1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? Selecting first overall allowed me the opportunity for a super foundation with either Tomlinson or Peterson. From there, my desire was to build a balanced roster with potential top 3 players at the major positions. However, with 4 QBs selected among the first 23 selections overall, it was difficult to place the cogs into my plan.

I selected Peterson due to the Sam Bouie effect. The first 3 players in the 1984 NBA draft were Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan (both voted among the sport’s 50 greatest players of all-time), and the other guy, Sam Bouie. Yes, the Portland Trailblazers general manager passed on Jordan and instead selected Bouie. Ouch. Tomlinson has been great (and of course is no Sam Bouie), but I don’t want to be the guy who missed out on the first 2400-yard (and record breaking) rushing season by a running back. Is Peterson capable of this? Sure he is. What is the likelihood of this? Slim to none. Is the point of fantasy football to be entertained? Sure it is. Will Peterson keep me excited, and my opponents jaw-dropped all season? Absolutely!

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I liked the “style” of my team the most. In baseball, a lineup of DiMaggio, Gwynn, and Rose would be great at manufacturing runs with consistent, steady hitting. Instead, I assembled the equivalent of Bonds, Ruth, and Aaron---home run! I love the explosive big play capability of Peterson, McFadden, and Edwards. What is better than having your weekly opponents shudder at the sound of FOX commentator Joe Buck chiming in with a “GameBreak”, then curse and endure watching your player sprint 65-yards for a touchdown? Having them endure it 3 times!

3. What did you like the least? Despite the youth and big play ability, my team is largely assembled with unsure bets, something upon which I generally frown. Mendenhall, Thomas, Hightower, and Gonzalez all have veterans ahead of them in their respective situations.

4. Who was your best value? Hasselbeck falling to me in the 8th round was a gem. Mike Holmgren clearly has a passing team now, and Hasselbeck posted career highs in yards and touchdowns last season. I know there are injuries at their receiver position (which probably scared other owners away), but I like the depth of guys like Burleson, Taylor, and Obomanu.

5. Who was your biggest reach? I reached for Pierre Thomas in the 9th round. I like his huge potential in the potent New Orleans offense, but other players with a little more certainty were available, including Maurice Morris, Bradshaw, Cutler, and Favre.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I wanted Fred Taylor at the end of the 8th round. He was selected about 7 picks ahead of my selection.

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

Dallas Dynasty: A great team anchored by explosive Romo, a deep running back stable with Lynch and Jacobs supported by Fred Taylor and Maurice Morris, and he even handcuffed his franchise back with Fred Jackson. Burress, White, and Berrian are all WR1s, and Dallas Clark remains a 10-touchdown threat.

Warbirds: I am regarded as the WR-General of fantasy football, so I obviously loved the opening swing pair of Owens and Wayne. The HB duo of Turner and White will get lots of carries and be solid. Gonzalez is as steady as they come at tight end. He obviously loved Schaub as a breakout QB, but I like Favre and Chambers with great upside.

Husky Jerks: The HB corps is great and potentially great. Addai is a top3 player to me, and the McGahee/Rice situation seems ready to burst onto the fantasy stat scene with new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Bowe will be steady in a new Chan Gailey pass game, and I saw a lot of promise from Kevin Walter at Texans Training Camp 3 weeks ago. Aaron Rodgers may not have Favre’s polish, durability, or win record, but he will log good stats in a potent pass attack. The tight ends are reception (Daniels) and touchdown (Miller) specialists.

Hellboy: a potentially explosive squad. I am among the believers in the Browns continuing their ascent, so Anderson is a top QB to me. Barber is a stud touchdown producer in all of fantasy football, and adding the home run threat in Felix Jones was a nice touch. Many believe that Jonathan Stewart was the rookie HB to snag ahead of my own McFadden; he will at least see a lot of Stephen Davis-esque goal line opportunities. Colston is poised to improve for another great season, and Steve Smith is still a speed demon. Vincent Jackson could benefit if Gates’ toe hampers him; Utecht is an intriguing touchdown threat in the Bengal red zone pass game.

Team Name: Team Marx
Owner Name: Mark Shutters
Draft Spot: 1.02

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it?
In the two prior mocks I was selecting at the tail end of the first round and knowing the elite RB’s would be gone my strategy was to go WR-WR and build a team around that. In this final mock I was dealt the #2 overall pick. Given that I was going to get either Peterson or Tomlinson, my strategy obviously changed in this draft. I still feel that outside of the first several RB’s that there isn’t much difference in a 2nd round RB and a 4th round RB. In reviewing 12-team ADP’s I felt I could simply go best available player until my starting lineup was filled and wind up with a very good team of starters. The only drawback to this strategy looks to be RB depth but with some sleepers lurking I thought I could pull it off.

With the #2 overall pick I felt fortunate enough to have Tomlinson fall to me here. Had he not, I would have taken Westbrook. Maybe I’m over-thinking this, but I like RB’s on teams with balanced offenses. Minnesota doesn’t fit this bill. Plus I’m still not sold on Peterson’s durability for a full season. Fortunately for me it’s a decision I didn’t have to make. I know Tomlinson’s nearing the end of his prime, but I think he’s got one more year comparable to last season in him.

With pick 2.11 I chose to go with Drew Brees. I actually have Brees at #3 on my QB board and with only him and Carson Palmer remaining on the board as elite QB’s I pulled the trigger here. It turned out to be a mistake, as Palmer didn’t go until 5.07. But sticking with my strategy of drafting the most productive player, I feel Brees will outscore the three RB’s picked just ahead of him and QB won’t be a position I have to worry about this season.

With pick 3.02 I grabbed WR Chad Johnson. Andre Johnson was up for consideration, but I don’t like the risk of him not finishing a season and I like the Bengals’ offense better than Houston’s for productivity and scoring chances. This gives me a very good WR to go with my elite RB and QB. (Note – I just watched CJ being helped off the field in their pre-season game tonight)

It’s a long wait picking and the ends, and as I waited I watched every RB whom I thought might fall to me for my #2 RB come off the board. It was looking like my strategy may have backfired but a strange thing happened. No one wanted Reggie Bush. I even had to do a quick search before I pulled the trigger on him at 4.11 to be sure he hadn’t suffered and injury that I missed. I’m not sure how this worked out but I’m happy to have him as my RB 2.

Coming back at 5.02 I went with WR Donald Driver. This is well higher than his ADP, but I feel with an unproven QB that Driver will be the go-to guy in Green Bay. In addition I’m not sold on Jennings’ health for a full season.

Given that this league starts three WR’s I felt the need to grab my third WR at 6.11. Santana Moss had the most potential of any left on the board and hopefully with a more imaginative offensive coach, Moss will be utilized to his full ability and be a capable WR 3.

