Hubbard - Antonio Brown WR
(70) Team phyfe - 49ers D/ST D/ST
Safest Pick: Tony Romo, QB
Romo is the poster boy for displaying the difference between fantasy and reality. Reality wise, he will leave you scratching your head with stupid plays and bad decisions. Fantasy wise, he's pretty good. I'm really not sure why he is ranked so low in fantasy projections. And that's not Cowboy bias, it's just numbers. He outscored Luck, Russell Wilson, and Stafford last year yet is projected to go after all of them. Dez Bryant has established himself as a legit WR so he now has him to throw to. He was actually fairly consistent last year apart from back to back single digit games early in the year (vs Bucs and Bears), but even the great ones have bad days. Anyone else remember Drew Brees' 5 interception performance against the Falcons that netted owners a whole 3 fantasy points? Romo is a stats machine, especially in the regular season, and is one guy that I would endorse reaching for. Now if he could just get it together in real life...
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick and My Pick: Pierre Garcon, WR
I reached for Garcon a bit, even though he'll be on my bench. In my opinion, Garcon is the ultimate boom or bust player. He could let the injury from last year slow him down (or get injured again) and have a terrible campaign, or, if they're both healthy, I believe a Griffin to Garcon connection could become one of the best in the league. Heck, it was for a while. He went for 16 in the first week, then posted three double digit games in Weeks 12-14. His injury concern me, and he has stated himself that he is not 100%. It's a risky move because it could be a complete waste of a pick especially with Romo sitting there (I still have no QB), but the upside was too good to pass up.
2 rounds at a time now
Round: 8
(71) Team phyfe - Ryan Mathews RB
(72) Team Hubbard - Lamar Miller RB
(73) Team awesomeness - Texans D/ST D/ST
(74) Bow To Me - Sebastian Janikowski K
(75) Hernandez end Not so tight - Le'Veon Bell RB
(76) Team Conway - Greg Jennings WR
(77) GridIron Dogz - Seahawks D/ST D/ST
** (78) Beans And Mash - James Jones WR
(79) GridIron Great - Broncos D/ST D/ST
(80) Team moyer - Tavon Austin WR
Round: 9
(81) Team moyer - Rashard Mendenhall RB
(82) GridIron Great - Miles Austin WR
** (83) Beans And Mash - Eli Manning QB
(84) GridIron Dogz - Danario Alexander WR
(85) Team Conway - Kyle Rudolph TE
(86) Hernandez end Not so tight - Torrey Smith WR
(87) Bow To Me - Bears D/ST D/ST
(88) Team awesomeness - Alex Henery K
(89) Team Hubbard - Bengals D/ST D/ST
(90) Team phyfe - Cecil Shorts WR
Safest Pick and My Pick: James Jones, WR
Honestly, in these later rounds, safest and riskiest are sort of subjective. But not here. Jones is a guy that did pretty well last year, especially when Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings were battling injuries. Now with Jennings gone, Jones will probably be on the field more in a potent Green Bay attack with the best QB in the game throwing him the ball. Sounds like a good formula. He rewarded owners last year during the playoffs with an astonishing 24 in Chicago in Week 15, 16 against the Titans in Week 16, then 12 in Minnesota during the final week. Even though he and Nelson are probably WRs 1 and 1a, I think Jones has a chance to establish himself as the clear cut number 1 receiver in Green Bay.
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Kickers
Let me just use this space to remind you not to take kickers until the final round. They won't win you a title, they won't lose you a title, and the difference between the first and the tenth is inconsequential. Just wait on them.
My Other Pick: Eli Manning, QB
My only explanation here is that I needed a quarterback. I am not a Manning nor Giants fan. In this scenario, he would likely be traded. That is all.
Round: 10
(91) Team phyfe - DeSean Jackson WR
(92) Team Hubbard - Anquan Boldin WR
(93) Team awesomeness - Ben Roethlisberger QB
(94) Bow To Me - Steve Johnson WR
(95) Hernandez end Not so tight - Jeremy Maclin WR
(96) Team Conway - Andy Dalton QB
(97) GridIron Dogz - Carson Palmer QB
** (98) Beans And Mash - Shane Vereen RB
(99) GridIron Great - Andre Brown RB
(100) Team moyer - Owen Daniels TE
Round: 11
(101) Team moyer - Mark Ingram RB
(102) GridIron Great - Antonio Gates TE
** (103) Beans And Mash - Mike Williams WR
(104) GridIron Dogz - Greg Olsen TE
(105) Team Conway - Ravens D/ST D/ST
(106) Hernandez end Not so tight - Mikel Leshoure RB
(107) Bow To Me - Brian Hartline WR
(108) Team awesomeness - Vick Ballard RB
(109) Team Hubbard - Stephen Gostkowski K
(110) Team phyfe - T.Y. Hilton WR
Safest Pick: Owen Daniels, TE
Slim pickings here for safest pick, but someone in need of a tight end in round 10 could do worse than Daniels. Despite the Texans run-first style, Daniels still has one thing going for him; Matt Schaub. Schaub's play action is solid and Daniels is definitely the second option in the passing game behind Andre Johnson. Daniels posted four double digit games last year, which is pretty good considering the injuries he battled last year. While he won't wow you with Gronk or Graham type numbers, he won't leave you hanging and will usually give you something every week.
