Tuesday August 31, 2004
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FANTASY FOOTBALL?
Good morning!
Well, again, this site is primarily a baseball site, but I have always written about other sports as well, and about fantasy sports. Last night, I participated in a fantasy football draft. With the season a little over a week away, fantasy teams are starting to come together. I have one more draft next Tuesday. I wanted to share the results of our draft. I know that I like to look online for free mock drafts and other things that will help me decide who to draft and when. Hopefully this page helps.
Here is a quick rundown of the rules: 6 points for TD rushing or receiving. 4 points for TD pass. 3 points for 70 yards rushing and receiving, 1 point for each additional 10 years. Then standard kicker and defense points. It is a 10 team league where you draft 2 QB, 4 RB, 4 WR, 1 DEF, 1 K, 1 TE and 1 Extra (any position). Each week, teams play 1 QB, 3 RB, 3 WR, 1 DEF, 1 K, 1 TE.
With that in mind, here is how the draft turned out with my thoughts on each of my 14 draft selections (serpentine draft, where I selected fifth in the first round):
Round 1
1 - Priest Holmes, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
2 - Ladanian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego Chargers
3 - Ahman Green, RB, Green Bay Packers
4 - Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans Saints
5 - Shawn Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Seth’s Thoughts - OK, I had ranked the RBs Tomlinson, Holmes, Green, Alexander, Portis, so I was thrilled when McAllister went fourth, until I had realized that I needed to chose between Alexander and Portis. But, I went with Alexander because I feel the Seahawks are going to score a lot of points this year. Also, as much as I like Portis, it is hard to forget just how back the Washington offensive line was last year. Now was it the line, or was it the fact that they expected Trung Canidate to produce something?! I’m very happy with Shawn Alexander here!
6 - Clinton Portis, RB, Washington Redskins
7 - Randy Moss, WR, Minnesota Vikings
8 - Edgerrin James, RB, Indianapolis Colts
9 - Daunte Culpepper, QB, Minnesota Vikings
10 - Jamal Lewis, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Round 2
11 - Marvin Harrison, WR, Indianapolis Colts
12 - Stephen Davis, RB, Carolina Panthers
13 - Torry Holt, WR, St. Louis Rams
14 - Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts
15 - Marshall Faulk, RB, St. Louis Rams
16 - Fred Taylor, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Seth’s Thoughts - Here I was very happy that Marshall Faulk had already gone. It would have been hard to pass him up at this point, but he is due to get hurt and miss a bunch of games each year. So who do I take? Mr. Injury himself, Fred Taylor. But, don’t forget that he has been injury-free the last two seasons. Can he stay healthy one more year? I certainly hope so!
17 - Kevan Barlow, RB, San Francisco 49ers
18 - Michael Bennett, RB, Minnesota Vikings
19 - Terrell Owens, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
20 - Chad Johnson, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Round 3
21 - Corey Dillon, RB, New England Patriots
22 - Travis Henry, RB, Buffalo Bills
23 - Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
24 - Domanick Davis, RB, Houston Texans
25 - Rudi Johnson, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Seth’s Thoughts - I was deciding here between Johnson, Joe Horn and Matt Hasselbeck. We play three RBs every week, so I thought having three starting RBs would be huge. Johnson was great last year in limited time. With Corey Dillon jettisoned to New England, the job is now his. I think he’s run with it (pardon the pun!).
26 - Joe Horn, WR, New Orleans Saints
27 - Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
28 - Tiki Barber, RB, New York Giants
29 - Tony Gonzalez, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
30 - Lee Suggs, RB, Cleveland Browns
Round 4
31 - Duce Staley, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
32 - Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers
33 - Eric Moulds, WR, Buffalo Bills
34 - Santana Moss, WR, New York Jets
35 - Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
36 - Derrick Mason, WR, Tennessee Titans
Seth’s Thoughts - Still a lot of QBs on the board, so I wanted a WR that I felt I could count on to at least be consistent. I have had Mason on my roster every year, I think, and he usually comes through very well. It was him or Darrell Jackson, and I still wanted Matt Hasselbeck, and I didn’t want three top players from the same team because I fear them taking points from each other. That’s why Mason was the choice.
