Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round 1-8

Recently I, Dominic Brown, had the privilege to represent Bruno Boys in an expert mock draft. The draft consisted of nine other fantasy football Web sites and publications. The league was standard scoring with a starting roster of 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 DEF, 1 K and 1 FLEX. Once we got into a draft room with everyone present (third times a charm), the 16 rounds flew by. The Bruno Boys ended up with the third pick and witnessed this year’s fantasy trends unfold while following a few of my own.

Here is a breakdown of Rounds One-Eight of my picks for each round and an explanation for each pick. Remember to check back on Monday, July 27 for Rounds Nine-16.

1:03 Michael Turner (ATL)—I really didn’t expect Turner to be available with this pick. But when the team before me drafted Chris Johnson at No. 2, I was able to grab what some experts believe is the top overall pick. He may not get as many carries as last year, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Keeping him fresh and healthy gives Turner a better chance to meet or exceed the 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns from last season. And while the off-season addition of Tony Gonzalez alludes to the team’s desire to increase the passing game, Gonzalez is still one of the best blocking tight ends in the league and the Falcons should still remain a run first offense.  My only real concerns about Turner are injuries and the Falcons tough schedule but he is still a great pick at this spot.

2:08 Clinton Portis (WAS)—With the top tier receivers all gone, I decided to focus on my second running back. While Portis is never the sexy pick, he’s got three things going for him: He’s tough and will grind it out for you. His only real competition is Ladell Betts, which makes him the team’s genuine starter. And the Redskins weren’t afraid to hand him the ball 342 times in 2008. If he can stay healthy (a legitimate concern), he should be good for at least eight to 10 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards.

3:03 Greg Jennings (GB)—It wasn’t any surprise that with the rising number of RBBCs and the NFL’s shift to more pass-oriented offenses that top wide outs started going in the first round. So I was very pleased to grab Jennings in the third round. It not only added an elite wide out to my roster, it solidified my decision to wait on one. Jennings is poised to burst into the top tier of receivers this year. He has a good quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and possesses the ability to make things happen after the catch, which should translate into some nice td runs. There is a lot of depth in the Packers wide receiver position but there is no question that Jennings is their No. 1 guy. I expect double-digit touchdowns and a ton of yards. With two starting running backs and a number one wide receiver, I think I got off to a pretty good start in this draft.

4:08 Dwayne Bowe (KC)—While I was hoping that Anquan Boldin or Marques Colston would fall here, getting Bowe is still a great pickup. With the addition of Matt Cassel and in new coach Todd Haley’s pass heavy offense; he should be given plenty of opportunities as the teams legitimate No. 1. I just have to hope his bad case of the dropsies doesn’t return in 2009.  He should make for a great WR2 and could easily exceed expectations if Cassel can prove his performance in New England was for real.

5:03 Philip Rivers (SD)—Usually my strategy is to wait on a quarterback unless he’s one of the top three but I couldn’t resist snagging Rivers here, who’s currently ranks as a top five QB in our 2009 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets. I sensed a quarterback run was coming and because I had two starters at running back and wide receiver position decided to lock down my passer. Though a tad punkish for my tastes, Rivers displays a toughness on the field that has to be respected and it looks like he has a confident command of his team. This is essential in a top quarterback. If the running game returns in full force, Norv Turner’s run-oriented offense could knock River’s pass attempts down significantly. However, there are loads of weapons in San Diego and let’s not forget, LaDainian Tomlinson is no slouch when it comes to catching the ball out of the backfield. 

6:08 Knowshon Moreno (DEN)—A rapid run on running backs in the fifth took the most of the remaining starting backs but I still got one in the sixth—sort of. Moreno has the ability to be huge in Denver. The only question is, how huge will he be with a myriad of guys looking to tote the rock as well. Thanks to his immense talent, determination and where he got drafted, he has already been named the team’s starter. We’ll have to see how McDaniels uses him but behind Denver’s dominant O-line, he could be fantasy football gold at the Flex position. 

7:03 Antonio Bryant (TB)—Truth be told, I’m not as high on Bryant as some but he was one of the best receiving options left on the board.  All said and done he’s the top wide out on Tampa Bay, which gives me three wide outs that are No. 1 on their teams. I may not know who’s throwing him the ball yet but he’s in a contract year and will be playing for his next salary in 2010. Concerns about his inconstancy and character aside, he should have plenty of motivation to continue his success from last season. Of course telling the media that he doesn’t think he’ll be able to duplicate his numbers from last year doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. Way to lower those expectations Antonio.

8:08 Chris “Beanie” Wells (ARI)—I was mumbling magic incantations as my pick in this round got closer and Wells was still there. Injury concerns aside, let’s look at the facts. One of the league’s most potent offenses last year is in dire need of a consistent and powerful running game. Wells is 235 pounds and runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds. He’s big, he’s fast and he’s perfect for the goal line and should also prove to be a legitimate three down back. It shouldn’t take but one game for him to clear the air about who is the starter, especially when his only major competition is Tim Hightower who showed last year he is not an every down back. I’m ecstatic with this pick. It gives my roster loads of options at running back. 

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