Riskiest Pick: Ravens D/ST
Similar to kickers, I advise against taking defense until the second to last or last round due to the small difference between the ones at the top (Chicago last year was an anomaly). On top of that, they lost so many key players. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were the highly publicized losses, but they also lost Bernard Pollard, Paul Kruger, and Dannell Ellerbe. They added a few replacements and, as they have been known to do, drafted defense heavy. Still, I think this unit suffers in a big way in 2013 as they realize just how much Lewis meant to the defense as a whole.
My Picks: Shane Vereen, RB, Mike Williams, WR
With Vereen, I just needed some RB depth on my bench while hoping that Ridley goes down this year. It also helps that Danny Woodhead is gone so it is possible that Vereen gets an increase in touches regardless of Ridley's health. Williams is the number 2 option on Tampa Bay and he put up eight double digit games last year. Unfortunately given the success of Doug Martin, I think Tampa Bay becomes more run oriented this year, but Williams can still put up solid numbers and can easily be traded if he has a couple good games.
Round: 12
(111) Team phyfe - Johnathan Franklin RB
(112) Team Hubbard - Jonathan Stewart RB
(113) Team awesomeness - Sidney Rice WR
(114) Bow To Me - Lance Moore WR
(115) Hernandez end Not so tight - Jermichael Finley TE
(116) Team Conway - Jared Cook TE
(117) GridIron Dogz - Greg Zuerlein K
** (118) Beans And Mash - DeAngelo Williams RB
(119) GridIron Great - Alshon Jeffery WR
(120) Team moyer - Kenny Britt WR
Round: 13
(121) Team moyer - Chris Givens WR
(122) GridIron Great - Blair Walsh K
** (123) Beans And Mash - Sam Bradford QB
(124) GridIron Dogz - Denarius Moore WR
(125) Team Conway - Matt Bryant K
(126) Hernandez end Not so tight - Emmanuel Sanders WR
(127) Bow To Me - Tim Tebow QB
(128) Team awesomeness - Brandon Myers TE
(129) Team Hubbard - Giovani Bernard RB
(130) Team phyfe - Justin Tucker K
Safest Pick and My Pick: Sam Bradford, QB
It is getting harder and harder to justify any safe picks in these later rounds, but I think Bradford as my backup in the 13th is pretty safe. His upside is pretty decent as the Rams acquired Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long, tight end Jared Cook, and unanimously hyped rookie WR Tavon Austin. He's shown the ability to put up big numbers in the past so a breakout season isn't out of the question. Jackson's leaving does concern me because the threat of a running game is no longer there, but I think Bradford as a backup QB in any league is a good choice.
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Jermichael Finley, TE
Finley, similar to McFadden, is a guy that has shown flashes, but always ends up letting you down. He certainly has the size to be an elite tight end in the league and is on arguably the best offense in the league yet can't seem to get it going. He reached double digits only twice last year and topped off at 72 yards receiving. In this day and age when tight ends are becoming more and more involved in the passing game, you need more production than that. The fact that he was taken ahead of Cook, Moore, and Martellus Bennett makes it even more surprising.
My Other Pick: DeAngelo Williams, RB
Will Williams or Stewart just get out of Carolina already? It would really help us fantasy players. Instead we're left to flip a coin that has now become three sided in determining whether it will be Williams, Stewart, Newton, or some combination of the three that goes off for a big day in the Panthers' backfield. This pick was to bolster my RB depth and hope that Stewart gets hurt or one of them gets traded away. Don't care who it is, but both have the talent to be number one backs so it is beyond frustrating that they are on the same team.
Round: 14
(131) Team phyfe - Matt Schaub QB
(132) Team Hubbard - Ryan Williams RB
(133) Team awesomeness - Bryce Brown RB
(134) Bow To Me - Brandon Weeden QB
(135) Hernandez end Not so tight - Buccaneers D/ST D/ST
(136) Team Conway - Kendall Wright WR
(137) GridIron Dogz - Rams D/ST D/ST
** (138) Beans And Mash - Steelers D/ST D/ST
(139) GridIron Great - Martellus Bennett TE
(140) Team moyer - Jacquizz Rodgers RB
Round: 15
(141) Team moyer - Patriots D/ST D/ST
(142) GridIron Great - Santonio Holmes WR
** (143) Beans And Mash - Fred Davis TE
(144) GridIron Dogz - Daryl Richardson RB
(145) Team Conway - Packers D/ST D/ST
(146) Hernandez end Not so tight - Philip Rivers QB
(147) Bow To Me - Isaiah Pead RB
(148) Team awesomeness - Joe Flacco QB
(149) Team Hubbard - Bernard Pierce RB
(150) Team phyfe - Josh Gordon WR
Safest Pick: Josh Gordon, WR
Well, he's safe when he's eligible. As it stands right now, he is suspended for the first two games of the season, but look at the players on this list. No one is really a safe pick. Gordon had a pretty solid year considering he is on the Cleveland Browns finishing with 805 yards and 5 TDs. He hit the 20 point mark in Week 5 and followed it with two more double digit performances. He's still limited by Brandon Weeden and the Browns' offense as a whole, but as a fill in WR in the 15th, he's a pretty good choice.
