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Note: The 2008 League
Homepage is
here. Feel free to check this page out to see who's doing well,
who's getting picked up, started, etc. during the season.
FantasyGuru.com
Magazine Expert League
Once again, we’re putting up a Big-Screen TV for the winner to
create interest in the league – both from a consumer and participant
perspective. In reality, we fully understand that this is just
another “Expert League” that the fans may not lose much sleep over,
so our primary goal with this league is to keep the owners
interested and motivated. If they are, then it’s a league that can
serve as a valuable model for our subscribers and readers in terms
of seeing who’s being drafted when, who’s getting picked up and
dropped, etc.
Several years ago, we switched to an overall record format with no playoffs, and the results continue to be positive: The best team in the league has won the last three years. Last year, we took the luck equation out of the league even more by awarding an extra win to the top-six teams each week. So in theory, the winning team of this league could go 34-0. Andy Richardson of Fantasy Index didn’t hit that mark, but he came close, finishing at 25-3. We represented fairly well at 21-8, but it wasn’t good enough to deny the other experts the Big Screen TV.
Here’s how the teams in for 2007 stacked up:
- Fantasy Index – 25-3-0, 2,266 points
- Footballinjuries.com – 21-9-0, 2,342 points
- FootballDiehards.com – 21-6-0, 2,117 points
- Patrick Thomas (FG.com subscriber contest winner) 22-4-0, 2,181 points
- FantasyGuru.com – 21-8-0, 2,180 points
- Foxsports – 16-9-0, 2,004 points
- Yahoo! Sports – 15-9-0, 1,999 points
- CBS Sports - 14-11-0, 1,981 points
- KFFL – 13-9-0, 1,896 points
- The Huddle – 11-11-0, 1,957 points
- Fanball – 12-11-0, 1,787 points
- Fantasy Sports Magazine – 7-12-0, 1,723 points
As usual, the draft was held in May, and since it’s so early in the game, we did only the first 14 rounds for the purposes of this magazine. Owners were, however, required to draft a complete starting lineup: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 Flex, 1 TE, 1 PK, and 1 DT. We’ll reconvene in August to finish up the final six rounds, and we’ll, of course, play this thing out all year, so feel free to follow the action.
Here’s this year’s cast of drafters, in order of their draft positions, along with some commentary:
Dave Richard, CBS Sportsline
What pick did you get the most value with?
Anytime you can get the best quarterback in football with a third-round pick, regardless of the league rules, you’re doing well. Interestingly enough, this is the second time I’ll have Peyton Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson on the same team.
What was your biggest mistake?
After falling apart in this league last year, I made it a point to study up and be prepared for this draft. That said, the only pick I made that I question was the Jaguars DST over the Giants DST. Sacks counting for just one point apiece factored into that decision.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
I’m a big fan of the upside of John Hansen’s FantasyGuru.com team. Not many thin spots, especially at receiver, where he managed to grab Braylon Edwards and Marques Colston. As usual, John will be a tough out in this league.
Emil Kadlec, FootballDiehards.com
What pick did you get the most value with?
Snagging Marc Bulger in the 9th round and getting sleeper Matt Leinart in the 11th will provide excellent value. Bulger was the 11th quarterback taken, and three more QBs went in the ninth round after my pick, an indication I waited as long as I could to get my starting QB. By the start of the 11th round, 17 quarterbacks had been taken, so I decided to take a chance on Leinart, who has the opportunity and supporting cast to be a top-10 quarterback (provided he can stay clear of cell-phone cameras).
What was your biggest mistake?
With the PPR scoring, perhaps at picks 2.11 and 3.02 I should have taken wide receivers and then followed up with a running back at 4.11.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
KFFL is loaded at RB, and if they can get wide receivers Donald Driver and Santonio Holmes to produce, they should do very well.
Brandon Funston, Yahoo! Sports
What pick did you get the most value with?
I was pretty
pleased to get
Ronnie Brown
in the third round as the 16th running back off the
board. His ACL rehab is going well, and
What was your biggest mistake?