Turning around at 7.02 I wanted to grab my starting TE. At this point there were two I felt good about. Cooley and Shockey. In retrospect I wish I’d have gone with Cooley, but I’ll take Shockey because I think he becomes the #2 receiving option on that team. However it gives me three Saints so I’m really depending on New Orleans offense to be very good.

That completed my starting lineup outside of DST and Kicker. I then proceeded to fill out my depth. I was happy to get Justin Fargas at 8.11 as I think he’ll remain a part of the Raiders plans even with McFadden. I also took the first DST off the board, grabbing the Chargers DST at 10.11. I know you don’t go DST early, but why take another mediocre WR when I can grab one of the top units from last season with a soft schedule this year. Looking at my week one starters (Brees, Tomlinson, Bush, Chad Johnson, Driver, Moss, Shockey, Chargers DST) I feel I executed the strategy well of grabbing the best available players to fill out my starting roster spots.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I like the starting lineup. I have 4 players that are more than likely to finish at the top 5 in their position (Brees, Tomlinson, Chad Johnson, and the Chargers DST). I have above average players at TE and RB #2 in Bush and Shockey. Driver and Moss aren’t my ideal WR#2 and #3 but I’m satisfied with them in this deep of a league.

3. What did you like the least? My RB depth. While I was drafting starting WR’s and TE’s, other teams were grabbing their RB #3 and #4. So when it came time to address my RB depth there wasn’t much to choose from. I was happy to get Fargas where I got him. My last two RB’s are simply guys whom I have a suspicion will see some playing time early in the season. Steve Slayton and Jamaal Charles are both Rookies whom fit the role of 3rd down back, meaning they’ll at least get on the field for 5 or more touches potentially. Slayton arguably could contribute more as Ahman Green will be hurt before the end of September and there isn’t much in front of him on Houston’s depth chart.

4. Who was your best value? Clearly Reggie Bush. Getting him at the VERY end of the 4th round was more that I could have hoped for here. The next three RB’s selected were Selvin Young (16 games? I wouldn’t bet on it), Matt Forte (The Bears might not score 16 points all year), and Jonathan Stewart (Could be more productive, but will probably not come early in the season). I didn’t want to have to count on one of those guys each week. Bush is a player whom I feel I can start each week at RB#2 without too much worry. He’s not a #1 RB, but he’s a good #2 RB for a team where I ignored the RB 2 position until the 47th overall pick.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Donald Driver in the early 5th may be a pick I regret. There were several other WR’s who have more upside and there were a couple of RB’s still on the board who could have greatly improved my depth here. I don’t regret the pick now, but I certainly may if his performance declines again this season.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I was hoping LenDale White would fall to me in the 4th, but he went 11 picks earlier. Ray Rice is another RB that I think will have an impact sooner than most think. He went 2 picks before I was ready to grab him. Jerricho Cotchery is another player I thought I could get later in the draft but apparently others feel as I do that he’ll be the primary benefactor of Favre’s abilities.

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

First I’ve got to say that there was a lot less separation between the top four teams as it took me quite a while to pick my top four. All the teams are pretty close. That being said…

Rookies – I think they got great value where they drafted McNabb and Delhomme. I think that combination should be good to start most of the season. He has great RBs in Grant and Westy plus some depth with Selvin Young. WR’s are not great but not bad with Andre Johnson anchoring and Burleson and Bryant Johnson starting. Hopefully one of those two has a very productive season. Cooley is a top 5 TE. My only question is the skins DST. I think there were better available and the Skins play in a division where all the offenses are above average.

The Prototype – Got the best value of the draft at the QB position in Carson Palmer in the 5th round. Has 5 RB’s that will start on opening day –the question is, how long will those guys start. Larry Johnson and Thomas Jones are locks, but Ahman Green, Duce McAlister, and Rudi Johnson all have playing time issues. However we’re talking about depth here not starters for his team. He also managed to get great WR’s with Randy Moss, Boldin (another steal for where he was picked), and Coles anchoring the team. The only issue I have is Heap at TE. This guy doesn’t do the 16-game schedule and I don’t want to pay the price you have to pay to get him for him to then miss half the season.

Hellboy – My evaluation of this team hinges on the performance of Mr. Anderson. I think he’ll be close to his stats from last season, but it’s tough to evaluate with only a year in the league. If he’s back this is a strong team. I like the RB trio of Willie Parker, whom is undervalued, Marion Barber and Jonathan Stewart. Throw in Chris Perry who could see an increased role in Cincy and he’s as deep at RB as any team in this league. Steve Smith is a big question at WR but if he gets his act together Smith paired with Colston makes for a great WR duo. WR 3 is suspect but every team is going to have a suspect position in this league. I like the potential of Utecht at TE as well. He’s an unknown but if the Bengals utilize his skills he could be productive in that offense.

Compiler Guy – I think the QB’s are the biggest question on this team as Cutler and Young are both still developing and I’m not exactly sure either of them is what you’d want to count on as your starting QB. This is another team with Great RB depth. Portis and Graham are solid starters. Kevin Smith looks to be the primary back in Detroit and Ricky Williams is arguably the best RB in Miami. The WR’s are no slouch either with Fitzgerald, Jennings and the potential of Calvin Johnson. This may be the best starting WR trio in the league.

Team Name: Rookies
Owner Name: Chris Eakin
Draft Spot: 1.03

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? I was going to take whatever RB fell out of AP, LT, and Westbrook. With no hold out I would have considered Steven Jackson instead. At 2.10 and 3.03 I wanted to get a top WR and either another RB or WR depending on who fell at RB on the return. After that my strategy is to just target values and players I want that fill depth needs. Drafting near the end of serpentine formats I often reach a round early on players that I covet otherwise they usually don’t make it back to me.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I’m feeling good about my RBs and QBs. Ryan Grant I consider a top 10 RB and he was the last RB on the board coming back to me at 2.10 I thought more valuable than a second WR. I was a little surprised he fell and couldn’t pass on him. Selvin Young has potential to start for my team and be explosive so having a starter (for Denver) that’s not expected to share carries a great deal and is great to have as a backup. I prefer a guy like him at RB#3 over many of the young rookies that may or may not get enough carries to start on a weekly basis. At QB both McNabb and Delhomme will be interchangeable top 10 starters with top 5 potential at their position.

3. What did you like the least? I reached for McNabb on my 4th pick. I knew I wanted him but there were still guys like Anderson, Palmer, and Roethlisberger on the board so I could have gotten away with taking my WR#2 here instead and picked up either Driver, Jennings, or Welker and still had a shot at him. I just didn’t want to risk losing out on those 2nd tier QBs. As a result I never got back on track with my WR position. Burleson is a great WR#3 but a slight reach for a WR#2. If he plays well than I’m going to have a real solid team.

