Feature Articles

2003 FIC Fantasy Football Mock Draft

by Brian Pelowski

A bunch of us from FIC got together on Sunday, July 27th to do a mock draft to give our readers a chance to see how a fantasy draft might play out this season.  The league is 12 teams, head-to-head using the following offensive scoring system:

Passing Yards = 50 yards per point
Passing Touchdowns = 6
Interceptions = -2
Rushing Yards = 20 yards per point
Rushing Touchdowns = 6
Reception Yards = 20 yards per point
Reception Touchdowns = 6
Return Touchdowns = 6
2 Point Conversions = 2
Fumbles Lost = -2

+ points for kickers and defense

Here is the round by round summary, below you will find a write-up from each owner recapping the draft as well as their view of the best and worst picks of the draft. 

The draft was serpentine so you will need to read the chart going left to right on the odd numbered rows and right to left on the even numbered rows.  For example, Zack Harmon had pick #1 in round 1 and pick #12 in round 2 (#24 overall).  Taylor Bryan had pick #12 in round 1 and pick #1 in round 2 (#13 overall).

Rd Zack Harmon Tim Noakes Jim Meyerriecks Steven Grossi Michael Wilson Jay Schell Barry Lewis Josh Felce Edwardo Romao Jordan Zakarin Brian Pelowski Taylor Bryan 1 Holmes, Priest (RB-KC) Williams, Ricky (RB-Mia)  Portis, Clinton (RB-Den)  Vick, Michael (QB-Atl)  Tomlinson, LaDainian (RB-SD)  Faulk, Marshall (RB-StL)  Henry, Travis (RB-Buf) McAllister, Deuce (RB-NO)  Alexander, Shaun (RB-Sea) Owens, Terrell (WR-SF)  Lewis, Jamal (RB-Bal) McNabb, Donovan (QB-Phi)  2 Garcia, Jeff (QB-SF)  Brooks, Aaron (QB-NO)  Garner, Charlie (RB-Oak)  Moss, Randy (WR-Min)  Davis, Stephen (RB-Car)  Dillon, Corey (RB-Cin)  Harrison, Marvin (WR-Ind)  Barber, Tiki (RB-NYG)  Manning, Peyton (QB-Ind) James, Edgerrin (RB-Ind) Green, Ahman (RB-GB) Taylor, Fred (RB-Jac)  3 Horn, Joe (WR-NO) Moulds, Eric (WR-Buf) Favre, Brett (QB-GB)  Martin, Curtis (RB-NYJ)  Culpepper, Daunte (QB-Min) Gannon, Rich (QB-Oak) Warner, Kurt (QB-StL) McNair, Steve (QB-Ten)  George, Eddie (RB-Ten)  Ward, Hines (WR-Pit) Burress, Plaxico (WR-Pit) Holt, Torry (WR-StL) 4 Canidate, Trung (RB-Was) Thomas, Anthony (RB-Chi) Gonzalez, Tony (TE-KC) Shockey, Jeremy (TE-NYG)  Driver, Donald (WR-GB)  Robinson, Koren (WR-Sea)  Barlow, Kevan (RB-SF) Price, Peerless (WR-Atl) Bruce, Isaac (WR-StL) Stewart, James (RB-Det)  Boston, David (WR-SD)  Green, William (RB-Cle)  5 Toomer, Amani (WR-NYG) Brown, Troy (WR-NE)  Smith, Rod (WR-Den) Gardner, Rod (WR-Was) Johnson, Chad (WR-Cin)  Coles, Laveranues (WR-Was) Johnson, Keyshawn (WR-TB) Mason, Derrick (WR-Ten) Galloway, Joey (WR-Dal) Johnson, Brad (QB-TB)  Heap, Todd (TE-Bal) Smith, Jimmy (WR-Jac) 6 Sharpe, Shannon (TE-Den)  Finneran, Brian (WR-Atl) Reed, Josh (WR-Buf)  Tampa Bay (DEF-TB) Porter, Jerry (WR-Oak) Franks, Bubba (TE-GB) Stallworth, Donte' (WR-NO)  Booker, Marty (WR-Chi) Streets, Tai (WR-SF)  Conway, Curtis (WR-NYJ)  Pennington, Chad (QB-NYJ) Rice, Jerry (WR-Oak) 7 Jackson, Darrell (WR-Sea) Bradford, Corey (WR-Hou) Philadelphia (DEF-Phi) Staley, Duce (RB-Phi) Chambers, Chris (WR-Mia)  Morgan, Quincy (WR-Cle) Miami (DEF-Mia) Smith, Antowain (RB-NE)  