Forum: foot
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Subject: RIFC 2006: Draft rationales #4 (rds 19-24)

  Posted by: Guru - [330592710] Sat, Aug 26, 2006, 19:38
Continuing for RIFC draft rounds 19-24.

Rationales for round 1-6

Rationales for round 7-12

Rationales for round 13-18

 
1For Hubble
      ID: 59652217
      Sat, Aug 26, 2006, 21:26 		19.01 Ben Taylor, LB, GNB
I wanted Ian Gold here... I needed another LB to complete my "starting" IDP squad. I just looked at stats on this one, trying to get the most constant LB left on the board.
 
2For GoatLocker
      ID: 59652217
      Sat, Aug 26, 2006, 21:27 		19.02 Michael Boulware, DB, Sea
Targeted him to help during my Bye weeks on IDP. I really like the change from Linebacker to safety. I also think he has great Playmaking abilities and can cause turnovers. Think he is well worth the pick at this point in time.
 
3For leggestand
      ID: 59652217
      Sat, Aug 26, 2006, 21:28 		19.03 Kerry Rhodes, DB, NYJ
Ho hum. Nothing special about him, just a barely known Safety that gets a bunch of tackles. I was also looking at Rhodes when I picked Bob Sanders two rounds ago, so, I am glad I was able to get him.

Round 19 values: Not much really. If I had to pick, probably Micheal Huff.

 
4I_AM_CANADIAN
      ID: 59652217
      Sat, Aug 26, 2006, 21:29 		19.04 John Abraham, DL, ATL
I always try to hold back for value with this position. Drafted as the 8th DL...127pics after the first one went off the board. Holding off till the 17th round on Strahan last year landed me a player that performed in the Top4. Abraham's move to Atlanta is seen as a positive one; and should he manage to stay healthy, is a consensus top10 (or better).
 
5Athletics Guy
      ID: 167191017
      Sat, Aug 26, 2006, 23:33 		19.05 Atlanta Falcons Defense

I wanted to get another defense just in case the Cowboys don't get it done for me. Plus with 2 defenses, I can torture myself by agonizing over starting the wrong defense every week and seeing my team plummet in the standings because of it. Woohoo!
 
6The Beezer
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 00:13 		19.06 Tony Fisher, RB, STL



Same reasoning as behind Bennett - Fisher is the clear backup (or at least he was until the rumors about Stephen Davis) and would be in a solid opportunity if the unthinkable happens to SJax. He's got good hands so he could see a few passes in the meantime, but he won't see the light of day in all likelihood.
 
7TB
      Sherpa
      ID: 031811922
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 12:27 		For culdeus
19.07 Nick Collins, DB, GNB

I think this was a queue pick. Sort of like this pick as Collins has the potential for major tackles this year and some pics. Not a week to week starter for me, but might fill in some against primarily passing teams.
 
8TB
      Sherpa
      ID: 031811922
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 12:27 		For valkyrie
19.08 Stephon Davis, RB, STL

This is an interesting gamble as he is still unsigned- if he signs with St Louis he could steal Goal line carries from S. Jackson or even get an expanded role as Jackson has never carried the load for 16 game before. The mere fact that the Rams purportedly offered him a contract makes me hope he can play somewhere? Maybe some upside for a #4 RB.
 
9TB
      Sherpa
      ID: 031811922
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 12:28 		19.09 Bobby Engram, WR, SEA

In a league that is required to start three WR it doesn't hurt to have depth at the position, especially when you don't have a top 10 guy and the best receiver you do have is struggling with hammy issues. I haven't drafted a receiver in 6 rounds, but it is a very deep position. I am sure there will be a few undrafted players that leave a mark this season. Engram is a consistent player who puts up decent numbers. He is listed as the #3 WR for the Seahawks but he has the potential to put up WR#2 numbers. He has looked great this preseason and is a target that Hasselbeck is very comfortable throwing to.
 
10youngroman
      ID: 3751268
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 12:48 		19.10 Antoine Winfield, DB, MIN
thought about Engram here, but TB picked him minutes ago.

because of the crappy MIN defense I expect that even the defense backs should be able to tackle a lot. Winfield comes into the picture and fits that bill. I see him produce similar stats to Madieu Williams whom I picked 3 rounds ago.

with my 7th IDP I think that I have finalized drafting them. all other IDPs that I need for week 7 and 8 will possibly come from waivers.
 
