1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? With the first pick, you are looking at a strong RB to start. I was then looking to build on a team by starting runs on players by tier. That did not really play out. Depth is tough to build on from this position, particularly the way RB's are tiered and fell to me. I really wanted to be able to go RB/WR/RB, but I could not pass on Manning.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I liked my #1 spot for most positions. LT2 is a solid performer year-in and year-out. I think ADP was too inconsistent last year to carry a team. I liked getting Peyton Manning at the end of the 2nd, partially due to fear of his injury and the emergence of Brady as a Fantasy stud. I think Manning (gulp) bounces back big time this season. I like my WR corps and I needed that depth since we had to pick 3 starters here. I ended up with guys that had some issues last season, which probably hurt their value and allowed them to fall to me. It could be that they are on a downward trend, which would leave me in trouble.

3. What did you like the least? With the exception of LT2, my RB's are weak. I am relying on a rookie (Kevin Smith) to be my #2 with a bunch of guys that might turn into something or they could be complete busts.

4. Who was your best value? Getting a starter in Kevin Smith in the 7th round is very nice value, especially since I waited far too long to get a #2 RB. Manning was a little bit of a value, but his recent surgery may temper that feeling.

5. Who was your biggest reach? I did not reach too much outside of where guys were going from an ADP standpoint. I also did not end up with guys falling a ton to me. I would classify this as a somewhat reactive and conservative draft. However, if I had to pick one, I would say that the Kevin Jones pick was the biggest reach despite his recent signing.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? Mid-way through the 4th round, there were several RBs that I was looking at for a #2 RB. Then 5 of the 6 picks before me were RBs, with each of them being RBs that I would have taken. Instead, the RBs that remained were not worthy of that spot and so I went WR and TE at the turn between the 4th and 5th rounds.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (excluding yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Dr. Mocktopus – A good balance at RB and some solid WRs. With the exception of having no kicker, it is a solid team with some good upside.

Compiler Guy – There is some definite upside on a team with some good balance. He has a very strong at RB corps, which will allow options to trade. If Anderson does what the Browns expect him to do, then this would be a strong team.

Rookies – A difficult spot to draft from, but getting Jackson with the 6th pick was a good start. Nice group of WRs. If McFadden does what the Raiders are expecting or Brees plays like he did during that hot stretch last year, this team would be very tough

Wildman – He’s very strong at WR. With ADP, the team can put up huge numbers and could be very difficult, particularly in a playoff situation.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? Picking second this season usually means taking LT or AP, but I wanted to try something a little different, and see how the rest of my draft played into the general balance of consistency and gambling for upside. To me, mocks are great because you can try some different stuff and gamble – they’re about drafting the guys you target, testing different drafting techniques and showing how ADP can manifest itself both accurately and surprisingly based on the level of competition.

I always focus so much on value alone, I wanted to take a shot at snagging guys I really liked and being less of a slave to ADP and building a base at #1QB and #1RB I could trust. I took a lot of heat for drafting Joseph Addai second instead of AP, Steven Jackson or Brian Westbrook, another high-upside back, but without LT available, I was struggling a bit with the risk factors of those guys. In that respect, I got a great start in executing my strategy, and tried to take more chances in the coming rounds with higher risk/upside guys like Chad Johnson, Matt Forte, Ahmad Bradshaw, Lee Evans, Sidney Rice and James Hardy.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I like having what I firmly believe will be a top 5 QB and RB and a #1WR that can rack up yardage and TDs with the best of them in Ocho Cinco. I think the Colts are going to score a lot of points in ’08, so I love having Dallas Clark as my tight end. When the Colts get near the goal line, I’ll be scoring lots of points. My defense is a young group with lots of potential to eventually be a top-three fantasy defense.

3. What did you like the least? Picking from the #2 spot is a lot more difficult in a 10-team league than a 12-team affair. You really have to focus on maximizing your opportunities and drafting solid value with the 23rd and 26th overall picks. While I enjoyed Tony Romo’s availability, I didn’t like the selection of remaining RBs or WRs at that position – my fellow mockers are just too good to let anybody slip. As a result, I kind of bit the bullet with Chad Johnson, whose consistency is questionable at best.

4. Who was your best value? My best value was probably Dallas Clark late in Round 6 or Ahmad Bradshaw early in Round 9. I’ve spoken about the value of Clark, especially coupled with Addai, Bradshaw’s huge game against the Bills – a key factor in the Giants’ late run that ended with a Super Bowl title – proved to me he can break off big runs and be an effective change-of-pace back for Brandon Jacobs. While he could still face a suspension, it looks at this point like he’s part of the Giants’ offensive plans for ’08.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Near the end of Round 8, I selected Sidney Rice directly after Waldman selected Bernard Berrian – another Vikings WR who might not see a ton of targets in that system. But Rice does have athleticism and upside on his side, so I ignored his current ADP (like I did in both mocks with Matt Forte) and grabbed him as my #4 WR.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? Steve Smith would’ve been a better #1 WR than Chad Johnson – but he went one pick before I had the chance to grab him. I wanted to grab Santonio Holmes as my #2 WR but he wasn’t available to me in Round 4 – when I ultimately decided to take another shot on Forte since the remaining receivers weren’t delighting me.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (excluding yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Wildman - It’s amazing how the cream rises to the top. Once again, Matt Waldman picked a solid squad one that I covet for its balance of consistency and risk/upside. Roethlisberger had proven to be more than serviceable as a #1 fantasy QB – and will only get better as the offense continues to score more and cut down on turnovers. Young’s a great backup, the RBS have big upside and the receivers (T.J. Houshmandzadeh and a couple of consistent, ageless wonders) provide week-to-week numbers a guy can count on.

Kilroy - If either David Garrard or Jon Kitna produces near their ceiling, he’ll have a hell of a team. Marion Barber could be a top five back and all Maurice Jones-Drew needs to reach the upper echelon is for someone to see the macabre portrait of Fred Taylor that he keeps in his attic. Kilroy’s receivers make up a fine stable of youngsters with big upside – and Tony Gonzalez is still a force at TE. The Eagles team defense isn’t really an upper tier unit, but that’s nitpicking.

