Draft Review for August 6th, 2012
10 Team Draft Review Stanima Open
Lou Tranquilli for BFD FANTASY football
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 this year)
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 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. Head to head is the format, the total points don’t have the same impact so drafting a team that can win H2H matchups is most important. Also, since this is basically a standard scoring format TD catchers are big.
Team by Team Breakdown:
Draft Grid
Team #1
This owner went for the QB early, ok you did it. Now don’t abandon the position, dominate at it. I think they should have looked for a second QB earlier to compliment Rodgers. I like Dalton but a player like Matt Schaub or Ben Roethlisberger would have made a lot of sense for this owner.
I like WR position plenty and think the owner did a nice job of getting their hands on TD scoring players. The RBs are where the fall off is, and it’s a significant fall off. There are basically no TD scorers available, Adrian is going to share the football when he does actually play. The Bears signed Michael Bush to punch in TDs and as much as I think Shonn Greene should be a TD scorer Tim Tebow is on his way into the game when NY is in the red zone. This group of players will impact the owners head to head wins.
Playoff outlook: Not going to get there
Team #2
I like what this owner did at the QB position. They started with Brady and almost immediately added another with high scoring potential in Jay Cutler. Sandwiched between the two QBs are two really productive looking and TD scoring projected RBs. Neither guy is a proven veteran and now Trent Richardson is on the shelf but the bottom line is TDs are expected from these two. AJ Green Demaryius Thomas and Jeremy Maclin make up and outstanding trio of WRs. Jason Witten at TE is outstanding help as well, especially when you consider team #1 went Graham in the 2nd. Nice value on Witten.
Playoff outlook: This team is playoff bound
Team #3
Here’s a team that went deep on the QB, even making what I think is a great late selection on a total upside QB like Tim Tebow. I can’t disagree with the Gronk pick in the 3rd round because he will get his TDs, I don’t think its near the 2011 amount but 10 TDs are nearly a lock. The issues are easy to spot here, they went heavy after the QB so the RB group is weak with Fred Jackson and Isaac Redman. The WRs as a group don’t catch TDs so Gronk better live up to expectations, based on his first pre season game it looks likely he will.
Playoff outlook: It will be close, this owner looks like a playoff spot challenger
Team #4
Stafford, Schaub and Ponder are excellent to fill the two QB spots (one of them being the flex spot). The WRs are outstanding and project as 1000 yard guys with 8 TDs, very nice. I love the Lynch pick at RB, that’s dirt cheap; the suspension concerns are really paying off for owners picking Lynch so late now. Gore and Beanie Wells are not looking like good #2 RBs but that’s the weak link in this team and to me this is a totally acceptable weak area.
Playoff outlook: Will compete for a spot in the playoffs
Team #5
There aren’t many drafts with Arian at the #5 selection. MJD as the #2 is incredible for TD scoring outlook, the two guys combined are 20TDs waiting to happen. The three WRs are all TD scorers and the TE selected late is a breakout candidate. This is a really strong roster when you look at where the owner managed to get that quality TE in the draft. Freeman and Fitzpatrick work as sort of “place holder” QBs, what I mean by that is each will be a consistent weekly scorer that gives about the average points per week for the QB position. I don’t see either being huge one week and down the next, so they will work with a roster loaded with other players to outscore opponents. This team would be mine if I were drafting.
Playoff outlook: This team is playoff bound
Team #6
Rice and Sproles with Ingram as the RBs is going to be very solid for this owner, they need another RB badly for Bye weeks for sure but these three can function in this style league as good RBs. Helu (who I like) is still a guessing game, this owner really needs to be right on Roy and it will launch the teams consistency and explosive point potential. Lloyd, Harvin and Brown are all solid WRs but the TDs are not looking like a strong suit for those three. Pettigrew and Tamme are both solid TEs, I don’t think either one at this point can be considered big TD scorers; I’d actually give Tamme the lead in that department between the two. Eli and Ryan are a nice combo at the QB spot and will compete with the “big 5” drafted in the first round for weekly points dominance.
Playoff outlook: Playoff contender
Team #7
This was a really interesting team to review. What I do before writing anything about any of the rosters is look the whole thing over a couple of times and pick out how the pieces fit together. The interesting part of this roster to me is the pieces were put together so sporadically. There was a very early QB pick of Rivers that was really overpaying, then a super value pick in Jamaal Charles who can be a total monster for this owner. Nicks and Gates are TD scoring yardage hogs and Carson Palmer represents a great upside QB who as again selected pretty early. Decker and Wayne as the #2 and #3 WR works well and the upside RBs (other than Best) are strong.
This draft was very much a zig zag of positions, the owner clearly was working with what was left for them and adjusting as the values fell outside the QB position. Well done.
Playoff outlook: Playoff contender
Team #8
This is the “upside” team. So many selections are potential beast players that still need some time to shake out and they only have 9 weeks to do it or this owner is on the outside looking in.
The QBs are excellent, I like Flacco as the #2 a whole lot. At WR they did great with the first two then added the upside of DeSean Jackson who has the ability to be huge but hasn’t yet done it. Torrey Smith (now injured) and Greg Little are both potential starters, but only potential for now. Hernandez and Clark at TE isn’t enough. I remain shocked about how high drafters are on Aaron with so many hands to fill with the football in New England and Gronk the clear favorite at the TE position. The RBs are plenty of potential to score 10 TDs each, I like the Bradshaw and Martin combo. If I were this owner Blount and Wilson would have been handcuffed to these two, they were cheap enough in this draft. Kevin Smith was a slick pick that will work out.
Playoff outlook: Playoff contender
Team #9
Strong at the QB position because they paid to be, and it’s a fine looking duo at the top. I have read the reports of Sanchez looking good at Jets camp but he is guaranteed to come off the field so I would pass on him in this format and go much higher potential like Ponder or Flynn. Mathews and Jackson should both be TD scorers for this owner (Mathews is now out) and White and Smith are both fine. The #3 WR spot is very much a hole with Meachem and Holmes (and Moore). Finely is what he is, a good looking TE in his uniform that leaves you hoping for more every week.
Playoff outlook: On the outside looking in.
Team #10
The top 10 picks were outstanding and “advantage” picks. This owner took advantage of the early run on QBs in the first and second round. That meant there had to be RB and WR values falling and when they did this owner grabbed the net and caught them. Two excellent #1 RBs that won’t share, then a couple of dominant target WRs in Marshall and Colston with plenty of other WRs to mix in, Garcon in the 10th was a major steal. Fred Davis at TE with a nice late pick of Gonzalez (where he should be) as a solid backup. Manning and Griffin are both a little questionable only because of the obvious health and rookie concerns, based on the first pre season games they should be excellent for this owner.
Playoff outlook: Playoff bound and up there with team #5 as one I would like to draft.