Draft Review for August 6th, 2012
10 Team Draft Review Stamina Open drafted 8/23
By Lou Tranquilli for BFDFANTASYfootball.com
League rules(Synopsis):
Allowed to use a QB in the flex.
QB passing is 1 pt for 25 yds, 4 pt for TD.
All non throwing TDs are 6 pt.
0.25 PPR for all positions. (new in 2012)
Deductions for points against gives D/ST position a little extra significance and value.
Starting roster is 10 positions: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, D/ST, K, FLX
Leagues are H2H plus extra W/L each week for top 5 in league vs bottom 5 in total pts
Regular season is a 9 week sprint, then Cutline playoffs.
Draft limits of 3 QB, 7 RB, 7 WR, 3 TE, 3 D/ST, 3 K. No position limits once free agency begins.
Free Agency opens 1 week before week 1 of season.
Draft Grid
Draft Review:
A few years back I played in a league very similar to this one and the QB position dominates the draft. This style of league is the one I can justify selecting a QB very early in drafts BUT if you do it a second very good QB should be on your roster too. The QB position is easily the best Flex position; they get the most points weekly and consistently. The fact only 3 can be drafted slightly retards any draft strategy in selecting them, each team could pick 3 and there would still be 2 more starting QBs on the waiver wire...
The .025 point per receptions to me has so little value this is basically a Standard Scoring format league. This is a head to head league as well so drafting a team that can win H2H matchups is paramount. Consistency trumps explosion in my opinion for this kind of league, a great example for you would be Jeremy Maclin to me has so much more value than a guy like DeSean Jackson.
Let's get to it...(I'm not listing kickers, sorry. Don't review the since Peyton Manning declared one an idiot...)
Team #1
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo
RBs: Kevin Smith and Ryan Williams
WRs: Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson
TE: Aaron Hernandez
D/ST: 49ers
Consistency potential: Very consistent looking lineup, as long as Aaron Rodgers is upright
Explosive potential: Obviously the WRs, QB and the TE are the explosive potential on this roster. The owner "punted" the RBs in this format.
Other thoughts: Loved the Luck pick as a 3rd QB, nice work there and later in the draft they managed to snare Mikel Leshoure who looks like a power back again that can score TDs. I love Kevin Smith, I just don't know that he helps that much. The gaping hole at RB here is obvious. This owner needs to hit on them or they will suffer in H2H matchups Nice pick of the 49ers D/ST. I hate selecting them early but the QBs they face make this a nice unit in this format.
Playoff contender? Yes, the RBs make them only a contender. I like both players but the consistency of scoring will be the challenge.
Team #2
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Tom Brady Ryan Fitzpatrick
RBs: MJD and Doug Martin
WRs: Wes Welker, Hakeem Nicks and Antonio Brown
TE: Jimmy Graham
D/ST: Bills
Consistency potential: This to me looks like a very consistent lineup, plenty of receptions for the WRs and the TE; that gives them the opportunity to score even if it doesn't give them a PPR.
Explosive potential: Not as explosive because it's more consistent, the RBs should score TDs which is huge here and Graham will be busy but Welker and Brown even have other guys to share with that will limit them.
Other thoughts: I love the way this owner stared down the QB position and came away with three of them for the starter and the Flex. Brady is a monster in 2012. The Bills D' is a pretty nice looking unit but this owner did have to commit two spots to the D/ST because both the Jets and the Bills have up and down schedules, so there's some matching up that needs to be done. I'd rather have one D/ST on my roster here. Nice work getting Jennings too to backup MJD.
Playoff contender? Yes, but they will fight at the WR position for consistent TDs.
Team #3
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Drew Brees and Joe Flacco
RBs: DeMarco Murray and Adrian Peterson
WRs: Andre Johnson, Steve Smith and DeSean Jackson
TE: JerMichael Finley
D/ST: Ravens
Consistency potential: It will come from the QBs, and this owner will prove the point of a QB in the Flex always with Ryan Tannehill who won't be that good for the NFL to begin with but will be a fine Flex player when needed. There is no consistency from Finley and DeSean Jackson who are both important starters for this owner.
Explosive potential: It's here obviously because as mentioned above Finley and DeSean lack consistency but are explosive. That doesn't help when you need to beat half the teams in your league each week plus your head to head opponent
Other thoughts: You simply cannot let Toby Gerhart pass 10 times if you have made the investment in Adrian Peterson. Cedric Benson was a slick pick, I wouldn't doubt he helps this owner a lot, this format is perfect for what Benson brings, some yards and some TDs.
Playoff contender? No, the Adrian Peterson pick looks good on paper but that guy is hurt bad and to count on him from day #1 as being Adrian Peterson isn't advisable.
Team #4
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Matthew Stafford and Matt Ryan
RBs: Fred Jackson and Ahmad Bradshaw
WRs: Roddy White, Percy Harvin and Nate Washington
TE: Jared Cook
D/ST: Chiefs
Consistency potential: The TDs will come in droves for this owner from the QBs and RBs. There could be weeks when they don't see a TD from the TE or WR position and that will be killer.
Explosive potential: Again the QBs will carry the load here because the WRs have explosive potential but in the case of Harvin he's a PPR machine more than a scoring machine. I like the Nate Washington pick a lot and think he helps, but he isn't explosive.
Other thoughts: I get the desire to have the group of RBs picked here and they are excellent for this format. I just think this owner paid a very high price at the WR position and it's going to hurt them all season. I like the Chiefs D' this season as a cheap option for a very good looking unit.