11for Guru
      ID: 2192327
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 12:50 		19.11 Will Smith, DL, NOR
Finally decided to fill my starting DL slot.

I don’t know much about Will Smith, other than that I loved him in Independence Day, Men in Black, and Wild, Wild, West. Those pundits who proclaim to know more about him seem to think he’s worth drafting now. So I’ll defer to them. I also like that his bye isn’t until week 7.

 
12for Doug
      ID: 2192327
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 12:51 		19.12 Michael Huff, DB, OAK
OAKie-dokie, it's time to draft a DB (and a homer pick to boot!). Lots of potential for playmaking here, and hopefully the pass rush helps to provide a few more INT opportunities to our secondary. Go Raiders! Happy to finally have one on my squad.
 
13Motley Crue
      ID: 2192327
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 12:51 		19.13 Bryant Johnson, WR, ARI

If there is a backup WR that could potentially step in and have a lot of fantasy value, it’s Bryant Johnson. Given the prolific passing paradigm in Arizona, I think it’s safe to conjecture that Bryant could be a 1,000 yard receiver if either Fitzgerald or Boldin goes down with an injury. In the meantime, Johnson had about 400 yards last year out of the Z spot. He’s been listed as a PR and KR in a few places I’ve looked, so I see him as a potentially valuable player in our scoring format.

This is another longshot but if I can hit on one of those at the WR position, that’s real trade bait for me down the line. And I’ll probably target a few other WR’s because of that.
 
14For s_R
      ID: 2192327
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 13:18 		19.14 Ron Dayne, RB, Den
Dayne is the No. 3 man behind the Bells, but in Denver
whoever the hot running back is, that's the player that will be carrying the ball.

20.01 Shayne Graham, K, Cin
Graham has improved his point totals in every one of the past three seasons with a career FG accuracy rate of 84.2 percent.
The Bengals offense make Graham an attractive option.
 
15Motley Crue
      ID: 2192327
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 13:18 		20.02 Champ Bailey, DB, DEN

I didn’t want to do this because he’s on the same team and with the same bye week as Darrent Williams. But as more and more DB’s were selected and the available players list got shorter and shorter, Champ stood out as the best available DB, by a long shot. It’s clear he’s the captain of the Denver defense and his skills are unparalleled in the secondary. He may face a statistical drought on occasion due to opposing teams avoiding throwing at him, but he’ll more than make up for that with a few great games throughout the course of the season.

Presents fun issues for me in Week 4, but really, how fun would fantasy football be if you weren’t forced to waive players you want to wait around on just to fill out your starting lineup?
 
16TB
      Sherpa
      ID: 031811922
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 13:27 		For Doug
20.03 Sean Taylor, DB, WAS
Another hard-hitting safety who can make plays... I felt the remaining DBs and LBs were about equal, so grabbed a DB #2 first in order to provide bye-week coverage. Of course, waivers could end up changing all that. Who knows. But he's also just one of those players who I enjoy watching on the field (off the field, mmm, not so much) and I like to draft players like that whenever I can... I've probably stated this fact ad nauseum. It's not about just picking guys you like, but more making that the "tiebreaker" when you truly don't have any one player who stands out as your best pick at the time.
 
17TB
      Sherpa
      ID: 031811922
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 13:27 		For Guru
20.04 LaVar Arrington, LB, NYG
A speculative pick, but that’s what the late rounds are for. I could have filled my kicker slot instead, but I’ll wait another round for that, as the next 10 kickers are all projected to produce an average pts/game in the 7s.

Arrington is on a new team, and should be motivated to show that he’s still got it. The biggest concern is his knees. At this point, he’s only expected to fill in for bye weeks, and as such I would not start him until week #6, unless he shows me that I should be starting him sooner.

 
18TB
      Sherpa
      ID: 031811922
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 13:28 		For youngroman
20.05 Derrick Blaylock, RB, NYJ
he looked good thus far and it seems that he can take away some of the carries from Kevan Barlow. The late bye also makes him a good filler for all of my other backs. With the 6th RB my RB-corp is complete and at full strength, unless a coach finds a 2nd Mike Bell and promotes an undrafted player to a starting role.
 
19TB
      Sherpa
      ID: 031811922
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 13:29 		20.06 Minnesota Vikings Defense

14 teams in the league. If half the teams draft a second defense, there isn't much left available for the bye week, to play match-ups, or to replace my initial pick if they stink. I looked at the SOS and like how the Vikings and Redskins schedules work together. One or the other seems to have a favorable match-up on most weeks. Hopefully having two decent defenses can work out as good as having one stud defense.
 