Hasselbeck, Matt (QB-Sea) Pollard, Marcus (TE-Ind) Bledsoe, Drew (QB-Buf) Hambrick, Troy (RB-Dal) 8 Vanderjagt, Mike (K-Ind) McMichael, Randy (TE-Mia)  Pittman, Michael (RB-TB) Taylor, Travis (WR-Bal) Brady, Tom (QB-NE)  Mack, Stacey (RB-Hou)  Hearst, Garrison (RB-SF) Crumpler, Alge (TE-Atl) Shipp, Marcel (RB-Ari)  Feely, Jay (K-Atl) Brown, Tim (WR-Oak) Baltimore (DEF-Bal) 9 Green Bay (DEF-GB) Collins, Kerry (QB-NYG)  Rogers, Charles (WR-Det) Carney, John (K-NO) Jones, Freddie (TE-Ari) Brees, Drew (QB-SD)  Ramsey, Patrick (QB-Was)  Green, Trent (QB-KC) Akers, David (K-Phi) Pittsburgh (DEF-Pit) Betts, Ladell (RB-Was) Thrash, James (WR-Phi) 10 Bettis, Jerome (RB-Pit)  Williams, Moe (RB-Min) Muhammad, Muhsin (WR-Car)  Moss, Santana (WR-NYJ) Smith, Onterrio (RB-Min) Carolina (DEF-Car) Johnson, Andre (WR-Hou) Atlanta (DEF-Atl) Holcomb, Kelly (QB-Cle)  Bennett, Michael (RB-Min)  Zereoue, Amos (RB-Pit)  Jolley, Doug (TE-Oak)  11 McCardell, Keenan (WR-TB) Janikowski, Sebastian (K-Oak) Elam, Jason (K-Den)  Smith, Emmitt (RB-Ari) San Diego (DEF-SD) Lelie, Ashley (WR-Den)  Maddox, Tommy (QB-Pit)  Warrick, Peter (WR-Cin) Jacksonville (DEF-Jac) Hilliard, Ike (WR-NYG) Wayne, Reggie (WR-Ind) Longwell, Ryan (K-GB) 12 Walker, Javon (WR-GB)  New Orleans (DEF-NO) Tennessee (DEF-Ten) Northcutt, Dennis (WR-Cle)  Bryant, Antonio (WR-Dal)  Miller, Billy (TE-Hou) Vinatieri, Adam (K-NE) Gramatica, Martin (K-TB) Buckhalter, Correll (RB-Phi) Fiedler, Jay (QB-Mia)  Johnson, Kevin (WR-Cle) Oakland (DEF-Oak) 13 Andersen, Morten (K-KC) Ricks, Mikhael (TE-Det) Plummer, Jake (QB-Den)  Dunn, Warrick (RB-Atl)  Dallas (DEF-Dal) Wilkins, Jeff (K-StL) New England (DEF-NE) Hakim, Az-Zahir (WR-Det) Stevens, Jerramy (TE-Sea) Chrebet, Wayne (WR-NYJ) Duckett, T.J. (RB-Atl)  Harrington, Joey (QB-Det)  14 Brunell, Mark (QB-Jac)  New York (DEF-NYG) Rhodes, Dominic (RB-Ind) Griese, Brian (QB-Mia)  Wycheck, Frank (TE-Ten) Gordon, Lamar (RB-StL) Alstott, Mike (RB-TB) Glenn, Terry (WR-Dal) Pinkston, Todd (WR-Phi) Reed, Jeff (K-Pit) Washington (DEF-Was) Crockett, Zack (RB-Oak)  15 Chamberlain, Byron (TE-Min)  Mare, Olindo (K-Mia)  White, Dez (WR-Chi) Washington, Kelley (WR-Cin) Stover, Matt (K-Bal) Bates, D'Wayne (WR-Min) Boerigter, Marc (WR-KC) Lindell, Rian (K-Buf) Walker, Marquise (WR-Ari) Brady, Kyle (TE-Jac) Chandler, Jeff (K-SF) Johnson, Bryant (WR-Ari)

Zack Harmon, Pirates Correspondent

Recap: I try and approach all of my drafts with one basic rule, get a quality player for each of the three main positions (QB, RB, WR), in the first three rounds.  With first pick I grabbed Priest Holmes.  While some say this was way too early for him, I don't think it is.   He is returning healthy this year after offseason hip surgery and he was the number 1 fantasy player the past two years.  I was very pleased being able to nab Jeff Garcia in the late second round.  He is a proven top 5 QB.  At wideout Joe Horn is the top notch player I needed to complete my trio.  The hardest position to fill on any Fantasy Football team is Tight End.  Well I really didn't want to waste an early pick on Gonzalez or Shockey so I waited it out and happily grabbed Shannon Sharpe in the sixth round.