Team Marx - Marx has awesome WRs that can carry a team, an enviable situation at QB as long as Favre is under center for the Pack in Week 1, RBs that can get the job done, and Jonathan Stewart – one of a few rookie backs looking to make a splash. But having Terrell Owens and Reggie Wayne at WR in a 12-team with such a solid group guys rounding the rest of the skill positions is what really stands out. If I had drafted this team, I’d feel pretty confident.

Fatboys - This team is loaded with talent at QB and RB. If it stays healthy, the WR corps is probably among the top three in the mock. Winslow is also an exceptional fantasy TE when healthy. I passed up Manning for Romo, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have taken him where Fatboys did. I took a shot based on Romo’s apparent health versus Manning’s. He really got excellent value at just about every turn – usually a very successful drafting formula.

Honorable mention: Compiler Guy - What he’s compiled is a team full of question marks. But if MacGregor gets the right answers and what we witnessed in ‘07 from Derek Anderson, Thomas Jones and Bobby Engram repeats in ‘08, this squad could dominate. There are many guys on his team who – in retrospect – I could’ve made higher priorities to grab. It’s not the unit he masterfully pieced together in the first mock, but it’s probably one of the better teams drafted.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? I picked the third spot because I have already been in mock drafts where I had the first or last pick. For some reason I always find it slightly more challenging when I’m picking in the range of spots 3-7 in a serpentine draft. I wanted to see which RB would fall to me and how long I could wait to get a prominent handcuff, a decent TE, and specific mid-to-late round values I like. I went into this mock with the expectation I would get a top RB and I’d have to focus on receivers for a couple of rounds and hope I could find a decent mid-round value for my second back.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? My receivers. Houshmandzadeh and Holt as my 1-2 punch isn’t flashy, but they’ll keep me competitive as long as I can find the right #3 guy among Driver, Berrian, Porter, and Curry. Driver had an off year and I was on the receiving end of a jibe about liking blue-hairs. Yet there’s no denying my last three picks at receiver could be the top pass catcher on their respective teams. It is entirely possible this team will have five quality starters which could help me package an offer for a #2 RB.

3. What did you like the least? Without question, my running back depth chart. I pride myself on being able to make lemonade out of lemons when it comes to finding runners. Even so, the situation never looks good on first blush. Obviously I was thrilled to land Peterson. Before I saw AD on tape at Oklahoma, the last time I saw a runner that did things on the football field that made me feel like a kid watching in awe was Earl Campbell. I am a Reggie Bush fan and getting him in round four is decent value. If he performs anywhere in the neighborhood of the 2007 expectations he failed to live up to, watch out. As much as I feel I have a good handle on rookie backs, I don’t like to load up on them when building a fantasy re-draft roster. That’s what I had to do.

4. Who was your best value? Honestly, I don’t think my team has any real values. I have warmed up to Mendenhall as a prospect and with Willie Parker coming off a broken leg and the offensive line losing some steam, a downhill grinder with some speed could save the Pittsburgh offense. Mendenhall runs a lot like Terrell Davis, but with more speed. He could be a 7th round steal.

5. Who was your biggest reach? As I don’t believe I stole anyone, I don’t think I overpaid either. Ben Roethlisberger in the fifth round was a little early for me, but within my targeted range. Bernard Berrian might have lasted two more rounds, especially after Antonio took Sidney Rice with the next pick. I could have picked Porter and Curry ahead of Berrian and there wouldn’t have been much noise about it. Porter’s surgery happened after the draft, so he would have gone later in hindsight.

6. Which players did you covet but were already picked? This time the list is extremely long but I learned some limits that will help me in a real draft: Chester Taylor went the pick after I selected Mendenhall. Kevin Smith lasted to early round seven, just two picks short of me pouncing on him. Ahmad Bradshaw in round nine is a deal I hoped to clam. Then there were a host of TEs that teams added as their #2 that I hoped to get as my #1. Jonathan Stewart didn’t get past round six and as much as I like him, his value is dropping in my eyes because if you want to handcuff, you’ll have to pick DeAngelo Williams in the next round. I’m not sure I want to go RB-RB on the same team that late unless I wait until round six for my second RB—which would be a ballsy strategy if I can execute it (hmm…).

7. Rank the top 4 teams (not including yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Doc Mocktopus - I think this is just a well-balanced team. His quarterbacks aren’t flashy, but he should pick the best starter week to week. I like the Gore-McGahee tandem because I’m buying into the idea that Martz’s offense will be a good fit for Gore. McGahee doesn’t turn too many heads, but he is a great second RB based on my Crank analysis. I really like his WRs because all of them are capable of having strong seasons, but shouldn’t kill him if they don’t. Todd Heap is a steal that late if he stays healthy.

Fatboys - This team has a fighting chance due to acquiring the big three of Tomlinson, Manning, and Winslow. I really like the Kevin Smith pick—he’s my top rookie RB in terms of 2008 impact. His first three receivers could be tough to face each week and Gage is nice late round depth. I’d be happy with this unit although I would have picked more upside receivers as depth, but that’s a very minor point.

Team Marx - I like the combo of Jacobs, Johnson, and Stewart. They are more risky than I like for their own reasons, but I understand his thought process here. Owens and Wayne should make his life easy and I think Santana Moss will be an adequate third receiver, especially with Gates as his TE. Cutler is a solid pick with upside. Favre is a terrific swing for the fences in round 12.

Compiler Guy - This was a tough pick that edged out Kilroy and Rookies because of his RB depth. I think I know Mike well enough to say he’s probably not thrilled with this team, because as much as that depth at RB is nice to have, he might be kicking himself over match ups. His receivers are good, but lack great upside (I liked the Rookie’s crew more). The fact his depth at RB is good enough to package players and upgrade his squad, I gave him the nod.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? My general strategy for this draft was to go heavy on WR being that you have to start three in a 12 man league, I knew WRs would be gone fast. I also wanted to wait on a QB I felt that it was unnecessary to take one and by waiting and stacking up on RB and WR I was able to hold off and get Hasselbeck in the 5th round. Even though fantasy football is changing with rbbc, I am still a firm believer in the RB and believe they are the key to a championship. I was able to get 3 very good RBs (Westbrook, Lewis, Brown) and if Adrian Peterson goes down Chester Taylor will have top 10 value.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? What I liked most about my draft is that I am very deep at RB and know that I am going to have two top tier RBs. I was not expecting to get Jamal Lewis who had an absolute resurgence last season, and I expect to continue that being the feature back in an explosive offense. Also Ronnie Brown at pick 9 in the 4th round is great value for a RB who was leading the NFL from the line of scrimmage before hurting his ACL.

