2008 Draft Review: Round 1 to 5
Fantasy football season is officially here. Today was college move in day for my brother, it reminds me of moving in last year so hyped about the football season. This year is no different. I am super pumped for the up coming season, and I know a lot of you are too. So let’s jump into it. Welcome to the 2008 Brois Fantasy Football Draft Review. I will be providing the witty commentary that has become a staple of this league.
I’ve also even added a man to my team, but you’ll see his debut later. I’d like to take a minute to talk about format here. This year I will hopefully be doing more with the “vlogs” that means I will put out probably one article, my other writer will do another article, and there will be the matchup video and then “Tuesday Morning Quarterback”. Matchups will go out on either Wednesday (if there is a game Thursday) or Thursday/Friday if there isn’t. Tuesday Morning QB goes up something Tuesday.
Okay here we go:
ROUND ONE:
1. Greater Ward : LT. This is the ultimate no duh pick in this draft. Michael Turner has left leaving no super monster back up to vulture away carries from him. LT has always scored double digit TDs in ever year of his career. He averages around 4.5 yards per carry consistently. Oh yeah and he’s only missed one regular season game in his career. He’s the clear Number One choice here.
2. Lesser Ward : Brian Westbrook. Last year Westbrook was third in rush yards, second in touches, eleventh for TDs and tenth for rush attempts, among RBs. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty damn solid for me. Oh yeah and he set a team record for receptions. He’s a solid pick here in the Number Two position.
3. Microw : Adrian Peterson. What a victim of circumstance. I mean normally with the third pick you’re worrying that you aren’t going to get what you want. Well when Peterson falls to you, you have to be happy with that. AD (All Day) as he likes to be called has amazing upside. He has great speed, a great line and is tough to tackle. He has some knocks against him though. For example in his last four games last year, when owners (cough cough me cough cough) needed him the most he had single digit points. Oh yeah and he hasn’t played an entire season since 2004, when he was a freshmen in college.
4. Justin : Addai. Joseph Addai is a monster. Last year he had two three score games and averaged 4.1 YPC, those are some good numbers. He only failed to score in four games out of fourteen, that isn’t bad either. My knock against him is depth at the RB position. It seems like the Colts loaded up. Kenton Keith, Dominic Rhodes, and last and probably most important Mike Hart (MICHIGAN!) So with things a little crowded Addai could get less playing time. He’s still a monster though.
5. J : Randy Moss. I have a thing against drafting QB’s early, you all know that. So I went after the top WR on the board. Randy Moss will not catch 23 TDs again as defenses will do everything possibly to stop him, but he has Tom Brady as his QB. People have to pay attention to Wes Welker still. Moss will still get double digit TDs.
6. Vito : Tom Brady. Hey Chris, you’re welcome. How does 30-40 TDs sound? That’s about the level that Brady has shown he can operate at. Especially if Billy Bellichik gets angry and wants to run up the score again. However you have to be concerned about his nagging injury this pre season, although it could be smoke and mirrors. He’ll be on this season, and he’ll be damn good. I think the loss of Stallworth hurts him a little bit, but he’s still head and shoulders above every other QB this year.
7. John : Peyton Manning. The dream team is together again. As I write this Peyton Manning has yet to practice. There is also speculation swirling around about whether or not Peyton will play in the Colt’s opener. There is also a rumor that his knee is much worse then people originally thought. Normally Peyton is rock hard consistent. I for one think he’ll be fine, but it’s enough to have a back up plan in place. If Manning is fine, he’s never thrown less then 26 TDs, but I think he’s a terrible first round pick this year, especially when last season he threw one or zero TD passes in seven games.
8. McLeish : Steven Jackson. The long holdout is over, so I can write about how much I think Jackson is going to kill it this year. Al Saunders is saying that he’s going to use Jackson much like he used Priest Holmes back in the day, which is a really good thing. Also last year despite missing about six games, and playing behind a terribly hurt line, Jackson rushed for 1,000 yards. Imagine what he can do in a full season?
WINNER OF THE ROUND: Vito/Greater Ward with Brady and LT.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: John. Peyton Manning in the first round isn’t the wisest choice this year. Fantasy football is a sport about value. Had you have taken him with your second round pick, I would’ve been MORE okay with it. But not totally okay with it.