An interesting note: When I realized I was weak at WR I really thought things were going bad, and that’s the second time this has happened to me around rd 5-7. I then started peeking at everyone else’s teams to see how bad I was looking and every team seemed to have a hole as big or potentially worse than mine, which was the case last time we drafted. One, having played mostly 10 team leagues there’s a tendency to feel this way in 12-team leagues and two, there are always good values to fill in your depth later in the draft if you are prepared so don’t panic if you miss a few guys at a position.

4. Who was your best value? Well, getting a Selvin Young and the 2000 yards he guaranteed for my fifth pick certainly qualifies. Ryan Grant for the 22nd overall pick is solid as well. For my late rounds I really like Derek Hagan in the 13th round. I think he’s going to start next to Ginn Jr. and he will catch a lot of balls with Chad Pennington now at QB. He could be an equivalent to a Jerricho Cotchery from last year but with better red zone ability. People forget what a stud he was at ASU.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Some would consider McNabb a reach at 4.10 but I had him last season and down the stretch he was a big part of my championship. All we heard was how it takes two years coming back and this is year two the last time I checked. He will be good, no doubt. Nate Burleson for WR#2 I discussed earlier but at the time my choices were Santana Moss, Laveranues Coles, and Hines Ward. Moss is too inconsistent, Ward is not the #1 option anymore and I don’t trust Brett Favre this year. Burleson is the #1 option on a team that will throw as much as any team in the NFL this year and he has had some solid years in the past.

6. Which players did you covet but were already picked? Boy, Wildman was killing me all night. I really expected and hoped Jamal Lewis be my RB#2 when he plucked him. He also grabbed Robert Meachem later, which left me dazed and confused as to whom to take instead. He couldn’t have slept well with that much guilt. One main cause for my reach at McNabb was due to that Coxsackie Virus grabbing Jason Witten two picks before me. I feel better now that I called him a name though.

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

Wildman - If Marvin Harrison is 80% of what he was pre-injury then that shores up his only weakness. I absolutely love his back-up RBs in Chris Johnson and DeAngelo Williams. They could be explosive if the cards fall right. Roethlisberger to Holmes is a lethal combo.

Compiler Guy- Now I know where all my receivers went. They were compiled here. (Cheesy I know) His RB depth is great with 3 starters and two guys with big upside in Ricky Williams and Chris Brown. He handcuffed his top pick in Portis as well. Nice job here. He needs Jay Cutler to perform, but over the course of a season his overall depth will show.

Husky Jerks – This a good job drafting. His RBs are handcuffed with guys that can perform if need be and his WRs will be solid once Marshall comes back. My only concern would be two unproven commodities at QB in Leinart and Rodgers but both have hordes of talent around them to succeed so it’s likely one of them will.

Hellboy - When Steve Smith comes back he will pair him with Colston and have a top WR core. I thought Willie Parker was really getting undervalued this year and it seems I’m not the only one. Fast Willy and Marion Barber at RB give me the chills. Between Chris Perry and Jonathan Stewart I like the odds of one of them being a breakout to provide depth. I’m not sold on Derek Anderson but I think it’s because he looked like a newborn moose at Oregon State and now he’s changed but my mental picture of him hasn’t. If he performs again then this is a playoff team.

Team Name: Husky Jerks
Owner Name: Mike Krueger
Draft Spot: 1.04

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? Picking from the fourth position, I was looking for an RB with minimal risk while not overextending myself on a quarterback. Having a chance at Brady, Manning, or even Romo in Round 2 wasn’t likely (turns out I was right), so I wanted to concentrate on building depth at the running back and receiver positions and grab my QB late. Mission accomplished.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I was able to execute my pre-draft strategy, which doesn’t happen very often. Outside of a couple players I missed out on, this draft played out like I thought it would.

3. What did you like the least? A couple of my targeted players were snaked from me, but that’s to be expected, especially with this group of seasoned ff’ers. My one strategic blunder was taking TE Owen Daniels at 9.04 while still needing a starting QB. Jay Cutler was my target and while I’m perfectly happy getting Aaron Rodgers a round later (10.09), I could have let Daniels go (Heath Miller was still available at 13.04) and grabbed Cutler as my starting QB.

4. Who was your best value? RB Edgerrin James’ current ADP is 5.08 for twelve-team leagues. I was able to get him at 6.09 as my third running back. He’s not a touchdown machine and despite being on the wrong side of thirty, he is a starter, and you can’t beat that value.

5. Who was your biggest reach? I would say Brandon Marshall at 3.04 but actually the selection of Willis McGahee at 2.09 is quite risky considering his recent surgery. I had a choice between him and Ryan Grant, but I took the gamble with Willis with every intention of grabbing Ray Rice a round or two early as a handcuff.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? As much I love Brandon Marshall, I was hoping Andre Johnson would slide to me in Round 3. The Rookies took him one pick ahead of me. Having gambled on Marshall, I wanted to add a quality #4 wideout with upside potential later in the draft. My target was Justin Gage or Steve Smith (NYG) but having to take Ray Rice a round or two early and the questionable decision of Daniels at 9.04, allowed Dallas Dynasty and Compiler Guy to nab these wideout prospects in front of me.

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

The Rookies – He’s solid at all positions expect wide receiver but that can quickly be fixed with an early-season waiver wire pickup. If Grant and Westbrook stay healthy, this is likely a playoff team.

Wildman – I love the DeAngelo Williams pick and think he will pay great dividends. Again, wide receiver is the position with the most question marks, but a return to form by Marvin Harrison makes Wildman look like a draft-day genius.

Compiler Guy – I think Jay Cutler will be Mike MacGregor’s starting QB before he knows it. I really love the upside potential of his backs (Kevin Smith, Ricky Williams, Ladell Betts) and receivers (Calvin Johnson & Steve Smith). This could be one of the deepest teams in the league by Week 4.

Warbirds – You have to love running Owens and Wayne out there every week, especially in a three-wideout lineup. Tack on one of the best fantasy tight ends (Gonzalez) and you’ve got the makings of a contender. His QBs and RBs won’t knock your socks off but I’m more comfortable with Schaub and LenDale White than most. LaMont Jordan was a great value pick and could be a huge asset late in the season.

Team Name: Coxsackie Virus
Owner Name: Antonio Arcangelis
Draft Spot: 1.05

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? With the fifth pick, I had to select either the odd man out of the top five running backs (Tomlinson, Peterson, Westbrook, Addai and Steven Jackson) or go in a different direction – there’s just not enough value in taking Marshawn Lynch, Marion Barber or even Frank Gore in that spot. In a PPR, I’d have seriously considered Moss or even Steven Jackson, but taking the best QB in football coming off a landmark year seemed like the safest bet. The rest of my draft strategy followed pretty closely in line with my standard philosophy – load the team with as many talented young backs as possible and get value wherever I could find it.

