Draft took place on August 17th

League Two Draft Order

1. Iwannabeacowboybaby - Message Board Team


2. David Yudkin - Staff Team


3. Tick - Message Board Team


4. David Shick! - Staff Team


5. BassNBrew - Message Board Team


6. Chris Smith - Staff Team


7. Evilgrin 72 - Message Board Team


8. Keith Overton - Staff Team


9. Family Matters - Message Board Team


10. Chase Stuart - Staff Team


11. Joe T - Message Board Team


12. Maurile Tremblay - Staff Team

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My pre-draft strategy was to try and take the best players available without getting a bunch of players on the same bye weeks. This is usually my strategy in survivor formats.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I tried my best to stick with that strategy, but right off the bat in round 2 I felt forced to take Rudi Johnson who has the same bye week as LT2. I needed to take at least 1 RB at that spot and I had him ranked significantly higher than anyone else that remained in the draft, even with the 1 PPR rule.
   



3. You have only two QBs. Why so few?
   I thought I found excellent value in Donovan McNabb at 5.01. I have him ranked in the top 3 at QB this season. I was willing to only draft one other QB and use that slot somewhere else in the draft. I took Patrick Ramsey because his match up on Donovan's bye week 6 is his best matchup all season on paper.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My team's biggest weakness is my RB3. This could turn out to be my strength, but I need Larry Johnson in a big way this season. My 2 starting RBs have bye week 10's so I do have some time for Johnson and Ricky Williams to emerge. I could have drafted a different RB and let Dave Yudkin have his handcuff, but I felt compelled to grab him when I did.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   If I didn't have my team, I'd take Joe T's. I felt like he did a nice job of grabbing quality players. He's got solid players at every position and should be around near the finish line.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   Drafting from the two slot, I planned on going Priest Holmes-WR-WR-RB-Larry Johnson. Beyond that, I looked for QB that would put up big points whether they would be consistent or not. In a Survivor format, the easiest place to make up ground is WR, and I planned on waiting to grab a bunch that might have a big week here and there. I was not as concerned about TE-PK-DEF, as beyond a select few they are fairly unpredictable. As things unveiled, it was clear I was the one hoarding the home run or strikeout players.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   For the most part, my strategy played out as planned. LJ got taken between my 4th and 5th picks, but I would much rather have a guy (Fred Taylor) that if healthy would put up points every week rather than someone that would not do much if Holmes was in the lineup. I think I easily have the strongest WR corps in our league with Harrison, Owens, and Roy Williams and several other guys that might pitch in a high score a few weeks. I was surprised that I could get Collins, Vick, and Warner at QB drafting with these guys. You know you are drafting well when you have the most expletives shouted your way during the draft in taking players other guys wanted.
   



3. You selected Michael Vick. What does this Survivor format do to his value?
   Michael Vick probably has more value in a Survivor format than a standard one in that other rostered QB can pick up the slack during his mediocre weeks. Vick scored 20+ points 6 times last year but 12 or fewer points 8 times. Since only his high scores count, you don't have to suffer through the weeks where he looks very pedestrian. And if he ever learns that quarterbacks, by rule, are allowed to pass, he could have a few more big weeks.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   I am weakest at RB, but that was somewhat by design. Holmes and Taylor are injury risks, Anderson could very easily (should?) be supplanted by Bell, and Moore might not get a chance to play much in Minnesota. Since I felt the value at the 2/3 turn was at WR, I would not have changed that strategy unless there was a sure thing at RB that fell that far. The other option was taking more flyers on RB later in the draft, but I felt taking full-time WR made more sense than part-time or backup RB.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   While not filled with the sexiest picks, I think LHUCKS' team in the other league will be consistent and has balance at every position. It may not be the highest scoring team, but it should not be the lowest scoring one either, and early on that's the name of the game. The mid- to late-round players are all positioned to do well and should get plenty of playing time-meaning they don't need injuries to other players to score points from week-to-week.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My predraft strategy was pretty loose; I wanted to see what the draft gave me and react to that. My basic plan was:
   
   1.03 LT/Holmes/Alexander. I strongly considered James over Alexander, but ended up going with the safer pick.
   
   2.09 a) Take a top 15 RB. b) Take Manning/Moss/Holt/CJohnson in that order. c) Take a lesser RB.
   
