You have the #1 pick in your fantasy draft

[samikeyp]

who do you choose.........

[kris]

Ladanian is the consensus answer. I'd probably have to go with that myself.

[samikeyp]

Ladanian is the consensus answer. I'd probably have to go with that myself.

true...I would do that also.

[Manu20]

Ladainian Tomlinson

[HotAssComic]

Peyton Manning

[BruceBowenFan]

Peyton Manning
you know it that or randy moss

[Horry For 3!]

Tomlinson

[Kori Ellis]

Most of the drafts that I've been in so far, Peyton has gone later than fifth.

Tomlinson has been number one in all of them.

[TheTruth]

what the scoring like?

[Horry For 3!]

Most of the drafts that I've been in so far, Peyton has gone later than fifth.

Tomlinson has been number one in all of them.
You drafted Tomlinson in my draft :p

[Dre_7]

LT easily. If ya dont pick him #1, you are crazy!!

[scott]

Tampa Bay defense

[BruceBowenFan]

i dont care for running backs except for guys like priest holmes and julius jones and that's it other than that i need a qb wr te and defense look at these guys that r on my roster http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/clubhouse?leagueId=74478&teamId=1

[Sense]

I get Manning.

[williemoonshine]

LT2 no question, taking Manning pick 1 and then going 23 pick with out a running back will sink your team. You can still get good production out of a Bulger or Green which you can take in round 3+

[samikeyp]

You can still get good production out of a Bulger or Green which you can take in round 3+

which is exactly what I did.

[PeterBurns]

If it's a snake draft. Trade and get the last pick of the draft. Someone will give you extra players and/or draft picks for #1.

I'm not kidding.

[2centsworth]

after picking number 1 will any of the following RBs be available 19 picks later:

Curtis Martin
Tiki Barber
Dominique Davis
Edgerrin James
Willis Mcgahee
Deuce Mcallister

I'm new to the fantasy game, but I'm inclined to go Manning if I suspect any of the above will be available 19 picks later.

[scott]

Martin would probably be available... possibly Tiki. All of the others are 1st round, early 2nd round picks.

[samikeyp]

I had the 9th pick in a 10 team league and we had a progressive draft (1-10 1st round, 2-10,1 in the second and so forth) and my first pick was Edgerrin James...it helped that the guy ahead of me is a cheesehead and picked Favre! :)

[2centsworth]

Martin would probably be available... possibly Tiki. All of the others are 1st round, early 2nd round picks.
if that's the case would it not make sense to pick Manning 1st and pick-up martin later. Manning is good for a consistent 20 plus points a weekend and martin was in the top 6 ppg for running backs only 2 ppg shy of LD. Plus, Martin is reliable, never fumbles and rarely gets hurt.

I'm new to this Fantasy ball game so is my logic flawed?

[samikeyp]

not really....it all depends on your league....most fantasy leagues favor the running backs.

[2centsworth]

not really....it all depends on your league....most fantasy leagues favor the running backs.
how is the RB favored?

[King]

If it's a snake draft. Trade and get the last pick of the draft. Someone will give you extra players and/or draft picks for #1.

I'm not kidding.

I see your strategy, Burns.

Also, I'd like to point out that you guys scheduled the draft on my girlfriend's birthday, which was just downright cruel to do. I'm already running damage control, and I think things are good to go -- but that was still mean.

[King]

i dont care for running backs except for guys like priest holmes and julius jones and that's it other than that i need a qb wr te and defense look at these guys that r on my roster http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/clubhouse?leagueId=74478&teamId=1

I can already guarantee that you won't win the league with that team. Fantasy leagues are won with running backs. Reggie Wayne put up number comparable to Randy Moss and Terrell Owens fantasy wise, but Kevin Faulk dang sure didn't put up anything near LT or Alexander. Best idea is to get RBs with your first two picks, and get middle tier WRs and QBs in later rounds.

RBs win fantasy leagues. That's the #1 rule.

[samikeyp]

Most leagues favor points...running backs do the bulk of the scoring. Some are weighted toward QB's (no neg. points for int's or sacks.....pts for completions)

[2centsworth]

I can already guarantee that you won't win the league with that team. Fantasy leagues are won with running backs. Reggie Wayne put up number comparable to Randy Moss and Terrell Owens fantasy wise, but Kevin Faulk dang sure didn't put up anything near LT or Alexander. Best idea is to get RBs with your first two picks, and get middle tier WRs and QBs in later rounds.

RBs win fantasy leagues. That's the #1 rule.

How do RBs win Fantasy leagues? I thought the leagues were points driven. Am I using the wrong information in my analysis

http://www.footballguys.com/04finalytdstatsppg.htm

[CrashMag]

Running backs score the most points in my league.
I have gone with Shaun Alexander, he has been consistent over the
Past three or four years. You can’t go wrong with 15 plus a year.

[King]

RBs are more important, because you'll have middle tier QBs score comparable points to upper tier QBs. And you won't have middle tier RBs score anywhere near what upper tier RBs score.

Plus, you usually start 2-3 RBs and only 1 QB. If your QB isn't great, you've got good RBs to make up for it. If you have a great QB and mediocre RBs, you're losing points on 2-3 positions.

[2centsworth]

RBs are more important, because you'll have middle tier QBs score comparable points to upper tier QBs. And you won't have middle tier RBs score anywhere near what upper tier RBs score.