I ended up with a few of my targets – including Maurice Jones-Drew, Jerricho Cotchery, Matt Forte, and Ahmad Bradshaw – and snagged #3, #4, and #5 WRs with what I consider to be a much-better-than-average upside in Patrick Crayton, Javon Walker, and James Hardy. For me, drafting from the fifth spot with this bunch was much more difficult than I had anticipated. The staff at fftoday.com is especially adept at finding value in unlikely positions and keying on backs that offer intriguing possibilities.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I like having Brady backed up by a seriously undervalued Philip Rivers, two great defenses (Cowboys and Giants) that I can use on a matchup-to-matchup basis – largely depending on the protection offered by the opposing team’s offensive line, since most team defenses score points by getting to the QB – and a very deep bench at RB. I’m not overly enthusiastic, but I feel like I did well out of the tricky #5 slot.

3. What did you like the least? My WRs may have upside – but there’s a ton of risk in taking Crayton and Javon Walker at #3 and #4. And while I’ll argue that adding Brett Favre boosts Cotchery’s value from a typically strong #3 to a #2 WR, the guy needs to get into the end zone since this isn’t a PPR league. And in my backfield, Jones-Drew hasn’t yet proven he’s a reliable #1 RB – but he was the best available value when my second round pick finally got back to me.

4. Who was your best value? I snagged Ahmad Bradshaw at 9.05 and was once again happy to do so. The defending Super Bowl champs have a ton of offensive weapons, but they’re still running the football and Brandon Jacobs has proven he’s not going to shoulder the burden alone. He has the potential to be a quick hitter, can see the holes and will be a fantasy goldmine if and when Jacobs goes down. Obviously, Javon Walker in Round 10 is a steal if he plays at half his potential in ’08. Rivers (14.08) will offer some trade value if the Chargers get off on the right foot, the Giants D in the second-to-last round is a steal, and Leon Washington (12.08) is a sleeper that I’ve always been high on.

5. Who was your biggest reach? My biggest reach was probably Tom Brady – but only if he fails to throw at least 35 TDs. Anything more than that, and I’ll consider it a solid pick. I felt happy to get Julius Jones in Round 7, but that’s a reach based on his current depth chart status behind Maurice Morris. Hopefully he’ll get a shot to start by Week 1. Also – Crayton at 8.08 playing for a Dallas team loaded with other options (TO, Jason Witten, Barber, Felix Jones) could prove to be a pointless pick that early when more proven WRs were lurking, including the likes of Joey Galloway, Isaac Bruce and Jerry Porter.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? Wow – too many to list here, but I remember hoping either Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson or Andre Johnson fell to me in the third (which they didn’t – thanks fellas), preparing to come back with either Santonio Holmes or Plaxico Burress in Round 4 (nope) or pull either Chris Johnson or Ray Rice in Round 9 (Waldman and Krueger saw to it I didn’t). I was also ready to back up Jason Witten with Heath Miller when Krueger did it to me again in Round 13.

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

1. 9-Route - Rinku did quite well from the #1 slot, easily drafting the team with the most upside and potential to blow out fantasy opponents with Adrian Peterson, Braylon Edwards, Housh, Darren McFadden, Kellen Winslow, Rashard Mendenhall as his #3 RB and Matt Hasselbeck as his QB. It’s hard to find anything wrong with the guy’s technique from the #1 slot, aside from possibly his #1 pick – a debate that will probably engage us all until the fantasy playoffs are upon us.

2. Team Marx - There’s a ton of major scoring potential in any lineup that includes Tomlinson, Drew Brees and Reggie Bush. At WR, Chad Johnson, Donald Driver and Santana Moss provide a solid starting three, and there’s lots of value with his bench WRs – Porter, Sidney Rice and Deion Branch. Shockey’s a nice compliment to the receiving corps and his DEF – the Chargers – is one of the best in fantasy football.

3. The Prototype - He’s stacked at WR – Randy Moss, Anquan Boldin, Lavernues Coles at 1-3 with Engram probably returning as a starter once he’s back from injury – and all the other moving parts are there, including a solid QB in Carson Palmer and serviceable RBs in Larry Johnson, Thomas Jones and Rudi Johnson – who’s not dead yet. He gets a small ding for only having four RBs – I like to draft five – but that’s nitpicking.

4. GWave - With Peyton Manning, good running backs, and Antonio Gates at TE, this is a strong team. His bench is especially strong, considering Ronnie Brown is his third RB and Jacob Hester – possible trade fodder for a deal with Team Marx, is his fifth back.

Team Name: GWave
Owner Name: Dennis Dies
Draft Spot: 1.06

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? I tried to follow the same strategy I tried in an earlier mock and that was to try and get a high profile player at each position without sacrificing too much depth. I followed my strategy for the most part, but looking back, there were definitely some opportunities to stray from that strategy that I didn’t take advantage of.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? Landing a top QB is always a goal for me and I feel like I have one of the best in Manning. Peyton will once again finish at the top of the league and is always tough to match up against on a week-to-week basis.

3. What did you like the least? Depth is always a concern when you go after high profile QB’s and I was once again very surprised to see some very talented signal callers fall further than I expected.

4. Who was your best value? Had Steven Jackson been in camp and since day one, he probably would have gone 3 picks earlier. Calling a 6th round pick may not be considered “value”, but he has the potential to finish as the #1 RB when the season is over.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Manning in the middle of round two could be considered a reach when you look at the talent that went 3-4 rounds later, but his consistency is unparalleled at the position.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I was hoping for a little more depth at running back and Lendale White was a player I was saving a roster spot for…unfortunately I waited a round too long.

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

1. 9-Route. Very strong team with Peterson, Edwards, Housh and Winslow. If McFadden pans out, he will be very tough to beat.
2. Wildman. Has a very deep team, especially at running back.
3. Prototype. A very solid starting lineup with some depth.
4. Tie. Husky Jerks & Team Marx. Both have a decent squad but depth could haunt them.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? I believe sticking to my board early on and just picking the value that falls to me was important and I think a thorough look at my draft will reveal I did just that. With my first three picks, I landed players I have listed at #5 (Moss), #8 (Larry Johnson) and #20 (Thomas Jones) overall. It was tough for me to go with Moss over Gore in Round 1, but I just felt Moss would be more of a "sure thing" than Gore.

