My 2011 Fantasy Football team

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Croaker is the survivor of all survivors. Cook should of named him the Eternal Man, but Belgarath already had the title.

 

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with my team. Of course that can change in a New York Minute

 

Snook, if DeAngelo produces, your team looks real strong. If not, it's still very competitive. And if you can be the one who lands the week 3 pickup on the surprise stud player, you could be in the driver's seat.

 

Funny you should mention the week 3 pickup. We use the standard Yahoo waiver wire process which gives you a waiver priority in reverse order of the draft and then when you pick up a waiver you get reset to 12 and everyone else moves up one. So currently my waiver priority is 9. One of my standard strategies is to try to avoid waiver pickups for the first couple of weeks as I want to get my priority as close to 1 as possible so when I see the perfect opportunity I can pounce. That is what I did last year when my QBs were Ryan and Stafford. Stafford got hurt (big surprise) and I think it was in week 3 or 4 Vick became the clear cut Philly starter and had superstardom written all over him. I scooped him up and combined with the rest of a strong team (see the 2010 thread) I rode him to the championship. I'm hoping for similar luck/skill this year.

 

I have my second draft tonight so I'll post the results later. Also the rumor mill is abuzz that Randy Moss will resign with the Pats after the first game (so his contract isn't guaranteed). In my first league I waived my last round pick to pick him up. You never know when a longshot will work

 

I also picked up Vick last year, but for me, that was out of necessity, not with any thought that he'd have the year he ended up having. Last year, I had Kevin Kolb as my starter, so when he got hurt, it was either pick up Vick or some waiver wire trash from whatever was left. That said, I agree that picking up a great waiver wire selection early in the season involves a combination of luck and skill.

I think that Moss was drafted in all three leagues I'm in. A lot of people think he'll end up somewhere. The Pats would surprise me, as I assume Ochocinco was signed as a deep threat to replace Moss. (Although I will agree that Moss is better.) The Pats don't run an offense that features a bunch of three-receiver sets, and with Moss, Ochocinco, and Welker all on the same team, that's what they would have to do. (I assume that Welker would still play the slot.) They almost always use a single back in the offense, even on passing downs, and they almost always have at least one TE out for a pass (and sometimes two). Are there enough footballs to go around?

Anyway, I had my third and final draft over the weekend. Another 12-team league, but this one is a half point per reception league. Of the three leagues, the only one that I'm not too thrilled with how it went down was the second one, where I used three of my first four picks on WRs. That one has me generally concerned. I need all three of those WRs to be top 10 WRs for the year if that's going to work, because my RBs are crap.

Anyway, this draft went more the way I had planned, and I'm very happy with the results. I had the 4th overall pick, snake style.

I started out RB-RB and ended up with Ray Rice and Steven Jackson. After the debacle of last draft, I was definitely going RB first, and I like Jackson as a late 2nd round pick.

For my third round pick, I wanted a WR, and the two highest rated ones were Miles Austin and Reggie Wayne. Normally, I would have gone with Austin, but his bye is in Week 5, and my first two picks also happen to have Week 5 byes, and I didn't want my top 3 picks to all have the same bye week. Hopefully, Manning plays most of the year, although it does look like he's missing at least the first game.

In round 4, I received a gift from the draft gods. For reasons that remain unclear, Ahmad Bradshaw was available with the 45th overall selection. That's a good 15 selections below where he usually goes. I wasn't planning on going with three RBs in my first four, but having Ahmad Bradshaw in my flex position was too good to pass up.

Round 5 was more mana from heaven. I tier my players, and in WRs I had an elite tier of about 8 guys, and then a "very good" tier of about 10 guys. The last player on that "very good" tier was Mike Williams, who was still there with the 52nd overall selection - also a good 10-15 spots below where he normally goes. I happily thanked the draft gods again.

Round 6 was Percy Harvin. That wasn't a bargain - that's about where he should go. He won't start most weeks, but he's definitely my 3rd best WR.

