NFL 2008 Fantasy Football Advice Thread (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

As with past seasons, this thread will be to keep the fantasy football talk out of the *real* football thread, which we probably need to start up soon.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

We drafted last night in my money league. I had the 1st overall pick (12 teams). We start 1QB, 1RB, 1WR, 1TE, 3 Flex, 1PK, 4 defensive players.

My team, and where I picked the players.

QB: Rothleisberger (4.12), Schaub (11.1)
RB: LT (1.1), Jones-Drew (3.1), Graham (5.1), Felix Jones (8.12), Ray Rice (13.1), Slaton (17.1)
WR: Colston (2.12), Roddy White (6.12), Coles (7.1), Ginn (10.12), Javon Walker (15.1), Meacham (19.12)
TE: Vernon Davis (9.1)
K: Scobee (18.12)

I'm pretty happy with the draft. My weakness is my #2 WR, but I am strong at RB. I didn't think Jones-Drew would be there, and had planned on taking two receivers there, but couldn't pass on that value (and a lot of receivers went in the 2nd round) -- it's a PPR league.

Some other observations:

The top QB's went quickly, as Brady, Manning, Romo and Brees were all gone by 2.9. However, Carson Palmer really fell -- all the way to the #8 QB taken at 5.12.

The top rookie RB's went high -- probably the Adrian Peterson affect. McFadden went at 4.11, Matt Forte at 6.2, Jonathan Stewart at 6.11, Kevin Smith at 7.4, Felix Jones at 8.12.

 

[McPaul]

I think you did quite well with your first few picks. I hink some of the later ones were reaches. You might try trading some running back depth for receiving help.

I've got 2 drafts completed so far.

The first is a 16 team league. (yes... 16)

16 Marshawn Lynch
17 Maurice Jones-Drew
48 Wes Welker
49 Santonio Holmes
80 Jay Cutler
81 Santana Moss
112 Chicago
113 Stephen Gostkowski
144 Vince Young
145 Tony Scheffler
176 Chris Johnson
177 Tim Hightower
208 Robert Meachem
209 Maurice Morris
240 Ray Rice

Cutler, Young
Welker, Holmes, Moss, Meachem
Lynch, Drew, Johnson, Hightower, Morris, Rice
Scheffler
Gostkowski
Chicago

I'm confident in my team, but with the possible exceptions of my 2RB's, but that's what you get with the 16th pick in a 16 team league.

I've proposed a trade to the buffalo fan in our league: Drew and Lynch for LT2.

I'm not sure if that's enough.

we should be gearing up for the HTF league soon, yes?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I plan on trying that after the first couple of weeks. Owners in this league never want to trade before the season starts -- they always want to see how their picks start out. The owner who took Sproles is stacked at WR and very weak at RB, so I plan on approaching him and maybe getting LT's handcuff thrown in to boot.

 

[McPaul]

I'm the same way but our commish wants to open up the league so he can get more women to beat up from week to week. -shrug-

I'm in a yahoo league that's just 10 teams. This is too small. I prefer 12 team.

10 team league:

3 Adrian Peterson
18 Laurence Maroney
23 Tony Romo
38 Chad Johnson
43 Santonio Holmes
58 Chicago
63 Reggie Bush
78 Santana Moss
83 Stephen Gostkowski
98 Lee Evans
103 Vince Young
118 Selvin Young
123 Donte Stallworth
138 Tony Scheffler
143 Ted Ginn Jr.

Romo, Young
Johnson, Holmes, Moss, Evans, Stallworth, Ginn
Peterson, Maroney, Bush, Young
Scheffler
Gostkowski
Chicago

I don't like such a shallow league, it offers no opportunity to stack your team with solid sleepers. It forces you to be quick on the waiver wire, I suppose.

 

[Ennsio]

I'm in a 16 team league as well. In the past, we've had 2 RBs and we would end up drafting third string RBs by the end of it since there were so many RBs picked. This year, we've reduced it to 1 RB, 2WR and 1 RB/WR flex spot so it will be a bit easier, but I envy you guys and your 10-12 team leagues.

We're having our draft this coming Sunday, and I've got the 14th pick. It's a tough call to really differentiate the RBs beyond the top tier to really get a sense of who will do strongly as my #1 back and who will just be mediocre.

Any advice for RBs to pick or avoid beyond the top 10 or so studs?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Chris,

Your best bets at #14 will probably be Ryan Grant, Brandon Jacobs, Jamal Lewis, Jones-Drew or Bush -- the latter two only if you get points per reception. If you are lucky, a couple receivers and QBs may go ahead of you so that someone better falls to you.

I'd avoid McGahee -- his knee injury scares me.

 

[Ennsio]

Thanks, Scott. It would be great if Grant or Jacobs are available by the time it gets to my spot.

Knee injuries are definitely worrying. I had Chad Pennington the year he returned from his knee injury and paid dearly for that with his terrible performance as he tried to get back to his former ability level.

 

[Alex-C]

Still got 6 spots available on my league which drafts well...maybe Sunday evening.
If you're interested, post here and I will send an invite. or pm me. or email me at [email protected]

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Chris, either Grant or Jacobs should be available at #14 if your draft goes anything like ours did. Usually only two guys jump on a QB early, but this year four were gone before my 2nd round pick. Just to give you an idea of how it could go, here are the first two rounds of our draft. It's a PPR league, QB's get 6 points for TD's, and we get points for yardage.