21Valkyrie
      ID: 507242617
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 18:11 		20.07 Eric Johnson, TE, SF

When you wait until round 20 to draft a TE you take what you can get- I am not unhappy with Johnson at pick # 273.
 
22For culdeus
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 18:44 		20.08 Leroy Hill, LB, SEA

And everydown LB in a new role. Might pan out, might flop. The LBs were stripped pretty bare and I'll need some by week fillers pretty fast so I just basically took one of the last guys that could give everydown production. Meh.
 
23The Beezer
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 18:45 		20.09 Jason Elam, K, DEN



At this point, I don't see myself sacrificing a whole lot of sleepers if I go another direction, so I figured I might as well grab my top PK on the board while he was still out there. Lots of things can change from year to year in the kicking game, but one thing that doesn't is that Denver is still a mile high when at home, so Elam will get all the long field goals he can handle. His 129 real life points scored last year shows no signs of slowing down.
 
24For AG
      ID: 59652217
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 23:40 		20.10 Duce Staley, RB, PIT

There are some rumors floating around that Duce Staley may end up back in Philadelphia with his former team. This would increase Staley's value dramatically, since Westbrook has not proven himself to be very durable. By being Westbrook's backup, I can see him starting a couple games. If Staley ends up staying in Pittsburgh, he might not even be backing up Parker. So I might just drop him then.
 
25I_AM_CANADIAN
      ID: 59652217
      Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 23:40 		20.11 Justin Miller, DB, NYJ
Won a starting CB job for the Jets, and should see improved Tackle and PD #s, although that's not my interest in him... 2nd half #s from last year (week 9 on)… 9FP/G… due mainly to KR/PR duties (expected to continue). All that said... I got him as the 29th DB selected, and yet he (in limited play) ranked 22nd in our scoring last year.
 
26leggestand
      Leader
      ID: 451036518
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 09:35 		20.12 Vernon Davis, TE, SF

One of the best draft decisions in the history of the RIFC was made by MC in the first season - he took a chance on Gates as a late round flier. With Gates and Gonzo, he was able to trade one of them for two WR's and win the championship. Last season, Guru was also able to win the championship with Gates.

So, why Davis? He is a freak of nature with tons of raw skills. He doesn't appear ready to contribute yet, but if he does start getting close to Gates type stats later in the season, it would end up being a steal.

Round 20 values: Champ Bailey. He had been on my "possiblity" lists for multiple rounds, and I was hoping to get him.
 
27for GoatLocker
ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:40 		20.13 Cincinnati Bengals Defense
Waited and waited on a defense and am very happy with getting the Bengals in the 20th round.
2004 and 2005 they ranked 5th ad 6th in fantasy team defense.
With the addition of Sam Adams, I see nothing but improvement on those numbers.
Just hoping that I am right.
I really do like the way they look.

 
28for Hubble
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:41 		20.14 Lawrence Tynes, K, KAN

Although i would prefer L.J. to score a TD on every possession, i know this won't happen. So, i guess having a decent kicker in a good offense i a safe as a 20th rounder can be. I feel comfortable with this pick it does worth a little reach as the 6th kicker taken. I could have waited the 21th round to get him... but who would i fool? This would have been thye next pick...
 
29for Hubble
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:41 		21.01 James Darling, LB, ARI

Can't remember why i took him... i was in a rush, i timed out, i came back from a crappy round of golf. Hum... he has 1 game to impress me (vs SF!) we'll see after that, we all need F/A bait dont we?
 
30for GoatLocker
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:42 		21.02 Brian Calhoun, RB, Det
It's getting near the end and I felt this was a high Risk, High Reward pick for an RB who looks like he is going to tie up the third down back spot for the Lions.
Hopefully won't have to use him, but if he surprises, could be helpful.
 
31for leggestand
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:42 		21.03 Troy Brown, WR, NE

Lots of people are talking about Caldwell and Jackson stepping it up for New England , but everything I've seen/heard has Troy Brown starting until Branch ends his holdout. With all the trade talks also circulating around Branch, Brown could end up the Pats #1 WR for the majority of the season, if not for the full season. On top of that, Brown is currently slated to return punts, so, all in all, I am happy with this pick. If/When Branch returns from his holdout, then Brown will likely go straight to waivers, but until then, he can park himself on my squad. Brady always makes his WR's look good, let's hope Brown is the beneficiary of this.