It wasn't so much of a mistake, but I just wasn't in the right pick slot to get Ronnie Brown's backup, Ricky Williams. He went at pick #89, which was a little higher than I expected. Having Brown, who is recovering from that ACL injury, I would have felt much better with a Williams handcuff. Hoping that he would be there at my pick #99 overall was, apparently, a little too optimistic.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
Hate to come across as a brown nose here, but I like Hansen's FantasyGuru.com team out of the rest of the pack. Forte was a RB that I had targeted – I really like his upside to go with Addai and Maroney in the backfield. He also has two studs at WR in Edwards and Colston. And he left no obvious holes at any of the positions – nice balance.
Michael Fabiano, NFL.com
What pick did you get the most value with?
It was difficult to
find value at running back and wide receiver due to the immense run
on both positions, so I’d have to say QB Derek
What was your biggest mistake?
I might have made two mistakes: drafting Greg Jennings and Marvin Harrison. I’m not exactly enamored with either of them this season, but the run at the wide receiver position forced my hand. I was hoping to land Santonio Holmes, Anquan Boldin and/or Roy Williams instead, but all three went ahead of me in Round 4.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
I’m not sure there is a clear-cut favorite after the draft. Much like the actual NFL, this league seems to have great parity. I do like Yahoo’s team, but I think this will be a very competitive league overall.
John Hansen, FantasyGuru.com
What pick did you get the most value with?
I actually didn’t get any great values in this draft, but Laurence Maroney might be a bargain. He has some issues, for sure, especially in a PPR league, but getting the “starting” back in the potent Patriot offense in the 4th round was pretty decent.
What was your biggest mistake?
I liked my draft a lot, so my biggest mistake was not handcuffing my top-two backs, Joseph Addai and Laurence Maroney. I planned to, but both Dominic Rhodes and Sammy Morris went a little earlier than I expected.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
He’s a little thin at WR, but that’s the price you pay to get Antonio Gates. I like Caplan’s footballinjuries.com team.
Adam Caplan, Footballinjuries.com
What pick did you get the most value with?
Probably with Donovan McNabb in the seventh round. To get a starter there who could throw 25-30 TDs if he stays healthy is a steal. The only drawback is his injury history, which suggests those who select McNabb should draft a solid backup who could fill in for 4-5 games if needed.
What was your biggest mistake?
Probably
selecting
Ahman Green
in the eighth round instead of
DeAngelo Williams,
who has more upside. It really came down to role and not knowing
exactly how
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
Probably the Yahoo! team, which has very good balance and depth at running back and wide receiver. This is the one team that really doesn't have a true weakness, so they would be my favorite at this point.
Andy Richardson, Fantasy Index
What pick did you get the most value with?
Probably one of my creaky old veterans, Edgerrin James or Alge Crumpler. James is 30, but he's still a featured starter with little competition for carries. Crumpler's a top-10 TE on our board, making him an easy pick in the 14th.
What was your biggest mistake?
Judging by when the
rest of the defenses went, I probably shouldn't have taken the
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
Not to seem ingratiating, but I guess the FantasyGuru team. Mostly because on several occasions he snagged the player I was about to draft two picks before me, specifically Marques Colston and Dallas Clark. I like The Huddle's team quite a bit, too.
William
What pick did you get the most value with?
We took Houston Texans running back Chris Brown, who will back up Ahman Green. However, Green has missed extensive time two of the last three years and hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2003. He will not make it through the season healthy, and Brown will supplant him. The team is deep at running back, but they did not bring in Brown because they believe in the others. Rather, they are not proven, and Brown, when healthy, is.... a big "if," but we like the pick.
What was your biggest mistake?
Philadelphia Eagles wideout Reggie Brown was our mistake. We wanted Dallas Cowboys’ Patrick Crayton as our #3 and missed out. While Brown has upside, there’s nothing exciting about the Eagle receivers when history has shown they rarely come through.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
I like Footballdiehards.com’s team. I don’t agree with every pick, but it was great value with St. Louis Ram quarterback Marc Bulger. I like his three top running backs - all better than average - and he has an extremely deep wideout corps. He rounds it out with a top tight end in the Kansas City Chiefs' Tony Gonzalez, and he has set himself up with an explosive squad.