Riskiest/Most Surprising Pick: Phillip Rivers, QB
Similar to McFadden, just don't pick him. No matter what. He ruined my team last year, as well as his arm as it appears to have lost the strength it once had. He made puzzling throws all year long and looked lost without Vincent Jackson to throw to. Stay away from Rivers in 2013.
My Picks: Steelers D/ST, Fred Davis, TE
The only positions I had left to fill were defense, TE, and kicker by this point. This should be the case for you too (unless Graham or Gronk drops considerably far). The Steelers obviously have always had a reputation for strong defense, but were so-so fantasy wise last year. I predict the turnovers will increase and Jarvis Jones makes a run for defensive rookie of the year. As far as my TE goes, I actually wanted Bennett and Cook late, but waited too long to pull the trigger. Insert Davis who I thought would have done better with RG3 at the helm. Unfortunately, he finished the year with zero TDs and injured on the sidelines. Hopefully 2013 brings better fortunes, though I would likely trade Davis and one of my WRs for a better TE.
Round: 16
(151) Team phyfe - Michael Vick QB
(152) Team Hubbard - Fred Jackson RB
(153) Team awesomeness - Ben Tate RB
(154) Bow To Me - Brandon Lloyd WR
(155) Hernandez end Not so tight - Matt Prater K
(156) Team Conway - Steven Hauschka K
(157) GridIron Dogz - Michael Bush RB
** (158) Beans And Mash - Dan Bailey K
(159) GridIron Great - Cowboys D/ST D/ST
(160) Team moyer - Phil Dawson K
It's the last round. Just get a good kicker on a good team.
Things learned from this mock draft:
1. QB is very, very deep this year. I would say that unless Rodgers falls to you, wait to take a QB. RG3 is going to be available late due to the uncertainty about his injury so you could just get him late and grab a decent QB to fill in the first couple weeks if it comes to that. Even though I wanted to find one earlier, I was able to get a pretty decent QB in the 9th round, and also saw Big Ben go in the 10th. That's better than normal depth due to the breakout rookie seasons enjoyed by RG3, Russell Wilson, and Andrew Luck. Along with Kaepernick's stellar second half of the year, it has made this QB class very deep. Wait if you can on QB.
2. RB is very, very shallow this year. The names are still the same, but questions are abound. Can Doug Martin repeat his phenomenal rookie year? What about Alfred Morris? Will Trent Richardson be healthy? Can rookies Eddie Lacy and Montee Ball perform well like people are predicting? The only true sure bets I see in this running back class are AP, Foster, and Lynch. The rest have either injury questions, are on a new team, are rookies, or have a terrible offense around them. I'm sure several of these backs and probably ones off the radar will emerge, I'm just not sure who.
3. The number one pick is very desirable this year. Some years, there is no clear cut number one so the first overall can actually be a curse because you have to wait longer even though your selected player might be worth the 5th overall pick by the end of the year. Take last year for example. Rodgers was the popular number one pick, but if someone had gone with Foster or Rice or even McCoy, it would not have been that much of a shock. This year anyone who doesn't take AP number one will be run out of town. Also, when looking at the players available when you would pick next, the players are pretty good. In this draft, the person with the number one pick went Brandon Marshall-Julio Jones with his second and third picks; two elite WRs guaranteed to put up numbers. This is the year you want that first pick.
4. Mock drafts can be helpful. Honestly, if you have the time, just go into one on ESPN. There's plenty there and people are doing them all the time. You can quit at any time so just play out the first few rounds and see how it goes. See who is going where and what players will be available if you get a certain pick. In my opinion, I think the most favorable positions this year are numbers 1, 3, and 7. Obviously each draft will play out differently, but those are the three that seem to have the best options of players available when you pick.
5. If you read through this whole thing, I thank you. I know it was a lot, but that's fantasy football. There's more to come as I'll do a team by team breakdown as we get closer to the start of the season just like last year. I'll probably also do another one of these for my real league when we draft. Hopefully you play this year and have fun doing it.
6. If you're in my league this year, everything you just read was complete B.S. Don't believe it. Feel free to draft any combination of Aaron Hernandez, Tim Tebow, and Mark Sanchez with your first three picks.
My complete drafted team
QB - Eli Manning
RB - Marshawn Lynch
RB - Steven Jackson
WR - Andre Johnson
WR - Wes Welker
TE - Fred Davis
FLEX - Maurice Jones-Drew
K - Dan Bailey
D/ST - Steelers
BN - Sam Bradford
BN - DeAngelo Williams
BN - Pierre Garcon
BN - Shane Vareen
BN - Reggie Wayne
BN - Mike Williams
BN - James Jones
Matty O
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