3. What did you like the least? I didn’t like the fact that WRs were gone so quickly and I was forced to take Roddy White as my #2 WR. He had a great season last year and has plenty of upside but the fact that he is a rookie QB throwing to him makes me very nervous.

4. Who was your best value? I think I had a few good value picks Patrick Crayton who showed he could be a viable #2 WR last season playing across T.O. in the 11th round is great value. Ronnie Brown in the 4th round I also feel has very good value, because I am not relying on him but if he pans out it will be massive for me. Finally Kurt Warner in the 15th round, although not technically the “starter” we all know he will be by week 6 and put up very respectable numbers.

5. Who was your biggest reach? My biggest reach was Marques Colston in the 2nd round. I really wanted Braylon Edwards who was picked one pick before me. I picked him over Steve Smith and T.J. Houshmandzadeh so I hope that he pans out. I went with the 3rd year WR theory and the fact he has one of the best QBs in the league throwing to him.

6. Which players did you covet but were already picked? I really wanted Braylon Edwards think he is going to be a force this year in a great offense. I also wanted Maurice Jones-Drew who I think will really start to prove he could be a full time force if Fred Taylor goes down.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (not including yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Wildman - I think that this team is very well balanced has a very stable and reliable player at every starting position. Also has very good WR depth.

Rookies - This is a fun team with a lot of players who could either be boom or bust. Has solid QB and RBs and WRs is where he could either be amazing or just average.

Compiler Guy - Pretty solid all around team up and coming Derek Anderson and a stable of starting RB’s. Has some potential at WR a solid guy in Galloway who is always good for 1,000 yds. Big question is will Vernon Davis finally live up to his potential.

Kilroy - Has some TD machine RB’s and solid QB, and a stable of young WR’s who could turn out to all be surprises going into the season. Very interested to see what Dwayne Bowe is capable of this season.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? This being my first mock of the season, I was just trying to get a feel as to where players were going. There were a lot of surprises early (to me), but I did know that I wanted a high profile QB on my team and was willing to use a high draft pick to get one. I also wanted at least one superstar at each position, which is usually hard to accomplish without sacrificing depth.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I felt like I accomplished my goal of getting high profile player at each position. But as stated above, the depth of my team is questionable. Starting with the QB position, Brady will carry me a lot of weeks. At WR, Braylon Edwards is top tier. Shockey and Watson at TE should be very adequate as long as they stay healthy. It is hard to judge a kicker, but Viniatieri plays on a high scoring team and should once again finish in the top 5 by seasons end. I love the defense of Chicago, especially with what Devin Hester brings on special teams. Running back is the only position one my team that some would argue that there is no top player. I would somewhat agree, which is why I spent three picks inside the first five rounds on the position.

3. What did you like the least? I had planned on grabbing Brady with the 5th overall pick but was surprised to see Jackson fall to me. At that point I didn’t want to sway from my decision but looking back, I think I may have been better off by selecting the St. Louis running back especially after I watched Manning and Romo come back to me in the second round and Brees in the third!

4. Who was your best value? I am not sure what his ADP is to date, but I feel that LenDale White in the 5th round was a quality pick. He will definatley start on my team and could easily end up being a top 10 back by years end. Also, Ray Rice in the 12th round could be huge if McGahee goes down.

5. Who was your biggest reach? It is hard to call a player that threw 50 touchdowns a reach, but Tom Brady with the 5th pick could be put in that category. It is hard to imagine that he will repeat last year’s performance, but you never know!

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I was hoping to land Thomas Jones as one of my back ups, as I am sure everybody was. He seems to be in a good situation with the line changes that were made in the off-season. Chester Taylor in Minnesota could have some big weeks when A.P. is nursing another injury.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (excluding yours) and give a brief explanation why?

In no particular order:

Team Marx - A lot of depth; should be a contending team. Owens, Wayne and Gates will be tough to match-up against.

Wildman - Looks like a very solid team. Depth does not seem to be too much of an issue, and has a nice core of starting players with Peterson, Bush, Housh and Holt.

Compiler Guy - Probably just because I am high on a lot of the players he drafted, I think this team looks pretty solid up and down the lineup especially at the RB position with Lynch, Graham, Edge and T. Jones.

Fat Boys - Any team with Manning and Tomlinson should have a shot, but depth could hurt come mid-season if they aren’t.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? Drafting in the middle of a 12 man snake draft is the nether region where dreams go to die. I knew I probably wasn’t going to get a solid enough RB/RB combo to justify that kind of strategy with picks 6 and 19 overall. I felt the bottom half of starting RB options (15-30) were all less than sure things and all relatively equal risks so I planned for three rounds of superstars. My draft strategy was to get a top tier player at each of the three main positions, QB, RB, and WR. I would then fill in my roster with a mix of consistent producers and high reward/high risk players. I wanted to avoid going overboard at one position while leaving a gaping hole at another.

I knew in advance I would take a top 5 WR with pick 2.07 figuring if my RB position was weaker than teams 8-12 than I would need to be stronger than them at WR or QB or both. Round three would be the biggest variable. If Drew Brees fell and I could get the player I think will be #2 in total scoring this year then I would snatch him at 3.06. If he was gone then I would take the best available RB/WR. I knew with this strategy I would have to draft a few risky Running backs and hope one or two of them hit it big. I wanted at least two really explosive WRs with some nice fill-ins later on. I didn’t figure on investing too soon on Defense or Tight end needing three WRs in the starting lineup. My only other strategy is to draft players I enjoy rooting for. I will usually pass up a guy I don’t want to cheer for (insert T.O. here) in favor of guys I like if their rank is about equal. After all, I do this for enjoyment when it’s all said and done.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? What I liked most about this draft is that I accomplished my foundation better than expected. With D. Brees, S. Jackson, and A. Johnson I have a top five superstar at each major position. I waited longer than some teams for a defense and was still able to get the Chargers which I consider a top 5 unit easy. I feel good at WR with 3 proven number one options in A. Johnson, S. Holmes, and J. Cotchery. I got the back up QB I coveted in M. Schaub as well.