David Dorey, The Huddle
What pick did you get the most value with?
I really liked the rookie Kevin Smith at the 6.04 since he will be a full-time starter in an offense that is being redesigned around the rushing game. Tatum Bell is no real threat, so in the sixth round, I love my flex RB. There were no other starters left when I got to him.
What was your biggest mistake?
I probably should have taken a tight end earlier, but tight ends are deep this year, and McMichael has plenty of upside in an Al Saunders’ offense. I would have been better off skipping Mendenhall at the 8.04 and taking Jeremy Shockey or Owen Daniels, instead. I may still be okay, though.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
I would most want to have John Hansen’s team because he has nice balance and upside in almost every pick. Plus, he snapped several players I was targeting, which always hurts. Colston and Edwards are top notch, and Addai and Palmer just have to keep up what they do already. His team is as balanced as any other.
Tom Kessenich, Fantasy Sports Magazine
What pick did you get the most value with?
I think Reggie Bush in the second round of a PPR league is a huge value. Yes he’s struggled running the ball, but the one thing he will do is catch a ton of passes. As a RB2 in a PPR league, I think that is a huge asset to have.
What was your biggest mistake?
I probably waited a little longer to get a top-flight TE than I should have. I think Daniels is solid but I don’t see him as a top-5 TE, and given how weak I believe that position is this year, having a top-5 TE is a nice value.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
I think RotoWorld did a real good job of drafting. He’ll have to make sure he gets his QBBC right each week, but he has solid depth at RB and his WR corps is terrific. That’s a very strong team.
Greg Rosenthal, Rotoworld
What pick did you get the most value with?
I was happy to get a true starting running back in LenDale White in the sixth round. Since this was a PPR league, I focused on getting consistent reception targets early. In a watered-down year for running backs, it was still possible to draft White and Thomas Jones outside the top-55 picks. They won't get most owners excited, but they are likely to top 300 carries in a season with a lot of committees.
What was your biggest mistake?
Other than getting knocked offline twice and holding up the draft? I wanted a better QB2. I am confident that Jay Cutler will be the breakout quarterback of this season, but a stronger backup would have made sense before taking a luxury sleeper pick like Ahmad Bradshaw.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
I like Footballinjuries.com’ team. They are a tad thin at receiver, but they drafted great value across positions.
Roger Rotter, Fox Sports
What pick did you get the most value with?
Drafting proven
veteran
Jamal Lewis
in the explosive Browns offense with the last pick of Round 3 at
#36. He was the sixth-best RB in this scoring system last season.
Also drafting
What was your biggest mistake?
My biggest judgment call was to draft Larry Johnson-Terrell Owens 1-2 instead of Tom Brady-LJ. In a reception league that counts four points for a passing score (instead of six), I wanted to be sure to take one of the top wideouts. I still finished with Matt Hasselbeck and Philip Rivers as my quarterbacks, a solid trio of RBs of LJ, Lewis and big-play rookie Jones, a sound, proven WR trio of TO, Bernard Berrian and Deion Branch and a top TE Jason Witten.
Other than you, who's the team to beat?
The Huddle has a talented lineup of a top QB, three solid RBs and three sound WRs, and FantasyGuru.com is solid at all six positions.
