Facebook Champs Fantasy Draft August 28, 2010

Come follow the league here 

Let’s start with some of the league’s custom rules because there’s definitely enough to dish out some aneurysms.

Roster

Based on the ESPN standard set of positions, the league uses:

• 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 Flex (WR/RB), 1 TE, 1 K, 1 D/ST, 1 Head Coach, 9 Bench 

With 12 teams participating, and 19 rounds full of players taken, the draft got pretty thin quickly. In leagues this deep you’ll need to build some serious bench depth because the waiver wire will be slim pickins all season long. This is how I ended up with Clinton Portis and Fred Taylor…  but more on that later. 

League Settings

This is where things get confusing. While it may sound like a very try hard thing to do, always going over your league’s settings gives you a distinct advantage. You can find the quirky rules that you can use to manipulate the scoring into your favor and pick out certain players that may excel at things that standard scoring may not include.

QB

• 5 Points per TD pass
• -2 per inception
• 25 passing yards per point
• 400+ yard bonus, 5 points 

At first glance nothing seems too different from standard scoring, but there’s just enough extra points to go around that made quarterbacks a bit more valuable. The extra point awarded for TD passes and bonus 5 for 400+ yards in a game made it essential to draft a top tier talent. The -2 for an inception also put a lot of pivots on my don’t draft list. I’m talking to you Jay Cutler.

RB

• 10 rushing yards per point
• 6 points per TD rush
• 1 point for every 5 rushing attempts
• 200+ yard bonus, 5 points
• 1 point per reception 

Nothing out of the ordinary here except for the points for rushing attempts. Knowing the draft was points per reception (PPR) was key in drafting some valuable running back sleepers deeper in the draft – welcome to the squad Mewelde Moore. I felt that any running back getting the bulk of his team’s carries was instantly more valuable, regardless of who they may be. This pushed Portis up the board for me. He was the only work horse back available in the 5^th tier and on.

WR 

• 10 receiving yards per point
• 6 points for TD catch
• 1 point per reception
• 200+ yard bonus, 5 points  

Receivers must be elevated in any PPR format -- fact that simply seems lost on some people. This was an advantage to anyone that realized how shallow the talent pool is at WR this year. The elite wideouts should have been in high demand early on, but the first six picks were all running backs.  Again, because of the PPR format, some players that have been slipping down the rankings this year -- Hines Ward, Donald Driver, Derrick Mason -- became nice values in the middle rounds. If any receiver can average 6+ catches a game, they’ll always have a spot on my PPR squad.

Miscellaneous Points 

• 6 Points per return TD (Kickoff/Punt)
• Fumble recovery for TD, 6 points
• -3 for every fumble lost

These were definitely important rules to know when it came to drafting bench players. If I can draft a WR/RB that is also involved in special teams, I’m taking him. I’m always looking for players that can pile up points in multiple ways. It leads to better consistency. 

K 

• 1 point per PAT
• -1 point per missed PAT
• 2 points per 0-39 yard FG
• 4 points per 40-49 yard FG
• 6 points per 50+ yard FG
• -1 per missed FG (any length)

It’s somewhat strange that any field goal could be worth less than 3 points, but you work with the hand you’re dealt. The most important scoring feature here is the -1 for a missed field goal of any kind. It will make you think twice about using any kicker that may have to kick in less than ideal conditions. Although, going with dome kickers is always a good strategy.

D/ST

• 1 point per sack
• 4 points per Interception (INT)
• 2 points per forced fumble
• 4 points per fumble recovery (FR)
• 2 points per Safety
• 2 points per blocked, FG/Punt/PAT
• 6 points per defensive TD, INT/FR/Block
• 6 points per return TD, KO/PR
• 10 points for 0 points allowed
• 7 points for 1-6 points allowed
• 4 points for 7-13 points allowed
• 1 point for 14-17 points allowed
• -1 point for 22-27 points allowed
• -4 points for 28-34 points allowed
• -7 points for 35-45 points allowed
• -10 points for 46+ points allowed

I love this set up. Anytime you can punish a defense for a sub-par performance, I’m all for it. Although there’s the risk of putting yourself in a major hole, there are a lot of points that your D/ST can provide each week. The added points to INTs and FRs will have me looking towards a new defense every week. Coming into the year I’m taking the ‘whoever is playing the Bills’ method. 

Head Coach 

• 1 point for team win
• -1 point for team loss 

I’ve never played with a Head Coach before, but they don’t really influence the scoring too much. But there’s no reason not to draft an elite coach. I’ll take the +1 to the -1 every week.