   3.03 If I have 2 RBs, pick Culpepper/Harrison/Owens/Horn/Walker if they're there. Otherwise, take the best RB available.
   
   From there, it all depended on what fell. Roughly I wanted to get three non-RBBC RBs fairly early, four WRs by the ninth round, and pick my kickers and defenses in rounds 18-21, leaving 22 for a sleeper of some sort.
   
   My preferred lineup would be 2-3 QBs, 5-6 RBs, 8 WRs, 2 TE/D/PKs.
   
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I was able to stick with my strategy, since it was pretty flexible. A few things went differently than I expected: Baltimore's defense fell so far that I felt I had to take them in the eleventh. There was one more temptation to break from my strategy, when I realized I had two kickers with the same bye week and considered picking a third to cover that week. In the end I stuck to my plan of adding an eighth WR...I'm still not sure if that was the right decision or not.
   



3. Both of your kickers have the same bye week. What that planned or
   merely chance?
   That was an error. I'd like to blame the late hour, but I'm afraid it's the sort of mistake I make once in awhile in drafts. I did a similar thing last year in a survivor with defenses. Once the mistake had been made, I faced the dilemma of whether to draft an eighth WR or a third PK. I decided to go with the WR, partly because I had only five RBs, and I wanted the most possible players going for that flex spot each week.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   I feel my biggest weakness is a bye week collection in weeks nine and ten. Neither week is so bad by itself, but both weeks have a fair number of players out of my lineup, and both fall within the same two-week elimination period. The kicker mistake is the main culprit here - without that I don't think I would have had an obvious weakness. I have one positional weakness at backup TE, but I see that as pretty insignificant.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   I would want LHUCKS' team. Two very good QBs meant he only burnt two roster spots there. Two very good RBs plus one primary RBBC guy, a possible homerun in Ricky Williams, and a handcuff - nice job there. His WRs are all guys I like - undervalued old guys for the most part. I like the Tennessee TE handcuff - that was worth an extra roster spot IMO. I'm not thrilled about the PKs and the defenses are fairly average (I'm not so high on Carolina this year), but those are the least important positions. His team has no obvious weaknesses.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My initial plan was to load up at the running back position. I wanted to grab established starting running backs with at least my first three picks, and possibly four depending on who was available at that point. At the quarterback spot I wanted to wait as long as I could while still being able to grab three solid starters that had potential in the middle rounds. I wanted to get either seven or eight wide receivers knowing I wouldn’t have the quality from the top of the draft, but instead a large number of guys that I knew would at a bare minimum see the field get their targets. I was guaranteed not to take a kicker or a defense until the very end of the draft.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I stuck with my plan and feel it yielded the team I wanted. Any team that hesitates and waits on the running back pays the price later on. There’s not one running back taken after round seven that I would want on my roster. Huge gambles and praying that their selection sees the field. While these other teams are taking fourth tier running backs I was selecting starting wide receivers.
   



3. You waited to take your first QB but then took three in succession. Why?
   This was my plan before the draft started. It has more to do with the league format and need to lock down the running back position than any thing else. I wanted to grab three solid starters that each had potential to be top ten quarterbacks. Certainly not top five guys by any stretch of the imagination, but in a survivor format any of the three can have big game potential on any given week. McNair, Pennington, and Rothlisberger has all shown solid NFL success and all three are unquestioned entrenched starters.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   Star potential at the wide receiver position. I selected receivers that should be solid steady producers with some big game potential now and then. None of these guys are going to have three consecutive big weeks. However, I feel this is a solid plan given the survivor format.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   BassNBrew. He was the only other team to follow a similar strategy to mine with three consecutive running backs out of the gate.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   Knowing that in addition to starting 2 RBs, we would also be starting a flex player, I wanted three starting RBs out of the gate. With the third back be able to contribute to the flex score, I was adding depth without suffering a loss in point potential simultaneously. From there I wanted to select three WRs and then look for value at QB and TE. I selected draft position #5 because I was specifically targeting Jordan and Arrington in rounds 2 and 3 as my second and third backs.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I stuck to that strategy to the letter. I feel it served me well as my RB position is very deep and the WR corps are both talented and capable of posting some huge numbers any given week. I found value at both the QB and TE position in the middle rounds in the form of Brooks / Harrington / LJ Smith / Cooley.
   