I feel that my team should be good all around.  Mark Brunell makes for a solid backup at QB if Garcia gets hurt.  While many of you probably think my RB situation is very shaky, I really like it.  Priest should carry the workload and Trung Canidate should flourish in a Redskins uni this year.  I am taking a chance on Bettis backing them up, but I've got faith in the Bus.  The trio of Horn, Toomer, and Jackson should put up good points all year and, McCardell and Walker are great backups.  In my opinion I have the best Kickers in the league with Vanderjagt and Morten Anderson (as long as Vandy keeps his mouth shut).  Finally I feel that with the Packers as my defense I am ready for a Top 4 finish in this league.

Who will win the league?  Well there are many solid teams, but Brian Pelowski has the best overall team talent wise.  If the Skins' Defense holds up he should run away with the championship.  Other contenders are Jay Schell and Steven Grossi.

"Reach" of the Draft - Trung Canidate (4th Round, Zach Harmon) 
I will take this one.  He is really unproven and it was definitely way too early to take him in the 4th.

Steal of the Draft - Joey Harrington (13th Round, Taylor Bryan)
This is Joey's year in Detroit and with Charles Rogers to throw to he is going to flourish.  Taylor has a nice backup if anything serious reoccurs with McNabb's leg.


Tim Noakes, Cowboys Correspondent

Recap:  A pre-draft strategy is all very well but it has a tendency to come unglued when you find out what draft position you have and once other people start to pick.  As I came into the draft I found out that I was picking second I knew that I was going to take a running back. Because Ricky Williams was there I took him.  Immediately I decided that I had to get the best quarterback available. That turned out to be Aaron Brooks. Running backs were going quickly so my back-ups would have to be from the B-list. Eric Moulds was still there for the next pick so I started on wide receivers. Hoping that I would still be able to get a good TE in the next couple of rounds, I took Anthony Thomas.  I consider this to be a big reach but by then there were so few starting RBs left.  Troy Brown, who I consider to be a potential star this year, was my next selection.  I took Brian Finneran in the next round because if Michael Vick is going to be as good as he's supposed to be he will have to be throwing to somebody. In the following round I went with Corey Bradford using the same logic I did with Finneran/Vick, expecting a solid year from David Carr.  With the main positions filled, I finished out the draft by selecting Randy McMichael TE- MIA, Kerry Collins QB- NYG, Moe Williams RB- MIN, Sebastian Janikowski K- OAK, New Orleans- DEF, Mikhael Ricks TE- DET ( probably wont keep this pick ), New York Giants- DEF, Olindo Mare K- MIA.

If Ricky Williams has anywhere near the year he had last year, he should be the anchor of the team. The players that I am looking to make a big difference are: Ricky Williams, Eric Moulds, Troy Brown, Aaron Brooks and Moe Williams.

Who will win? Josh Felce

"Reach" of the Draft - Mike Vanderjagt (8th Round, Zach Harmon)
The reach of the draft was Mike Vanderjagt as the first kicker taken. He didn't have a great season last year and he is getting old.

Steal of the draft - Matt Hasselbeck (7th Round, Tigertracks)


Jim Meyerriecks, Rams Correspondent, "Out on a Limb"

Steven Grossi (svgros1),  Angels Correspondent

Recap: Going into every draft I will do a couple things. First I will do some research and create my own player rankings. I base the player rakings on what the player did last year, new additions to the team that may influence points, my own predictions on what the player will do in the up coming season and I will use other fantasy web sites to see that they have to say about players up coming seasons. Right before draft time I will take a look at my draft position and play out what I think is going to happen in front of me. After my first pick I go off of my rankings and will usually take the best players available. I really like taking risks when I draft. I feel that the top defense or top tight end is a better draft pick then a decent running back or wide receiver. I showed that in this draft taking Jeremy Shockey in the fourth round and the Bucks defense in the sixth round.

Overall I world say that I had a good draft. The first half of the draft went exactly as plan and then things took a wrong turn in the second half. I think I rebounded alright with Santana Moss at receiver, Emmitt Smith at running back and Dennis Northcutt at receiver, in the second half of the draft. When looking at my team I see that I have four players who I had as number one at their position. I had Randy Moss, Michael Vick, Jeremy Shockey and Bucks D ranked number one. That makes it a successful draft in my eyes. My lack of skill at the running back spot will not suffer as much since I have by far the best defense and a tight end who can put up some huge numbers. If I can give one piece of advice it would be: ALWAYS have a back-up pick ready to go. I made the mistake at pick 9 of assuming that my player was going to be there and he wasn’t. My draft would have been more successful if I did not get that pick auto-drafted.

