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A trip to the Barber shop
by Geoffrey Stein on July 02 2008
On Monday, June 23, I was invited to participate in an expert mock draft for Fantasy Phenoms, a new up-and-coming website that I highly recommend.
Starting rosters were the usual one QB, TE, K, Flex (RB, WR, TE) and team defense, two RBs and three WRs. Six bench players were also selected.
Scoring was also simple with four points for a passing TD, six points for all other scores, one point for every 10 rushing and receiving yards, one point for every 20 passing yards and most importantly, one point-per-reception.
Here is the team I drafted out of the No. 9 spot:
Round 1, Pick 9: RB Marion Barber, Cowboys -- Playing in the Cowboys` high-powered offense along with 28 TDs and 67 receptions over the last two seasons made Barber an easy choice here. There`s no reason to believe the fourth-year pro won`t reach double-digit scores again in 2008.
Round 2, Pick 4: RB Laurence Maroney, Patriots -- I prefer to go RB-WR with my first two selections in a PPR league, but with Randy Moss and Reggie Wayne off the board, I didn`t want to go with my No.3-rated WR, Terrell Owens, since he plays for the same team as my first-round selection. ... I like Maroney more than most this season, as he did score a TD in eight of his final 10 games.
Round 3, Pick 9: QB Tony Romo, Cowboys -- Though I passed on Owens because he was a Cowboy, I couldn`t do the same for Romo, and in the process guaranteed my team a huge chunk of the Dallas offense that finished 2007 with the NFL`s second-rated offense.
Round 4, Pick 4: WR Anquan Boldin, Cardinals -- Boldin isn`t the 100-catch WR that I prefer in PPR leagues, but he was by far the best option available. The next three receivers to leave the board: Greg Jennings, Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson -- I prefer Boldin by a large margin.
Round 5, Pick 9: WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs -- This pick scares me some, as Brodie Croyle looks to be the starter at QB in Kansas City. Bowe put up better numbers last season with Damon Huard under center, catching four of his five TD receptions from the veteran QB.
Round 6, Pick 4: RB Darren McFadden, Raiders -- I`m not sure where I stand on McFadden in 2008: he won`t be great, but I could see him being a productive PPR RB. For that reason, I couldn`t let him slide past me at this spot.
Round 7, Pick 9: WR Anthony Gonzalez, Colts -- At this point in the draft, the board gets really ugly, and I start looking for players with upside. Gonzalez certainly has a great deal of it, whether he is the No. 2 or No. 3 WR is Indianapolis.
Round 8, Pick 4: TE Todd Heap, Ravens -- The TE position is quite deep this year, so I don`t have a problem taking a gamble on the oft-injured Heap. If healthy, the ability to produce big numbers is there.
Round 9, Pick 9: WR Kevin Curtis, Eagles -- I`ll take Curtis as my No. 4 WR any day of the week. He`ll be the No. 1 in Philly with a stat line similar to last season`s 77 receptions, 1,110 yards and six TDs.
Round 10, Pick 4: RB Ryan Torain, Broncos -- Upside, upside, upside. I`d rather take a chance with Mike Shanahan starting Torain at some point than grabbing a mediocre 60-catch veteran WR.
Round 11, Pick 9: RB Michael Pittman, Broncos -- Upside, upside, upside. I`d rather take a chance with Shanahan starting Pittman at some point than grabbing a defense.
Round 12, Pick 4: K Nick Folk, Cowboys -- I was the first to grab a kicker, but with Barber and Romo already on my roster, I wanted to guarantee myself Folk.
Round 13, Pick 9: WR Devin Hester, Bears -- Like the rest of the free world, I`m less than impressed by the current corps of Bears WR; there`s a good possibility Hester ends up as the No. 1 before the season is up. The question then becomes: is that a good thing?
Round 14, Pick 4: TE Randy McMichael, Rams -- A little Heap insurance. ... McMichael was terrible last year, but I really think he bounces back this season in the offense of new coordinator Al Saunders.
Round 15, Pick 9: RB Cadillac Williams, Buccaneers -- Remember that whole upside late thing? Well, Williams with the ninth pick of Round 15 fits that criterion.