Round 21 values: I hate saying a kicker, but David Akers. He was the 8th kicker off the board, but barring injury he will likely end up top 3.
 
32for I_AM_CANADIAN
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:43 		21.04 Eric Parker, WR, SD
Even in the late rounds… trying to squeeze some extra value out of my pics. Like my last pic… I'm expecting more PR work from him this year. Even still… Parker ranked 39th WR in our league last year, yet was drafted as 65th. Should Branch's holdout continue into the early weeks of the season, I won't be scared to plug him in. For those of you counting... this is now the 6th player that I've drafted that "may" get special teams work.
 
33for AthleticsGuy
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:43 		21.05 Simeon Rice, DL, TB

Considering how late I am in filling my DL position, I'm very pleased with what I got here. Simeon Rice is a sack machine. He's had double-digit sack totals for 5 consecutive seasons. And I expect that trend to continue. The one bad thing with this pick (and a couple others) is that I'll probably have to make some tough decisions in week 4. That's because 4 of my 7 IDPs will have the same bye week.
 
34for TheBeezer
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:44 		21.06 New England Patriots Defense



As I've noticed when I review my past teams in this and other leagues, I'm terrible at picking good fantasy defenses for a full season. However, I can do a pretty good job at picking a defense for the next two weeks. Therefore, I figured I would wait and take my defense when teams starting taking their backup D so I could grab other positions.

New England's first two games are against the Bills and the Jets. With regression to the mean thrown in there, and the defense actually fairly healthy for once, I think they will be a solid pick for at least the first two weeks.
 
35for culdeus
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:44 		21.07 Green Bay Packers Defense

Not sure who put this pick in, but I wouldn't have done it had I had the chance. There should have been some other things on the list. I really wanted New England and they went one pick in front. Their schedule matches up perfectly with Miami. GB will probably be dropped very soon into the season.
 
36for Valkyrie
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:44 		21.08 Amani Toomer, WR, NYG
 
37for TB
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:45 		21.09 Jeff Ulbrich, LB, SFO

So I haven't even made my pick 19.09 (three picks away) where I am hoping to get Engram, but I am writing up my rationale for Jeff Ulbrich. That's because I am bored and because I don't think he is on anyone's radar. I already wrote up a rationale for the Vikings Defense which I hope to get with my 20th round pick. Ulbrich isn't a "sleeper" pick, but 8,000 linebackers have already been drafted in the first 18 rounds so I think I can get him in the 21st. He and Derek Smith should form a solid inside linebacker duo for the 49ers and they should both get plenty of opportunities for tackles. Ulbrich only played in 5 games last year after tearing a biceps muscle. Prior to that he had a couple good seasons, showing improvement each year. According to the 49er website, he has a reputation as hard-nosed, resilient defenseman who has the speed to play outside linebacker and size and strength to play inside. If he was taken, I had a couple other LBs on my short list from the dozen or so MLB and WLB remaining.
 
38youngroman
      ID: 3751268
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 13:45 		21.10 Eddie Drummond, WR, DET
Dante Hall was picked at 6.06. latest news out of Detroit see Drummond in a similiar role. The return-guy of the team and WR3/4 that should be used more than in the past. Thanks to coach Mike Martz who compared Drummond with Az-Zahir Hakim. lets see if he really gets that many looks on offense. Even the special team points should be enough to make him valuable for a 21st round pick.
 
39Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 15:34 		21.11 David Akers, K, Phi

I’m pretty happy to get someone of his caliber in round 21. I especially like that his bye is not until week #9.
 
40for Doug
      Dude
      ID: 439372011
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 15:54 		21.12 Bradie James, LB, DAL

A LB with upside, but who at the very least can be my 3rd flex IDP and/or bye week filler. Dallas has been developing him for 3 years now, he's improving each year, and last year stepped up in his first year as a starter. I think he'll continue to improve... and the team wants him to step up and take more of a leadership role... so hopefully all that will translate into even better numbers than last year's already solid stats!
 
41Motley Crue
      Dude
      ID: 439372011
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 16:00 		21.13 Michael Boley, LB, ATL

OK, see if you can follow this logic. In your LB evaluations this season, you no doubt came across a certain Falcons linebacker (yet to be drafted) who scored very well in our format last season in place of Keith Brooking, who was injured. Well this undrafted fellow has been relegated to the nickel package and backup numero uno for Atlanta this season, while Boley has been promoted to the starting 3 in only his second year. By my calculations, this must mean he’s good or something.

