I'm Depressed (Update I'm Not Quite As Depressed)

[Tom Kessenich]

Just found out I got the 11th pick in my big-money home league. This marks roughly the 19th time in the last 20 years I've picked near the end of the first round. Without 3RR that is not where I want to be.

Pray for me.

[Sabretooth]

I have the 13th in mine. And also without 3RR. Don't feel bad!

[Tom Kessenich]

I have the 13th in mine. And also without 3RR. Don't feel bad!

Can I feel bad for both of us?

[Sabretooth]

Tom I'm looking at grabbing Fitz or graham or maybe both. Then again with some of these guys in my league I night get CJ to drop. So maybe you shouldn't feel so bad for me:)

[gorgo]

On the bright side you are due for high draft places for the next 20

[Tom Kessenich]

I've been mocking this out. Without 3RR this is brutal. I may start drinking heavily.

[boutrous11]

you guys need to get your home leagues to switch to auctions.

[Tom Kessenich]

So after pouring over the ADP list and putting together several different possible rosters I think I'm going to do something radical:

I'm considering bailing on RBs after I get my RB1.

Here's the background - 12-team 2-QB league, one keeper per team (mine is Jimmy Graham), PPR and as I lamented earlier I'm picking 11th. My plan at the moment is to take a RB either in the first (McFadden or Forte being the likely candidates) or the second (who the hell knows at that point). The two-QB rule means I have to strike early as all the good ones are typically gone by Round 3. Assuming Brady and Brees are gone before my pick in the first I'm targeting Matt Ryan as my QB1 in the third.

I've tried putting together several teams where I went RB-RB and I didn't really like any of them. I also considered going RB-WR-RB-QB and taking someone like Doug Martin or hoping Fred Jackson fell. But if I do that, I find that I'm real thin at WR which I'm not comfortable with (even though Graham essentially gives me two stud WR1s). So here's my thinking - let's say I get Forte in the first and then go Fitz in the second and Ryan in the third. I could then team Fitz with any number of upside WRs such as Austin, Bryant, Maclin (assuming he's not kept and he might be), Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Vincent Jackson, Demaryius Thomas (another possible keeper) or Eric Decker. Lots and lots of WRs to choose from.

I'd then hold off on my RB2 until the next round where I'd hope to land someone like McGahee, Peyton Hillis or Law Firm and then grab a high-upside WR3. I'd then be targeting Pierre Thomas as my RB3 a little later. So if it all came together I'd have a foundation of:

QB-Ryan
RB-Forte
RB-McGahee
RB-Thomas
WR-Fitzgerald
WR-Bryant
WR-Washington
TE-Graham

Again, the WR2 and WR3 spots could be filled by any number of possibilities. I'm just using Bryant and Washington as examples. So what do the experts here think? Am I off my rocker for bailing on RBs early or is this the year to give it a shot considering what a mess the position is? I'm interested in your thoughts.

[David U Kennedy]

Definitely agree with you Tom. Why take Rbs late in the first when the best ones are gone. Thats putting yourself at a scoring disadvantage to start right off. I could never understand why drafters would do that. Why not target the top WRs, QBs, and or TEs. For me its the only strategy for picking at the bottom of the first round. You essentially are losing 50-80 points by taking a RB at that point. Unless of course your RB produces to a higher level.
On another note Im not sure I like Fitzgerald this year. His Qbs BLOW. Id rather go Green, S SMIth, Julio, or maybe even Nicks. Good luck in your draft!

[Tom Kessenich]

Definitely agree with you Tom. Why take Rbs late in the first when the best ones are gone. Thats putting yourself at a scoring disadvantage to start right off. I could never understand why drafters would do that. Why not target the top WRs, QBs, and or TEs. For me its the only strategy for picking at the bottom of the first round. You essentially are losing 50-80 points by taking a RB at that point. Unless of course your RB produces to a higher level.
On another note Im not sure I like Fitzgerald this year. His Qbs BLOW. Id rather go Green, S SMIth, Julio, or maybe even Nicks. Good luck in your draft!

Thanks Dave. That's my thinking too. As far as Fitz, I'm not feeling great about him but I think he's safe. He was productive last season with the same QBs so I don't think he falls off a cliff. Green will be a keeper and Julio might be as well so they won't be in play. I think it may be too soon for Smith there and Nicks' foot injury really worries me. Those things tend to linger.