3. What did you like the least? My biggest concern is that I have too much risk at RB which is never a good thing in fantasy football. McFadden has potential and I have to hope Big Al will get his new prize on the field early and often. Selvin Young added weight and could hit 1500 yards or be a yo-yo all year with Shanahan playing puppet master. Ricky Williams is a high risk/reward back up to an injury-recovering star on a team I know will play smash mouth. But there’s more if’s here than I care to swallow and I missed a few chances to get a solid known quantity at RB#2.

4. Who was your best value? My best value on a team full of unknown potential lotteries is a tough call. I’ll take S. Jackson in the 6-hole any day of the week. Seattle changed overnight to a wide open passing attack late last year and there’s no way Holmgren goes conservative in his last hurrah. That said I like Burleson with pick 8.07 to equal or better his 9 TD output from last year.

5. Who was your biggest reach? My biggest reach was Santonio Holmes with 4.07. I like him fine but this where I could have picked a known quantity for RB #2. Devin Hester is another reach but Bears coaches have said he’s showed remarkable improvement since last year. He also had the 3rd highest fantasy points per target (2.5) for any receiver with more than 35 targets last year. So just give him the damn ball already!!!

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I was set to get R. Torain as a hand cuff to Selvin Young figuring one of the two will hit it big through out different parts of the year but Team Prototype broke my heart one pick before he got to me in round 10. I was devastated and left scrambling.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (excluding yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Compiler Guy has the very solid depth at RB and WR. His team is old enough to have fathered mine but not all of them will fade in the same year. It’s a well balanced team with many proven commodities. His season will come down to whether or not Derek Anderson was a one year wonder. It’s a reasonable bet.

Dr Mocktopus has enough studs at RB and WR to overcome his mediocre QB. He has the classic RB/RB/WR draft that has worked since the wheel so why re-invent it. Heap isn’t special but is solid and I believe Jake Delhomme will be his starter before the half way point. Hopefully one of his position players knows how to kick field goals ‘cause I don’t see a kicker.

If Dookies gets anywhere close to a repeat performance of ‘07 from Roddy White then look out. I’m not a huge fan of Jamal Lewis. He has a tough schedule with money in his pocket but he was a top ten last year so who am I to dispute. I love having Ronnie Brown and Chester Taylor as back ups and Hasselbeck will throw till his arm falls off this year. I withdraw my vote if his nickname refers to an allegiance to the Blue Devils though.

Fatboys must have felt like it was Halloween come early. P. Manning, L.T., K. Winslow, and S. Smith on one team? With that line-up I’m not even sure he needs a 2nd RB and WR. If he does I believe Kevin Smith and Roy Williams will play well enough in Detroit to give him a shot at the title.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? At pick No. 7, sheer numbers dictate that a drafter opt for the best player available (or in fantasy terms, the player least likely to bust). Do I expect Randy Moss to score 23 TDs again? No. But in what should again be the league's best offense, Moss is the one player that a drafter can justify taking after the top five RBs are gone and above the next tier of RBs, all the while feeling very good about the production they will be getting from their top pick.

Because a great deal of my drafting strategy nowadays focuses on complementing my first-round pick, it was important to land a second-tier back capable of big numbers in the second round and, by drafting Larry Johnson, I feel I did just that. One of the nice things with LJ is that he is that is heavily involved in both the run and pass game. I feel his holdout - more than his workload in 2006 - was the cause of his slow start and subsequent injury. After the LJ pick, it was strictly about taking the best player available and letting the chips fall where they may. No owner in a seriously competitive 12-team league can tell say with a straight that his/her team has no weaknesses. Thus, drafting is about getting the most value possible at each pick, knowing that if your projections on players are pretty accurate, you will get a nice return from a player, be it through the numbers he provides for your team or the talent he brings back in a trade.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? The mere fact I didn't have to reach to fill a need. As opposed to most drafts, in this draft I quite often had at least two players at each pick in the middle rounds available to me after passing on them with the previous pick. For instance, in Round 4, I selected Turner full well expecting to miss out on Carson Palmer. When I selected Palmer in the next round, I did so seeing that three RBs I liked (Thomas Jones, Rudi Johnson, Jonathan Stewart) were all available to me. That trend continued into the later rounds.

3. What did you like the least? I'm splitting hairs here, but I wouldn't mind having better receiver depth. I think Muhsin Muhammad could surprise some in his return to the Panthers and Arnaz Battle could end up being a huge benefactor in the 49ers new offensive scheme headed by OC Mike Martz. That said, I'm looking at starting Laveranues Coles, Muhammad and Battle in Week 4, so that is something that could definitely be improved.

4. Who was your best value? Palmer. I can't tell you how surprised I was to see a potential top-five QB still available to me at this spot. Whether the Bengals are able to revive their running game or not, Palmer is the type of QB that can keep me competitive in the weeks I have to face the Manning or Brady owners in this league. Ultimately, I think Cincinnati will rediscover the ground game, making Palmer even more dangerous. And there has been very little talk regarding the signing of TE Ben Utecht and the return of RB Chris Perry - two players who will make this passing game more potent than it was a season ago.