3. You took Joey Harrington but did not select the much-hyped Jeff Garcia. Why not?
   I seriously thought about Garcia later in the draft, but Bledsoe slipped way too far down the draft board. It ultimately came down to a decision of protecting Harrington versus adding a third scoring contributor at the QB position. Harrington’s preseason had been strong and the Dallas QB position posted 3500 yards in 2004. I see Bledsoe as an upgrade over Vinny and likely having a few scoring weeks that will be useable in this format.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   I left myself a little be venerable to bye week problems in weeks 3 and 6. If I’d passed on Davenport at 18.08, I wouldn’t have felt the need to draft Davis at 20.08. This would have allowed me to add a third defense or TE that didn’t have a week 3 bye.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   Definitely Aaron Rudnicki and it’s not even close. Aaron is loaded at RB with four opening day starters and his stable of WRs carry a big pop. Despite these strengths, he gave up nothing at the other positions. I just don’t see any weaknesses on this team. Besides, it’s always good luck to pick Aaron’s team as the best.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   Going into the draft, I put a premium on landing good running backs early on if the value was there in each of the first several rounds. I also had Daunte Culpepper targeted in the third as he went in that slot in our Staff League the week prior. I also had certain receivers I wanted on my roster with upside such as Reggie Williams, Santana Moss and Chris Chambers. I knew in round one with the 6th pick overall I would be going running back and then it would depend on who became available in the next rounds.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   Yes, the way the draft unfolded I discovered strong running back depth throughout the first several rounds while picking up Daunte Culpepper in the 3rd which is outstanding value. Getting Culpepper early on allowed myself to ignore the quarterback position for much of the draft from that point on, stockpiling talent at the other positions. Going RB with four of the first five picks resulted in Willis McGahee, Jamal Lewis, Cadillac Williams and Thomas Jones, clearly a strength of my squad and I was able to select Michael Pittman in the 9th round to compliment Cadillac.
   
   The tough choice was in round five and Thomas Jones but if I went receiver there it would have been Chris Chambers whom I selected in the sixth. If Nate Burleson or Steve Smith was available in round five I would have went WR.
   



3. You drafted the NFL backup of your top QB (Culpepper). Why?
   Daunte Culpepper is clearly one of the strengths of my team. Having Brian Griese as my backup should serve nicely and I scooped him up in the 10th round. If a player such as David Carr or Ben Roethlisberger would have fell a little more I would have picked up a third quarterback but I never found value I liked in my third quarterback so I went with plan B. If something does happen to Culpepper, I will have coverage in veteran Brad Johnson who will be able to come into the game and do an decent job for the Vikings. The Vikings passing attack will do well and I will be guaranteed points from the position.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My biggest weakness has to be at the receiver position although I like the upside of the players selected. Not looking at receiver until round six was a risk but it worked out pretty well in my opinion. Throughout the first several rounds, the receiver value just wasn't there for me and stockpiling talent at running back in a league in which the rosters are frozen can be a great move. My top four receivers of Chris Chambers, Plaxico Burress, Eric Moulds and Reggie Williams should get enough week to week points to keep me in the hunt while late-round flyers such as Bryant Johnson (has had a great off-season), Kelley Washington (has emerged as the #3) and Earnest Wilford are capable of a couple of big weeks throughout the season.
   
