Welcome to Futureboys 2006-2007

Hola! Welcome to Futureboys 2006-2007. Futureboys is my fantasy football league name, and you are lucky enough to have the chance to read about all of the boring statistics that I will be pouring over in the coming months.

So... on with the show!

We officially drafted on Saturday, August 26th at high noon. 12 members overall, we start 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 D, 1 FLEX (RB/WR/TE). Our draft started with a surprise as the top 16 picks were all RB's (needless to say, those who drafted first were ticked off.. not that I feel bad for those who were 'stuck' with the likes of L.T., L.J., Shaun Alexander, etc...). All draftee's werent too 'streaky' however, as each managed their own strategies pretty darn well. Who did I draft? Well, let me start by stating that Im an Eagles fan, hehe...

QB - Donovan McNabb, Brad Johnson
RB - B. Westbrook, Warrick Dunn, Joseph Addai, LenDale White
WR - Reggie Wayne, TJ Houshmendzadah, Reggie Brown, David Givens, Eric Moulds
TE - LJ Smith, Mercedes Lewis
K - Josh Brown, Stephen Gostkowski
D - Ravens, Bills

As you can see, I took quite a bit of birds in my draft, why?
1 - Im an idiot
2 - When you read, on a daily basis, on how 'good' a team is looking, you cant help but feel that you have some sleepers in your hometown team
3 - The same strategy worked for me 2 years ago when I took just as many birds in my draft and posted monster numbers
4 - All the other B.S. reasons aside, I love having the QB & WR/TE/RB combo's. Case in point, McNabb throws to LJ Smith for a TD, I get points for both players. Any given sunday I can post solid numbers (or, of course, I can post a no show ;).

DRAFT ANALYSIS

My opening strategy is to get 2 solid RB's and a QB in my first 3 draft rounds. When all 9 other members (I drafted 10th overall) took RB's, my options were limited. So, when I looked at my available options, I took Westbrook first. A few picks later, looking at who was, and wasnt available, I thought Warrick Dunn was a solid pick for my number 2 RB. I KNOW youre probably laughing at this pick, I dont blame you! But think about this...

There are 32 teams total, right? Lets say that were all experts and that we each take the next best available RB's. So, if my first pick is 10th overall, couldnt you say that B. Westbrook is a top 10 RB? My next pick, being 14th overall... couldnt you say that Warrick Dunn is within the top 16 of 32 RB's? Im not rock solid in my RB situation, but heres who else was available (of the top of my brain):
-Kevin Jones
-Dominick Davis
-Joseph Addai
-Willis McGahee
-Willie Parker
-Chester Taylor
-Thomas Jones
-Frank Gore
-Mike/Tatum Bell
-Jamal Lewis
-Ahman Green
-Julius Jones

So, I couldnt justify that any of the above were necessarily 'better' that Warrick Dunn... plus, that sneaky lil bastard put up 150 yards in a game against me last year, if he had 1 yard less, I would have won the game (to add insult to injury, I missed playoffs by one win last year as well).

Moving on...

Here I am, 3rd round, many of the RB's taken already by the 20th pick, WR's start to go. Sticking with my draft strategy... and waiting for my next turn which doesnt come until 33rd overall... Peyton Manning and a few other QB's are already gone. My boy, D-Mac, is just sitting there, calling out to me. What am I supposed to do!? I KNOW hes a top tier guy, and I KNOW that he is available, and quite possibly wont be within the next 2 rounds I draft, I call his name.

There... I did it, I took 2 Eagles in 3 rounds... what else am I supposed to do!?

4th round rolls around, but at this point many of the top WR's are already picked over. Do I panic? Moreover, should I have changed my strategy knowing that WR's were going by the end of the 2nd round? Nah... I have a few sleepers up my sleeve. Matt Jones is the next go-to guy now that Jimmy Smith has entered retirement. "Touchdown" Reggie Brown is the birds latest and greatest number one guy. David Givens, while having missed the pre-season, comes highly touted as a top sleeper by none other than Eric Kusilias (ESPN Radio Guy). So, I pick my next solid guy available, Touchdown Reggie... uh... Wayne (what the heck rhymes with Wayne, gas pain perhaps?). A few picks roll by, and solidifying my latest dream team in the WR department, I take the longest name I can find on the board, T.J. Houshmendzadah.

So lets go back for a moment, 2 rounds ago, I decide not to panic. In hindsight, my starting WR's are #2 guys! Top flight #2's, but #2's nonetheless. At the moment Im a little disappointed, but I atleast feel better about my team now than when I did by Round 4 in last years draft (in which I drafted the likes of Kevin Jones in the second round).

Round 6 starts, and of course, the top TE's are gonzo. My sleeper, who Ive taken every year, who always falls low, and has always proven himself, is LJ Smith, of your philadelphia eagles. Did I take him? Is the Pope Catholic?

Rd 7 rolls around next, and some D's are already gone, but the Ravens D is sitting there, so I snatched em up. Rd 8... I grab my first kicker in Matt Stover.

Rd 9 starts, and now my sleeper's come into reality. Matt Jones AND "Touchdown" Reggie Brown AND David Givens are available! 3 picks left... 2... picks... 1 more, and!... and my lil bastard of a 10 year old cousin takes none other than Matt Jones. Refusing the urge to reign blows on his coniving little head, I run up and take Reginald Brown. Next round, give me Givens, I guess 2 outta 3 aint bad (atleast I think that while all 11 people in the room are laughing at me and my awful draft).

Still available in Rd 11 is Lendale White, looking to bolster my piss poor RB crew, I reach for the face spitter himself. Why not, I took the bears D in week 16 last year (shows how much expertise we have in our league, eh?), and even Kevin Jones is gone by this point.

Moving towards the end of the draft, and with people poking fun at me for how long I was apparently taking to draft (which I had no clue, I thought I was moving pretty fast!), I reach for the Bills D, what the hey, they were solid 2 years ago.

Mixed in the end was Addai, Mercedes Lewis, Moulds, and Gostkowski. Come to think of it, I think I took Addai a litle earlier than this, but you know what, who the heck cares? Bottom line is this, there are no standout teams, but its much easier to point out the weak as opposed to the strong. If Culpepper turns out to be his 2004 form, my brothers team is dyn-o-mite... even without him hes looking solid. I advised my dad on a few picks, and he could either be very good, or very bad (namely taking Eli as his 1st QB, and Deion Branch as a starting WR).

Of course, only a few days later, the birds sign donte' stallworth and bump touchdown reggie brown to number 2 on the totem pole... leaving me with all 3 of my starting receivers as number 2 guys, pretty smart strategy eh??? I know.. it wasnt.. but its the beginning of the season, so I sure am hopeful!