37 - Michael Vick, QB, Atlanta Falcons
38 - Darrell Jackson, WR, Seattle Seahawks
39 - Thomas Jones, RB, Chicago Bears
40 - Kevin Jones, RB, Detroit Lions
Round 5
41 - Jimmy Smith, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
42 - Laverneus Coles, WR, Washington Redskins
43 - Quentin Griffin, RB, Denver Broncos
44 - Curtis Martin, RB, New York Jets
45 - Koren Robinson, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Seth’s Thoughts - So here I take the best available WR (in my opinion). Yes, he plays for Seattle, just like Alexander, just like Hasselbeck. But he has huge upside on any given week. He and Jackson are like Option 1 and 1a. Starting to think that maybe Marc Bulger is my guy, instead of Hasselbeck.
46 - Jeremy Shockey, TE, New York Giants
47 - Charlie Garner, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
48 - Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans
49 - Chris Brown, RB, Tennessee Titans
50 - Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Round 6
51 - Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay Packers
52 - Javon Walker, WR, Green Bay Packers
53 - Eddie George, RB, Dallas Cowboys
54 - Travis Minor, RB, Miami Dolphins
55 - Tyrone Wheatley, RB, Oakland Raiders
56 - Marc Bulger, QB, St. Louis Rams
Seth’s Thoughts - And now, Marc Bulger is my guy, instead of Hasselbeck. It was just a change of heart. I think Hasselbeck will be huge this year, but I also think that the Rams will be potent offensively again. Well, now I need to hope so. Bulger was up and down last year, but still was a Pro-Bowl QB for the NFC (And the game’s MVP), so I am very happy to have him. As you can see, Hasselbeck went just four picks later.
57 - Chris Chambers, WR, Miami Dolphins
58 - Rod Smith, WR, Denver Broncos
59 - Todd Heap, TE, Baltimore Ravens
60 - Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Round 7
61 - Charles Rogers, WR, Detroit Lions
62 - Steve McNair, QB, Tennessee Titans
63 - Trent Green, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
64 - Keyshawn Johnson, WR, Dallas Cowboys
65 - Kellen Winslow, Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
Seth’s Thoughts - The Big 3 Tight Ends were off the board. There were no WRs that jumped out at me (I considered Jerry Porter), so I figured I’d get who I feel will be an impact TE already this season. Winslow talks a lot (not quite Shockey-esque, but still a lot), but I think he’ll back it up as long as he stays healthy.
66 - Amani Toomer, WR, New York Giants
67 - Jerry Porter, WR, Oakland Raiders
68 - Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina Panthers
69 - Plaxico Burress, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
70 - Roy Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Round 8
71 - Bubba Franks, TE, Green Bay Packers
72 - Isaac Bruce, WR, St. Louis Rams
73 - TJ Duckett, RB, Atlanta Falcons
74 - Marcus Pollard, TE, Indianapolis Colts
75 - Peerless Price, WR, Atlanta Falcons
76 - Donte Stallworth, WR, New Orleans Saints
Seth’s Thoughts - Stollworth is totally a big play WR, so I have to hope that he continues to progress and make more and more of them! Some consistency would also be nice!
77 - Quincy Morgan, WR, Cleveland Browns
78 - Mike Vanderjagt, K, Indianapolis Colts
79 - Muhsin Muhammed, WR, Carolina Panthers
80 - Aaron Brooks, QB, New Orleans Saints
Round 9
81 - Justin McCareins, WR, New York Jets
82 - Deion Branch, WR, New England Patriots
83 - Tatum Bell, RB, Denver Broncos
84 - Ashley Lelie, WR, Denver Broncos
85 - Willis McGahee, RB, Buffalo Bills
Seth’s Thoughts - It was time. We have the "Extra" roster spot, so I figured this was the player with the highest upside. Many feel he will take over starting duties over Travis Henry. We’ll see. Worst case, he doesn’t play. Second worse, they split carries, the worst thing for a fantasy owner. Best case, he is all-world and becomes an every-week starter.
