How To Put Together A Fantasy Team Part 2

Ok so Sunday night presented me another opportunity to show off my drafting skills. This time it was a 12 team league with a mixture of people from my church and family. There were some players that have played before and several who were first timers. I have no soft spot in my heart for first timers, so i went out and did what i have to do.

Unfortunately I drew the 11th pick in the draft. Although originally I was not happy with the pick, as the first round progressed, I was happy to be right where I was. The first round went as such, Michael Turner, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, DeAngelo Williams, Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Slaton, Matt Forte, Randy Moss. These picks dumbfounded me as I managed to get Chris Johnson with the 11th pick in the draft. I'm not in love with him, but for picking 11th, I was ecstatic. After the turn I took Andre Johnson, and was feeling very fortunate to leave round two with the 6th best running back and the second best receiver.

After the long wait, it finally came back to me. A lot of mediocre players had gone, and I knew it was time to win the draft. I did just that. I selected Kevin Smith who could be a key force in Detroit and certainly has the role of feature back locked up. After that I selected Dwayne Bowe. By all accounts, I absolutely hit the jack pot with this one. First of all, he is entering his third year in the league; the year that receivers are known to make a giant leap in their production. He is also losing Tony Gonzalez from his team, meaning there will be more red zone targets heading his way. The Chiefs also added Matt Cassell and a pass happy offensive system, all good signs for Bowe.

From there I was looking for value. I selected Pierre Thomas from the Saints, and Knowshon Moreno, rookie from Denver. I really like Moreno's chances this season. He comes from a balanced team who traditionally runs the ball well. If he stays healthy and plays like he can, I can see him having a Forte like rookie year. As far as Thomas goes, I've not been a huge fan, but he slipped so far, I couldn't help myself.

From there I felt like I was in a bit of no-man's land. There wasn't really anything that I wanted so I decided to fill a need and get my tight end. I chose Owen Daniels because I feel like he may have a nice season with Schaub throwing him in that vertical offense. With my second pick, I grabbed some depth at receiver in Kevin Walter, yet another Texan. He could very well be this years' Anquan Boldin.

Once the pick got back to me, I decided that it was time to go ahead and grab my slipping quarterback. I truly believe that this is the year that Matt Schaub stays healthy and lights it up. Considering I have three of his favorite targets, I may be set. I also went ahead and grabbed my sleeper special of the year, Josh Morgan. He supposedly is the most talented receiver on the 49ers roster, and yes that includes Michael Crabtree. Morgan may disappoint, but I think its more than likely that he will be a top 15 fantasy receiver this year.

At this point in the draft, I usually start looking for guys that have fallen and guys with potential for making an impact this year. I found a slipping Donald Brown in round 11. If he beats out Joseph Addai, which is very possible, I have stumbled upon a starting running back, and if not, he becomes a talented back in a time share; you could do worse. I took Dominick Hixon with my 12th round pick. Considering he is now a number one receiver for Eli Manning, you could definitely see a boost in his production, making him potentially valuable.

With four picks left, I had two bench spots and my defense and kicker slots till to fill. I decided to grab a defense before they were all gone and grabbed the Dolphins defense. Their defense is average, but I really like their return possabilities with Tedd Ginn. After that I took what may turn out to be the value pick of the draft. I selected Shonn Greene, the rookie running back from the Jets. Considering the back in front of him, Thomas Jones, is nearing the end of his career, a young, hungry back up like Greene could prove to be very valuable in case of injury or the team deciding to go with a youth movement.

With two picks left, I contemplated selecting my kicker, but boom or bust receiver Nate Burleson was still on the board so I went ahead and grabbed him. With my final pick I nabbed Cowboys kicker Nick Folk. He has a good leg and plays on a decent but not especially potent offense.

Final Thoughts
So I really like th team that Ive put together here. There is a lot to like in my starting lineup. A nice mix between established greatness and untapped potential. My bench is filled with boom or bust players. Obviously I don't expect all of them to hit, but if half of them live up to my expectations, I could have great production from my starters and plenty of depth and trade bait from my bench. Every year a rookie emerges as a legit fantasy threat, considering I have the three top rookies in the league, there is a good chance that I have one of them on my bench. I like this team that I've put together. It probably not a team that I can run the table with, but I like my chances of bringing home the glory.