Who will win? When taking a look at everyone’s team I believe that Jim Meyerriecks has the best team and has the best chance to win the league. He has running backs who do it all, a quarter back who always puts up great numbers, a solid but unpredictable receiving core, a great playmaker at tight end, a great defense and an excellent bench. The only real weakness on his team could be his wide outs. And I uses the word could very loosely. Rod Smith is a great receiver and getting old and there is no telling what Josh Reed and Charles Rogers will do this year. Both are real young and inexperienced, but they are capable of numbers on either side of the spectrum. They can be huge or they can be huge busts. It is not a huge deal but his bench is what sealed the deal for me. A bench is never noticed until you loose a great player and he as the bench to handle a good player going down. If Michael Pitmen gets out of this problem he has he will be the starter in Tampa Bay. Muhsin Muhammad is the number one wide out in a run heavy offence, but still a number one wide out. You never know with Dominic Rhodes and Edgerrin James. Rhodes is a great back if he gets the chance to play. And lastly he has Jake Plummer backing up Favre. I have faith in Plummer and I have always loved his game. If Favre goes down Plummer would be a good replacement.

"Reach" of the Draft - Travis Henry (Round 1, Barry Lewis)
There were three picks in this draft that I felt were premature. First, I will agree with any one who says that Travis Henry is a great running back. But if that person tried to tell me that he was the sixth best back in the league I couldn’t agree. He did have a nice season last year but I don’t believe he deserved to be drafted seven. Deuce McAllister, Shaun Alexander, Ahman Green, Tiki Barber and Corey Dillon would all be better picks in my opinion.

The second pick the was too early was Chad Johnson in the fifth round. For one he is a Bengal and second he is not better the Keyshawn Johnson or Laveranues Coles. Chad Johnson may be a good receiver but I will guarantee that he would still have been available in the later rounds.

The third pick seems like an early one but can really turn into a good pick. Trung Canidate in the fourth round may seem too soon, but we did see some signs of greatness when he played with the Rams. There is no telling what he can do by being the featured back but if he does not pan out then he was drafted way too early.

Steal of the draft - Tommy Maddox (Round 11, Barry Lewis)
There are two picks that I noticed as the steals of the draft. The first one was Tommy Maddox being drafted in the 11th round. The quarterback job is all his this season and he has possibly one of the best receiving corps is the league. Plaxico Burress, Hines Ward and Antwaan Randall El will give Maddox the opportunity to put up some huge numbers this season. And being drafted in the 11th round makes him a steal.

If Kelly Holcomb is named the starter in Cleveland then he could be a huge steal. He has the ability to put up some real big numbers. We saw the production in the games he got a chance to play in last season.


Michael Wilson (stlsportsfan), FIC Member

Recap:  Going into the draft, I had no real players in mind as I did not know my positioning in the draft.  I figured that I would play the classic, conservative strategy in the first two rounds by taking two running backs.  In rounds three and four, I planned on getting a QB and a WR, but not necessarily that order.  The rest of the draft would be left up to chance…except that I would be taking a kicker in the final round, and that would be my only kicker.  They are all the same to me; I feel that any kicker can have just as good a game as any other kicker for any given week.  My in-draft strategy would be based pick-by-pick.  I would probably go best player available for the mid-early rounds (4 straight WR!), and needs based in the mid-late rounds (TE’s, K’s, D’s).

As I entered the draft, I saw I would be drafting from the 5^th spot.  Seeing this 10 minutes before the draft, I debated on who would be there and who would be the best pick.  After some thought, I was down to two players that I thought would be there: Marshall Faulk and Priest Holmes.

Zack Harmon drafted first, and in a big surprise to me, he took Priest Holmes.  This pick defied all logic to me. (I’m taking Faulk, I’m taking Faulk)  Zack’s oversight made Tim Noakes' pick all the easier when he selected Ricky Williams. (Faulk’s still there, Faulk’s still there.)  Jim Meyerriecks surprised with me his selection of Clinton Portis 3^rd overall.  To me, he isn’t even the third best running back, let alone the third best player.  (The next guy will take LT, so I’ll get Faulk).  Anticipating Steven Grossi to take Tomlinson, I have Marshall Faulk selected on the applet and my pointer over the draft button..  (Here comes LT, I get Faulk.)  Then those words appear that I never thought I’d see: Steven Grossi selected Michael Vick.  Upon seeing this, I instantly jump all over Tomlinson without another thought crossing my mind.  Getting Tomlinson at 5^th overall is easily my BEST PICK.