Plus, you usually start 2-3 RBs and only 1 QB. If your QB isn't great, you've got good RBs to make up for it. If you have a great QB and mediocre RBs, you're losing points on 2-3 positions.
ty:tu

[FromWayDowntown]

I have a dilemma in my league because I pick 3rd, 22nd and 27th. Last year, with the same three picks, I got Alexander, Michael Bennett, and Corey Dillon. I landed Favre several rounds later, picked up Nate Burleson and Ben Roethisberger as free agents and but for a bad decision in the last week (starting the en fuego Billy Volek over the steady Favre) would have won my league's title.

This year, I don't think I'll be so lucky. At 3, the choices are really interesting. Assuming LaDanian goes #1, I'm guessing that Alexander, Holmes, or Manning goes #2. If #2 takes one of the backs, that leaves me the other back and Manning. If Manning is available at #3 he's really tempting, particularly with #22 and #27 coming in quick succession. But, if I take one dominant back and get two more good backs at #22 and #27, then worry about WR, QB, and that stuff, I should be able to start two good RB every week and have a dominant team at the most important position.

Anyone else picked at #3 and want to give some advice?

[King]

Go for whichever back is available (if they both are, take Alexander) and get a QB with the 27th pick. If you take Manning first, you're going to be picking from the Duce Staley/Stephen Davis group of RBs at 22. If you assure yourself a top RB, you'll find a Hasselbeck/Green/Delhomme type QB hanging around at 22/27.

Or, if possible, try to trade down and get two middle/late picks like 9-13 range. See if someone is in love with one of the top three players.

[CrashMag]

anybody wanna gamble on cedric benson????

[FromWayDowntown]

Go for whichever back is available (if they both are, take Alexander) and get a QB with the 27th pick. If you take Manning first, you're going to be picking from the Duce Staley/Stephen Davis group of RBs at 22. If you assure yourself a top RB, you'll find a Hasselbeck/Green/Delhomme type QB hanging around at 22/27.

Or, if possible, try to trade down and get two middle/late picks like 9-13 range. See if someone is in love with one of the top three players.

Really, really hard to pass up Manning, if he's there. He'll score as much as most of the top backs and much more than most of the QB's.

Our league has imposed a very odd no-trade rule for the draft. I'd definitely trade out of 3 and down to the 10-12 range if I could. We can trade afterwards, but it's unlikely that someone will draft a team that I'd want to trade for.

[FromWayDowntown]

anybody wanna gamble on cedric benson????

Not me.

[samikeyp]

nope.

[FromWayDowntown]

Really, really hard to pass up Manning, if he's there. He'll score as much as most of the top backs and much more than most of the QB's.

Well, we had the draft tonight. Tomlinson and Alexander went 1-2. I decided, in the end, to take Priest Holmes at #3 and run the risk of injury. I picked Curtis Martin in Round 2 and Steven Jackson in Round 3. I ended up trading Martin and Brian Griese (the second QB I drafted) for Brett Favre and Larry Johnson. After the hand-wringing about #3, I actually like the team I ended up with (in draft order):

Priest Holmes
Brett Favre (trade)
Steven Jackson
Roy Williams
Darrell Jackson
Donald Driver
Dallas Clark
Jeremy Shockey
Carson Palmer
Larry Johnson
Donte Stallworth
Troy Williamson
Frank Gore
LaBrandon Toefield
New York Jets Defense

My roster, then, is:

QB: Favre, Palmer
RB: Holmes, S.Jackson, Johnson, Gore, Toefield
WR: R.Williams, D.Jackson, Driver, Stallworth, Williamson
TE: Clark, Shockey
K: none
DEF: Jets

Start QB, 2RB, 2WR, TE, K, DEF. Points for yardage and TD's.

I have to come up with a kicker, but there a number of good FA choices. I'll drop Gore (I think) to pick up the kicker -- had I thought about Toefield before I picked Gore, I would have skipped Gore; though I do think Gore has a chance to get lots of carries in SF this year.

[Trainwreck2100]

I took Tomlinson.

[scott]

FWD, it looks like you have a guaranteed 2 losses when your 2 starting RBs are on bye weeks... very weak backfield - I would have kept Martin and Griese, even with the injury risk to Priest.

[FromWayDowntown]

FWD, it looks like you have a guaranteed 2 losses when your 2 starting RBs are on bye weeks... very weak backfield - I would have kept Martin and Griese, even with the injury risk to Priest.

I'm torn. I think you make a good argument, scott. My choice was to either upgrade at QB and hope that Favre will get me over in weeks where my RB have byes or to stick with my RB's and hope that the weak QB's didn't kill me during byes. Instead of having 3 solid RB's, with only 2 playing in any given week, and 2 mediocre QB's, I have 2 top 15 RB's and a top 5 QB, too. I think this team is more balanced than the team that I originally drafted, and if Driver is more like 2003 than 2004, I've got a nice combo, I think.

Plus, I always keep my eyes on the waiver wire and try to get guys who nobody would have thought to draft. Last year, I drafted Burress, Charles Rogers, and Isaac Bruce as my 3 lead WR, and ended the year with Nate Burleson (from the waiver wire), Drew Bennett (same), and Keenan McCardell (same). I don't really think this will be the final version of my team, which gives me some peace of mind.

I also have Toefield, who should get lots and lots of carries when Fred Taylor's inevitable injuries creep up. I'm going to drop Gore and I'm working to deal some excess to get better at either WR or RB, if possible.

If the front end of my team doesn't work out, I'm sunk anyway, but any team would be.

[scott]

Is Mewelde Moore still available in your league? He is expected to start over Bennett. Also, Mike Anderson won the starting job in Denver last night. Those are some FAs you might be able to snag if someone hasn't beat you to it.

I don't know how injury prone Fred Taylor really is... the guy has been a rock as far as health the last couple of years. I think his injury rep may be overblown.