Round 7 was another one I couldn't pass up when Mark Ingram was still available. I know he's going to split carries, but he is going to get most of them, and getting a starting RB in Round 7, 76th overall is great.

Round 8 and 9 were my QBs, Matthew Stafford and Sam Bradford, respectively. (Yes, I know that most sites have Bradford ranked higher, and while I like both of them, I think Stafford will have the better year provided he can stay healthy.) Regardless, I think I got a Top 10 QB on my roster, which is excellent value given they were the 93rd and 100th selections.

Greg Olsen for my TE in Round 10 (slightly annoyed that Jimmy Graham went two picks earlier). Ricky Williams as a handcuff in Round 11. (I hate picking handcuffs this early, but Ricky always gets picked, so you can't wait until the bitter end to get him.) Chargers D/ST in Round 12. Emmanuel Sanders as my obligatory sleeper/homer pick in Round 13. Cadillac Williams as the SJax handcuff in Round 14. I picked a kicker in Round 15, but I'd be lying if I told you I remember who it is for certain. Maybe Nick Folk of the Jets?

So the starting lineup assuming no byes/injuries is:

QB: Stafford (DET)/Bradford (STL) (I'm playing this by ear early on, going with matchups.)
RB1: Ray Rice (BAL)
RB2: Steven Jackson (STL)
FLEX: Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG)
WR1: Reggie Wayne (IND)
WR2: Mike Williams (TB)
TE: Greg Olsen (CAR)
K: Nick Folk? (NYJ)
D/ST: Chargers

 

OK, second league. QB 2RB 3WR TE K D with pretty standard PPR scoring. This is a ten teamer and I had the second pick

Adrian Peterson- Very happy to get him here
Michael Vick- Even happier to get him here
Vincent Jackson- Still very happy
Dwayne Bowe- Not that thrilled with the pick
Brandon Lloyd- rebounded and happy with this one
DeAngelo Williams- In the 6th round, I'm pleased
Jahvid Best- I personally don't like this pick, but in the 7th I couldn't help it.
Mark Ingram- I like getting him here
Josh Freeman- Nice
Reggie Bush- I screwed this pick up- more on this later on
Rob Gronkowski- I'm hoping for a big year from him
A.J. Green- This is where I realized I screwed up with the Reggie Bush pick. My top 3 WR all have the same skip week, now I'm desperate for WR and I need to save 2 picks for K and Def
Johnny Knox
Shaun Suisham
Detroit

My skip weeks are horrible, I may have to break up what looks like a really good team in week 6 to be able to field a team.

 

If I'm going to critique that draft, it would be as follows:

Getting Adrian Peterson at any pick after 1st overall is a steal. (Who did they pick? Johnson? Foster?)

Getting Vick anywhere outside of the top 10 or so is a steal, so #19 overall definitely qualifies. While I wouldn't take Vick in the first round, I never would have passed him up there.

VJax at #22 is solid. He's not a value pick there - that's right around where he typically goes - but he's definitely a suitable WR1 on any team.

I'll group Bowe and Lloyd together, because my feelings on both of them are identical. I don't think either of them are going to come anywhere close to last year's numbers. I'm much more down on Bowe than most people, because I don't think KC is going to be any good this year. The Broncos are going to be behind a lot, and provided they don't turn the offense over to Tebow, they're going to be throwing it a lot. You picked both of them about a round earlier than I would like to pick them, but I don't think either of them are terrible picks.

I'll also goup picks 6-8 together, becaues I think both DeAngelo and Best are great value there. In fact, in a PPR format I may even like Best better. He had almost as many receiving yards as rushing yards last year. While you picked him as a backup, you may find yourself starting Best for most of the year. And with Ingram, anytime you can pick a starting RB in round 8, you must do it.

Freeman is a solid backup that you'll hopefully only have to use once.