ROUND TWO:
1. McLeish : Frank Gore. Here are some stats…Gore has never scored double digit touchdowns. Every time Mike Martz comes into an offense the running back’s carriers go down. Those are two things you cannot like. Add that into a QB situation that is undecided, a line that isn’t great and no other real threats on offense, and well you have a recipe for potential disaster. Or Frank Gore becomes Marshall Faulk Lite.
2. John: Braylon Edwards. He’s good, no doubt about that. He has the second most drops in the past two years. Last year he had career numbers in yards and TDs and he’s entering that magical third year, as I’m sure Fantasy Football Toolbox alerted. I think that TO and Wayne are better then him, but he’s still damn good. Like I said on draft day, I’m doubtful if the Browns can produce their magic two years in a row. Also with Derek Anderson currently injured his value takes a hit, Brady Quinn is untested.
3. Vito : TO. He has the most drops out of any receiver in the past two years. And he’s headed into a contract year with a QB who likes to throw deep. Those two things out weigh anything bad you can think about him. Oh and also last year was his best year since 2001. He’s going to have motivation to play good too. With the rest of the offense being stellar (Witten, Romo, Barber) expect TO to get his in the end.
4. J : Reggie Wayne: Last year Reggie had career numbers in yards and receptions. If Marvin Harrison returns to form Wayne could suffer a hit and a half, but I don’t see that happening. Wayne and Manning have clicked and there is no turning back.
5. Justin : Chad Johnson. Wow, I think he’s going too high here. He seems happy and he’s going to want to prove that he deserves more money but here is a stat you CANNOT ignore. Chad Johnson has recorded double digit TDs only once in his career and it wasn’t with Carson Palmer. And currently…he has a sprained shoulder. I don’t know what to make of that injury, but I know they’re dropping like flies in Cinnci. Have fun with that mess.
6. Microw: Marion Barber the Third, or as I like to call him MB3. Something to look for is Felix Jones. Dallas loves to use two backs, as they did with Barber and Julius Jones. With Barber’s running style it’s almost a given Jones will get SOME time. But Marion finds the end zone no matter what, double digit TDs are a realistic possibility.
7. Lesser Ward : Clinton Portis: I have a feeling that we are going to get an MVP type performance from Clinton this year. Last year he was first in the league with carries, always a good thing when dealing with a RB, and he caught 47 passes. He was second in touches and third in yards from scrimmage. That’s an impressive stat package. The addition of the West Coast offense only helps him here. Good pick.
8. Greater Ward: Ryan Grant. I don’t know if I’m buying the hype on Ryan Grant this year. Sophmore running back without Brett Favre and a highlight worthy passing game. That could be trouble. Take a look at the game that the Packers needed the most…the playoff game against the G-Men, there was only 13 carries for Grant in that game. He ran for 29 yards. Not good numbers…yikes.
WINNER OF THE ROUND: Lesser Ward with Clinton Portis. I think he has a shot to be the MVP this year.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: Justin and Chad Johnson. Just too high buddy.
ROUND THREE:
1. Greater Ward : Reggie Bush. Here’s the thing about Reggie…last year was his chance to be the breakout star we all think he can be. He didn’t do anything with that gig. And now Deuce is back, Pierre Thomas is getting good reports out of camp and Aaron Stecker is still around somewhere. That’s a bit of a crowded backfield. However if the Saints use him like they did as a rookie, things will look up. Huge upside here, but at what cost?
2. Lesser Ward : Wes Welker. I thought this was a little early as well but I’ll entertain it. He is perfect for a slot/secondary receiver in the NFL and in a PPR league yeah he’s tops. I think he’ll be getting a little more attention this year though.
3. Microw : Larry Fitz. Last year Larry Fitz was just as good as he was in his 2005 breakout campaign. That’s crazy. He won’t be able to duplicate that feat again though, at least not with the Lefty (Matt Leinhart) taking back the reigns. However if Kurt Warner is there, he likes to sling it. Also if Boldin gets moved or continue his pouting that’s only good for Larry’s fantasy value.
4. Justin : Tony Romo. He likes to throw downfiled that is no surprise. He has an elite WR in TO playing with him, Jason Witten is amazing. Romo is surrounded by talent. And here’s your stat: his Yard Per Attempt last year were second to only Tom Brady. You can’t argue with how good Tony Romo was, until the playoffs. Sad face for me.