   As far as what I would do different, there really isn't very much in all honesty. If players such as Steve Smith and Nate Burleson would have dropped a few more slots, I would have gone WR early but it was the RB position in which value emerged and I went in that direction. One pick I possibly would change is WR Earnest Wilford whom I selected in the 18th round. The reason I took him is his similarity to Reggie Williams in stature and the probability he would step in as a starter if something happen to Reggie Williams plus he is good in the red-zone but I probably should have gone with WR Cedrick Wilson with that pick.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   There are a number of nice looking teams, but if I could pick one it would probably be Aaron Rudnicki's squad in the other league. He has nice depth top to bottom and can withstand an injury or two and still be competitive.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My pre-draft strategy was to make sure I was deep at RB and QB and get a top-3 TE, while taking more "upside" risks at WR. This would have been my strategy virtually regardless of draft position. In these drafts, RBs usually go fast and furious, so I intended to take 2 backs in the first two rounds unless extraordinary value presented itself. I also wanted to make sure to get at least one back who could be huge in a PPR format (Domanick Davis.) At WR, I wanted to get a couple of guys who would be heavily targeted (Mason, Michael Clayton) and would shine in a PPR format, then go with upside guys later on.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I was able to stick with the strategy pretty effectively. Gonzalez falling to 3.7 did a lot to help out there, as did a more robust run on receivers than I anticipated. I have 2 QBs and 4 RBs that can put up solid points in any given week, so I think I'll be very strong in both of those spots, along with TE, while still having a chance to put up good WR points each week if one of my other 6 WRs breaks out opposite Clayton and Mason.
   



3. You waited later than most other drafters to take WRs (only two before round ten). Why?
   I saw about 9-10 WRs that I thought were head-and-shoulders above the rest and then a giant crapshoot. I decided to stock up on the positions on which I was more comfortable with my projections and then take more risk/reward guys at WR. In this format, consistency is less important than having guys who can put up big points on any given week, so I wanted to get as many of those type of receivers as possible. Many were likely to be available later, so I focused on other positions first.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   Well, undoubtedly, it's the receivers. In retrospect, I probably should have passed on Brady at 8.06 and taken a third receiver, but I wanted Stallworth or Porter for their "big-week" potential, and both came off before I chose in round 8. I am not high on Burress' prospects this year, so I went with value at that pick, when I may have been wise to draft for need rather than "best player available."
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   I think it might be fun to be "The Isle of Misfit Toys" in league 1. With Priest/LJ, Chad Johnson, T.O., Steve Smith, and Kerry Collins, that's a LOT of guys with huge upside. There's no-one to fill that RB2 spot, but if he gets lucky with an injury and ends up with a guy that can fill that hole, this could be a team capable of putting up a thousand points a week. I would have taken Duckett, Staley, or Faulk in round 7 rather than Aaron Brooks, but otherwise, that's an explosive team.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   Yes, my predraft strategy was definitely affected by my draft position. At the 8th overall pick, I was expecting to go RB-RB-WR for my first three picks. I was hoping to pick up two solid WRs in the first five rounds that would likely be every-week starters. Next, I wanted to grab a top five TE to hopefully anchor that position, and I planned on taking the first of three QBs somewhere prior to Round 6. After that, I planned to flesh out my roster with value picks as they became available to me. Overall, I planned to have a three player QBBC rotation, six RBs, seven WRs, two TEs, two PKs and two DEFs. And since it was a Survivor draft, I planned to take a larger percentage of "risky" players with very inconsistent week to week productivity than I would in a normal draft.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   I wound up sticking pretty close to my predraft strategy. I went RB-WR-RB to open the draft rather than RB-RB-WR due to a heavier than expected early run on RBs, and I wound up with a TEBC rather than a top five TE, but other than that I largely maintained the distribution of players that I was expecting throughout the draft. I feel very comfortable with the way this team turned out. I really like my QBs and I think the TEBC I wound up with may actually work out better than my original "top five plus Chris Cooley" plan. The only downside to the TEBC was that I had one less pre-10th round pick available for building depth at RB than I was expecting to have.
   