Additionally, I have no problem counting on LJ as my #1 RB with Moss already on the roster. Beyond that - and having several days to consider what I would do with my early picks - I knew I would go with Brees or Thomas Jones - who I have a late second-round grade on - with my third-rounder assuming he was still there. After that, it was simply a matter of following my board and then listening to my gut on any close calls.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? As much as I try not to develop a bias for any certain player, I have become quite enamored with Jones...and that was before Brett Favre came onto the scene; I would be happy with Chester Taylor-like production - circa 2006 - from him. I use the Taylor example because much like Taylor, the Jets added a potential Hall of Fame guard (Alan Faneca; Vikings added Steve Hutchinson a few years), FB Tony Richardson (who blocked for Taylor in 2006 and Adrian Peterson in 2007). Unlike Taylor, Jones has the benefit of Brett Favre's big arm now, which will back off defenses even more off the line of scrimmage and, with Faneca and Richardson, will probably raise his per carry by a yard from 3.5 last season.

Additionally, I continue to be surprised Palmer can make it into the fifth round (more on that below). Lastly, I was quite pleased to land Rudi Johnson as my #3 RB. People are scared off by his hamstring injury from last season as well as his cumulative workload and the presence of Chris Perry. While the Michigan alum may eventually steal the job from Rudi, I need to see Perry stay healthy for an extended amount of time before I really get too worried. Despite how good Perry has looked so far, Johnson is still the only power rusher that the Bengals have on the roster and power running is what coach Marvin Lewis wants to get back to in 2008. I expect Perry and RB Kenny Watson to steal a series here and there but not so much that he doesn't have another 1,000-yard campaign and 8-10 scores.

3. What did you like the least? Very few owners worth their salt are ever satisfied with their RB depth. In my case, I have four RBs who were pretty much useless fantasy-wise in the second half of last season, all because of injury. The one that made it all 16 games - Jones - scored all of one rushing TD in 2007. That said, it is difficult to find a RB anymore that plays 16 games season after season, so I'm just happy to have landed two players at the position who will log a high percentage of their teams' carries and another (Johnson) who I think will be quick to disprove the critics that have said his previous workload has caught up to him.

4. Who was your best value? Palmer. I can't tell you again how surprised I was to see a potential top-five QB still available to me at this spot, just as I was in July. 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 Perry - two players who will make this passing game more potent than it was a season ago.

Additionally, if I thought I stole Bulger in the ninth last month, I committed grand theft larceny by getting him in the 11th this time around. Lastly, I think Morgan will become the latest WR to thrive in Mike Martz's offensive system in San Francisco. He has lit up Oakland and Green Bay so far in the preseason and, with Bryant Johnson's inability to stay healthy, I expect solid #3 WR numbers from the Virginia Tech rookie who fell in the draft due to some minor scrapes with the law in college. He is having such a good camp, in fact, that the Niners may have no choice to start him over Johnson.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Maybe Deuce McAllister, but I'm not quite sure. As a #4 RB, I don't think he can be considered a big reach, but his shelf life figures to be somewhat limited considering he will be coming back from his second ACL tear as well as a microfracture surgery. I suppose with a player like Deuce, if he plays in three games like last year, he will have been a reach. If he plays 12-16 contests, then he becomes a definite value.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? Missing out on Jeremy Shockey in round 7 and Perry in round 10. While I considered Shockey with my sixth pick, I wasn't about to take him there over Rudi Johnson. That said, I still would have liked him to slide to me in the seventh. Instead, I was forced to take another injury-prone TE, Todd Heap, in round 8 - a pick I'm not all together unhappy with. The one that got me the most was Perry, who looks not only to assume his role as receiving back in 2006, but also push Johnson as the starter at some point.

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

9-Route - The Darren McFadden pick will define this team's ability to win. If D-Mac is anything less than what the Raiders want him to be, this team could fall apart quickly as the backs and receivers on his bench are part-timers at best right now. That said, I expect McFadden to post solid numbers and to be at least a very serviceable #2 fantasy RB. Braylon Edwards was a steal at the end of round 2, Houshmandzadeh is better than many teams' #1 WRs, Winslow is a top 3-4 TE and both Hasselbeck and the Vikings defense should be good, if not great, at points throughout the season.

Team Marx - Assuming good health, Marx has the firepower to be beat any team on any given week. He was able to assemble a team that has at least one bonafide stud at every position. Brees-LT-Bush is downright scary. Add to that the only time he has to worry about pulling someone from his lineup is Week 9 and he's in great shape. In Chad Johnson, Santana Moss, Donald Driver and Jeremy Shockey, he has four players capable of scoring like top WRs in any given week. However, he will need to hit on some players on the waiver wire throughout the season as I'm not crazy about his depth.

Hellboy - Probably as deep of a team as there was in this draft. Marion Barber should visit the end zone 12-14 times this year and top 1,000 rushing yards without a problem, making him a consistent weekly threat. Colston and Steve Smith (when he's done with his suspension) make for an incredible 1-2 punch at WR. With those three players as his nucleus, Anderson-Campbell should be an effective QB duo to complement them. He then filled his roster out with high upside RBs in Jonathan Stewart, Felix Jones and Chris Perry, meaning he should be in good shape all season long at the RB position, barring a string of injuries.

Compiler Guy - His draft doesn't stand out to me per se, but he basically has a solid team. I don't like Earnest Graham as a #2 RB or Jennings much as a #3 WR, but he has enough depth at both positions to play the matchups. Cutler/Young make for a nice QB duo and Crumpler was a nice pick late. Compiler Guy will need to be a sound decision-maker with his lineup every week, but the overall talent on his roster is such that he could make a run.

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? If you step into my shoes, you’ll understand quickly why this is not my typical fantasy football draft:

a. The competition: I’m facing other fantasy football writers and at least three of them have competed in showcase leagues or exhibited a strong level of knowledge about players and draft strategy. Although facing this level of competition is nothing new for me, these writers…

b. Have Inside Information: Not that I presume they read my work regularly, but if I were drafting against someone who posts his rankings online and I’m drafting a pick or two before or after him I would keep them on a tab of my Internet browser.

I decided the best way to go was to take risks at the top of my draft and apply a “plus one strategy” of picking certain players a round earlier than their average draft position. The problem with this strategy is it can cost you in the second half of the draft. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about my picks, which I’ll explain below.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I love the big game upside of my picks and my 1-2 punch at RB. Although I have Marion Barber and Clinton Portis ranked higher than Frank Gore, I’m sold on the fact Gore has done everything within his power to prepare himself as the centerpiece of Mike Martz’s offense. Besides, Marion Barber might be the starter but I think Felix Jones looks like he could be a much better version of Julius Jones in the Cowboys offense. Jamal Lewis in a real offense was a sight for sore eyes last year. Lewis was the sixth-best back in many leagues last year and I got him in the middle of the second round.