Moves

• There is no limit to the moves made during the season
• Waivers last three days
• Order is determined by the inverse place of each player inthe standings 

 Trades

• No limit
• Trade review last 3 days
• 5 votes are needed to veto trade
• Trade deadline is Nov. 24 at 12pm ET

Keeper

• One player will be kept in the first year
• Keeper must be declared one hour before 2011 draft  

Playoffs

• The post season starts in week 14
• 4 teams make the playoffs
• Each playoff game will last two weeks
• Playoff seeding tiebreaker – Total Points 

DRAFT ANALYSIS

Now that we’re familiar with the league settings, let’s get to the good stuff. 

Despite the league using a snake draft, there was a complication that led to no snaking for the first two rounds. This provided a huge advantage to anyone picking in the top five. Not only would they have first dibs on the elite players, they also got the first picks of the second round. Since I picked 7^th, I only lost two spots so it wasn’t the hugest of deals for me, but anyone picking after me got behind the eight ball very early.

PLAYERS

Shout out to Lance Collins for putting the league on and finding all the players. There’s a good mix of fantasy writers and fantasy enthusiasts to make this league very wide-open.

Who are players participating? You’ll notice there is a RotoCommunity team represented, but it’s not me. Site founder Dave Gawron and Steve Parsons comprise that team. They had unfortunate pleasure of selecting in the 10 spot.

ROUND ONE

Musings from Round One:

With the 7^th pick I was convinced I was going to end up with Aaron Rodgers. After seeing MJD fall to five, I had to throw all my preconceived expectations out the window. Be it a mock or real draft, the first five picks always seem to be the same five guys in different orders. Like I said, I was surprised to see MJD fall to 5, but it’s not something to fault. Both Rice and Gore could very well be better in 2010. Since it’s a PPR format, I think I would rather have MJD.

The first surprise came at pick six. At this point, I was certain that Andre Johnson would be the next selection, and I started to ponder how to build a team from the QB down. Fortunately for me, Shocker decided to pull a fast one and go with Steven Jackson. Again, finding fault in the pick would be purely nitpicking. Jackson is definitely a top 5 talent, but his blend of injury risk and lousy team would have had me looking for a more reliable player. 

Since this is a PPR and wideouts hold just as much value as running backs, I feel like I got a steal on Johnson at seven. Barring injury, he’s about as safe as it gets in the first round. He’s an excellent corner piece to start my team with. I like to build my teams around elite talent and there realty wasn’t any elite running backs left. I knew taking a receiver would put me at a huge disadvantage at running back, but if you’re going to deviate form the norm, you better get the best player available.

After I threw things off by going receiver, the rest of the second tier running backs went in order. Turner, Greene, Williams and Grant are all nice options, but none of them strike me as stand-out players.  Since this wasn’t a snaking draft for the first two rounds, drafters at the end of this round may have been better off gobbling up the remainder of the elite wideouts to make the position scarce for the next round.

Fantasy Over Reality was delivered Randy Moss with a bow on him. Moss has a legit chance to end the year as the number one receiver and definitely should have gone earlier. That’s a pretty big coup for the 12^thpick.

ROUND TWO

Second round thoughts:

The Immaculate Reception now has a pretty formidable one-two punch in Chris Johnson and Drew Brees. I’m on record as liking Rodgers much more than Brees, but the Saints’ pivot is still a pretty elite option.  The next QB off the board was Rodgers two picks later. When you consider that TD passes are worth five points and there are points per reception, 365 easily has the best team through two rounds with Ray Rice and Rodgers.

As expected, receivers make up six of the next 10 picks and the upper crust is all scooped up. Reggie Wayne went one pick before me, and I felt like I was at an impasse. I really didn’t like any of the running backs available, except Beanie Wells. In retrospect, I probably should have taken Mendenhall, but for whatever reason I have a bad feeling about him this year. Since I decided to go elite in round one at receiver, I decided with this pick to go elite at QB. There’s no question that Brady is a reach at 19, but I felt that he could really rebound this year. Couple that with QBs being worth more in this league and I was sold. I really, really thought I would be able to get Beanie Wells on the wrap around, but, as we’ll find out, things didn’t work out that way.

Matthews goes at 20. While I love his prospects and situation in San Diego, Matthews is far too unproven a commodity for my liking this early. I try not to insert too much risk in my draft this early and Matthews is about as risky as it gets.

Somehow, Mendenhall kept falling and, once again, it was Fantasy Over Reality finding himself as the prime beneficiary. For having picks 12 and 24, he came out of the first two rounds with one of the better teams.

ROUND THREE

With Brady, Rodgers, and Brees all off the board, Manning wasn’t long for this draft. He went with the first pick of the round. This was a great pick when you consider that Reception didn’t pick again for another 23 spots. It was unlikely that an elite QB would still be available. Beanie Wells goes at 26, frustrating me to no end. 

Despite losing out on Wells, I was happy to see “Lucky” Pierre Thomas still available. I like Thomas a lot with this league’s settings and is a pretty quality figurehead to lead my running back by committee.