5. J : Marshawn Lynch. He had a 4.0 yards per carry average and 26 targets and 18 receptions last year as a rookie. When Willis McGahee was in Buffalo he was handed the rock and let run. Lynch is going to be the same. He’s a lock for about ten TDs. His health is a minor question, but not that big to bring him down.
6. Vito : Housh. I think defenses are finally catching on to his game. Although with CJ lining up on the opposite side of him, there will be plenty of holes. He had a career low in Yards per Catch last year. That being said he’s entering a contract year and has to perform to get paid. Those dollars are always incententive. I think this is a little early for him though.
7. Pisula : Andre Johnson. Johnson didn’t play half the season last year so there is a bit of a health question, but again only minor. His relationship with Matt Schaub should only get better. In four games last year the pair posted 23 receptions, 419 yards and 4 tds. Those are some good numbers. He’ll be decent down the stretch.
8. McLeish : Larry Johnson. He has a problem with the line being bad, he had a foot injury last year, and to top all of this off his QB is not really that good. Defenses can key on him and in a big way. Don’t expect those amazing numbers we got before, but 10 TDs isn’t TOTALLY out of reach. I’m thinking seven.
WINNER OF THE ROUND: Justin with Tony Romo, solid pick.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: Greater Ward with Reggie Bush. Although it’s close to Vito with Housh.
ROUND FOUR:
1. McLeish : Marques Colston. The offense is a crazy bunch, they spread the field and throw the ball around. With Reggie Bush expected to see some time split out look for more one on one’s with Colston. His numbers went up last year from his rookie year and they’ll probably stay in the same neighborhood (11 TDs).
2. John : Ronnie Brown. According to a report that ESPN and some college had put out only one out of twenty five running backs recover fully from a torn ACL, the injury that Brown had last year. Given he was the only bright spot on that Miami team but guess what…now you have Ricky Williams stealing carries, Brown has a sprained thumb…things aren’t going good, or great. This is an interesting pick up because it’s your “number one” running back.
3. Vito : Willis McGaee. He has a knee problem now. Ray Rice the rookie has been getting a lot of praise. Troy Smith is sick, that offensive line is a monster though. If that group can stay healthy, then Willis, if he’s healthy can have a good year. I don’t think either happens. Ray Rice is the handcuff that will accel when given the rock. Although at the time of the draft, he was a good pick.
4. J : Drew Brees. He broke the NFL record for completions last year, that’s a good record for a QB to break. He also tossed 28 TDs. I like his value in Round Four of any draft. He’s got a deep threat in Colston, a goal line threat in Shockey, and running backs that catch the swings. He’s set for a fantasy run.
5. Justin : Maurice Jones Drew. Did I mention how much I hate time shares in the NFL? Running Back by Committee is some lame ass shit, it really is. MJD catches the ball on third down, he scores some TDs, but as long as he isn’t the number guy. I personally don’t like him. He went were he should go though. Decent pick.
6. Microw : Roy Williams. With Mike Martz out of town, maybe the Lions go back to running more and keeping defenses honest meaning that people aren’t teeing off on Roy every play. But Williams is only as good as the Lions, namely Jon Kitna, allow him to be. Give him the ball and he’ll do things with it, although he only had 64 receptions last year.
7. Lesser Ward : Tory “Big Game” Holt. He was a part of my St. Louis triple threat last year that never really panned out. Holt has had 93 receptions in each of the past two seasons, and pretty much the same yards in that time too (1,188 in 06 and 1,189 in 07) but his TDs are going down. I think this year though they could go back to around 10, but I’m not holding my breath.
8. Greater Ward : Carson Palmer. He threw 20 INTs last year, that’s 40 points down the drain in this league. His TDS also were down from the year before, he’s receiving corps is banged up right now, so only time will tell. Also if you take away that week two game in Cleveland when he threw six TDs Palmer only threw 20 TDs in 15 games.
WINNER OF THE ROUND: I like to think that Drew Brees falling into the Fourth Round and being able to get him was a good pick. I’ll also throw Colston into this spot.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: Greater Ward, there are better QBs around.
ROUND FIVE:
1. Greater Ward : Plaxico Burress. He had a knee, ankle and shoulder problem last year but that didn’t seem to limit him any. What I would watch out for is Eli Manning. Manning has great first halves of the year but all but vanishes in the second half. Forget his miracle playoff run it didn’t matter in Fantasy. Burress also has 22 TDs in two years, hard numbers to ignore. However the Giants could be heading for a nice Super Bowl hangover.