I love to wing my picks after the first 2 or 3 rounds; I’ll live by it, and I sometimes die by it.  Most of my middle picks are extremely questionable; however, they will probably be backups anyway.  Freddie Jones in the 9^th was a big, big stretch, but he was THE sleeper TE in the draft, and I saw TE’s falling fast.  However, Antonio Bryant is my RISKIEST PICK.  He may not see a lot of catches at first behind Terry Glenn and Joey Galloway, but his athleticism should win over Bill Parcells.  His attitude is another story…Honorable mention to: Freddie Jones rd. 9, Dallas defense rd. 13

Most people will say that the anchor of their team is their first pick…and I’m no different.  Doubling up on awards, Ladainian Tomlinson is the STLSPORTSFAN ANCHOR.

Who will win? Jay Schell.   He has the best 1-2 RB combo in the league in my opinion (Faulk and the underappreciated Dillon.)  He has the gun slinging Gannon, and a nice backup in Brees when/if Gannon falls apart.  The rest of his starters are very nice (expect big things from Koren Robinson), but his bench lacks much depth.  Brees and Lelie are the only ones I might trust on my team.  Provided none of his players get hurt, Jay Schell should win this league.

"Reach" of the Draft - Jamal Lewis (Round 1, Brian Pelowski)
Unless Brian knows something I don’t, I don’t understand taking Lewis when guys like Barber, Dillon, Green, James, Davis, and Garner are available.  He plays on a mediocre team with a mediocre (at best) QB.  All the pressure will be on him, and this guy had major knee surgery not too long ago.  I don’t understand this pick, but I could be wrong.

Steal of the draft - Jake Plummer (Round 13, Jim Meyerriecks)
The thin air in Denver and the change of scenery will treat Jake the Snake quite nicely.  He will be able to air the ball out to such capable WR’s as Rod Smith, Ed McCaffery, and Ashlie Lelie, and he has very nice safety valves in Clinton Portis and Mike Anderson.  He isn’t under a lot of pressure like he was in Arizona, and Jake will thrive because of it.  I expect a 3,000 yard season with 20-something TD passes.
 

Jay Schell (capitolfi), Bengals Correspondent

Recap:  My strategy is always the same for any NFL fantasy draft. I look for the best available RB in each of the first 2 rounds. That doesn't mean that I won't take another positional player, if one jumps out at me...but my most successful teams always feature 2 elite backs. In this draft I got Marshall Faulk in the first, and Corey Dillion in the 2nd. Barring another injury to Faulk, I think this is quite the formidable pair.

Once I settle the RB starter situation, I basically just look for the best available players. I like all of the selections I made, but my best pick just might end up being Bubba Franks in the 6th. A TE with great TD potential could be a great bonus from week to week. I also took quite a few calculated risks, starting with Faulk. My team is very young, particularly in the receiving corps...and I definitely may regret taking Carolina as my defense. I'm not too sure whether they can be as strong as they were last year. All in all, though, I'm happy. With a very solid nucleus of Faulk, Dillon, and Rich Gannon...I think I should be able to hold my own from week to week.

Who will win? I think that Michael Wilson has the best team, top to bottom in the league. He got LaDainian Tomlinson with the 5th pick...and I probably would have taken him #1 overall if I had that opportunity. I look at his roster and know that he has a good team.

"Reach" of the Draft - Jeremy Shockey (Round 4, Steven Grossi)
I don't necessarily think it was it was a bad pick, but it was definitely risky taking Jeremy Shockey in the 4th. I'm not yet sold on his ability to dominate like Tony Gonzalez so I wouldn't have took that chance so early.

Steal of the draft - Chris Chambers (Round 7, Michael Wilson)
I never know how to approach this. I do think that the choice of Chris Chambers in the 7th was a great pick. I had him all queued up before Mike snatched him up.
 

Barry Lewis (Red Sox Revisited), New England Patriots Correspondent

Recap:  My pre-draft strategy was to pick the best available players with a focus on running backs and overall balance. Since I was drafting in the middle part of the draft (7^th pick during the odd numbered rounds and 5^th pick during the even numbered rounds), I wanted to draft based on the best available talent method.  

In the 1^st round, and after 5 running backs were selected, I choose Travis Henry in the 1^st round (7^th pick) and went with Kevin Barlow in the 4^th round. In the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds, I went with the best available WR and QB at the time to begin the balancing of my top point-getters.