86 - Moe Williams, RB, Minnesota Vikings
87 - Rod Gardner, WR, Washington Redskins
88 - Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts
89 - Warrick Dunn, RB, Atlanta Falcons
90 - Marcus Robinson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Round 10
91 - Baltimore Defense
92 - Jason Elam, K, Denver Broncos
93 - David Akers, K, Philadelphia Eagles
94 - Emmitt Smith, RB, Arizona Cardinals
95 - Brandon Lloyd, WR, San Francisco 49ers
96 - Ron Dayne, RB, New York Giants
Seth’s Thoughts - I already have three starting running backs and another who could get a lot of carries. This might be the year of Ron Dayne. First, he’s always had potential to be a goal-line type back, which means touchdowns. But this year, he dropped 30 pounds and is quick and still strong. This could be a huge breakout year!
97 - Anthony Thomas, RB, Chicago Bears
98 - Julius Jones, RB, Dallas Cowboys
99 - Jeff Wilkens, K, St. Louis Rams
100 - Stephen Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams
Round 11
101 - New England Defense
102 - Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
103 - Philadelphia Defense
104 - Minnesota Defense
105 - Josh Brown, K, Seattle Seahawks
Seth’s Thoughts - If I believe that the Seahawks are going to score a lot of points, doesn’t it make sense for me to grab their kicker?
106 - David Terrell, WR, Chicago Bears
107 - John Kasay, K, Carolina Panthers
108 - Randy McMichael, TE, Miami Dolphins
109 - Carolina Defense
110 - Adam Viniteiri, K, New England Patriots
Round 12
111 - Joey Harrington, QB, Detroit Lions
112 - Chad Pennington, QB, New York Jets
113 - David Carr, QB, Houston Texans
114 - St. Louis Defense
115 - Kansas City Defense
116 - Marty Booker, WR, Miami Dolphins
Seth’s Thoughts - Booker was always a Vikings-killer with the Bears. He has big-time skill and could put up huge numbers. Opposite Chris Chambers is good. But who is going to throw him the ball. Not bad for this late though.
117 - Alge Crumpler, TE, Atlanta Falcons
118 - Boo Williams, TE, New Orleans Saints
119 - Tennessee Defense
120 - John Hall, K, New York Jets
Round 13
121 - Anquan Bolden, WR, Arizona Cardinals
122 - Garrison Hearst, RB, Denver Broncos
123 - Jake Plummer, QB, Denver Broncos
124 - Jeff Garcia, QB, Cleveland Browns
125 - Rich Gannon, QB, Oakland Raiders
Seth’s Thoughts - I’m not sure what to make of this. Gannon is just a season removed from being the NFL’s MVP. But he struggled last year and missed much of the season with injury. Also, Kerry Collins was given a lot of money, and you have to wonder if it will work with him as a back up, when he has been a solid fantasy QB for a couple of years. This is my backup QB, hopefully I’ll only have to use him during Bulger’s bye week. High risk, high reward… right?
126 - Tommy Maddox, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
127 - Patrick Ramsey, QB, Washington Redskins
128 - DeShon Foster, RB, Carolina Panthers
129 - Mike Alstott, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
130 - Chester Taylor, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Round 14
131 - Jerome Bettis, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
132 - Justin Fargas, RB, Oakland Raiders
133 - Dallas Defense
134 - Onterrio Smith, RB, Minnesota Vikings
135 - Ryan Longwell, K, Green Bay Packers
136 - Miami Defense
Seth’s Thoughts - I actually wanted to steal the Vikings defense because I do think that they could be very good. But I also hate to draft a defense before the last round. I am happy to get Miami at this point.
137 - Matt Stover, K, Baltimore Ravens
138 - Peter Warrick, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
139 - Jerry Rice, WR, Oakland Raiders
140 - LJ Smith, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
SETH'S TEAM
QB - Marc Bulger, Rich Gannon
RB - Shawn Alexander, Fred Taylor, Rudi Johnson, Ron Dayne
WR - Derrick Mason, Koren Robinson, Donte Stallworth, Marty Booker
TE - Kellen Winslow, Jr.
K - Josh Brown
DEF - Miami D
Extra - Willis McGahee
I have to admit; I am happy with this team. I won't go as far as promising that the team is unbeatable, as I did with my fantasy baseball teams (all of which are out of the playoff hope). So yeah, I'll just let it as I am happy at this point!
So, what do you think? Do any names surprise you? How does my team look? Can I win?? E-mail me.
Quickly, here are the pitching matchups for this series. Don't forget, Jason Kubel will be in uniform for the Twins tonight! Will he be in the lineup?