2. Lesser Ward : Big Ben. I’ve been targeting him in other leagues, I like his upside, I like his receiving corps. I like the fact that he has two RBs behind him now. Things are looking good for him. His career Yards Per Attempt is 8.1, that’s pretty high. If his offensive line can prevent pressure this could be a big year. I like this pick…like it a lot.
3. Microw : Derek Anderson. I don’t like this pick. There is upside given everything around him (Stallworth, Edwards, Winslow Jr.) but the downside is that in the final seven games of the season he threw only 7 TDs and 8 INTs, and that Brady Quinn is one bad game away. Can he repeat the surprise of 07, doubtful.
4. Justin Smith : Antonio Gates. And thus starts the run on TEs. Congrats Justin! Last year was probably Gates “worst” year in the NFL. He still scored 9 TDs and had 900 some yards with 70 some receptions but Dallas Clark outscored him in TDs, Tony Gonzalez had more yards, and Witten was the First Team All Pro tight end. He had toe surgery in the off season, so that’s something to look out for, but with the Chargers you know he’s going to get his at the end of the day. He’s the clear number one TE.
5. J : Thomas Jones. Two words: Brett Favre. With Favre in town, no longer can defenses laugh at the passing game of the New York Jets. That will take some pressure off TJ, who had over 1,000 yards last year. Hopefully the TDs go up this year, also you have to like Jones to catch some passes out of the back field. Plus playing the Dolphins twice I count on big games.
6. Vito : Kellen Winslow Jr. I think he’s going a tad bit high here (before Witten? Before Cooley?) but he’s a beast. He catches the ball and has huge upside with the lineup the Browns have this season if they can catch lighting in a bottle again. Just be weary of his health. He isn’t the best at staying healthy.
7. Pisula : Witten. What’s there to like here? A 1,000 yards. Check. 7 TDs. 96 receptions. Hell you don’t get those numbers out of some receivers. Jason Witten is a monster, end of the story.
8. McLeish : McNabb. Well the Eagles wideouts are currently hurt, but still McNabb never let bum receivers really hurt him that much. Last year at the end of the year he completed 63 percent of his passes, and of course threw six TDs and only one pick. He looks good this year, but can he stay healthy?
WINNER OF THE ROUND: Lesser Ward and Big Ben.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: Microw and McLeish with their questionable QB picks.
I’ve also even added a man to my team, but you’ll see his debut later. I’d like to take a minute to talk about format here. This year I will hopefully be doing more with the “vlogs” that means I will put out probably one article, my other writer will do another article, and there will be the matchup video and then “Tuesday Morning Quarterback”. Matchups will go out on either Wednesday (if there is a game Thursday) or Thursday/Friday if there isn’t. Tuesday Morning QB goes up something Tuesday.
Okay here we go:
ROUND ONE:
1. Greater Ward : LT. This is the ultimate no duh pick in this draft. Michael Turner has left leaving no super monster back up to vulture away carries from him. LT has always scored double digit TDs in ever year of his career. He averages around 4.5 yards per carry consistently. Oh yeah and he’s only missed one regular season game in his career. He’s the clear Number One choice here.
2. Lesser Ward : Brian Westbrook. Last year Westbrook was third in rush yards, second in touches, eleventh for TDs and tenth for rush attempts, among RBs. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty damn solid for me. Oh yeah and he set a team record for receptions. He’s a solid pick here in the Number Two position.
3. Microw : Adrian Peterson. What a victim of circumstance. I mean normally with the third pick you’re worrying that you aren’t going to get what you want. Well when Peterson falls to you, you have to be happy with that. AD (All Day) as he likes to be called has amazing upside. He has great speed, a great line and is tough to tackle. He has some knocks against him though. For example in his last four games last year, when owners (cough cough me cough cough) needed him the most he had single digit points. Oh yeah and he hasn’t played an entire season since 2004, when he was a freshmen in college.
4. Justin : Addai. Joseph Addai is a monster. Last year he had two three score games and averaged 4.1 YPC, those are some good numbers. He only failed to score in four games out of fourteen, that isn’t bad either. My knock against him is depth at the RB position. It seems like the Colts loaded up. Kenton Keith, Dominic Rhodes, and last and probably most important Mike Hart (MICHIGAN!) So with things a little crowded Addai could get less playing time. He’s still a monster though.