Also, as it appeared that a couple of my sleeper TE’s went by the wayside (Doug Jolley), I had decided to continue to stockpile running backs and wide-outs for depth purposes along with the selection of 2 other QB’s, in case Kurt Warner is hurt or has an off-week, with "Touchdown" Tommy Maddox and Patrick Ramsey, now that he has both Coles and Gardner to throw to.

After deciding not to draft a TE, my strategy was to continue to draft players that I had in my other FIC Keeper League while also drafting guys that were going to be relied upon for offensive output, while also knowing that the WR slot was the most important position for depth due to 3 starting positions. Using this strategy, I went with Keyshawn (5^th round), Stallworth ( 6^th round), Andre Johnson (10^th round), and TD-machine, Marc Boerigter (15^th round). I went for Garrison Hearst as a back-up for Barlow incase the 49’ers change their strategy after training camp.

Vinatieri is about as good as they come and knew he was going to be available toward the end of the draft and went with the New England and Miami defense’s due to their off-season moves to improve themselves (Sammy Knight, Rosy Colvin, Rodney Harrison, Junior Seau).

I picked up Mike Alstott near the end of the draft because of the Pittman situation and because I do not feel that Coach Gruden will want to use an untested Aaron Stecker in game-critical situations including near the goal line.

I stuck to my belief that depth in the draft is the best strategy and plan to make some moves during the season in case I need to. More than likely, I will make a couple of roster moves during the middle part of the year.

Who will win?  This is a tough call but on paper, without choosing my team, I think 2 of the toughest teams are going to be Taylor Bryan and Josh Felce. They both have balanced squads with decent depth. Taylor Bryan selected two star running backs.

"Reach" of the Draft - Trung Canidate (Round 4, Zach Harmon)
He is in competition for a starting job in what could be a crowded backfield. I think Canidate is a true sleeper candidate but not worthy of a selection in the 4^th round. However, if he gets 300 carries and does not show his penchant for dropping the ball, he could bust out and have a super year. This is a wait and see call, but I would have waited until the middle part of the draft.  

Other picks that I think were tad early include Priest Holmes as the #1 pick (I would have choosen Ricky Williams), David Boston (not because of his problems last year but because of Drew Brees), Joey Galloway before Dante Stallworth and Joey Porter…Michael Pittman in round 8; Michael Bennett in round 10;

Steal of the draft - Tampa Bay Defense (Round 6, Steven Grossi)
They score points and stop their opponents. I have used this strategy in the past en route to league championships before (last year, I drafted Philly’s defense and Tampa’s defense in rounds 4 and 5 of a public league draft and it worked out very well). This selection will produce consistent quality in a time when the leagues’ best talent has been drafted. Good job Steven Grossi!
 

Josh Felce (ATL Sluggers), FIC Member

Recap:  Well the way I came into this draft was thinking that I will do a little research on player losses for a team that could hurt a big name player, and searching around at how camps had been going. I really had no strategy of what positions I would take when though. I just figured the best available player at the time of my pick was the guy I was going to go with in the early rounds of the draft. I had the 8th pick overall and decided I would probably go with a running back, but after that anyone was up for grabs. However, I did know that I was not going to take a defense or kicker before the 10th round. That was my state of mind going into the draft.

I was in the draft and was ready to go. Talking a little beforehand about miscellaneous things, and occasionally trying to maybe sneak in something that would let me know what others were thinking headed in. Finally, it rolled around and I had my first pick. The decision really came down to who was going to be more consistent for my team. Shaun Alexander and Deuce McAllister were the players I was debating over. The decision came only seconds after it was my turn and was pretty simple, I had chosen Deuce McAllister. From there on anyone was up for grabs when it rolled around for me to pick. I ended up going with 2 running backs with my first two picks and taking a quarterback with my third pick. Some may have been surprised to see Steve McNair go so early, but I felt he is going to be a great quarterback again this year. Despite injury problems last year he was still one of the best in the league and at 100% he is going to be even better.

After that I knew I had to get a solid wide receiver core so I went after them when my turn arose. The next three rounds I took wide receivers like I said, picking the ones I felt were the best out of the crop available. One guy who I took, who people say is going to have bad year was Chicago’s very own, Marty Booker. Despite people thinking this I took him because he is a solid receiver and I feel that Kordell Stewart is going to lead that team this season with Booker being his right hand man. He might be a risk, but I think he will succeed to be the player I thought when I drafted him.

After that I only had my Tight End, Kicker, and Defense spot left to fill. I was not in a hurry to fill any of them and respectively took a Tight End with the 8th pick, a defense with the 10th pick, and the Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica with the 12th pick. In between there I took some backups for my bench positions. The only player I regret drafting is Az-Zahir Hakim who is the 3rd receiver in Detroit. I should have taken some else, but I can't go back now. Altogether, I drafted a pretty solid team.

