Analyzing a draft.

I had my first fantasy football draft on July 20th. It turned out very interesting. I had the 6th pick in a 12 team league, which is not my favorite spot to draft. I prefer either end of the line.

My Team breaks down as follows for a QB Heavy type league.

1. R. Johnson - RB
2. T. Holt - WR
3. T. Jones - RB NYJ
4. M. Colston - WR
5. M. Lynch - RB
6. M. Barber - RB
7. Cal. Johnson - WR Det
8. M. Leinart - QB
9. J. Cutler - QB
10. R. McMichael - TE
11. Vikings -DST
12. A. Thomas - BUF
13. Josh Brown - K
14. W. Welker - WR


I like this team. I got my 3rd rated RB at #6, and my top rater WR in the 2nd round.

The only weak spot I have is at QB, when Tom Brady got sniped in front of me in the 2nd rd. (pick 18), So I got to take Holt at 19. Then when I was looking at my 5th overall QB Phillip Rivers, he got sniped 1 spot in front of me in rd 6. So I took Barber as a time was running out sort of panic. Rivers went 66 overall. Jon Kitna also got gobbled up at #87 before I had to settle and take Leinart at 91. I grabbed Cutler the next round, with the theory that one of the kids would work out. Eli Manning went at 89.

Surprises at the QB position wer that Vince Young went at #40. I think that is overrating him significantly. I have Young as my 15th QB, based on his upside. But he was drafted ahead of QBs like Rivers, Matt Hasslebeck, Jake Delhomme, and Brett Favre. This is a very high ranking for a 2nd year quarterback that is less accurate than Michael Vick. Sure he makes plays with his feet, but that is a very risky proposition to put into your starting QB and a 4th round guy. Players that could have been taken instead include, the afor mentioned QBs, D. McAlister, Jamal Lewis, Tatum Bell, Cedric Benson, A. Boldin, M. Colston, J. Walker, Lee Evans, and Darrell Jackson. That's putting a lot of faith in a guy that only got the Madden Curse, er I mean the cover because Tomlinson didn't want it.

Tony Romo at #72 overall was a surprise as well... I guess it just means people are still drinking the Big Blue Kool Aid. I have him as my 21st QB overall, and he went ahead of my 9-14th ranked QBs. We'll have to see how that one plays out. All I know is I would rather have Kitna (9), than Romo.

The other big surprise in a position is at TE. Tony Gonzalez went 39 overall. He still seems to be living on name recognition. I have him as my 8th ranked TE. His offense is going to be terrible this year, with no real answer at QB, and no WRs to speak of. Tony will be doubled frequently, if not held at the line to block for the weakening O-Line. Gonzo would be a good TE, just not at #39. He belongs in the mid-late rounds with the rest of the TEs these days.

The steal of the draft is going to be Wes Welker. He will get a lot of open looks with Watson, Maroney, Some guy named Moss, and Stallworth flanking all the defenders. Welker could have a better season in NE than he did in Miami.

The Running Back steal of the Draft is LaMont Jordan at #116. He was a top 10 RB last year, and after a season of being in a terrible offense with an OC that was a bed and breakfast owner, people are really down on LaMont. I wouldn't hesitate to have him as my 3rd RB this year, and if his draft slot is any indication, you can easily have him for your 4th RB.

Braylon Edwards was drafted at 117, and I have him as my 17th WR. I may need to rework his slotting because of the QB situation in Cleveland, since Brady Quinn doesn't want to sign. Joe Horn and Mark Clayton were drafted way too early (82, 52). Atlanta could be the worst team in the league, especially with Joey Heatherton throwing the ball, and Baltimore is a run first team, with an ancient QB. I'm staying away from those 2 this year. Mike Furrey also went undrafted this draft. I have him as my 37th WR. Meanwhile, Terry Glenn, my 35th WR went at 53. These are just some oddities that show how far name recognition goes for some people.

Well that is all for this draft. I have a few coming up that I may go over, but I expect many will be similar to this.

Be on the look out for my updated rankings coming in a week or so.