His bye week also fits into place with my other 5 IDP’s. Oh yeah, and since TB had never heard of him, I know that means I’ll get knocked way down in his pre-season team rankings list. I love to be underestimated. That’s why I started 2-6 last season. I did that on purpose to lull the rest of the league to sleep so I could sneak in and make another run. I came up a little short but the plan is for team Super Sleeper to pull another surprise this season.
 
42For s_R
      Dude
      ID: 439372011
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 16:27 		21.14 Hank Baskett, WR, PHI
My disposable reserve WR until his playing time will be limited.

22.01 Tyson Thompson, RB, DAL
He's one of the bigger return guys and the No. 3 running back in Dallas.
Disposable reserve RB.

 
43Motley Crue
      Dude
      ID: 439372011
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 16:28 		22.02 Chad Owens, WR, JAX

If we’d had a 22nd round draft pick last season, I would have taken little Owens then. I liked his potential as a rookie, and I like it once again this season. He messed up on a few kick returns in the preseason last year, so he lost the PR/KR job to a few players with more reliable hands. This season, I project that he has the job, in addition to being one of the Jaguars’ top 4 WR’s. He may not play much this season, but could become a very good kick return specialist. He’s very fast and elusive, and the things I’ve read about him remind me of Dante Hall. The big difference between the two, though, is that Dante will get his 500-700 yards receiving on top of what he gets returning kicks.

With the retirement of Jimmy Smith, the WR situation is a bit up in the air in Jacksonville. We presume that Wilford and Jones will be the beneficiaries in 2006, but until the balls start flying, we don’t know that for sure.

I suppose I need to be using these extra picks on IDP’s to cover the new additional requirements and have someone on standby on the bench in case of bye weeks or injury. Boy am I finding it hard not to cram every last WR onto my bench, though!
 
44Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 20:20 		for Doug
22.03 Boss Bailey, LB, DET
An IDP dart... he missed time last two years so I think he may have slipped under the radar a bit. Or maybe he's just injury prone (gulp). He's switching to MLB(!) which should really provide some upside potential for his stats this season if he can stay healthy... although I don't mind if he misses a game here or there, I'm more interested in per game numbers.

I also think/hope Marinelli is really instilling a sense of toughness into this team. With his injury history he's definitely a boom/bust pick, but for round 22 who's complaining?
 
45Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 20:21 		22.04 San Diego Chargers Defense

A few rounds ago, I scrutinized the strength of schedule feature from footballguys.com to figure out which defenses meshed the best with the most difficult weeks on the Baltimore (my primary defense) schedule. The best fits were New England, San Diego, and Arizona. The Pats have been taken since then, and I pretty much flipped a coin to get San Diego. I maybe could have waited a round for this, but I didn’t see any other picks screaming to be made.

I might even start the Chargers on week #1 at Oakland, when Baltimore is at TB. I’ll have to think about that choice later.

 
46for youngroman
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 22:40 		22.05 Denver Broncos Defense
new rule for this year: if your offense is on the field your defense can't lose points. I guess the Denver offense (incl. Jake Plummer) will be on the field longer than average. Denver is not a defense that generates many sacks, but they can shut down average offenses and can turn the ball over. we will see how often I have to play them other than week 6 against a hopefully average Oakland offense at home.
 
47for TB
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 22:40 		22.06 Robert Mathis, DL, IND

I was looking at SOS when trying to decide which DL to start the season with. I thought about drafting Burgess, but I have done a pretty good job avoiding all of my Raider players in this draft. I like the schedule that Mathis and the Colts start with and he is a player I had last year. I am sure I will try multiple players at this position through the year like I have done in previous years. DL is probably the least valuable position in this league, right next to kicker. There isn't much separation between the top guys and the 20th ranked guys and really there is no way to know who turns out to be a top guy. I drafted relatively unknown Osi Umenyiora with my final pick last year and he turned out pretty good. I don't have any deep sleeper at DL this year so will just wing it.
 
48for Valkyrie
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 22:41 		22.07 Mercedes Lewis, TE, JAX
 
49for culdeus
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 22:41 		22.08 Matt Stover, K, Bal

A kicker. Whoopeeeee. Kickers on offenses that can't punch it in a la Rackers last year.

 
50The Beezer
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 22:42 		22.09 Doug Gabriel, WR, Oak



At this point in the draft, anyone who's got a WR #2 slot on the field is a good pickup when it's the 70th off the board overall. With Porter's conflicts with the team, Gabriel has been starting opposite Moss, so he should see a lot of one-on-one matchups.