Arian Foster may seem high at pick 32, but he’s gaining some 2009 Ray Rice sleeper momentum and wouldn’t be available for Purple Drank’s next pick.  

All the other picks are run of the mill, where people should be going.  Smith, Colston and Boldin are all solid options and shouldn’t disappoint.

Team Gambles liveup to its name taking Knowshawn Moreno at 35. From my eyes, Moreno looks like he’s always running in slow motion – not good for an NFL running back. With his injury problems and threat of Corell Buckhalter poaching carries, I would have gone a different direction.

LeSean McCoy has some pretty good upside, but just don’t see it coming to fruition this year. He does have more value in PPR leagues, but I simply don’t trust him on a week-to-week basis.

ROUND FOUR

I love the Crabtree selection. I was convinced he’d fall to me here, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Gambles goes with Steve “Squiggy” Smith of the Giants and he should produce 80 catches. Good pick.

I was all over Dwayne Bowe for my next pick, but that was before Drank shocked the world, or maybe just me, taking Antonio Gates. I then faced quite the dilemma. What should I do? I wanted to get a good receiver to compliment Andre Johnson and I felt Bowe fit that role perfectly. One the other hand, I could sense a TE run coming (one of my many savant talents) and I felt the best TE was still out there -- Dallas Clark. After noticing that Wes Welker was buried in the default ESPN rankings, and had yet to appear on the main board, I decided that I’d take Clark and pray everyone would forget about Welker over the next 10 picks. With Clark, I now had the best WR, a top 4 QB and the best TE. My RB corps (WHERE: Corps = Pierre Thomas) still remains incredibly weak, but I have a few upside guys I can go after later on. I can still win by outperforming everyone at the other positions. At least I hope so.

Shocker gets the Daily Show, Jonahan Stewart at 42. Great pick. I’m in the minority, but I like Stewart more than DeAngelo this year.

I don’t know what the other RotoCommunity guys were smoking (maybe eating rotisserie chicken?) when they decided to take Rivers over Romo. They clearly didn’t draft off my rankings. For Shame!

ROUND FIVE

It all worked out for me this time – Welker was available at 54, much to my delight. Welker certainly looks like he’s healthy and anyone who’s ever played in PPR formats in the past know how valuable Welker is.

My predicted TE run sort of hits as the next best options, Davis and Celek, find homes. Javid Best is the first pick of this round and will make an excellent flex guy for FoR. Shocker gets Mike Sims-Walker. I cannot endorse this pick at all. I hate MSW. Jacobs and Bradshaw go back-to-back at the end of the round. I really like Jacobs as a comeback player this year and will outperform Bradshaw by a significant margin.

My buddy, CJ Spiller goes at 57. Something tells me I should have taken him. Because the Bills are so lousy, Spiller should get ample opportunity to strut his stuff and be heavily involved in this offense. 

ROUNDS SIX-EIGHT

Sitting in the sixth round, with my QB, RB, 2 WR and TE in hand, I need to start taking some chances on running backs. I was hoping PPR sensation Reggie Bush would fall to me at 67, but he went two picks earlier. My coin flip between Michael Bush and Felix Jones came up Bush. He then got hurt later that night. Still, Bush has looked good every time he’s been afforded the chance to play and should be ready for week one. Maybe he's not ideal for a RB2, but I’m going running back heavy in the foreseeable future, so I just need one of these guys to hit... At 78, I bit the bullet and went with Portis. Portis is not a favorite of mine, but in the 7^th round I felt he was last RB on the board that could see a full time workload. He excelled once in a Shanahan system, here’s to hoping lightening can strike twice… Donald Brown at 91? Why not? If anything were to Joey Addai, Brown’s becomes a legit RB2.

Quick Hits from the rest:

RotoCommunity and Gambles both get nominated for best pick from these rounds. Marion Barber at 86, that’s six picks after Santana Moss for those keeping track at home, could be an absolute steal. He’s been falling in most drafts I’ve seen, but just remember that Barber has a three year average of 1237 total yards and 9.3 TD. I’d take that from an 8^throunder. 

RC snagged Thomas Jones to handcuff to Jaamal Charles, but Jones definitely has more value than a handcuff. There’s a good chance he’ll receive a fair share of the carries and make the most of it. He’s taken over the starter’s job on every team he’s been a part of. Don’t be shocked if it happens again.

Funniest moment of the night: Someone decided to roster Braylon Edwards. There may be a lot of scoring options to remember, but I don’t recall points being awarded for drops.

Reception continued his hot draft with Visanthe Shiancoe and Robert Meachem back-to-back. Shiancoe was a Favre red zone favorite last season and, with the Vikings’ receiving corps looking like WWII British triage unit, he could pile up some serious catch totals. The Saints are going to score a ton of points and Meachem has the opportunity to record some pretty large numbers. Like most wideouts in New Orleans, Meachem is notoriously streaky but certainly worth a gamble.