Best of luck to you all this draft season!

Top 25 TEs 2007

Time for the top 25 TEs.

Only the first 10-15 matter, but We're going to do more than we need.


1. Antonio Gates - SD
2. Jeremy Shockey - NYG
3. Todd Heap - BAL
4. Vernon Davis - SF
5. LJ Smith - PHI
6. Alge Crumpler - ATL
7. Ben Watson - NE
8. Tony Gonzalez - KC
9. Kellen Winslow - CLE
10. Randy McMichael - StL
11. Chris Cooley - WAS
12. Heath Miller - PIT
13. Jason Witten - DAL
14. Dallas Clark - IND
15. Owen Daniels - HOU
16. Marcedes Lewis - JAX
17. Greg Olsen - CHI
18 David Martin - MIA
19. Daniel Graham - DEN
20. Tony Sheffler - DEN
21. Visante Shancoe - MIN
22. Leonard Pope - ARI
23. Ben Troupe - TEN
24. Eric Johnson - NO
25. Desmond Clark - CHI


Antonio Gates is head and shoulders above the rest of the TEs. He's the only TE you'd consider drafting in the upper 3 rounds. Everyone else is just details.

Tony Gonzalez is showing up in his lowest ranking in years. This is because of the low hope of the KC Offensive Line. KC doesn't have as good a QB as they used to have. Therefore, Gonzo is expected to stay in and block more than usual. He is still a good choice in the later rounds, but not the top 3 TE he was going into last year.

Everyone else is rather unremarkable. Randy McMichael could enjoy a resurgence in a new town, with a better quarterback. He could be vastly under rated at #10.

Top 50 RBs of 2007

Here we go... Time to list the top 50 RBs heading into this year. Like my QB list, this one should have a few surprises.

So without further ado...

1. Ladanian Tomlinson - SD 2. Steven Jackson - StL
3. Rudi Johnson -CIN 4. Shaun Alexander - SEA
5. Larry Johnson - KC 6. Frank Gore - SF
7. Brian Westbrook - PHI 8. Laurence Maroney - NE
9. Maurice Jones-Drew - Jax 10. Joseph Addai - IND
11. Reggie Bush - NO 12. Ronnie Brown - MIA
13. Willie Parker - PIT 14. Clinton Portis - WAS
15. Thomas Jones - NYJ 16. Marion Barber - DAL
17. Edgerrin James - ARI 18. Cedric Benson - CHI
19. Travis Henry - DEN 20. Willis McGahee - BAL
21. Duece McAlister - NO 22. Brandon Jacobs - NYG
23. Carnell Williams - TB 24. Adrian Peterson -MIN
25. Marshawn Lynch - BUF 26. DeAngelo Williams - CAR
27. Chris Henry - TEN 28. LaMont Jordan - OAK
29. Ahman Green - HOU 30. Jamal Lewis - CLE
31. Chester Taylor - MIN 32. Warrick Dunn - ATL
33. Tatum Bell - DET 34. DeShaun Foster - CAR
35. Jerious Norwood - ATL 36. Julius Jones - DAL
37. Verand Morency - GB 38. Ladell Betts - WAS
39. Fred Taylor - JAX 40. Brandon Jackson - GB
41. Michael Turner - SD 42. Mike Bell - DEN
43. Anthony Thomas - BUF 44. LenDale White - TEN
45. Leon Washington - NYJ 46. Reuben Droughns - NYG
47. TJ Duckett - DET 48. Ron Dayne - HOU
49. Dominic Rhodes - OAK 50. Kevin Jones - DET

LT is the predominate rusher in Fantasy Football. He might not score as many TDs this year, as last, because Phillip Rivers has come into his own. However, he still is the undisputed #1 overall in Fantasy land.

LJ, Last years #2 heading into the preseason, is bumped down to #5. He's still a great player, and heading into a contract year. However, his coach has stated that he is not going to be used as much, his line got worse, his QB got worse, and Michael Bennett could steal some of his 400 carries from last year.