Steals, Risks, Leader for my team

The leader of my team was an easy decision to decide. I picked the position that earns you the most points in the world of fantasy football which is the running back position. The leader of my team is going to be Deuce McAllister. If he gets hurt it is really going to hurt my team. I am depending on him to lead my team to victory and do feel he will.

The biggest risk I took on my team had to be the addition of Peter Warrick. Warrick who is the #2 receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals has always had the potential to be one of the better receivers in the league but has yet to live up to it. When I took him I was thinking that this will be the year. We won’t know till the end of the season, but I believe it will. If he does have a great season he will be the steal of the draft but as of now he is not.

I had two big steals in this draft. The first steal was the New England Patriots starting running back Antowain Smith. I was surprised to see him still around in the 8th round, and so I got him. A starting running back in the NFL, who is a solid backup for my team, and would start on most fantasy football teams. I am now stacked at the position and will no longer have to make any moves from at the running back position. A great pick for me in the middle of the draft.

The second steal for me was Trent Green with my 9th pick. Green is one of the most solid quarterbacks in the league, and I feel will continue to put up numbers like last year. As a backup on my team it is absolutely great for me. A case could even be made that he would start over Steve McNair if he puts up similar numbers. He was probably the best pick of the whole draft for me.

Who will win?  I think the person who has the best shot at winning the league is Steven Grossi. He is solid in every category there is. Although he lacks some depth, and that could hurt in bye weeks, I think he will be fine. He does have some question marks on his team, but if they live up to what they are capable of he will be fine. Overall, he is solid and I feel has the best chance out of anyone to be the winner of the league.

"Reach" of the Draft - Jamal Lewis (Round 1, Brian Pelowski)
I feel the guy who was picked to early in the draft was Jamal Lewis. Lewis, who is a good back, is not first round material. Maybe second round, but not first. Lewis could be a good threat, but he should have gone a little bit later. A good back, but drafted to early. He should have gone after Tiki Barber was off the map, but no earlier. If he could score more Touchdowns he could be a case for a 1st rounder, but he doesn’t and that is what brings him down.

Steal of the draft - Charles Rogers (Round 9, Jim Meyerriecks)
The biggest steal of the draft had to be Charles Rogers by Jim in the 9th round. Rogers who at this time is the #2 receiver in Detroit should be a big impact rookie. He will probably have the #1 receiver job by the end of the season. If Rogers does progress like I think, he is a big steal. A great pick by Jim to get him so late in the Draft with the receiver bin scarce.
 

Edwardo Romao (Tigertracks), Lions Correspondent

Recap: My draft strategy was to get the mature and productive players at running back and quarterback with the first three picks. The fourth and fifth picks to get wide receivers who are the #2 options on their teams, because they get single coverage and are more stable in production week to week. Then from round seven to ten draft backup quarterback, tight end, kicker and defense. Then look for players with upside at running back and quarterback from eleven on. Drafting young players moving into more favorable roles who can be used later for trades to upgrade team or because of injuries.

My best pick could be Matt Hasselbeck as backup quarterback in the seventh round.   A blunder with the eighth pick really burned my teams chance to get a good solid tight end and defense. So I had to make a risky pick that hopefully will allow for a trade to upgrade one of those positions. The risky pick was Kelly Holcomb who could win the battle for starting quarterback and be as productive as he was in the playoffs for Cleveland last year or he could end up sitting on the bench.  The team anchor of Shawn Alexander, Eddie George and Peyton Manning should make this team somewhat competitive, and with some luck and upgrades at TE and DEF via trades or waivers this team may end up competing for one of the top three spots.

Who will win?  It's a tight call between Steven Grossi and Jim Meyerrieks.  It will be...Meyerrieks by half a game!

"Reach" of the Draft - Anthony Thomas (Tim Noakes, Round 4)

Steal of the draft - David Boston (Brian Pelowski, Round 4)
Other picks that could really pay off nicely are Charlie Rogers in the 9th round by Jim and T.J. Duckett in the 13th round by Brian.