Additionally, I feel like I stole Fred Taylor in the seventh round and Marc Bulger in the ninth. Until further notice, Taylor is still the starter in Jacksonville and should produce at least the level of a #3 fantasy RB. New Rams OC Al Saunders has a tendency of getting QBs to produce and with teams focusing on Steven Jackson, Bulger should be able to utilize his plethora of weapons and be a low-level #1 fantasy QB again.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Minnesota Vikings defense. I think it was a solid pick (and they may end up being the top overall defense), but my definition of "reach" in not maximizing value and in this case, it was selection of a defense in the 11th after seeing the pick following mine in the 12th nab the San Diego Chargers defense. I think most would agree that the Vikings and the Chargers are two of the top defenses going into the season, but taking a defense one round too early cost me a potentially good #4 WR in Bryant Johnson or Michael Turner's handcuff in Jerious Norwood.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? Steven Jackson going a pick before me hurt, but was somewhat expected. Otherwise, I missed Tony Gonzalez by two picks in the sixth, Jerricho Cotchery by one pick in the seventh, (believe it or not) Ricky Williams by one pick in the 11th and Jerious Norwood by one pick in the 12th.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (not including yours) and give a brief explanation why?

In no particular order:

Fatboys - It's been the same thing since Peyton Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson entered the league. If you can get both players on the same fantasy team, you are primed for a deep playoff run. After that, he filled out his roster with three very solid - if not potentially great - receivers, a high-upside RB in Kevin Smith and an elite option at TE with Kellen Winslow.

Wildman - Now I know where all my receiver depth went...Adrian Peterson is obviously his meal ticket, but it is really hard to find a discernable weakness on his team, outside of maybe solid depth at the RB position. (However, that is a conundrum almost every fantasy owner finds him/herself in.) Reggie Bush in the fourth was a nice get for him (since I was considering him at my pick in that round). If push comes to shove, Wildman should be able to deal from his stash of WRs to solidify his RB ranks. Overall, give me the consistent team of solid performers that just gets it done each week over the star-laden team any day of the week. I think Wildman has that kind of solid team.

Kilroy - Much in the same fashion as Wildman, Kilroy put together a solid squad that should be consistent throughout the season. David Garrard is being undervalued this season although it is a stretch to count on him as a #1 fantasy QB, Marion Barber should only continue to be more productive in his feature-back role and while I think Kilroy reached a bit on Maurice Jones-Drew (when he could have snagged Larry Johnson), there are few #2 fantasy backs I would rather have than MJD. Finally, Kilroy chose three solid receivers and complemented that trio with the selection of Tony Gonzalez.

Team Marx - Not often can an owner go WR-WR at the #12 pick and still come away with a fairly complete team. However, Marx may have done just that in this draft. A nice touch was adding Brett Favre, a player he should be able to move (if he wants) if/when Jay Cutler takes the next step this season and Favre actually makes his return. Just as I wasn't thrilled about Santana Moss as my #4 WR in June's draft, I don't think Marx is all that happy with him as a #3. That said, his depth at every other position on his team should allow him to fill in any holes via trade.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? My general draft strategy, as always, was to not have much of a strategy at all and just let the draft come to me. With that said, two targets players I was targeting at the 8 spot were Frank Gore and Willis McGahee so I was thrilled to get both, as I am very high on their prospects under Martz and Cameron respectively. I did guess that with all the “experts” now informing people to abandon “stud RB theory” and to target elite WRs and QBs in early rounds that a smart drafter could find value by going RB early and then skimming the depth at those two positions in rounds 3-7. I think this worked out pretty well as evidenced by my landing two stud RBs followed by 3 potentially very productive WRs who all have a realistic shot at a top 10 finish.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? If I ended up with Frank Gore, Willis McGahee, Anquan Boldin, Greg Jennings and Calvin Johnson with my first five picks in a real draft I’d consider myself quite fortunate. I wasn’t very impressed with the 8th spot going in, but came away happy with the knowledge that I could potentially draft a nice team from that position in my big money league later this summer.

3. What did you like the least? Well to start I had some router issues where my internet dropped and the computer made a few picks which I would not have made (rounds 6-8). I was ready to grab David Garrard in Round 7 when I got back on after the computer chose my sixth rounder (Julius Jones) and it dropped again. I came back to find Eli Manning was picked instead in Round 7. I am very high on Garrard this year so I think he would have made my team much more competitive. In that vein I do think I may have waited a little too long to grab a starting QB since they were going so early. That position ended up being the weak link of my team, although I do think Delhomme is a nice value pick this year and a guy I am targeting.

4. Who was your best value? I still rank Todd Heap pretty highly despite his injury plagued 2007 so I think grabbing him in Round 9 was nice value, but Tony Sheffler in Round 14 - when he has top 5 upside - could be one of the draft’s biggest steals.

5. Who was your biggest reach? I am enamored with Calvin Johnson’s potential this season and coveted his presence on my roster. In order to make that a reality I probably jumped the gun a little too early in Round 5 when there were a lot more proven players on the board.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I really like Selvin Young’s potential this year in Denver and I wanted him as my RB3 but an internet outage during the 6th round had the computer draft Julius Jones for me instead when Young was still on the board and he was snatched up before I was able to get my service back before my next pick. Ahmad Bradshaw was also a guy that I believe will have a much bigger than anticipated season but I waited too long to grab him.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (excluding yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Kilroy - I love the running back combo of Barber and Jones-Drew (both are top 10 in my personal rankings) and there is a lot of upside in this receiving corps – provided Marshall stays out of trouble which may be an issue. As I said earlier I’m really high on David Garrard this season so while QB may seem like a weak link on this team to some it’s not in my opinion. Tony Gonzalez still has another solid season left in him and I think people are forgetting how just how useful LJ Smith was in past seasons before an injury plagued 2007.

Rookies - If McFadden doesn’t live up to the hype Selvin Young is a viable RB2 for this team, but if he does this team could be explosive with Drew Brees, Stephen Jackson and three potential breakout WRs in A-Johnson, Holmes and Cotchery. Between Olsen and Crumpler this team should receive a solid TE contribution to add to the mix.

Wildman - Peterson was a gift from the third slot and I’m still one who believes in Reggie Bush. This team has as solid a trio at WR as anyone in the league and some trade bait potential outside of the starters. While Big Ben likely falls back a little this year, he has firmly entrenched himself as a top 5 fantasy quarterback.

Fatboys - Peyton and LT is a terrific start to any team and shame on all of us for allowing that to happen. Some may say that the RB crew is empty after Tomlinson but I see Kevin Smith as offensive rookie of the year in 2008. Finally, the WR corp is a solid mixture of solid vets and upside players and Winslow is a threat to push Gates aside as the top TE in upcoming years.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it?