Steven Jackson is this years #2 RB. He does it all in St. Louis. He catches out of the backfield, and rushes more than anyone wants to give him credit for. Since Marshall Faulk went down, Jackson has become the focal point of the offense. Being surrounded by Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, Ike Bruce, and whoever else wants to catch passes, tends to leave Jackson with more running room than most rushers in the NFL.

Brian Westbrook is much like Jackson, in that he does it all, and has a great team surrounding him. He isn't ranked higher because he has a history of injury. However, last year he proved he could handle 90% of the season, which moved him up from the late teens to #8. I have a lot of faith in Westbrook, and wouldn't mind him as a #1 RB, depending where you draft.

The rest of the backs have their reasons for being where they are, if you have any questions, feel free to email me at eikey1729@sbcglobal.net.

Rhodes is 49 because he got himself suspended for 4 games for a DUI in Oaktown shortly after moving out there.
Kevin Jones is currently 50th, because noone knows if he will play this season. If he does play, you would move him closer to Tatum Bell (while moving Bell down). The Detroit backfield could be a complete mess this year, and I'd probably just stay away from it, like I do with Denver's Backfield.

Top 25 QBs of 2007

It's that time, finally. Time to start looking at the player rankings for 2007. I'll start this series by listing my top 25 QBs. I chose 25 because if you are in a 12 team league, like many of you are, then that leaves a starter and a backup for each team. So without further ado, lets get started!

Hopefully these rankings won't scare you too much.

1. Tom Brady - NE
2. Peyton Manning - IND
3. Carson Palmer - CIN
4. Drew Brees - NO
5. Phillip Rivers - SD
6. Donovan McNabb - PHI
7. Marc Bulger - STL
8. Matt Hasselbeck - SEA
9. Jon Kitna - DET
10. Matt Leinart - ARI
11. Jay Cutler - DEN
12. Brett Favre - GB
13. Eli Manning - NYG
14. Michael 'Ron Mexico' Vick - ATL
15. Vince Young - TEN
16. Jake Delhomme - CAR
1 7. Ben Roethlisberger - PIT
18. Chad Pennington - NYJ
19. J.P. Losman - BUF
20. Rex Grossman - CHI
21. Tony Romo - DAL
22. Matt Schaub - HOU
23. Jason Campbell - WAS
24. Byron Leftwich - JAX
25. Steve McNair - BAL

I know it may come as some surprise to see Peyton Manning not listed as the #1 QB, by myself. Many outlets indeed do have the elder Manning as their number 1 QB. I suppose I should attempt to rationalize this. First, I absolutely love what the Patriots have done to their receiving corps this off season. Adding Randy Moss is easily the best reason to bump Brady. However, they also added Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker, as fabulous counterparts to Moss. The receiving corp, has suddenly gotten so swollen that it may be hard to find Troy Brown a spot on this roster. Keep in mind that Brady has a great tight end in Ben Watson, and Laurance Maroney who can catch passes out of the backfield. Without a true 'Goal Line Back' the Patriots could be forced to throw it in from 10 yds out, which is how Peyton Manning got all his touchdowns a few years ago.

Secondly, Peyton Manning's big claim to fame is that he is consistent week to week. Which if you are pulling a mid first round pick, Manning would be a great choice. However, you need to remember that Manning has rarely finished as the number 1 overall fantasy quarterback. Last year he wouldn't have gotten close if McNabb hadn't blown out a knee in week 9. While I appreciate all of Manning's skill and prowess for putting up points, I just don't think that he will be this year's number 1. Harrison is getting older, and was showing signs last year of losing a step. Joseph Addai has to prove that he can handle a full year as the feature back, now that Dominic Rhodes has moved on to Oakland to get a fresh set of DUIs.

Another surprising top 10 guy, is Jon Kitna. This just shows what kind of faith I have in the Mad Scientists offense. Kitna was among the leaders in yardage last year. He just needs some more TDs to go with it. Calvin Johnson, and Roy Williams should be all the Lions need to bolster those numbers. Also the Detroit running game looks dismal at best, with Kevin Jones, not likely to do anything special after Lis Franc surgery on his foot. Tatum Bell, TJ Duckett, and Shawn Bryson really aren't going to strike fear into the hearts of defenses, but they may be respectable enough to keep defenses from playing the pass too much. Also Detroit gets to play the Vikings Secondary twice, so that should help.