Jordan Zakarin, New York Giants Correspondent

Recap: Going into the draft, I knew that there was an extreme shortage of quality receivers. A great receiver can rack up 150 yards per game in the air, and the fact that so few receivers are able to do that make them, in my opinion, the most valuable position in the draft. The fact that Terrell Owens fell to me with the 10th overall pick delighted me, and I quickly scooped him up.
With my second pick, I knew that I needed to take a running back, as the lot was quickly being scooped up. I’m counting on Edgerrin James for a big year now that he is totally healthy, and would rather have him than backs like Corey Dillon and Charlie Garner, both of whom have reached their full potential. Remember, just two years ago Edge led the league in rushing.
The third round led me back to my receiver-first philosophy. By picking up Hines Ward, I guaranteed myself 1200 yards at least, along with a bunch of TDs. Later on, I took Curtis Conway, as I think he will flourish with Chad Pennington in New York. They showed their potential in Japan, with a deep hookup against the Bucs’ defense.

I wanted a second strong back, and James Stewart, now in a strong offense with Joey Harrington and Charles Rogers, I think, will provide some big yards.
I completed my offense with the incredibly efficient Brad Johnson, who wont lose me any points with interceptions. He threw for over 3000 yards last year, along with 22 TDs.

As for defense, my Pittsburgh pick that late, I think, was a quality one. Year in and year out, they are one of the best fantasy defenses in the league, and I nabbed them late.

Who will win? Steve Grossi has a very good team. I’m a big Curtis Martin fan, and he has the top QB, second WR and second TE. He’s the favorite in my eyes.

"Reach" of the Draft - Brian Finneran (Round 6, Tim Noakes)
Brian Finneran in the sixth round. Although I love receivers, Finneran is the two or three guy for the Falcons, who will focus on Price and the running game.

Steal of the draft - Kerry Collins (Round 9, Tim Noakes)
I think Conway will be a big hit in the Jet offense, especially because he is the main long threat, something coach Herm Edwards wants to expand on. If Michael Bennett comes back for the second half, he’ll be a great late round addition, as well. However, if I want to look at the entire draft, I have to say that Kerry Collins in the ninth round is huge. He threw for over 4000 yards last year.
 

Brian Pelowski (bp), NFL Player Updates

Recap: My initial strategy was to take 2 running backs to start with, then a #1 receiver followed by a #1 quarterback while using the rest of the rounds to fill in the rest of my team then drafting 1 kicker and 1 defense at the end of the draft.  I was able to do just that except I got 2 #1 receivers and my tight end before I took my starting quarterback.  I wasn't ecstatic taking Jamal Lewis in the first round but he was the best available back with the fewest amount of question marks around him at that point.  I wasn’t entirely sold on Pennington as my QB so I took Bledsoe right after him giving me two solid quarterback to choose between on a weekly basis.  Ladell Betts, Amos Zereoue and T.J. Duckett could all end up as starting running backs for their teams so I could not pass on them. 

Who will win? Jay Schell has a very solid team and should be carried to many wins by the explosive Marshall Faulk.

"Reach" of the Draft - Mike Vanderjagt (Round 8, Zach Harmon)
I just don’t believe there is any reason to take a kicker that early in the draft.

Steal of the draft - Daunte Culpepper (Round 3, Michael Wilson)
I had him ranked as my number 3 quarterback and he was the 7^th quarterback taken in the draft.  Had he slid to me I would have passed on Plaxico Buress  in the third round.  It is always nice to have a quarterback that can rush for touchdowns.

Taylor Bryan (jt45), FIC Senior Contributor

Recap:  I used the typical “Best Player Available in First Round, 2 RBs in the First 2 Rounds strategy.” Take a look at my draft and you will see that it didn’t work too well. I took the best player available in McNabb with my first round pick, then grabbed the best available RB in Fred Taylor (hopefully, he will stay healthy). By the time the draft finally got back around to me at 36 There was starting to be a run on WRs so I grabbed Torry Holt, who should be a solid wideout for me, and again having back-to-back picks I grabbed the much improved William Green. The rest of my draft was really just filling spots and taking a few guys I thought may have big seasons. Hopefully, this will pay off, as last season in this league it didn’t.

My best pick would have to be McNabb that late in the first round. He rarely falls to 12th overall, and I was ecstatic to get him there. McNabb and my corp of receivers should really anchor my team. I’m also looking for a solid contribution from 2nd year TE, Doug Jolley. My biggest risks would have to be with my 2nd and 3rd WR’s Jimmy Smith, who fell off last season and Jerry Rice, who is once again still getting older….

Who will win? Me of course…….

"Reach" of the Draft -  Trung Canidate (Round 4, Zach Harmon)
You can’t pick guys that early simply based on hype. Zack made a bad decision there.

Steal of the draft - Correll Buckhalter (Round 12, Edwardo Romao)
This could really turn out to be a huge steal. But you have to give some love to my last pick, and Number 1 receiver for Arizona, Bryant Johnson.
 

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