Picking at the nine spot under this scoring system (no points for receptions), I felt I should focus on grabbing the best running backs I could with my first two picks and then grab the best wide receiver on the board with my third round pick, or go with a top quarterback if I didn't like the receivers left. With Barber, Jones-Drew, and Marshall as my first three selections I accomplished that goal.

The rest of my draft didn't go as well as I hoped. I took too many chances on hoping certain players would fall to me and they didn't. It hurt me at the QB position and my RB depth. My back-up wide receivers were guys I ended up taking flyers on too. Once none of the guys I wanted fell to me in certain rounds, I lost track of how I wanted my team to round out. Looking back at things however, I finished with a better team than I originally thought.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I thought getting Marion Barber at 1.9 was great. I was just as happy to grab Jones-Drew at pick 2.4. I also felt I grabbed that last available elite receiver in Brandon Marshall in round three.

3. What did you like the least? I think my depth would be serviceable, but it's far from great. My QB situation isn't so hot either, though for missing on as many guys at that position as I did, I guess I can't complain with landing Garrard as a starter. Hopefully I'd be able to play match-ups well enough between him and Kitna, plugging Kitna in when the Lions face weak secondaries.

4. Who was your best value? I can't honestly say I feel any of my picks represent great value. When you think of "value" picks, you usually figure it to be someone you grabbed after the first few rounds, but that wasn't the case for me this time. The best value guys I feel I landed were Barber at pick 1.9, Marshall at 3.9, and Jones-Drew at 2.4, most likely in that order.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Did I really take Felix Jones in round seven? I panicked at that spot. All the solid back-up options were gone by that point and I felt I had to get Barber's handcuff because if Barber were lost to injury my team would be in a world of trouble. I didn't even realize I took him that early until the draft was over. I don't know what his ADP has been, but I'd like to think I probably could have snagged him two rounds later and grabbed a QB instead with my seventh round pick.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I really wanted Matt Schaub, as I have no qualms with using him as a starter this season. He went three picks ahead of me in round nine however. Derek Anderson was another QB I wanted, but he went just ahead of me in round six. I also was hoping to land LenDale White or Michael Turner as my third running back, but I pushed my luck in thinking I could wait to grab one of those guys.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (not including yours) and give a brief explanation why?

The Prototype - This looks like a strong team. He has a real solid QB situation and the same can be said for his wide receivers, not to mention having Chris Cooley at tight end. I like the duo of Larry Johnson and Michael Turner given the players he has surrounding them. All three of his back-up running backs could be good fill-in candidates when needed.

Dr. Mocktopus - Mocktopus may have very well drafted the most balanced team out of everyone. I think he has a real strong running back and wide receiver situation. Eli Manning and Todd Heap should do just fine at their positions as well.

Rookies - I think this team mirrors Mocktopus'. He has a great QB situation, a strong group of receivers, and as long as Steve Jackson stays healthy his running backs should do just fine. Tight end could be an issue for him however.

Wildman - Adrian Peterson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Torry Holt are good anchors for this team. Those three combined with Roethlisberger, Reggie Bush and Rashard Mendenhall to rotate as his second and third running backs, along with Donald Driver and Bernard Berrian as his third and fourth receivers should keep him in the running. Can't say I'd be thrilled with Randy McMichael as my tight end though.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? My plan is always to stay flexible, taking advantage where the other owners have let valuable players drop too far in the draft. That said, my expectation from the 10th spot was to draft RB in the 1st, WR in the 2nd. By grabbing one from each position, this prevents me from pigeon-holing myself into a "must draft RB" or "must draft WR" mentality with my 3rd and 4th round, and later picks. Stay flexible.

WR are important with 3 starters but not as important as most of my leagues that utilize point-per-reception scoring, so I plan to put some emphasis on not only 2 good starting RB but a quality 3rd RB.

Did I stick to the plan? Kind of... lost focus in the 3rd/4th, so not really. When certain players at QB and WR did not drop to me, I saw good value at RB I couldn't pass up, but at the expense of the team as a whole. I think this team should be competitive, but overall I'm not enamored with the draft results.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? The RB corps is clearly this team's strength, helped by the fact it is 4 deep. While the upside of veterans Edgerrin James and Thomas Jones is limited relative to younger starters, these guys should start well out of the gate, and also with 4 on the roster there will be better choices to play matchups through the year. The more I read about Marshawn Lynch the more I like. Glad to have him as my RB1 drafting 10th.

3. What did you like the least? I didn't like drafting next to Joe Kilroy for one thing. Him drafting Brandon Marshall at the 3.09 one pick in front of me basically was the catalyst for messing up my whole team makeup. There was definitely a falloff in the WR at that point, so instead of grabbing a next tier WR I took RB-RB in the 3rd/4th. This leaves me weak at WR. As I addressed the WR position the top TE fell off the board. It seemed like I was a step behind not quite getting the quality of player I expected. Overall, I learned I just don't like picking 10th in a 12-team draft. Not a fan of the 10th draft spot.

4. Who was your best value? Thomas Jones in the late 5th is great value. With the upgrades the Jets made this off-season, including not drafting a RB to compete with Jones, he has an excellent opportunity to outperform his draft position - by a lot. Now, I also thought Graham and James were good picks at the spots there were drafted in the late 3rd and early 4th, respectively, but had I known Jones would fall to the late 5th, I would have put more emphasis on securing a WR2 earlier.

Reggie Williams also turned out to be a better value between the draft last Thursday and today with the unexpected news of Jerry Porter's surgery, which will result in him missing all of pre-season for his new team. I'm still not sold that Reggie Williams has his head on straight to be the big-time WR he was drafted to be, but late 9th round at this point looks pretty good.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Based on my available Average Draft Position ("ADP") data, it looks like Earnest Graham with a late 3rd round pick. According to his ADP, Graham is lasting to the early 5th on average. With little competition behind him and a RB friendly system, I think he can achieve similar results as when he started last year for the Bucs, but considering Graham was nearly a complete unknown this time last year, some concern is warranted.