3. What did you like the least? It was tough to pass up Clinton Portis and Marion Barber for a player on an offense that sputtered in 2007. Selecting Jamal Lewis over Larry Johnson was more difficult than it should have been. When it comes to running talent, I’d rank LJ up there with LT, Peterson, and Gore. But I couldn’t pull the trigger with the Browns’ bell cow sitting there. Marvin Harrison and Kevin Curtis don’t inspire confidence, although their upside is undeniable. Unfortunately, my receiving depth is also risky if these guys don’t pull through. Tack on Vernon Davis and I’m going big or not at all.

4. Who was your best value? I love Jonathan Stewart when healthy, but he’s not completely there and DeAngelo Williams has improved enough to get a shot to start. He averaged five yards per carry down the stretch last year with an undrafted free agent cut by the Cowboys at the end of the preseason as his quarterback (Matt Moore). I could wind up with a top-15 runner I took in round seven. A Rookie Scouting Portfolio guy I picked late that could pay big dividends is Denver RB Andre Hall. I really liked his skills when he was the University of South Florida offense. New England reputedly had him graded as a third round pick a couple of years ago. The word from some analysts out of Bronco camp is that some debate Hall to be the best overall runner on the team.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Kevin Curtis was anything but a consistent producer last year (as I heard from my trash-talking colleagues). Jerricho Cotchery, Santana Moss, and Nate Burleson are all options that could have much better seasons. Yet, I got him in a spot where many would expect him to go. Judging by the reactions to the pick, Marvin Harrison as a fourth round pick over Anquan Boldin, Roy Williams, and Dwayne Bowe was a huge reach. It could be but I decided I would ignore the doom and gloom forecast. Isaac Bruce, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, and Jerry Rice are examples of several receivers who produced as strong fantasy starters after the age of 35. I think people believe Harrison is through because he couldn’t come back strong after missing most of the year. I chose to believe Harrison rushed back too soon, but he’ll be ready to be a strong option 1-A to Reggie Wayne.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? There were three I wanted that I lost being sandwiched between T.J. and Craig: Steve Smith, Laveranues Coles, and Chris Perry. The last two hurt the most, because Coles would have really solidified my receiving corps and I believe Perry will play his way into becoming the starter. He is one my top-three “steals of the draft.”

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

I have changed my mind a few times already, but here it goes…

Compiler Guy (Mike MacGregor) – This is the type of team I like to draft. Mike acquired a nice mix of strong veterans, quality depth, and youthful upside. I wish I had Portis, Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, and Ricky Williams this year. One thing I was shocked about was how Mike went for Vince Young as early as round seven and still got Jay Cutler in round ten. I would have expected these players to go in the opposite order.

The Prototype (T.J. Thomas) – I have some issues with the picks in the second half of his draft, but his starters more than make up for it. His RBs aren’t sexy picks this year, but they should be more than adequate. His starting trio of receivers is excellent.

Team Marx (Mark Shutters) – I loved first half of his draft, but not crazy about the second half. If his starters all play as expected, he’s a team to beat. I just think his picks of Slaton and Charles were major reaches and Deion Branch coming off an ACL tear doesn’t excite me.

Husky Jerks (Mike Krueger) – Rinku Dahwan, Craig Englander, and Joe Kilroy were tough to leave out, but I had to give the final nod to Mike’s club. Mike’s team isn’t flashy, but his picks are solid. His first three picks at receiver are good and I like Hines Ward more than many this year. As with Harrison, people are writing off Ward too soon. I’m not a fan of Willis McGahee, but following up with Ray Rice (just in time, I might add, because I wanted him) was a key move. I think Rice is the one of the two best backs in this rookie class. Mike’s quarterbacks should help him as long as picks the best match up.

Team Name: Hellboy
Owner Name: Craig Englander
Draft Spot: 1.09

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? I wanted to get WR-rich while still having a steady dose of RB. I planned on getting two receiving studs and grab MacNabb or Hasselbeck in the 7th round. At 3.09, I got my second stud in Steve Smith. Had Wildman not snagged Santonio Holmes in the 3rd, I probably would have gone RB in round 3, expecting Holmes to fall to me in the 4th. There were enough RB2s like Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, Earnest Graham, Reggie Bush, and Thomas Jones to pick on the way back down in the 4th. When Derek Anderson was still on the board at my 6th pick, I abandoned my strategy and grabbed a QB earlier than I anticipated.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? Having Barber available to me at number nine allowed me to play it a little safe to start. While I reached to get Colston at the 16th pick, I got a guy I coveted and my first two picks are red zone focal points on teams, which should put the ball in the end zone a lot.

3. What did you like the least? I tend to be a running back guy. I’m not in love with RB corps at all. The RB2s started flying off the board in the next six picks after I grabbed Steve Smith in the 3rd round. Jacobs, Graham, Turner, and White - all gone in the six picks between my 3rd and 4th round. I panicked and jumped early on Willie Parker. Finally, having Parker and Stewart, I really expected that in round seven or eight I would handcuff one of them. That didn’t happen and I ended up handcuffing Barber with Felix Jones.

4. Who was your best value? Getting Derek Anderson at 64th pick a full round later than his ADP of 53 was good value. I also liked Steve Smith in the late 3rd round and was fortunate enough to grab D.J. Hackett in the 14th to pick up the slack when Smith is out. I like Ben Utecht simply for the fact that if he puts up anything remotely similar to guys like Shockey, Heap, Davis, Daniels, or Cooley, then it proves I didn’t have to give up Vincent Jackson, Felix Jones, or Chris Perry to get a TE.

5. Who was your biggest reach? I think when the article is written I will be the guy who reached in rounds two and four. Colston at the 16th pick may have been overreaching on his value, but I went with my gut instead of the numbers. He is a red zone receiver on a team that will score, which weighed favorably in my analysis. While I picked FWP at 4.04, his ADP, I htink this was a horrid pick and I could have loaded up on a third receiver like Harrison, Boldin. or Roy Williams and pick up a serviceable RB2 like Edge, Rudi Johnson. or Julius Jones in the next round.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? Picking behind Wildman is a coveter’s nightmare. I was cautiously hopeful that Gore would come to me at the 9th pick when I saw Brady and Moss go in the first seven picks - Wildman (8th pick). I love Santonio Holmes and thought I could snag him early in the 4th round - Wildman (3rd). I thought possibly Harrison could fall to me in the 5th - Wildman (4th). I wanted to handcuff either Stewart or Parker but 9-Route grabbed Rashard Mendenhall in the 6th and DeAngelo Williams – Wildman (one pick before me).

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

9-Route: This team has 4 studs in AD, Edwards, Housh and Winslow. He got great value nabbing Hasselbeck as a QB in the 8th (and not jumping on him in the 3rd like that four-letter network did earlier that evening). If McFadden turns out to be the stud the Raiders are predicting he will be, this could be the toughest starting line-up. However, if McFadden is simply Raider-myopia, 9-Route has no true RB2 and is relying on three rookie RBs to find one to carry the load with zero depth at receiver.

