My Brady Quinn list

For all those that watched the draft you can surmise what the Brady Quinn theory is. A guy with perceived talent plummets down the draft board because almost all teams have an uneasy feeling about him and can't bring themselves to pull the trigger.

This year will be my first venture into a points per reception format. I am still a little uneasy about the prospects. I was able to pull myself away from the riveting Dolphins/Chiefs preseason game long enough to crunch some numbers. What I found was both shocking and disturbing. I know every year is a different but looking over the 2006 totals in a PPR format I was surprised to see that Brian Westbrook was the #4 RB in total scoring. Are you kidding? I get that some people are enamored with his all around game but he is one of those guys on my list. You know what I'm talking about. Every fantasy rube has a small list of players that for whatever reason they just refuse to draft. Forever now to be know as my Brady Quinn list. For some it's players from a rival team and for others it's just a gut feeling. I bear no ill will towards the Eagles but for some reason or another the top two people on my "will not draft" list are Westbrook and McNabb. I cannot explain this phenomenon other than to say if you are in my league and are hoping that one of those two will fall to you I assure you I will not be sniping you and dashing your hopes and dreams. So I really started thinking and discovered that I have a few more players that although have huge fantasy potential, I could never have them on my team. I did a mock draft and found that even at pick #7 I would pass on Gore and Westbrook. I know it sounds crazy and all the people that have Gore kool-aid packets think I'm an idiot but this guy is one cut away from ACL tear #3! It would be like me wasting a high first round pick on Terry Allen or Robert Edwards (remember him?...damn pro bowl). And then their is that Cowboys receiver who doesn't deserve to be named. I understand he led the league in TD receptions last year but I wouldn't take him unless he was sitting on the board in round 6. This is my personal opinion but I would much rather have guys I want to cheer for as I am watching the ticket on Sundays. Which brings me to Donald Driver. I just cannot cheer for the Packers to do anything so it's very counterproductive for me to be rooting against my own player.

This may be the most pointless posting yet but hey, I've got the time. But think about it, you know in your heart of hearts that you have a small list of players that regardless of the round, you just can't bring yourself to pull the trigger. Such is my fate as I play the guy with Driver and he goes for 100 and 3 scores against the Vikings. Oh well, at least now I have an excuse for losing. Go Patriots! RIP Scott.

Fairwell to a friend

I lost a good friend in the tragic bridge collapse here in Minneapolis. Not only was he a good friend but he was a good person. As is painfully obvious by the fact that I write a blog to myself, I may get a bit carried away with fantasy football. Scott was fully aware of my insanity because immediately after the Superbowl I would bring up prospects for next years fantasy season. He too was a fantasy rube but he spread out his love between Nascar, golf and football. Despite the fact that I feel I know everything I would often seek out his opinion on all things fantasy and life. He was always good about sharing his opinion and more often than not, you agreed with him. It's hard to explain to those people that weren't close to him how good of a guy he really was. It is still weird showing up for work each day and not seeing his car parked in the exact same spot every single day. It's weird not being able to get away from my desk when I'm stressed and have someone willing to put up with my inane ramblings. I have unfortunately lost a few friends too soon in this life and I hope this will be the last. Believe me it doesn't get easier with experience. Scott's place in my fantasy league will be preserved forever. He had the pick right before me and I know he had a bead on my rankings so maybe I can get a better team since a shrewd fantasy mind will no longer be with us. To anyone who actually reads this, pray for his family that they recover his body soon so we can all get some closure. Go Patriots, Go Scott!

Mock drafts

So this year more than ever I have participated in some mock drafts on a few of the different sites that offer them. My opinion after doing about a dozen is that they are garbage. Each mock draft has a few major flaws that cannot be avoided. You are always set into a fake league that assigns draft spots or lets you pick whatever is still available. The ones where you are randomly assigned are the worst. You always get a handful of the those of kids you hated growing up. You know the ones, they take their ball and go home if things don't go their way. So these guys jump into the draft and see that they are at the back of the first round and leave so the computer drafts for them. Well I wish my league was me drafting against a computer because a computer picks the worst teams ever. Lets throw ESPN under the bus. I went into a mock and put myself on auto pick for 2 drafts. The results were scary. In the first one the computer selected a QB in 3 of the first 5 rounds. WTF!!! My first RB was selected in round 6. Talk about do the opposite. I dismissed this as a fluke and went in again. In the second computer controlled draft my team selected a TE 3 rounds in a row. And not rounds 10-12 but rounds 4, 5 and 6. Are you kidding me? I would rather take Daniel Graham in the last round than take one TE before round 5. So how are these labeled mocks? Unless you draft in a league with the cast of The Ringer you aren't going to get a top ten WR in the 5Th round because other teams are drafting 3 QBs and TEs. So if you are basing you predictions off of these mockdrafts I would like to form a league and you are invited to join. That's enough ranting for today, back to work. Go Patriots!

Draft season

I am returning from hiatus to explore some the excitement of draft season. As we each approach or upcoming season we feel the hope and promise of championships past. But what is the right strategy to ensure success? I don't know if anyone has the right formula because after all it's fantasy and only the really players can control the stats the earn for our make believe lineups. For the first time ever I think I am hoping to earn a spot at the back of the first round of my ten man league. Besides the top two RBs I don't know who I see as having the blowup year. I guessed right with Willie Parker last year but no one is really grabbing me right now. Of course LJ could be huge but I just have so many questions about the people around him. And people love Frank Gore but he's on borrowed time and due to blow out a knee at any minute. Plus, I can't draft a guy that early that may or may not even reach double digit scores. Sure Tiki was great as a yardage monster but the only time I ever drafted him was when he fell to me in one of my leagues at the 11th pick. So the money from most people right now is on Joseph Addai. Can I see 1500 and 15 TDs from him? Absolutely! Can I see 1200 an 9 TDs because Peyton Throws for 40 scores? You bet! So if I end up at #3 I would dance with the girl who brung me here. I have gone roll tide for 5 straight years and only once did I leave feeling unsatisfied. So Shaun Alexander is my horse after LT and Jackson. I don't see anything less than 1300 and 16 TDs. That's an off year for Alexander and I'll take that all day.

But if I get my wish and get pick #8 I think I'll get huge quality at my #1 RB and my #1 or #2 WR which this year is critical because I don't see nearly as much depth at the #1 WR spot. In a perfect work Alexander gets overlooked and falls to me but that is not likely so if I get Parker or the playoff friendly schedule of Rudi Johnson at 8 and then pull Smith or Holt on the way back I'll be happier than a sailor in a Thai whore house.

I'll be finding ou my draft slot soon so I'll be back to piss and moan about how I got screwed and ask for guidance from the 2 people that read this blog and think it sucks. Go Patriots!