6. Which players did you covet but were already picked?

RB Marion Barber - Kilroy!
WR Brandon Marshall - Kilroy!
QB Donovan McNabb - Dallas Dynasty!
WR Steve Smith (NYG) - Team Marx!

It’s no wonder I don't like the drafting from the 10 spot with these guys drafting around me. Gee whiz...

7. Rank the top 4 teams (not including yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Kilroy - This can't be a surprise based on my commentary up to this point. Love the Barber and Jones-Drew duo, he still manages to get a top tier WR (the last one), and I like his other WR starters. I almost put Chris Chambers under question 6 too. I think Joe will be disappointed with his QB play between Garrard and Kitna, and I'm avoiding Tony Gonzalez this year.

Rookies - Even though I'm not a Darren McFadden believer, the rest of this team looks great. He grabbed a lot of backups I would target, like Ricky Williams and Greg Olsen. Great QB, and solid all-around team.

Coxsackie Virus - Although I couldn't believe Antonio passed on Adrian Peterson at the 2nd pick (blasphemy!) for Joseph Addai, and went against the grain a few other times, I like this team. Great QB, RB1, and a couple of RBs behind Addai with good upside. I'm leery about Chad Johnson as a WR1 but Sidney Rice as the WR4 and nabbing Dallas Clark softens the blow.

Dr. Mocktopus - I thought that might be a typo seeing Frank Gore and Willis McGahee on the same team. Both are justifiable 1st round picks, although I'm not a huge McGahee fan myself. I think Greg Jennings could see a dip in production this year but Calvin Johnson as the WR3 really clinches it for me this is going to be a tough team. Jake Delhomme, Julius Jones and Javon Walker all represent good value picks where they were drafted. No K though. Expecting pre-Week 1 waivers?

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? My general strategy was to get top tier guys I had with my lineup and than fill in the depth with upside guys. I feel like drafting from the 11th slot I may get lucky and have one of my top tier guys slip. That did not happen so I had to choose whether to go 2 RBs in the same tier or split. I felt like I may get a WR to drop to round 3 which is exactly what happened. Almost got two, which would have been ideal. I was eyeing Pierre Thomas and Anthony Gonzalez and to get them both without reaching in my opinion I thought was the highlight of the draft.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? - What I liked most about my draft was the depth of the team. I feel my backup RB,WR,TE, and QB would yield minimal performance drop off on byes or injury. Fargas I feel will be still the main guy in Oakland, Rodgers may be better than McNabb, Daniels may be better than Witten, and Gonzalez may end up the top WR of the crew. I feel like worst case with him is Stokely numbers a few years ago. Best case, Wayne numbers the past couple of years which is what I expect. I have Jones and Thomas as my upside guys who could turn in huge years.

3. What did you like the least? - What I liked least was I did not get a WOW type receiver. Marshall was a guy I was targeting in round 3 and thought due to off field issues he would be mine. Burress and Boldin went not too far ahead of him who were in the same tier. Kevin Curtis I dont like very much, but he got the majority of targets and has a good rapport with McNabb. I think he is still pretty undervalued.

I also wanted to land one of the rookie backs. They went well before I was comfortable selecting them. If I went WR/RB, I undoubtedly would have had one.

4. Who was your best value? - Best value by far is Owen Daniels in the 11th round. I had no intentions on selecting him but I was rounding out the starters and bench guys and saw him on the board. I feel he is probably the 4th or 5th best TE when healthy behind Witten,Gates, Gonzalez, and Dallas Clark.

5. Who was your biggest reach? - My biggest reach is probably Witten in 4 given the outcome of getting Daniels too. Being that I had 0 production a year ago out of the TE slot for the first time playing fantasy football, I see the enormous disadvantage you have when you need another player on your roster to put up not only their best game, but tacking on point for an underachieving TE. I think TEs are the most overlooked entity with high picks.

6. What player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? - I coveted Moss and Lynch in round one and both got snatched just before me. I coveted Marshall and Matt Schaub and they too got selected just before me. I probably coveted Gonzalez the most and I landed him. I have realized that the guys I like are for good reason and I have no problem "reaching" for one or two given their performance.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (not including yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Protoype - My 4th rated out of the 4. RBs I am not sold on with LJs wear and tear and Taylors age. Turner is the wildcard. He blows up or is RB2 upper tier, than this team would be tough having a top notch receiving core, the top peripherals (DEF/K) and the ability to rotate Bulger and Palmer.

Mocktopus - I never thought I would rate a team drafing Julius Jones high. I really like the ability of the studs to perform and perform consistently week in and week out. Gore/Mcgahee with a potential Kenny Watson to spell I think is solid and I see Jennings having a better year with more targets than last year. Boldin is a lock to perform well and having Calvin Johnson in the fold as a potential Marshall blow up type season is a nice luxury to have. I think Eli is a decent fantasy QB but Delhomme is one to keep an eye on. No kicker drafted should have some points taken away :).

Fatboys - A top pick usually has a top 4 team and this mock is no different. Top 2 RB...check, Top 2 QB... check, Top 3 TE...check. I am not sold on Roy Williams but Hines Ward is good insurance. Kevin Smith I expect to be a competent RB2 although depth is a huge issue on this squad. On injury to the studs and it’s a bottom 4 team.

Wildman - My favorite team by far. I love Mendenhall and McMichael this year. Driver as a 3 WR is probably the best depth at that slot. You got potential bust out guys in Vince Young and Reggie Bush to compliment studly Peterson. The most volatile position has notoriously consistent players in Holt, TJ, and Driver. I think the starter quality combined with the depth and consistency of the starters makes this the team to beat.

Although I like my team, I see where I could certainly improve in my real drafts so I appreciate the opportunity to draft with all the participants.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? As was the case in the first Mock, I wanted to get 2 of the 3 top tier WRs as I was picking at the tail end of round 1 where any remaining RBs have a tremendous amount of potential variation in their scoring ability. I was able to grab Owens and Wayne at the turn of rounds one and two. This gave me the core to build around.