3. You took your second TE before your fourth WR. Why?
   I generally like to draft a top five TE in the Survivor format and was particularly interested in Witten or Crumpler for this draft but but I did not get either of them. Failing that, I decided to get two solid TEs and hope that their overall production would result in similar numbers to rostering one of the top guys. When I grabbed Eric Johnson at 9.08, the top WRs left on the board were guys down in the 40th-45th overall WR range -- guys like McCardell, Toomer, Stokley, and McCareins. I already had a couple of solid WRs in Holt and Ward and one WR in the same expected range as the guys left on the board (Donte Stallworth). In a Survivor format, I felt pretty safe in counting on my remaining 3-4 WRs to provide depth and an occasional contribution at WR3. Also, I felt Johnson was a good value at that pick because of the point per reception; and because of the flex position in the lineup, it's not certain that a big week by both my TEs on the same day will go to waste.
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   I'm definitely a little thinner at RB than I would like, particularly in a league that allows 3 RBs to start through a flex spot. My top 3 guys (Barber, Bell, and Bettis) should be every-week scorers but below that point, I was largely swinging for the fences with guys like Dominic Rhodes, LaBrandon Toefield, and Maurice Morris. I expect Rhodes to see a little action even if Edgerrin James stays healthy, but the other two will likely only see action if the starter in front of them is injured. I could have gotten quite a bit stronger at RB by taking one at 2.05 -- I would have gotten one in the 15-20 range, and I almost did pull the trigger and take Steven Jackson at that pick. But in the end I decided that Holt was a better value. I could have also improved my stock in this area by selecting another regular contributor like T. J. Duckett or Marshall Faulk in the 8th - 9th rounds, but Duckett went one pick before me in the 9th and Faulk went one pick after me, even though I was hoping he would slide down to me in the 10th.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   If I had to choose another of the teams to take over, I would choose David Shick's team. His team has a strong three man QBBC, outstanding RBs with five guys who will see plenty of time as long as they stay healthy, a solid TE, and no major bye problems. His top four RBs (James, Jackson, Dunn, and Brown) could carry this team by themselves and should ensure that he has three RBs that start for him practically every week. His WRs are a bit thin, but I like his top two (Driver and Lelie) and in a Survivor format, I think that's the safest position to go light on.

Post-draft Questions

1. What was your pre-draft strategy? Was that strategy tied to your selection of draft position?
   My original strategy was leaning towards drafting 2 RBs but remaining open to value if it presented itself. So I did stray from the 2 RB plan. Drafting from the 9 hole I knew there were going to be options. Guys like Manning and Moss would likely be there and I would consider them as viable alternatives to RBs.
   



2. Were you able to stick with that strategy? If so, did it serve you well? If not, how were you able to cope with the change?
   When my 2nd round pick came up Manning was still on the board. I decided to draft Manning for several reasons. First, I knew he would be a safe and reliable selection. Secondly, I knew I would not be pressured to draft 1-2 QBs later and possibly get caught in the QB run. However, looking back I wish I would of stayed with the RB plan. I did not like the value later in the draft for RBs. I did however make some adjustments by handcuffing Portis and Foster so I feel better after doing that.
   



3. Your nickname is Family Matters, and your two QBs are brothers. Was this planned or merely chance?
   Drafting the Manning brothers as my 2 QBs was coincidence and had no bearing my team name. I selected Family Matters when I first got into fantasy football because I quickly learned how addicting this can become. The name reminds me where my priorities are: with my family. Even still my wife would prefer that I spend less time than I do. (She’s right as usual).
   



4. What is your team's biggest weakness. Is there something you could have done differently in the draft to keep from having that weakness?
   My teams’ biggest weakness is RB. Portis is a stud but I don’t know if he can carry this team this year. Foster is very talented but also frail. With Davis still in the mix I could be on the outside looking in for the Carolina RB if Davis regains the starter role. Faulk might provide a couple of games but he’s no longer the force he was. Brown is a bit of wildcard because of Williams returning. Too much uncertainty for my comfort. The price paid for taking Manning in the 2nd round. I could of selected Lewis, Jordan, Green or Jackson and would have been more solid at this position.
   



5. If your team was taken away, what other team would you most want to have? Why?
   The team I would want is Mike Anderson’s. I don’t know how he did it but he’s absolutely stacked. There is no weakness on this team. Excellent job drafting Mike!