Compiler Guy: Two stud receivers in Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson, followed closely by Jennings. Also has depth at receiver. Two very solid running backs in Portis and Graham, with depth at that position as well. While I was not big on the VY pick, he backed him up with a guy who generally gets drafted earlier in Cutler.

Wildman: Since he snatched four guys I wanted, I am compelled by my own ego to say this is a strong team. I’m on the Gore train (again) and I think that Jamal Lewis is one of the best RB2s (I didn’t put him in my covet category only because there was a snowball’s chance in Hades he would drop to me at 3.09). I’ve got Holmes in the Pro Bowl this year and age doesn’t bother me with receivers, so with everything coming out of training camp, I like Harrison. I know I’m against Training Camp Hype, but I really like what I am seeing and hearing about DeAngelo Williams and Chris Johnson, which provides Wildman with seemingly good depth at the RB position.

Team Marx: How can I not like a team that has one of my all-time favorite RBs (Tomlinson), and two RBs from my favorite college (Bush and Fargas)? He is definitely not hurting at QB either with Brees, who I expect to end up as one of the top two fantasy QBs this year. While his receiving corps is not flashy, it is stacked with veterans who show up every year in Chad Johnson and Donald Driver and I even have a gut feeling that Santana Moss will excel in Zorn’s offense. Having a number one at three different positions (Tomlinson, Brees and the Charger D) should make this team competitive each week.

Team Name: Dallas Dynasty
Owner Name: Scott Segal
Draft Spot: 1.10

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? After looking at my mock draft and really getting dirty analyzing the ADP, I wanted to employee an Average Value Theory (AVT) strategy with my draft. I did the AVT numbers and baseline for my 14-team league and applied it to this draft. I did not feel like a reduction of two teams would skew the numbers. Conversely, if there were a reduction of two teams, I would have had to reassess the numbers.

With that being said, the strategy was in effect for my starting lineup. From there I planned on going with upside guys. But a funny thing happened as the draft unfolded, I reversed my strategy and picked up value guys on my board very late. Lynch was ranked high on my board, but Romo was my third QB and to take him over my number one guy could prove to be a risk I regretted. I do believe that Fantasy Football should be fun and Romo being my favorite player and knowing he would not be there was too tough to resist.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? I absolutely love my stable of running backs. Lynch was the fifth RB on my board and Jacobs was thirteenth. My goal was to be above the AVT mean for my starting lineup which picking from the ten spot was going to be tough. Taylor and Morris add proven depth in the event of the inevitable Jacobs nicks. Jackson I feel is one of the higher quality handcuffs in the league. I felt like both Jacobs and Lynch had handcuffs that would not have a very significant drop in production in the event of injury. These factor fairly heavily in my rankings for running backs.

I also love the talent I have at quarterback. Eli Manning I feel is good enough to be a starter in a 12-team league. Of course he is only going to see the field in the event of an injury or bye.

3. What did you like the least? I would have liked a shot to get a Brandon Marshall as my lead WR. Plaxico Burress was a tough decision over Welker and Boldin. I chose Plax due to his affinity for the end zone. I don't have the marquee names, but still feel my WR corps will produce and not let me down.

4. Who was your best value? Considering I had Jacobs rated as the best RB2 and I landed him in the 3rd round, he would be the pick.

5. Who was your biggest reach? Dallas Clark would likely be the one most would pick and I cannot argue with the logic. To pick a TE before a WR2 in a league starting three receivers certainly has some risk. I just did not want him gone before the turn came back to me and I felt like White would still be there, which he was.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I really wanted Ahmad Bradshaw to protect my Jacobs investment. I also was hoping to land Patrick Crayton as my WR3. Other than that, I think the draft went well.

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

In no particular order, I liked 9-Route, Prototype, Husky Jerks, and Hellboy. I liked 9-Route and his RB and Receiver core a lot. I am not sold on Hasselbeck, but he has managed to put up numbers regardless of the circumstances lately. I love Prototype’s lineup. Moss is certainly going to produce and Boldin and Coles are solid at the WR2 and WR3 spot. The RBs have potential to blow it up. I like the potential of the Husky Jerks receiving corps. I think he may be able to have three WR1 guys by season’s end and the RBs aren’t too shabby either. I like Hellboy due to his starting lineup and RB depth. His receiving depth is very shaky so an injury would make this a bottom 4 team.

Team Name: Compiler Guy
Owner Name: Mike MacGregor
Draft Spot: 1.11

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it?
I just can't seem to buy a break and get an early pick this year. Four drafts so far: #8, #9, #8 and now in this one, #11. The strategy comes down to seeing what table scraps the other guys leave, especially at #11 as opposed to a little earlier. Hope for Barber. Nope. Hope for Lynch. Nope. Okay, Portis it is.

I don't believe in the line of thinking to draft 2 WR in the first two rounds, which is growing in popularity. I especially don't believe in it for leagues with no points for receptions like this one. I was pretty sure Moss would not be available at my pick, which is okay. I typically don't draft last year's #1 player at a position. Historically that is a low value proposition. So, RB in the 1st, likely WR in the 2nd, allowing for the best flexibility and still realizing there is good value at RB later. Sure to miss out on Brees and Romo from my draft spot, rounds 3 and 4 should net another RB and WR. I'm not drafting a TE early this year unless I can get Witten or Winslow at value... and again, that isn't happening with a late draft spot.

Execute it? Yes, pretty much. This was a strong draft with not a lot of players free-falling. I waited on QB and waited on TE. As a result, RB and WR look good each with quality depth. QB looks fine regardless of my waiting, and hopefully TE does okay.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? Knowing I couldn't draft Brees or Romo, I'm glad I waited on QB. I even overpaid a bit for Vince Young as the 9th QB off the board because I was targeting him, and knew Wildman would snag him if I didn't jump in there. VY is a little erratic though, so I wanted to get another good starting quality QB relatively soon after. Targeting either Rodgers or Cutler, they kept falling and falling together all the way to the 10th round, when I finally grabbed Cutler as the 14th QB drafted. That is good value.

I'll add, VY is a good target for this league with 4 points per passing TD but 6 points per rushing TD. This bumps him up the QB rankings a bit since he should be good for some rushing scores. That said, I actually have Cutler projected higher overall.

3. What did you like the least? I'll keep hitting this point... drafting from the #11 spot. Top of the draft is much better, and I'm not just talking about the 1st round which is obvious enough. With an early draft spot, there is a better opportunity to take Brees or Romo (although Dallas Dynasty did take Romo at the 2.03 in this draft - can you same homer pick?). If you want a top TE, Witten and Winslow are usually going late 4th, early 5th, again favoring those with an early draft spot. Sure, its great "value" to wait, but sooner or later you need stud players on your team that are going to win games for you. People drafting at the top of the draft, assuming they know what they are doing, create better separation in points from those drafting late. Drafting early in the 2nd round due to a serpentine format is not that advantageous.