As this was a 12-team draft, RBs came off the board much quicker so I knew I couldn’t wait until the mid rounds to get serviceable RBs. I planned to go RB and best available at the turn for rounds 3 and 4. I grabbed Brandon Jacobs for the RB here but felt that no other RB on the board justified an early 4th round pick. I looked at WRs but the ones I had hoped would be here (Boldin, Burress, Marshall) all went just prior to my picks. My options at WR were Jennings or Santonio Holmes. I was about to grab Jennings, but with the uncertainty of the new QB plus the fact that a lot of Jennings point production was TD based I decided to grab Antonio Gates who I feel could score just as many points as Holmes or Jennings but from the TE position which is a big plus.

Now at the turn of 5 and 6 I’ve got 1 RB and there are very few I see left as starting options. I grabbed Rudi Johnson and Jonathon Stewart with these picks. I’m a big proponent of Stewart as rookie RB with the best opportunity to succeed at this season. Carolina addressed OL concerns in the draft and if Delhomme can play the majority of the season their offense has the potential to be productive. Knowing John Fox he’ll use Stewart in the Stephen Davis role. I think Stewart has a lot more upside than D Williams in what John Fox wants an offense to be. With Rudi Johnson I’ve got an RB who can be solid but not spectacular. Plusses for him are he plays in a good offense, and he has no real competition for his role in that offense if he stays healthy. I don’t see Watson replacing him as a workhorse back. But like nearly every other NFL team Johnson will get plenty of plays off with Watson contributing. Not a great role for a starter, but outside of about 5 RBs in the league this is what you have to deal with.

With a serviceable RB corps I needed to address QB and WR depth at the 7/8 turn. I was hoping Eli Manning would be here but he went just a few picks prior so I was left with Jay Cutler as my Starting QB. Cutler was the last of QBs I felt I could live with as a starter and I hope he can improve on last season. At least he does play every game. I also tabbed Santana Moss here. Hopefully an improving Jason Campbell can improve Moss’s stats as he’s got more talent than any WR who was available here, just big questions about the offense he plays in.

From here on out it was a matter of building Depth. I was happy to get Duce McAllister at the 9/10 turn as I felt that he could still be a contributor this season and certainly is worth a pick this late in the draft. I also went for Mark Clayton hoping that he plays up to his talent level, though I’m not sold on him being much more that a bye week backup.

At 11/12 I got WR Steve Smith of the Giants whom I feel will supplant Amani Toomer and appears to have a rapport with Eli. I also grabbed Favre but in hindsight this is probably a wasted pick, as he’s not going to start for GB and if he does get to another team they may be offensive challenged and Brett would return to his mediocre form of 2 years ago.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? Though it’s obvious, I like getting Wayne and Owens in the first 2 rounds. If you look at the RBs who went just prior to my picks in round 1 (Gore, Barber, Lynch Grant), I wouldn’t peg any of these to outscore Wayne or Owens especially since 2 play on below average offenses and one has only a half season of stats on which to base his ability and also has to deal with a new, unproven QB.

3. What did you like the least? Brett Favre was a stupid pick in retrospect. He’s only valuable in Green Bay. I just don’t see him meshing with a team that’s trying to build. That’s if he even can get on another team.

4. Who was your best value? I think you could argue that Rudi Johnson at the end of round 5 in a 12-team draft is pretty decent value. He could end up as productive as backs taken in round 3 (Graham, Maroney, Lewis). All have similar issues that would hinder their production.

I also like Santana Moss in Round 8. He can be explosive from week to week and I do look for offensive improvement from the skins as they have most of the pieces in place (good RB, good OL) other than a proven QB. If Campbell can take the next step… who knows.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Cutler as a #1 QB is going out on a limb. Not necessarily a bad pick at the end of round 7 but probably not whom you want to count on every week. He could continue to improve or he could be marginal. If he doesn’t improve my team is hurting for a QB.

After seeing the draft unfold, Mark Clayton in Round 10 is probably a player I could have grabbed later, though at this point in the draft I’m not sure who really justified this pick more.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I would have preferred Eli Manning in round 7 rather than Cutler but he was grabbed 4 picks earlier.

I really had expected Burress, Boldin or Marshall to be there for me at the end of round 3 but all went (in succession)2-5 picks prior. This left me having to go with Gates rather than a WR which in hindsight may have not been a bad thing.

7. Rank the top 4 teams (excluding yours) and give a brief explanation why?

Wildman - Adrian Peterson goes a long way to building a team. Reggie Bush and Mendenhall will provide a legit No2 RB to go with him every week. Roethlisberger should continue to improve his game and is just outside the elite level of QBs. Maybe some question at WR with age regarding Holt and Driver, but if they can make it through the season without too much decline it’s a very steady WR corps anchored by Hous-your-mama who, week to week is a better play than his counterpart Chad Johnson.

The Prototype - Even if LJ isn’t an elite RB, he’s got enough depth with Turner and Taylor to cover it. Plus late round draft steals in Torrian and Morris who could be RB Gold for a portion of the season or more. By far the best top to bottom RB corps in the draft. Carson Palmer is no slouch for a round 5 QB and could easily be a top 3 QB. So how does he also add Randy Moss and Plaxico Burress to this team? A great draft all around: The 3-5 WR’s could be a bit shaky with Coles, Muhammad, and Toomer all popping geritol like candy and I don’t see 2 of them playing out the season. Oh, did I mention Cooley at TE who is as good as any TE pick other than Gates, Whitten or Winslow. Great team top to bottom.

Dookies - Grabbed and underrated QB in Hasselbeck. Has one of the few elite RBs in Westbrook, backed up by Lewis or Ronnie Brown one of whom will be an above average #2 RB. WR corps isn’t flashy but should get the job done with Colston and White anchoring. A third option should emerge between Crayton, Brown, and Hackett. Also gets a good TE late with Heath Miller.

Fatboys - It’s hard to find fault with a team pairing LT and Peyton Manning, although the RB depth is a bit lacking with two players who may not see the field for over half the year. If Kevin Smith contributes for Detroit or Ahman Green holds up for another season he’ll be okay at RB. WR corps has a lot of potential with Steve Smith and Roy Williams. If these guys can put up good seasons and Hines Ward can contribute he’ll be solid week to week. Kellen Winslow is a WR type player at the TE position giving his team an edge here.

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