With his speed and the expected streakiness of the team in general, he could easily put up double digit scores a few times this season. A nice find this late IMO.
 
51Athletics Guy
      ID: 167191017
      Mon, Aug 28, 2006, 23:56 		22.10 Travis Taylor, WR, MIN

With Koren Robinson officially out of the picture in Minnesota, Travis Taylor has a realistic shot of establishing himself as the #1 Vikings receiver this year. At worst, he's going to be the #2 receiver behind Williamson. Of course, Brad Johnson is the QB, so that pretty much makes them both worthless.
 
52I_AM_CANADIAN
      ID: 3579513
      Tue, Aug 29, 2006, 12:07 		22.11 John Kasay, K, CAR
Kicker isn't a position that I take much time to research, but I needed one here… before I drafted my last two backups. Ranked 5th in 2005, and 3rd in 2003 in kicker scoring. Should health become an issue again… won't be a major loss as my 22nd pick. Also bit of upside = got a few early bye weeks that I'll have to cover... happy he won't hit his till week 9.
 
53leggestand
      Leader
      ID: 451036518
      Tue, Aug 29, 2006, 13:20 		22.12 Pisa Tinoisamoa, LB, STL

With Mike Peterson getting hurt in the last Jags preseason game (which wasn't even the costliest injury for me in that game), I believed that I needed to take a LB or DB, rather than fill my empty K or DL spots. I took Pisa because he is having a good preseason. In two halves of play he has made a total of 8 tackles and 2 sacks. He only had 1.5 sacks last season, so, hopefully the Rams are looking to him to get in the backfield more often in 2006. Pisa could easily be dropped, though, if he doesn't do much or Peterson comes back soon.
 
56GoatLocker
      Sustainer
      ID: 060151121
      Tue, Aug 29, 2006, 21:53 		22.13 Buffalo Bills Defense
Gives me a second Defense that matches up well with my starting D.
Should allow me the opportunity to play matchups.
A little risky and could have some tough weeks, but hopefully it'll work out fine.
And, worst case, I'll just play them during Cincinnati's Bye Week.
 
57Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 17:09 		for Hubble
22.14 Chad Pennington, QB, NYJ

Don't worry, i'm not thrilled at all by this pick, and hopefully i won't have to start this dude. The only upside he gets is that i will see him play on TV every week and see first hand if he sucks that bad. There are still other option out there to fill my bye week.

23.01 Kerry Colbert, WR, CAR

After a promising first season (750yds 5TD) Colbert had all sorts of trouble last year. I'm just willing to take a risk to see if he can bounce back. Won't be really patient there either.
 
58Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 17:11 		for Goatlocker
23.02 Kevin Williams DL
He started out last year very slow coming off the torn meniscus. He finished the last 3 games of the year with 14 solo tackles and 3 sacks. Also, Minnesota giving up on the 3-4 is to his advantage. Knew I was going to fill this slot late, and was happy to get him here.
 
59Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 17:12 		for leggestand
23.03 Jeff Wilkins, K, STL

The few things I look for in a kicker are: (a) a good offense, (b) minimal weather concerns/plays in a dome, and (c) a bye week of 6 or later. Wilkins fits all these items, so, I took him. I also thought about Koenen and Longwell here.
 
60Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 17:12 		for IAC
23.04 Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAX
With the news of Greg Jones going on IR, and the presence of ever "Fragile Fred", I'm expecting to see Maurice get at least a couple starts this year. In the meantime, the "change of pace" role, and expected KR/PR duties will give me extra confidence in his ability to bring in consistent (although RBBC-like) points. With Mewelde battling a little bit of injuries himself, Jones-Drew probably qualifies as 4th RB on MY depth charts.
 
61Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 17:13 		for Athletics Guy
23.05 Josh Brown, K, SEA

I'm pleased to get who I consider to be a top 5 fantasy kicker. Then again what is the difference between top 5 and top 15? Not much really. Anyways, Seattle has a great offense, so Brown should be a great performer at this position.

 
62The Beezer
      Leader
      ID: 191202817
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 18:28 		23.06 Philadelphia Eagles Defense



The Eagles' defense matches up very well with the Pats from an SOS perspective. Of course, since I can't pick defenses for the season worth anything, that probably won't help, but I figured with the options dwindling on D that I should make sure I get another in case NE is as bad as they were last year.
 
63Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:37 		for culdeus
23.07 Derrick Burgess, DL, OAK

I hate DLs in this system and in all systems. They should be lumped in with LBs as there are so few quality DLs that it's pointless to include them in IDP drafts. Burgess is so-so maybe not even top 10, but I don't really care. Someone else will get hot early and I'll pick them up.
 
64Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:39 		for Valkyrie
23.08 Edgerton Hartwell, LB, ATL
 
65Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:39 		for TB
23.09 Alex Smith, TE, TAM
Two picks left and one has to be a kicker. Hmm, who to pick? I probably had 15 names at the top of my queue when trying to decide who to pick here. I had LB, WR, and then finally decided I needed a back-up TE. Just a little draft depth. Part of me thinks Smith could have a big year. The other part says he probably will be one of the first to go when I need to grab someone off the wire.

 
66Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:40 		for youngroman
23.10 Jerome Harrison, RB, CLE
I was thinking about a 5th WR, backup TE or backup DL here. I had a list of 5 WRs, but no TE or DL that stood out. I analyzed all the receivers again and again and came to no conclusion. too many questions about not knowing if they start or if they are returning punts or kicks. so I went a different way and picked a RB from whom I read promising news a few hours earlier: Jerome Harrison
It seems that he is the backup of Droughns and the first to see goal-line-carries. That alone makes him valuable. You can never have enough RBs, that see enough action in a game, when I look at the depleted market.
it will be interesting to see which of my RBs will see waivers first. I guess I need to make a decision by week4 to get a bye-week-filler for Gates.

after this pick I intend to pick a kicker in the last round leaving me with no backup at TE, K and DL. I'm not worried about that.

sorry Guru that I stole you the 2nd backup RB and that we found no deal that would work for both of us. lets see what the season brings to us.

 
67Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:41 		23.11 Mike Alstott, RB, TB
In hindsight, I kind of botched up my handcuffing in this draft. I missed Pittman by one pick, and I missed Harrison by one pick, and who knows what’s going on for the Jets. But after a few quick back and forth trade offers with youngroman, I wasn’t able to cure that immediately. We may need to keep talking.

I don’t really see Alstott as related to Cadillac. Alstott is simply someone who gets his share of goal line carries, so in a RB disaster scenario, I’ll put him in and hope for the best.
 
68Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:42 		for Doug
23.12 Reggie Williams, WR, JAX
Yet another 3rd year wideout with potential. JAX has been showing some 3-receiver sets in preseason to get him on the field. He's definitely performing well and could take over the #2 job. Also has the build to be a good redzone target. Not too shabby for round 23!

 
69Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:43 		for Motley Crue
23.13 Arizona Cardinals Defense
This is another pick based on hunches leftover from last season. I had a feeling about them then and it’s spilled over into this season. The D-Coordinator gets a lot of hype in rumor mills and the team is getting better overall, so I really am expecting to see improvement from a fantasy perspective. Maybe James can help turn the offense into a well-balanced side that can actually kill clock late in games. That helps the defense.

They can cover Seattle’s Week 5 bye for me, if they last that long. Yeah they play KC that week. Even I’m not sure I’ll start them against Huggies and company.

I was considering taking the Eagles with this pick, but they got scooped a few choices earlier. I was a little surprised to see them last that long. Philly has a very strong front 7 and the secondary isn’t too shabby either. I think that might wind up being a steal.

 
70Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:44 		for s R
23.14 Jared Allen DL KAN
Sack machine (20 in 2 seasons).
Just 24 and should continue to grow.

24.01 Rashean Mathis DB JAX
After a third good season, he is becoming one of the most feared cornerbacks in the NFL.
 
71Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:44 		for Motley Crue
24.02 Kyle Vanden Bosch, DL, TEN

Well, legge beat me in the game of Defensive Lineman Chicken we were playing. I was considering not even drafting one of these hunks of lard, given the fact that 8 of us will have waived our selections by Week 3. I just decided that rather than go with yet another RB sleeper that I’d have to waive next week for some DL slug, I’d save myself a roster move. I haven’t looked at Vanden Bosch’s stats lately, but I remember he was a good DL last year in our scoring format. That is good enough for Week 1. That and the fact that he isn’t injured. I don’t think he is.

D-Linemen are not usually consistently good from year to year, unless they are named Taylor or Strahan. A new crop of sackmeisters usually emerges each season. Once that trend presents itself, there ought to be more than a few guys available on the wire that will be reasonable starters for this dreg of the IDP’s.