Round 16, Pick 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense -- I had to draft a defense.
Starting rosters were the usual one QB, TE, K, Flex (RB, WR, TE) and team defense, two RBs and three WRs. Six bench players were also selected.
Scoring was also simple with four points for a passing TD, six points for all other scores, one point for every 10 rushing and receiving yards, one point for every 20 passing yards and most importantly, one point-per-reception.
Here is the team I drafted out of the No. 9 spot:
Round 1, Pick 9: RB Marion Barber, Cowboys -- Playing in the Cowboys` high-powered offense along with 28 TDs and 67 receptions over the last two seasons made Barber an easy choice here. There`s no reason to believe the fourth-year pro won`t reach double-digit scores again in 2008.
Round 2, Pick 4: RB Laurence Maroney, Patriots -- I prefer to go RB-WR with my first two selections in a PPR league, but with Randy Moss and Reggie Wayne off the board, I didn`t want to go with my No.3-rated WR, Terrell Owens, since he plays for the same team as my first-round selection. ... I like Maroney more than most this season, as he did score a TD in eight of his final 10 games.
Round 3, Pick 9: QB Tony Romo, Cowboys -- Though I passed on Owens because he was a Cowboy, I couldn`t do the same for Romo, and in the process guaranteed my team a huge chunk of the Dallas offense that finished 2007 with the NFL`s second-rated offense.
Round 4, Pick 4: WR Anquan Boldin, Cardinals -- Boldin isn`t the 100-catch WR that I prefer in PPR leagues, but he was by far the best option available. The next three receivers to leave the board: Greg Jennings, Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson -- I prefer Boldin by a large margin.
Round 5, Pick 9: WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs -- This pick scares me some, as Brodie Croyle looks to be the starter at QB in Kansas City. Bowe put up better numbers last season with Damon Huard under center, catching four of his five TD receptions from the veteran QB.
Round 6, Pick 4: RB Darren McFadden, Raiders -- I`m not sure where I stand on McFadden in 2008: he won`t be great, but I could see him being a productive PPR RB. For that reason, I couldn`t let him slide past me at this spot.
Round 7, Pick 9: WR Anthony Gonzalez, Colts -- At this point in the draft, the board gets really ugly, and I start looking for players with upside. Gonzalez certainly has a great deal of it, whether he is the No. 2 or No. 3 WR is Indianapolis.
Round 8, Pick 4: TE Todd Heap, Ravens -- The TE position is quite deep this year, so I don`t have a problem taking a gamble on the oft-injured Heap. If healthy, the ability to produce big numbers is there.
Round 9, Pick 9: WR Kevin Curtis, Eagles -- I`ll take Curtis as my No. 4 WR any day of the week. He`ll be the No. 1 in Philly with a stat line similar to last season`s 77 receptions, 1,110 yards and six TDs.
Round 10, Pick 4: RB Ryan Torain, Broncos -- Upside, upside, upside. I`d rather take a chance with Mike Shanahan starting Torain at some point than grabbing a mediocre 60-catch veteran WR.
Round 11, Pick 9: RB Michael Pittman, Broncos -- Upside, upside, upside. I`d rather take a chance with Shanahan starting Pittman at some point than grabbing a defense.
Round 12, Pick 4: K Nick Folk, Cowboys -- I was the first to grab a kicker, but with Barber and Romo already on my roster, I wanted to guarantee myself Folk.
Round 13, Pick 9: WR Devin Hester, Bears -- Like the rest of the free world, I`m less than impressed by the current corps of Bears WR; there`s a good possibility Hester ends up as the No. 1 before the season is up. The question then becomes: is that a good thing?
Round 14, Pick 4: TE Randy McMichael, Rams -- A little Heap insurance. ... McMichael was terrible last year, but I really think he bounces back this season in the offense of new coordinator Al Saunders.
Round 15, Pick 9: RB Cadillac Williams, Buccaneers -- Remember that whole upside late thing? Well, Williams with the ninth pick of Round 15 fits that criterion.
Round 16, Pick 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense -- I had to draft a defense.
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