5. J : Randy Moss. I have a thing against drafting QB’s early, you all know that. So I went after the top WR on the board. Randy Moss will not catch 23 TDs again as defenses will do everything possibly to stop him, but he has Tom Brady as his QB. People have to pay attention to Wes Welker still. Moss will still get double digit TDs.
6. Vito : Tom Brady. Hey Chris, you’re welcome. How does 30-40 TDs sound? That’s about the level that Brady has shown he can operate at. Especially if Billy Bellichik gets angry and wants to run up the score again. However you have to be concerned about his nagging injury this pre season, although it could be smoke and mirrors. He’ll be on this season, and he’ll be damn good. I think the loss of Stallworth hurts him a little bit, but he’s still head and shoulders above every other QB this year.
7. John : Peyton Manning. The dream team is together again. As I write this Peyton Manning has yet to practice. There is also speculation swirling around about whether or not Peyton will play in the Colt’s opener. There is also a rumor that his knee is much worse then people originally thought. Normally Peyton is rock hard consistent. I for one think he’ll be fine, but it’s enough to have a back up plan in place. If Manning is fine, he’s never thrown less then 26 TDs, but I think he’s a terrible first round pick this year, especially when last season he threw one or zero TD passes in seven games.
8. McLeish : Steven Jackson. The long holdout is over, so I can write about how much I think Jackson is going to kill it this year. Al Saunders is saying that he’s going to use Jackson much like he used Priest Holmes back in the day, which is a really good thing. Also last year despite missing about six games, and playing behind a terribly hurt line, Jackson rushed for 1,000 yards. Imagine what he can do in a full season?
WINNER OF THE ROUND: Vito/Greater Ward with Brady and LT.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: John. Peyton Manning in the first round isn’t the wisest choice this year. Fantasy football is a sport about value. Had you have taken him with your second round pick, I would’ve been MORE okay with it. But not totally okay with it.
ROUND TWO:
1. McLeish : Frank Gore. Here are some stats…Gore has never scored double digit touchdowns. Every time Mike Martz comes into an offense the running back’s carriers go down. Those are two things you cannot like. Add that into a QB situation that is undecided, a line that isn’t great and no other real threats on offense, and well you have a recipe for potential disaster. Or Frank Gore becomes Marshall Faulk Lite.
2. John: Braylon Edwards. He’s good, no doubt about that. He has the second most drops in the past two years. Last year he had career numbers in yards and TDs and he’s entering that magical third year, as I’m sure Fantasy Football Toolbox alerted. I think that TO and Wayne are better then him, but he’s still damn good. Like I said on draft day, I’m doubtful if the Browns can produce their magic two years in a row. Also with Derek Anderson currently injured his value takes a hit, Brady Quinn is untested.
3. Vito : TO. He has the most drops out of any receiver in the past two years. And he’s headed into a contract year with a QB who likes to throw deep. Those two things out weigh anything bad you can think about him. Oh and also last year was his best year since 2001. He’s going to have motivation to play good too. With the rest of the offense being stellar (Witten, Romo, Barber) expect TO to get his in the end.
4. J : Reggie Wayne: Last year Reggie had career numbers in yards and receptions. If Marvin Harrison returns to form Wayne could suffer a hit and a half, but I don’t see that happening. Wayne and Manning have clicked and there is no turning back.
5. Justin : Chad Johnson. Wow, I think he’s going too high here. He seems happy and he’s going to want to prove that he deserves more money but here is a stat you CANNOT ignore. Chad Johnson has recorded double digit TDs only once in his career and it wasn’t with Carson Palmer. And currently…he has a sprained shoulder. I don’t know what to make of that injury, but I know they’re dropping like flies in Cinnci. Have fun with that mess.
6. Microw: Marion Barber the Third, or as I like to call him MB3. Something to look for is Felix Jones. Dallas loves to use two backs, as they did with Barber and Julius Jones. With Barber’s running style it’s almost a given Jones will get SOME time. But Marion finds the end zone no matter what, double digit TDs are a realistic possibility.
7. Lesser Ward : Clinton Portis: I have a feeling that we are going to get an MVP type performance from Clinton this year. Last year he was first in the league with carries, always a good thing when dealing with a RB, and he caught 47 passes. He was second in touches and third in yards from scrimmage. That’s an impressive stat package. The addition of the West Coast offense only helps him here. Good pick.