Rosters
Check the out
here:
http://football27.myfantasyleague.com/2008/options?L=37297&O=07
The Draft
You can also see the
draft report online here:
http://football27.myfantasyleague.com/2008/options?L=37297&O=17
|
Owner |
Round 1 |
Round 2 |
Round 3 |
Round 4 |
|
CBS Sportsline |
LaDai Tomlinson |
Larry Fitzgerald -> |
Julius Jones -> |
|
|
FootballDiehards.com |
Adrian Peterson |
Earnest Graham |
T.J.Houshmandzadeh |
Calvin Johnson |
|
Yahoo! Sports |
Steven Jackson |
Steve Smith |
Michael Turner |
|
|
NFL.com |
Brian Westbrook |
Darren McFadden |
|
|
|
FantasyGuru.com |
||||
|
Footballinjuries.com |
Frank Gore |
Willis McGahee |
Brandon Marshall |
|
|
Fantasy Index |
Randy Moss |
Maurice Jones-Drew |
Drew Brees |
|
|
KFFL |
Brandon Jacobs |
|||
|
The Huddle |
Marshawn Lynch |
Reggie Wayne |
Tony Romo |
Jonathan Stewart |
|
Fantasy Sports Magazine |
Ryan Grant |
Torry Holt |
Plaxico Burress |
|
|
Rotoworld |
|
Andre Johnson |
Wes Welker |
|
|
Fox Sports |
Jamal Lewis -> |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Owner |
Round 5 |
Round 6 |
Round 7 |
Round 8 |
|
CBS Sportsline |
Kellen Winslow |
Dwayne Bowe -> |
Chris Chambers |
|
|
FootballDiehards.com |
Lee Evans |
Travis Henry |
Derrick Mason |
|
|
Yahoo! Sports |
Roddy White |
Chris Cooley |
Laveranues Coles |
|
|
NFL.com |
Justin Fargas |
|||
|
FantasyGuru.com |
|
Matt Forte |
|
|
|
Footballinjuries.com |
Willie Parker |
Kevin Curtis |
||
|
Fantasy Index |
Jerricho Cotchery |
Chris Johnson |
Joey Galloway |
|
|
KFFL |
Rudi Johnson |
Todd Heap |
||
|
The Huddle |
Hines Ward |
Javon Walker |
Rashard Mendenhall |
|
|
Fantasy Sports Magazine |
Ben Roethlisberger |
Fred Taylor |
Bobby Engram |
Anthony Gonzalez |
|
Rotoworld |
Santana Moss |
|||
|
Fox Sports |
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Owner |
Round 9 |
Round 10 |
Round 11 |
Round 12 |
|
CBS Sportsline |
Jerious |
Nate Burleson -> |
Jake Delhomme |
|
|
FootballDiehards.com |
Jerry Porter |
Jabar Gaffney |
||
|
Yahoo! Sports |
David Garrard |
Ray Rice |
Ronald Curry |
Steve Slaton |
|
NFL.com |
Cedric Benson |
Deuce McAllister |
Donte Stallworth |
Greg Olsen |
|
FantasyGuru.com |
Isaac Bruce |
Justin Gage |
Tony Scheffler |
|
|
Footballinjuries.com |
Vincent Jackson |
Aaron Rodgers |
Sidney Rice |
|
|
Fantasy Index |
|
Eli Manning |
Heath Miller |
Leon Washington |
|
KFFL |
|
Vince Young |
Roydell Williams |
|
|
The Huddle |
Matt Schaub |
Randy McMichael |
Reggie Williams |
Warrick Dunn |
|
Fantasy Sports Magazine |
Maurice Morris |
Kevin Walter |
Jon Kitna |
|
|
Rotoworld |
|
Jason Campbell |
Drew Bennett |
|
|
Fox Sports |
Selvin Young |
Jamaal Charles -> |
Darrell Jackson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Owner |
Round 13 |
Round 14 |
|
|
|
CBS Sportsline |
|
Jason Hanson |
|
|
|
FootballDiehards.com |
|
Phil Dawson |
|
|
|
Yahoo! Sports |
Ted Ginn |
Josh Scobee |
|
|
|
NFL.com |
|
Robbie Gould |
|
|
|
FantasyGuru.com |
|
Josh Brown |
|
|
|
Footballinjuries.com |
|
Shayne Graham |
|
|
|
Fantasy Index |
Nate Kaeding |
|
|
|
|
KFFL |
Mason Crosby |
|
|
|
|
The Huddle |
|
Adam Vinatieri |
|
|
|
Fantasy Sports Magazine |
|
Nick Folk |
|
|
|
Rotoworld |
S Gostkowski |
|
|
|
|
Fox Sports |
|
Rob Bironas |
|
|