Oh, and my queue for this round was KVB and Buckhalter. Nice snag there, Doug.
 
72Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:45 		for Doug
24.03 Correll Buckhalter, RB, PHI
I've had this guy in various leagues for several years... always gets injured. Here's hoping this year is the one he finally stays healthy and that he somehow maintained his potential through all those injuries. Definitely could see some playing time behind Westbrook, who's likely to get a little dinged up IMHO. Maybe even vulture goal-line TDs. I don't really need much here... happy with my existing RBs, just will potentially provide good trade value if I'm lucky. If not, then he's waiver wire fodder. But I figured I should give good ol' "Buck" one more chance.
 
73Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:45 		24.04 Kyle Boller, QB, Bal

McNair is my backup QB, and Boller is his backup. I though he was a better fit than the Giants’ backup QB.
 
74Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:46 		for youngroman
24.05 Jeff Reed, K, PIT
you can throw darts at any kicker this season. They are so volatile from season to season, that they can go from best to 20th in a year even if they kick with high percentages or for a good offense.

This year the winner is: Jeff Reed
 
75Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:47 		for TB
24.06 Michael Koenen, K, Atl
I need a starting kicker. Knowing I wouldn't draft one until the last couple rounds, it would have to be one of the guys that isn't ranked very high. Koenen has looked great in the preseason and has been amazing on 50 yard field goals. I think the Falcons have enough confidence to let him try from 60. I think he's cool.
 
76Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:47 		for Valkyrie
24.07 Stephen Gostkowski K
 
77Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:48 		for culdeus
24.08 Thomas Davis, LB, CAR

Whatever. If he starts one game for me I'd be shocked. Just felt like IDP filler was better than O filler here. People cleared out every O starter there was and for some reason nobody took 3QBs so there were some servicable ones out there so no need to go that way either.
 
78Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:50 		for the Beezer
24.09 Sam Hurd, WR, DAL



You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many WRs in RIFC. Hurd probably won't survive week 1 on my roster, but he has looked decent in the preseason and T.O. is still T.O., so we'll see what happens.
 
79Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:51 		for Athletics Guy
24.10 DeMarcus Ware, LB, Dal

I wanted to add some extra depth at the LB position here. Since we start so many IDPs, I think it's important to have a lot of depth here. DeMarcus Ware had a solid rookie season, and should continue to get better with more experience.
 
80Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:51 		for IAC
24.11 Dallas Clark, TE, IND
Wasn't sure what to do with this last pick. Overall, I'm really happy with my "starting team" and was looking to see if I could still find someone that had the "potential" to become a starter on my team. Ended up figuring that most managers drafted pretty well at the end of the draft, especially liked Beezers grab of Doug Grabriel in the 22nd round, so I'd just focus on my first bye week worry instead. That brings me to TonyG's week 3 bye. Clark worries me, in that he's suffered a lot of concusions over the years, so I might not hold him past week 3 unless he's capable of staying healthy. That said, in the last two years as the #1 TE for the Colts, he's ranked 11th and 13th (playing 15 games/year).
 
81Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:52 		for leggestand
24.12 LaBrandon Toefield, RB, JAX

Ugh, my 3rd RB, Greg Jones, goes down with a torn ACL on Saturday. What makes it more costly is that I debated between Greg Jones, TJ Duckett, and Barlow for my 3rd RB and in hindsight I made the worst possible decision. Now I only have two reliable RB's, with no bye week fillers. So, I took Toefield hoping that he can beat out Drew when Taylor gets injured. Toefield did show a little spark last year when he had 25 carries for 102 yards in Week 17. I am not asking for that much, but I need something.

Well, the draft's over, and because of Jones' injury and wasn't able to draft a DL. There are a couple guys out there I am looking at, but I need to wait until waivers clear.
 
82Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:54 		for Goatlocker
24.13 Mike Vanderjagt K DAL
Not about to spend any draft choice other than the final one on a kicker.
Will talk more to that during my draft recap.
I'm fairly happy picking the second to last player taken and getting the NFLs most accurate kicker.
Career 87.5%
Nough said.
 
83Guru
      ID: 330592710
      Wed, Aug 30, 2006, 19:55 		for Hubble
24.14 Ciatric Fason, RB, MIN

I was a bit disappointed when IAC selected M. Moore in round the 13th round. I had Moore the previous 2 years and he turned out to be really serviceable (is that even a word?) Anyway, now that they say Fason might have move ahead of him on the depth chart... Can,t be lower than 24.14 anyway.