8. Greater Ward: Ryan Grant. I don’t know if I’m buying the hype on Ryan Grant this year. Sophmore running back without Brett Favre and a highlight worthy passing game. That could be trouble. Take a look at the game that the Packers needed the most…the playoff game against the G-Men, there was only 13 carries for Grant in that game. He ran for 29 yards. Not good numbers…yikes.
WINNER OF THE ROUND: Lesser Ward with Clinton Portis. I think he has a shot to be the MVP this year.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: Justin and Chad Johnson. Just too high buddy.
ROUND THREE:
1. Greater Ward : Reggie Bush. Here’s the thing about Reggie…last year was his chance to be the breakout star we all think he can be. He didn’t do anything with that gig. And now Deuce is back, Pierre Thomas is getting good reports out of camp and Aaron Stecker is still around somewhere. That’s a bit of a crowded backfield. However if the Saints use him like they did as a rookie, things will look up. Huge upside here, but at what cost?
2. Lesser Ward : Wes Welker. I thought this was a little early as well but I’ll entertain it. He is perfect for a slot/secondary receiver in the NFL and in a PPR league yeah he’s tops. I think he’ll be getting a little more attention this year though.
3. Microw : Larry Fitz. Last year Larry Fitz was just as good as he was in his 2005 breakout campaign. That’s crazy. He won’t be able to duplicate that feat again though, at least not with the Lefty (Matt Leinhart) taking back the reigns. However if Kurt Warner is there, he likes to sling it. Also if Boldin gets moved or continue his pouting that’s only good for Larry’s fantasy value.
4. Justin : Tony Romo. He likes to throw downfiled that is no surprise. He has an elite WR in TO playing with him, Jason Witten is amazing. Romo is surrounded by talent. And here’s your stat: his Yard Per Attempt last year were second to only Tom Brady. You can’t argue with how good Tony Romo was, until the playoffs. Sad face for me.
5. J : Marshawn Lynch. He had a 4.0 yards per carry average and 26 targets and 18 receptions last year as a rookie. When Willis McGahee was in Buffalo he was handed the rock and let run. Lynch is going to be the same. He’s a lock for about ten TDs. His health is a minor question, but not that big to bring him down.
6. Vito : Housh. I think defenses are finally catching on to his game. Although with CJ lining up on the opposite side of him, there will be plenty of holes. He had a career low in Yards per Catch last year. That being said he’s entering a contract year and has to perform to get paid. Those dollars are always incententive. I think this is a little early for him though.
7. Pisula : Andre Johnson. Johnson didn’t play half the season last year so there is a bit of a health question, but again only minor. His relationship with Matt Schaub should only get better. In four games last year the pair posted 23 receptions, 419 yards and 4 tds. Those are some good numbers. He’ll be decent down the stretch.
8. McLeish : Larry Johnson. He has a problem with the line being bad, he had a foot injury last year, and to top all of this off his QB is not really that good. Defenses can key on him and in a big way. Don’t expect those amazing numbers we got before, but 10 TDs isn’t TOTALLY out of reach. I’m thinking seven.
WINNER OF THE ROUND: Justin with Tony Romo, solid pick.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: Greater Ward with Reggie Bush. Although it’s close to Vito with Housh.
ROUND FOUR:
1. McLeish : Marques Colston. The offense is a crazy bunch, they spread the field and throw the ball around. With Reggie Bush expected to see some time split out look for more one on one’s with Colston. His numbers went up last year from his rookie year and they’ll probably stay in the same neighborhood (11 TDs).
2. John : Ronnie Brown. According to a report that ESPN and some college had put out only one out of twenty five running backs recover fully from a torn ACL, the injury that Brown had last year. Given he was the only bright spot on that Miami team but guess what…now you have Ricky Williams stealing carries, Brown has a sprained thumb…things aren’t going good, or great. This is an interesting pick up because it’s your “number one” running back.
3. Vito : Willis McGaee. He has a knee problem now. Ray Rice the rookie has been getting a lot of praise. Troy Smith is sick, that offensive line is a monster though. If that group can stay healthy, then Willis, if he’s healthy can have a good year. I don’t think either happens. Ray Rice is the handcuff that will accel when given the rock. Although at the time of the draft, he was a good pick.
4. J : Drew Brees. He broke the NFL record for completions last year, that’s a good record for a QB to break. He also tossed 28 TDs. I like his value in Round Four of any draft. He’s got a deep threat in Colston, a goal line threat in Shockey, and running backs that catch the swings. He’s set for a fantasy run.