4. Who was your best value? Cutler is a good one as mentioned above, but I'll say Ricky Williams here, drafted in the 8th round. He is looking good at this point of the preseason and I don't think people are discounting Ronnie Brown enough considering his injury from last season. Mind you, Brown didn't get picked until the 7th round in this league of sharp drafters.

The Miami RB position looks like at least a split carries situation, and quite possibly more to Williams. We know the guy is talented and he is talking the talk about being motivated. As my RB4 I'm quite happy with this pick.

5. Who was your biggest reach? I reached a bit on Vince Young, but more significant, I reached a bit on Calvin Johnson taking him in the early 4th round. I had a number of WR projected similar or higher than CJ at this point, but I thought I'd swing for the fences on this pick. Its not a point-per-reception league, so TDs play a bigger impact in the scoring. Just getting a guy who catches a lot of passes but can't find the end zone with frequency is nice but not putting me over the top. Lets see if CJ can live up to his potential by making a statement in just his second year.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? WR Santonio Holmes - He's been rising, but wow, middle of the 3rd. That is pretty high. It would have been a tough call for me between Holmes and Johnson. I'd lean to Holmes.

TE Owen Daniels - Although I do have him in a couple leagues already, when Daniels and Vernon Davis were both drafted, that caused me to wait even longer at TE.

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

9-Route - While I think his depth is a little questionable and I would have gone a different direction at QB, he's got 2 great receivers, Winslow and, oh yeah, that Peterson guy is pretty good.

Rookies - The WR after Andre Johnson are sketchy to me, but if you're going to skimp in this league it might as well be a receiver. Love the McNabb pick although it surprised me he went that early. I like Cooley and how he insured Ryan Grant with Brandon Jackson. If one of Burleson or Bryant Johnson pan, this team will be a force.

Husky Jerks - Probably waited too long at QB, and had I let Cutler go he would be on this team. I didn't care for the McGahee pick but locking up Ray Rice helps mitigate that. Needs to ride out Brandon Marshall's suspension but after that, if one of the young QBs shine, this team is playoff bound.

Hellboy - Ben Utecht? I know who he is, but just surprised he's even getting drafted in a 12 team league. I would rather take a flier on Kevin Boss or rookie Dustin Keller (both not drafted). Still, I really like Marques Colston. Hellboy took him a bit over his ADP but I like the move. He has a solid RB duo of Barber and Parker, as I think people are little too down on Parker. Felix Jones looks like a better fit for a point-per-reception league but early reviews are very promising. Ride out the Steve Smith suspension and this team is in excellent shape.

Team Name: Warbirds
Owner Name: Joe Kilroy
Draft Spot: 1.12

1. What was your general strategy and did you get to execute it? The answer to the second part of that question is yes and no. I usually try and grab two good running backs when starting with a late pick in the first round of a snake format draft. Especially in a league like this that doesn't give points for receptions. I would've taken Clinton Portis if he fell one more spot and then grabbed Jones-Drew with my next pick. Once Portis was taken though I decided I'd rather have Terrell Owens and Reggie Wayne over a combo like Maurice Jones-Drew and Ryan Grant.

After deciding to select wide receivers with my first two picks things pretty much went how I hoped they would. I expect pretty good numbers out of LenDale White and Michael Turner, so I felt good about getting them to start for me at running back in the third and fourth rounds.

2. What did you like the most about your draft? After I decided to take receivers with my first two picks the rest of the draft unfolded how I hoped. I would have liked to have better depth at running back, but when I had the chance I decided to take Chris Chambers and Tony Gonzalez instead of using it on backs like Kevin Smith and Edgerrin James.

3. What did you like the least? I don't mind having Chester Taylor as my third back, and I don't mind relying on LaMont Jordan or Sammy Morris to become a factor in the Patriots offense enough to become a solid fourth running back, but I would have felt better about my depth at the position if I handcuffed Jerious Norwood to Turner or Chris Johnson to White. If not that it would've been nice to have grabbed someone like Edgerrin James or Kevin Smith as a third back, but I decided to grab my starting tight end and third wide receiver instead.

4. Who was your best value? Getting Derrick Mason at 9.12 as a fourth wide receiver surprised me. Taking Tony Gonzalez at 6.1 I didn't mind considering he's one of about three or four tight ends that are capable of a thousand yard season. Had Gonzalez gone where Dallas Clark was taken I would have grabbed a running back over Gonzalez.

5. Who was your biggest reach? I took Matt Schaub at pick 8.1. I figure that's about the earliest he's been going in drafts, but he was the last of the quarterbacks available that I was willing to take somewhat early. I didn't want to risk seeing him go off the board before my next pick at 9.12. Taking LaMont Jordan at the end of the eleventh round felt like it was earlier than he should go, but the way running backs went in this draft he probably wasn't bad value there.

6. Which player(s) did you covet, but were already picked? I wanted to handcuff Norwood to Turner, but he went earlier than I thought he'd go. Selvin Young is another back I was hoping would slip a little bit and make it to me later than he did. Receivers Kevin Walter and Jabar Gaffney were two other players I would have taken had they fallen to me in the rounds they were taken.

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

Husky Jerks - Husky has a real good mix of players to start every week at running back, wide receiver, and tight end. A team with that kind of depth at those positions is usually tough to beat. His quarterback situation could be a problem, but both Rodgers and Leinart come with good upside. If he needed a better QB he could probably use his depth at other positions to deal for one during the season.

Rookies - Rookies managed to pair Brian Westbrook with Ryan Grant, pick-up Selvin Young as his third back, and still get a good mix of receivers to choose from every week with Andre Johnson leading the way. He also got one of the top tight ends with his Chris Cooley selection. McNabb and Delhomme may frustrate him at times, but if they stay healthy it shouldn't be much of an issue.

9-Route - Owning Adrian Peterson makes it more plausible that 9-Route could get by with using Darren McFadden, Rashard Mendenhall, and Pierre Thomas in some kind of rotation as his number two back throughout the year. It also helps that he has Braylon Edwards and T.J. Houshmanzadeh as two of his three starting receivers with Kellen Winslow at tight end. He could have trouble at QB if Matt Hasselbeck disappoints.

Compiler Guy - I had a tough time picking between Compiler Guy (CG) and The Prototype. I went with CG though because I like his stable of running backs more, think his wide receivers are good enough to get things done, and while Heap is a more productive tight end than Alge Crumpler, there is always a risk injuries will cost him parts of the season.

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