Playoff contender? No, the WR position and the TE will drag the quality at the top of this roster down.
Team #5
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Cam Newton and Alex Smith
RBs: Marshawn Lynch and Michael Turner
WRs: AJ Green, Miles Austin and Kenny Britt
TE: Vernon Davis
D/ST: Giants
Consistency potential: I don't see it. Britt is hurting, Austin is hurting and Michael Turner is going to share the football with a couple of other RBs. Cam and Alex are a fine duo at QB but this is not a big time TD scoring lineup
Explosive potential: Clearly the potential is there, these are great players. Add in Ryan Mathews in a few weeks and the consistency and the explosiveness go up.
Other thoughts: This owner has what looks to me like the most complete and potentially monstrous lineup. They could win the whole damn thing with this team BUT (and I hate that) BUT they have to have their injured players perform, Ryan Mathews has to get back and they need a WR desperately. This team needs time and the regular season doesn't allow for much screwing around time. I think the Giants will be ok as a D/ST for them, nothing great.
Playoff contender? No, they would be if everyone were healthy but they aren't
Team #6
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Philip Rivers
RBs: Darren Sproles, Arian Foster and Matt Forte
WRs: Brandon Marshall and Mike Wallace
TE: Brandon Pettigrew
D/ST: Eagles
Consistency potential: Very consistent, the RBs are in charge on their teams and the WRs (including Wallace) will dominate the looks and the TD chances. Marshall is a great WR for this format, he has the ball to himself in Chicago for both yardage and when the Bears get near the GL who would you look for if you are Jay Cutler?
Explosive potential: Again, very much there for this owner especially when you consider Pierre Garcon isn't listed here and neither is their second QB Carson Palmer. Torrey Smith was a great #4 WR, great. He looks like a real breakout candidate to me.
Other thoughts: Well built team and this owner to me "read" the draft expertly. They saw the QBs going off the board and went for the consistency and explosiveness of the RBs instead. I thought they found excellent value at the WR spots. The TE could be a drag because Pettigrew isn't the look for Detroit near the goal line, but TDs are the most inconsistent part of projections. I like the two D's they drafted, personally I would have taken one and added another skill player.
Playoff contender? Oh yea, and the leader in the clubhouse to me for a spot.
Team #7
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub
RBs: LeSean McCoy and Donald Brown
WRs: Julio Jones, Brandon Lloyd and Jeremy Maclin
TE: Antonio Gates
D/ST: Bears
Consistency potential: Very, very consistent looking lineup. Both QBs have their question marks but outside the "big 5" everyone does. I liked the Gabbert pick later too, he's going to be fine as a Bye week fill in. McCoy and even Brown should be just fine as the RB duo, this is where the owner has some serious work to do, they left themselves very thin at the RB position.
Explosive potential: Very explosive with Blackmon and Fred Davis on the bench, this lineup will score TDs. There won't be a week that goes by that the starters outside the QBs don't score 4 TDs as a group. That's huge to me.
Other thoughts: I would love to love this team, the RBs are just too thin and risky. This owner needs to hit on someone like Redman for points.
Playoff contender? Absolutely, this is a very good week to week team.
Team #8
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Eli Manning and Jay Cutler
RBs: Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles
WRs: Marques Colston, Demaryius Thomas and Steve Johnson
TE: Jacob Tamme
D/ST: Seahawks
Consistency potential: Perfect...seriously. I don't see a hole in this lineup or the backups. This team will score TDs every week and load up on yardage for the WRs and the TE.
Explosive potential: not quite as explosive but plenty good enough. Demaryius has the chance to be up/down but even if he is this owner has Reggie Wayne and Greg Little to fall back on.
Other thoughts: This is as good a lineup as I think can be drafted in this format, there are excellent backups at Rb and even TE on this roster.
Playoff contender? Yes it is, and I think the strongest of teams in the league.
Team #9
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Andy Dalton and Matt Flynn
RBs: Chris Johnson and Ben Jarvis Greene Ellis
WRs: Calvin Johnson, Victor Cruz and Eric Decker
TE: Rob Gronkowski
D/ST: Packers
Consistency potential: I don't see the consistency here, even with Calvin Johnson as a monster WR. The QBs are not secure enough in their spots to consider them good enough against teams like #8.
Explosive potential: Both Johnsons, Cruz and Gronk make for huge weekly TD potential, I love Decker this season.
Other thoughts: Stevan Ridley is a huge part of the potential for this owner, if they hit on him there is hope of consistency and explosion for the roster.
Playoff contender? No, the QBs will be too big a drag on this roster.
Team #10
Starting lineup:
QB(s): Mike Vick and Ben Roethlisberger
RBs: Darren McFadden and Steven Jackson
WRs: Dez Bryant, Vincent Jackson and Dwayne Bowe
TE: Jason Witten
D/ST: Texans
Consistency potential: I think this is a highly consistent lineup, I don't know that I would go Vick in round #1 but this team came out very strong and consistent looking.
Explosive potential: Huge, this owner waited on the WRs and came away with three awesome WRs that are TD scorers. Add in Witten as the TE (nice move taking advantage of the medical news). I'm not a Steven Jackson fan overall, but in this format he's really good as long as he's healthy, even Shonn Greene as a potential TD scorer is good work.
Other thoughts: This team is deep and explosive, love the construction of it and the added #3 QB of RGIII was outstanding