5. Justin : Maurice Jones Drew. Did I mention how much I hate time shares in the NFL? Running Back by Committee is some lame ass shit, it really is. MJD catches the ball on third down, he scores some TDs, but as long as he isn’t the number guy. I personally don’t like him. He went were he should go though. Decent pick.
6. Microw : Roy Williams. With Mike Martz out of town, maybe the Lions go back to running more and keeping defenses honest meaning that people aren’t teeing off on Roy every play. But Williams is only as good as the Lions, namely Jon Kitna, allow him to be. Give him the ball and he’ll do things with it, although he only had 64 receptions last year.
7. Lesser Ward : Tory “Big Game” Holt. He was a part of my St. Louis triple threat last year that never really panned out. Holt has had 93 receptions in each of the past two seasons, and pretty much the same yards in that time too (1,188 in 06 and 1,189 in 07) but his TDs are going down. I think this year though they could go back to around 10, but I’m not holding my breath.
8. Greater Ward : Carson Palmer. He threw 20 INTs last year, that’s 40 points down the drain in this league. His TDS also were down from the year before, he’s receiving corps is banged up right now, so only time will tell. Also if you take away that week two game in Cleveland when he threw six TDs Palmer only threw 20 TDs in 15 games.
WINNER OF THE ROUND: I like to think that Drew Brees falling into the Fourth Round and being able to get him was a good pick. I’ll also throw Colston into this spot.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: Greater Ward, there are better QBs around.
ROUND FIVE:
1. Greater Ward : Plaxico Burress. He had a knee, ankle and shoulder problem last year but that didn’t seem to limit him any. What I would watch out for is Eli Manning. Manning has great first halves of the year but all but vanishes in the second half. Forget his miracle playoff run it didn’t matter in Fantasy. Burress also has 22 TDs in two years, hard numbers to ignore. However the Giants could be heading for a nice Super Bowl hangover.
2. Lesser Ward : Big Ben. I’ve been targeting him in other leagues, I like his upside, I like his receiving corps. I like the fact that he has two RBs behind him now. Things are looking good for him. His career Yards Per Attempt is 8.1, that’s pretty high. If his offensive line can prevent pressure this could be a big year. I like this pick…like it a lot.
3. Microw : Derek Anderson. I don’t like this pick. There is upside given everything around him (Stallworth, Edwards, Winslow Jr.) but the downside is that in the final seven games of the season he threw only 7 TDs and 8 INTs, and that Brady Quinn is one bad game away. Can he repeat the surprise of 07, doubtful.
4. Justin Smith : Antonio Gates. And thus starts the run on TEs. Congrats Justin! Last year was probably Gates “worst” year in the NFL. He still scored 9 TDs and had 900 some yards with 70 some receptions but Dallas Clark outscored him in TDs, Tony Gonzalez had more yards, and Witten was the First Team All Pro tight end. He had toe surgery in the off season, so that’s something to look out for, but with the Chargers you know he’s going to get his at the end of the day. He’s the clear number one TE.
5. J : Thomas Jones. Two words: Brett Favre. With Favre in town, no longer can defenses laugh at the passing game of the New York Jets. That will take some pressure off TJ, who had over 1,000 yards last year. Hopefully the TDs go up this year, also you have to like Jones to catch some passes out of the back field. Plus playing the Dolphins twice I count on big games.
6. Vito : Kellen Winslow Jr. I think he’s going a tad bit high here (before Witten? Before Cooley?) but he’s a beast. He catches the ball and has huge upside with the lineup the Browns have this season if they can catch lighting in a bottle again. Just be weary of his health. He isn’t the best at staying healthy.
7. Pisula : Witten. What’s there to like here? A 1,000 yards. Check. 7 TDs. 96 receptions. Hell you don’t get those numbers out of some receivers. Jason Witten is a monster, end of the story.
8. McLeish : McNabb. Well the Eagles wideouts are currently hurt, but still McNabb never let bum receivers really hurt him that much. Last year at the end of the year he completed 63 percent of his passes, and of course threw six TDs and only one pick. He looks good this year, but can he stay healthy?
WINNER OF THE ROUND: Lesser Ward and Big Ben.
LOSER OF THE ROUND: Microw and McLeish with their questionable QB picks.
posted by Jason M. at 11:32 AM
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