Five more QBs to keep an eye on.
1. Trent Green - MIA
2. Damon Huard - KC
3. Brady Quinn - CLE
4. Jeff Garcia - TB
5. Tarvaris Jackson - MIN

Green got an off season relocation to Miami. There he will have better receivers to throw to, and a decent running game to back him up. Green has also been among the league leaders before 2006, when he got his bell rung and missed most of the season. The knock this year on Green, is that Miami's O-Line isn't all that great. It could protect him well enough, but all it did last year is get Daunte Cullpepper nearly killed. Trent is just one good hit away from being knocked into retirement, so if you need a late round flier on a proven commodity, Green might be your man.

Damon Huard, Green's replacement is penciled in as the starter in KC. However, word out of Arrowhead is that the Chief's will do everything they can to make Brodie Croyle the starter. Huard proved last year that he is capable of handling the starter's gig. He played well enough to support fantasy teams, but not well enough to star. He does have Larry Johnson, who should put up fantastic numbers again this year, regardless of the troubles that have gone on with their O-Line. Although, if Croyle wins the job, don't expect Johnson or the Chief's to do anything fantastic this year.

Brady Quinn, has the weapons on Offense to do so damage, and a rebuilt O-Line to protect him. However, being a rookie, he needs to prove it in camp. Quinn would also be helped out with a running game. The Browns currently have no one of name, unless you think an old Jamal Lewis is going to regain his prior form. Quinn also needs to be able to beat out Charlie Frye to win the job, which could pose a bit of a challenge to the rookie. Most pundits seem to think that that won't be too hard. Look for Quinn to be one of the more surprising players this year.

Jeff Garcia - He should win the job in Tampa. Even though he has a sub-par offensive line. A running back coming off of a disappointing 2nd year, and a group of under performing wide outs. Will he be able to reproduce the magic that made him millions coming out of Philly? Doubtful. But he's good enough to keep an eye on.

Tarvaris Jackson - Umm.... He's the starter in Minnesota. That's worth something. His wide outs aren't stellar, but he does have a terrific running game with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. Plus Jackson can move a little when pressure is on. His O-Line SHOULD be the best in the league this year, after a year of gelling all the new parts together. However, he is from a small school, and didn't do anything last year to prove he's worthy of fantasy consideration. Like Garcia, he's just a guy to keep an eye on should your drafted QBs falter or get hurt.

Likely to go BUST in the night -

1. JaMarcus Russel - OAK - Rookie, bad offense, another new young coach. Could be the worst #1/#1 since Ryan Leaf.
2. Steve McNair - BAL - Old, losing his trick, can't run anymore. No targets to throw at that stay healthy. McGahee ain't going to save the ground game either.
3. Tony Romo - DAL - Was the media darling for 4 games. Then defenses figured him out. Throw in the fact that the last time we saw him on the field, he was crying. I don't see him doing much of anything this year.
4. Brett Favre - GB - Just a flat out wild card. Favre is always planning on retiring, but never goes through with it. He had a decent season last year, but is only one season away from setting an INT mark. He has good young WRs, but no ground game to speak of. He could be great this year, or he could be awful. That's the chance you take with the gunslinger from cheddar town.
5. Chad Pennington - NYJ - Chad had a decent year last year, only because nobody expected it. He is accurate, but still has a wet noodle for an arm. Thomas Jones should take pressure off Pennington, leading to lower overall numbers for Chad. He could be a serviceable backup, or he might not get out of the Preseason. Such is the chance you take with the leader of Gang Green.



There you have it, my predictions on the QBs this season. If you have any comments, criticisms, concerns, or questions, feel free to email me at eikey1729@yahoo.com . There is a direct link on the side bar of this blog. Hope you all have a great season!

Be on the look out for my top 50 RBs coming soon!