Why I Love Fantasy Football Drafts, A Live Blog From My Draft

Maybe it's the Browns fan in me, where my Super Bowl is NFL Draft Weekend but I love to draft players.  Fantasy football to me is often very difficult because it costs me a lot of time and energy thinking.  But I LOVE TO DRAFT.  I love looking for late round steals like a David Anderson or a Brian Robiskie could be.  I can't wait to find out the order my league will draft in.  If I get the first pick, who do I select?  Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, or Frank Gore?  Fantasy football is a crap shoot, but it's the most fun you'll ever have at shooting craps.  

 This year in my "Big Boy" league, I've got the seventh pick, and I'm stuck in a quandary.  I've kept Running Backs Adrian Peterson and Darren Sproles, Quarterback Peyton Manning, Wide Receivers Braylon Edwards(contract year, I expect a solid season), Hines Ward, Corner back Darrelle Revis(Get into camp already!), and Linebacker D.J. Williams.  With the seventh pick, it looks like running back will be the way I go.

There's twenty one minutes until the draft begins, the usual ribbing of my old friend Josh has begun.  It's not that he's a long time friend, I've only known him since 2004, but he's old so in a sense it fits both ways.  Since Josh's attention is diverted, he missed my subtle shots at his age.  The Yahoo draft chat is always interesting for us because once the draft begins nobody really talks.

At the fourteen minute mark there's already been talk of undrafted players.  That's the number one rule of our league, DO NOT TALK ABOUT UNDRAFTED PLAYERS!!!!  Someone always breaks it, but it's well worth someone's meltdown when it happens.  With a lot of us being around the pro wrestling business there's always obscure references during the pre-draft chat.  For instance did anyone know WWE's John Morrison had a beard?  Yeah me either.  But in pre-draft chats any topic is legal, and more often than not, you learn something.  

With less than a minute, the name's of the divisions must be changed.  Even more obscure references are shared as opposite names for each division.  But division names be damned, WE'RE OFF!

Literally four picks in, and my depth chart of picks is shot.  Not a surprise but still not moving.  I select New York Jet Running Back Shonn Greene.  A solid third running back, that will allow me to go receiver next.  I may have to go tight end however as both Jermichael Finley and Vernon Davis went back to back and I wanted one badly.  

However, I manned up and took a guy I did not want but feel he's got super big potential, Mike Sims-Walker.  If he's got the same skill set and ability as last season, I've upgraded my receivers in a major way.  With my starting receiving corps set, I set out to find a tight end.  Zach Miller of the Raiders was at the top of my tier of available players, so I snagged him.  Unfortunately he plays for the Raiders, but with Jason Campbell needing a safety net, I felt good about taking him.  

Running back Ronnie Brown and receiver Bernard Berrian of the Vikings followed, as I needed to shore up the bench.  My defense was next to be focussed on.  Jacksonville Jaguar Kirk Morrison was next.  He was followed by DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans.  To me, this was a steal.  Ryans is really, really good.  To be able to draft him when I did was a big bonus for me.  Defensive Lineman Dwight Freeney and CB Johnathan Joseph were selected in rounds fifteen and sixteen.  I wanted Julius Peppers instead of Freeney but the former North Carolina Tar Heel hoopster was taken the pick before Big Dwight.  

At this point the draft chat picked up a little bit, with a discussion of the previously picked Brett Favre AKA Jurassic Favre.  Why is this guy still in the league?  He's not a good fantasy selection, my projections have him throwing twenty five touchdowns and twenty four interceptions.  Someone actually picked him over Joe Flacco in this draft.  Joe Flacco is poised for a breakout season and I expect him to help the Ravens win a lot of games.  Favre will hopefully hand the ball off to All Day Peterson, every play for every game for sixteen games.  

My defensive back situation was rock solid, but in the case that Revis Island stays on his island, for an extended vacation I wanted to have a great back up.  I got one.  Mike Jenkins of the Dallas Cowboys is one of the most underrated talents in the NFL.  This will be a break out season for Jenkins.  He may end up getting the bulk of playing time at CB for me.  I also needed a back up at quarterback.  When Peyton Manning takes a bye week during week seven, my QB will be Bronco Kyle Orton.  Orton has looked great this pre-season and his teammates have said he's a changed man.  Hopefully for one week, he'll play like the reborn Otto Graham.  

My last defensive selection was Steeler LaMarr Woodley.  Woodley is a monster, and he's in a contract season.  I expect him to have a monster year and parlay that into the biggest contract in the NFL next year for linebackers.  The final selection was a kicker.  I drafted Cleveland Brown Phil Dawson, because he's not only one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL, but even at his advanced age his leg is still one of the strongest in the league.  

With the draft over my team looks like this....

QB: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
QB: Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos
RB: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
RB: Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers
RB: Shonn Greene, New York Jets
RB: Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
WR: Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars
WR: Hines Ward, Pittsburgh, Steelers
WR: Braylon Edwards, New York Jets
WR: Bernard Berrian, Minnesota Vikings
TE: Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders

K: Phil Dawson, Cleveland Browns

DB: Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
DB: Jonathan Joseph, Cincinnati Bengals
DB: Mike Jenkins, Dallas Cowboys
DL: Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts
LB: D.J. Williams, Denver Broncos
LB: DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
LB: LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh Steelers
LB: Kirk Morrison, Jacksonville Jaguars

This season looks as if our league will be pretty evenly matched.  With competition for the ultimate prize at its peak, my team entitled "The Gloria James Holes," should be in the thick of things.  However the most fun of the season is over(the draft), and it's time to get down to business.  The Strong Style League is loaded, now lets get this pre-season over with and fire up the regular season!