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Tuesday - 7:10 - Kyle Lohse (7-10, 5.35, .161, .308) vs Ryan Drese (11-7, 3.65, 1.30, .266)
Wednesday - 7:10 - Terry Mulholland (4-7, 5.03, 1.56, .322) vs Chan Ho Park (3-4, 5.50, 1.44, .277)
Thursday - 7:10 - Brad Radke (9-7, 3.74, 1.18, .275) vs Kenny Rogers (15-6, 4.69, 1.46, .292)
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Last week, the two teams split in Arlington. Can the Twins win this series? An thoughts? E-mail me.
AL Central Standings
Minnesota Twins 72-58
Cleveland Indians 66-66 7.0
Chicago White Sox 64-65 7.5
ROCHESTER REDWINGS
REDWINGS 21, Pawtucket 5 - As you can tell by the score, it was a huge offensive day for the Redwings. Jason Bartlett went 5-6 with two doubles and two RBI. Terry Tiffee went 4-6 with a double, triple and 5 RBI. Todd Dunwoody was 4-6 with three doubles and four RBI. Luis Rodriguez, Michael Ryan and Kevin West each had three hits. Seth Gresinger missed the start and will not pitch again this season because of a broken hand. Brent Schoening stepped in and gave five innings. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on four hits and three walks. He struck out five. Jeromy Palki gave up three in the next three innings. Beau Kemp pitched a perfect ninth.
NEW BRITAIN ROCKCATS
ROCKCATS 12, Harrisburg 6 - Another offensive game (maybe offensive to the pitchers too?) for the Rockcats. And another offensive show put on by first baseman Garrett Jones. He went 4-4 with a double. James Tomlin was 3-4 with a double. Luis Maza was 3-5 with his 10th homer. Bryan Kennedy and Jake Mauer each went 2-5, and Tommy Watkins launched his 6th homer. Boof Bonser improved to 12-9 on the year with a five inning performance. He allowed three unearned runs on five hits and four walks. Travis Bowyer pitched two scoreless innings.
FT MYERS MIRACLE
Game 1 - MIRACLE 1, Dunedin 11 - Another offensive performance, this one did not go the way of the Miracle. Jeff Randazzo had a rough start, to say the least. In 2 2/3 innings, he gave up 9 earned runs on 8 hits and 4 walks. He gave up three homers. Josh Hill did a nice job in relief, pitching 3 1/3 innings without allowing another run. The offense was led by Danny Matienzo who was 3-4. Doug Deeds was 2-4 with a double.
Game 2 - MIRACLE 3, Dunedin 2 (8) - Jesus Merchan led with a 3-4 day, including a double. Alex Romero and Elvis Corporan were 2-3 with a walk. Danny Matienzo and Ben Pattee went 2-4. Ricky Barrett started and went four innings. He gave up two unearned runs on two hits and four walks. He struck out six. Levale Speigner went two scoreless innings. Jannio Gutierrez pitched the final three frames without allowing a run.
SWING OF THE QUAD CITIES
SWING 5, Clinton 3 - Glen Perkins mad another solid start for the Swing last night. He went five innings. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits. He struck out six without allowing a walk. Julio DePaula recorded his 11th win by pitching the next 1 1/3 innings. He gave up a run on two hits and two walks. Tristan Crawford got the next four outs on three strikeouts. Eric Brandon grabbed his 7th save with 1.1 innings of two hit, three strikeout, no run ball.
ELIZABETHTON TWINS
E-TWINS 11, Princeton 10 - This pitchers duel... OK, it was a batty game! Tarrence Patterson went 2-7 with his 7th homer. Deacon Burns shows up here every game. Last night he was 2-5 with a walk, a triple, his 12th homer and 3 RBI. David Winfree went 2-6 with a double and four RBI. Johnny Woodard had two doubles in four at bats, along with two walks. Matt Tolbert also had two hits. Steve Duguay (3 IP, 2 ER), Matthew Fox (1 IP, 3 ER), Kyle Aselton (2 IP, 4 ER) and Evan Meek (1 IP, 1 ER) all allowed some runs. Jason Bowlin, Jonathan Martinez and Frank Mata pitched the final four innings without allowing a run.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or ideas for future postings, please e-mail me.