Reggie Bush is... superfulous on your team. He's your fifth best back in a league that only lets you start 2RBs. He's never going to start for you unless your RBs get killed with injuries, in which case you team is likely sunk no matter what you do. It's one of only two picks that I disagree strongly with. That also makes him totally expendable. He's the guy I drop to get another WR. I recommend Danny Amendola if he's available, and in a 10-team league, he likely is. Or you can see if some RB needy team in your league is willing to trade a WR3 for him, which is about the most you can expect in return.

Gronkowski is the other pick I have some issue with. Hernandez has been getting all the looks in preseason. I would have taken the other Pats TE, Olsen, orr Graham ahead of Gronk.

Green and Knox are in the area of the draft where there ceases to be bad picks. Once you get down past the 100th or so player taken, there are only good guesses and bad guesses at that point, and you won't know which until after the season starts. K and D/ST are roster spots that you need to fill, and you did exactly what I do - last two picks.

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Oh, and once you get through that hell bye week where all your WRs are off, I'd definitely drop the least productive WR on your team and handcuff Peterson. I would normally recommend doing it now, but you just don't have the roster space at the moment.

 

Of course I eat Rodgers in week one. Playing one of my bro's this weke, he has Rodgers and Jennings in his lineup. I now need Rivers to have a monster week as well.

 

Look on the bright side - you could have been against Brees, and that would have been even worse. Rodgers line was nice for sure, but Jennings was a normal day at the office - 7/89 1TD. That's 14 points in a standard scoring league. IIRC, you have Gates as well, so any TDs there you'll double up, and I hear that Peterson guy is pretty good too. I wouldn't worry too much yet.

 

I know. But here's my problem... I already talked a bunch of **** to my bro on the ass-whooping he was going to receive... . Looks like it's a "Insert foot in mouth" moment for me...

Come on Rivers!

 

Wow, did my teams roll over and die.

 

The performance of my fantasy teams provides some comfort to the debacle that was the Steelers-Ravens game this weekend. (To those who don't already know I'm a Steelers fan.)

I'm likely to run the table in Week 1, and go 3-0. I'm already locked in for two wins (I'm ahead and opponent has no players tonight). And while I technically could lose the final game, it would require my opponent to have Kyle Orton and Darren McFadden combine for about 60 points. That's the game I started Matthew Stafford and Ray Rice - they alone produced enough points for me to nearly win. But everyone in that game scored a TD for me except Greg Olsen - not that he was bad - anytime you get 7 points out of your TE, you'll take it.

 

Yeah, I'm loving what Big Ben and The Steel Curtain D did for me this week

That combined with Jackson going out injured and my kicker hurting himself on a kickoff meant I was essentially playing four men down. OY!

 

And I bet you didn't listen to me in my recommended start of Jahvid Best. Over 100 yards rushing and receiving combined.

 

0-1. My opponent had Baltimore's Defense. I lost by 4. DAMN YOU STEELERS! 7 fricking turnovers!

 

Son of a.... I didn't have two locked up. One of those opponents had Wes Welker last night! But I still thought I was OK. Afterall, I had a big lead. But Welker had 160 yards (16 points) 8 catches (4 points), went over 100 total receiving yards (5 points) and scored two TDs (12 points), for a total of 37 points, and I lost by 4. Needless to say, if it were not for that ridiculous 99-yard TD, I'd have been fine. (I wouldn't have cared if it were a 90-yard completion - if they caught him eventually. I wouldn't have cared if he scored a 2nd TD, just not after running 99 yards.) F- you Welker.

So I won two and lost one.

 

Brady and Welker were monsters! My oldest Brother had Brady, Walker and The Chad this week. He ended up putting 184 pts up. Hi slineup is STRONG, at least it was week 1. He played all the right guys. 184 was more than double than four other teams in the league. I sure hope I play him during the NE bye week...

 

Chad had one catch for 14 yards. Quite the achievement considering Brady had over 500 yards passing. That's 1 point standard scoring, 2 in a ppr league. Does Ochocinco officially suck?

 

I am guessing he was playing the Decoy role last night....