1.01 LT

 

[Alex-C]

Well Scott, looks like we are inexplicably linked in some mystical way.

My team: LT, Jones-Drew, Coles, Walker and....(great minds think alike): Ray Rice.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Not bad, Alex. Who did you end up with for your QB?

 

[Alex-C]

uh, do I have to admit it ?
ok...well, our league is 0.5 ppr, so I went with 2 Rbs and 3 Wrs before selecting Derek Anderson.
not too proud, and I may have majorly screwed up with a too early Dwayne Bowe pick, but oh well. the waiver wire is where its won.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

If you waited until your 6th pick, then Anderson wasn't a bad choice to roll the dice with. I think he'll be a "boom or bust" pick. I had him on my "do not draft" list, but probably would still have taken a chance if he fell far enough.

My initial plan was to take Brees at 3.01, since all the mocks I did showed he would be there. However, all four of the big QB's were taken before I was up at 2.12, so I went to Plan B and hoped Rothleisberger would be around at 4.12/5.01. As it turned out, both he and Palmer were available. Cincy scares me this year, though, so I went with Big Ben, hoping for some consistency at the position.

 

[Alex-C]

Funny. I had Brees on my list too, but he got snapped up way too early (imho). cant remember the round, but I wanna say like 4th. I wanted brees.
I didnt really want Anderson, but we'll see how it develops.
I had an awful draft last season and ended up a serious contender (10/10 draft order in 2007, 1st two picks were Rudi J. Shaun Alexander. my qb: V. young and I still made the playoffs and performed well so I must be doing something right. I lost my first game and picked up Witten which was good. I had Barber and Julius Jones. Ended up dumping Jones and Witten and Barber performed well for me.
Anyway, that first 1 or 2 waiver wire pickups are critical (can I say Jones-Drew in 2006 in my first week....ahem ! and we all know how that turned out.)

I published my Yahoo league for anyone to join. email me if you're interested.

 

[Brad Porter]

My Auction League drafted yesterday. Unfortunately it's only a 10 teamer this year:

QB: Brett Favre ($7); Jake Delhomme ($10*)
RB: LaDanian Tomlinson ($67); Earnest Graham ($23); Chris Perry ($5); Rashard Mendenhall ($2)
WR: Calvin Johnson ($26); Marvin Harrison ($15); Nate Burleson ($12*); Lee Evans ($9); Hines Ward ($7); Patrick Crayton ($4);
TE: Vernon Davis ($3); Dustin Keller ($1)
K: Adam Vinatieri ($3)
D: Seahawks ($3)

The higher than expected prices expended on Delhomme and Burleson are the result of me having about $20 extra towards the end of the draft. I had budgeted for RBs to cost more than they did, so I was surprised and somewhat disappointed to have leftover funds. I even left $3 on the table. I didn't go into the draft expecting to win the war for LT, but I paid $84 for him last year and thought that $67 was a big time bargain. I like half my players, but I suspect that I'm vulnerable to age and opportunity. The lineup requirements are 1 QB, 1 RB, 2 RB/WR, 2 WR/TE, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 D.

And this evening I completed a 12 team snake draft (which is so boring after doing an auction), from the 10th position. There are only 14 roster spots.

QB: David Garrard (Rd 7); Jake Delhomme (Rd 9)
RB: Marshawn Lynch (Rd 1); Clinton Portis (Rd 2); Chris Perry (Rd 8); Chris Johnson (Rd 11)
WR: Calvin Johnson (Rd 3); Brandon Marshall (Rd 4); Chad Johnson Ocho Cinco (Rd 5); Jerricho Cotchery (Rd 6); Kevin Walter (Rd 14)
TE: Ben Watson (Rd 12)
K: Nate Kaeding (Rd 13)
D: Packers (Rd 10)

I'm feeling pretty confident about that squad, although I may have wasted too much time avoiding QBs since it is a 6 pt per passing TD league and is not PPR.

As you can tell, I'm driving the Jake Delhomme, Calvin Johnson, and Chris Perry bandwagons this season. And I could use a monster season from the Jets.

Brad

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I like Delhomme and Calvin (although Johnson went very high in our draft), but am not that big on Perry, even with Rudi Johnson getting cut. Perry has a lot going against him: (1) he's been hurt every year, (2) the Bengals offense scares me this year, and (3) he's a former Michigan RB -- and they always suck in NFL, just like Steve Spurrier receivers.

Tyrone Wheatley and Anthony Thomas are the only two former Wolverines to ever have a 1,000 yard rushing season in the NFL, and neither of them were very memorable players.

 

[Brad Porter]

He won't see my starting lineup except for bye weeks and injury, so I just hope he does well enough to be a valuable trading commodity.

Brad

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I just completed the first round of the "rookie" draft for my dynasty league / salary cap team. I had the #1 and #3 overall picks and took McFadden and Jonathan Stewart. I'm finally getting this team competitive after a couple of down years. My team:

QB: Brees, Schaub, Trent Edwards
RB: Barber, Gore, McFadden, Deangelo Williams, J Stewart, Foster
WR: Braylon Edwards, Driver, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, Ginn Jr, Rice
K: Crosby

We do not play a tight end and use individual defensive players (which I won't bore you with).

 

[Brandon_T]

We use individual defensive players too! I love it, this is our tenth year of doing it. I will post my team in the next day or so.