ROUNDS NINE – TWELVE 

Somehow, despite meaning to target RBs, I decided to grab some of my favorite players this year -- all of whom happened to be receivers. I like Golden Tate so much I’ve named my team after him. That’s all you really need to know. I went after Derrick Mason because, well, he’s been on my team in every PPR league I’ve ever played. He’s been downgraded to a secondary option in the passing game after the Ravens acquired Boldin, but the crafty vet should have another 70+ catches left in the tank. He’ll make a consistent FLEX play.

I’m not quite sure why Bernard Berrian kept falling and falling but I was happy to scoop him up in the 9^th. It’s looking more and more like he’ll be the number one option in Minnesota – all he needs to do now is stay healthy.  I really wanted Dexter McCluster, but Reception snaked him out from under me. Luckily, Jacoby Jones was still out available and joined the Warriors.

Best/Worst Pick of Each round here:

9th Round

FFF - Devin Aromashodu, pick 105 – Smell that aroma? It could be touchdown fever all yearlong.

Shocker – LeeEvans, pick 103 -- I love the Bills and Evans as a talent, but seriously, who’s throwing him the ball. Give your head a shake Shocker.

10^th Round

Drank – Montario Hardesty, pick 113 – I had the Browns’ rookie pegged to go to me two picks later, then this happened. I’m not sold that he’s definitely going to be the starter, but he has the best upside of RBs that were left.

Gambles – Eagles D/ST, pick 110 – Come on. Hardesty was still out there.

11^th Round

FoR – Bernard Scott, pick 121 – I have no faith that Benson can replicate his successes from the last year and a bit, but I do know that once he falters, Scott will be the man.

Reception – SaintsD/ST, pick 132 – There’s no way they generate that amount of turnovers again. And it's a defense in the 11th round -- that would be crazy for a regular league. 

12^th Round

Reception –Dexter McCluster, pick 133 – He’s going to be a PPR monster. Bring that to the bank.

FoR – Kyle Orton, pick 144 – Not terrible, but Palmer, Smith, Young and Cassel were still there.

ROUNDS 13+ 

Again, with my lack of depth at RB, I desperately needed to take some shots. In a league with so much bench depth, I don’t mind taking a handcuff or two. Choice has looked good every time he’s been given a chance and could see some action again if something were to happen to MB3. It will be Choice, not Felix Jones that will get the bulk of the carries if that happens.

I’m hoping to hit make a BINGO in the Pats’ backfield with Fred Taylor. He’s looked good in the pre-season (which really means nothing… but hey, who knows) and will have one of football’s easiest gigs if he can earn the starting nod.

Mewelde Moore is another lottery ticket. He may not get too much time, but with Big Ben out for at least four weeks, Moore will clean up on screen passes when the pressure becomes to much for Dixon or Leftwhich. Is Tommy Maddox sill able to play?

I took “Colts Coach”. Thought that would do the trick… Not too happy getting Garrard. It looked as if Alex Smith was going to still be available til the end. That wasn’t the case and it bums me out to know end. I have the Phins’ D in every league so far – they play the horrendous Bills in week one.

Best Upside from the late rounds

Kevin Smith –Buuba Got Vick, pick 146. I had totally forgot he was healthy again. If something goes wrong with the historically fragile Javid Best, Smith gets his job back and could come through on the upside we've been projecting for the last two years.

Kenny Britt – Fishheads, pick 148. He’s basically Young’s only capable receiver. He’s top 30 WR value found in the 13^th round.

Sidney Rice – FFF, pick 153. In a league with nine bench spots there should be no problem stashing him away til week 9.

Laurent Robinson – Reception, pick 157. Donnie Avery out for the year. Are you trying to seduce me Mr. Robinson? 

Alex Smith – Reception, pick 180. If Crabtree and Davis live up to the hype, Smith could be aTop-10 QB

Chris Chambers – Reception, pick 181. Looking back on this write up, I really like this team. Chambers isn’t going to set the world on fire, but he’s a great depth move that will eventually be in demand for someone once injuries hit.

Early Doucet – Gambles, pick 182. If he’s healthy, he’ll out perform Steve Breaston.

Greg Camarillo – 365, pick 202. If he can develop a rapport with Favre, could average 6-8 catches a game with Rice out of the line up. 

49ers Coach – FFF, pick 208. I really wish I had picked Singletary. He’d definitely be the guy to fire up my fantasy squad. He wants winners. So do I. We're a perfect match.

IN CLOSING 

My team looks pretty awesome on paper, outside of the RB position that is. I feel like I’ve drafted enough guys at the position to getlucky on one or two of them. If that doesn’t happen, I’m going to swap some of my immense WR depth for a back.

Oh…I need Brady to throw 50 TDs again. That would help... a lot.

ALSO

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