Fantasy football draft prep? Don't bother.
12/21/2006
Fantasy Football Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
It’s a long off-season. From the last seconds of the Super Bowl to the late summer euphoria that is the start of a new season, there are seven months of what football fans would call darkness. For those of us who play (read: are addicted to) fantasy football, there is a light at the end of that dark tunnel around July 1. That is when all the fantasy football preview guides come out. It’s when you can start reading up on the forthcoming season while sipping cocktails on the beach, or when your boss keeps his or her nose out of your cubicle for a few minutes.
The past two seasons I was one of these fantasy football junkies, picking these magazines off the rack as if they were Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. I engaged my football- loving senses while simultaneously driving my wife crazy. In 2005 this strategy seemed to help, as my team wound up in the final game and I almost won it all. This season, the results were completely different.
In the one league I’ve been a part of for six seasons now, I went 4-10 and scored the fewest overall points. And in my first year in the Bullz-Eye league, I started 0-7 because, even though I scored a decent number of points, I had given up more points than any other team (playing against LaDainian Tomlinson or Larry Johnson or Willie Parker when they are lighting up the scoreboard is something you just can’t prepare for). But I wound up salvaging a bit of pride by going .500 the last six weeks and finishing 3-10.
Seven wins, 20 losses. It makes you wonder if all that research is worth it. Honestly, I think next season I am going to just go with this philosophy: pick players in good offensive systems, pick players that miss very few games, and of course, pick sure things like LT or LJ if blessed with a high enough pick.
Meanwhile, below is a recap of my actual drafts in both leagues. Think of it as a blueprint of what not to do next year.
League #1
Lamont Jordan — This dude was ranked like #6 or #7 by everyone, so with the #7 pick it was almost a no-brainer. But who knew that Jordan would be the biggest fantasy football bust of 2006? I blame Art Shell, the returning coach who decided he’d bring back offensive coordinator Tom Walsh, who at the time he was hired was serving pancakes and coffee at a bed & breakfast in Montana. Seriously. Of course, it didn’t help that Jordan got hurt early in the season and was never really 100 percent.
Torry Holt — Widely recognized as one of the best receivers in the game, if not the best, Holt was unstoppable for the first seven weeks, leading all receivers in fantasy points. I had a flurry of trade offers, most of which seemed ridiculous at the time. Then Mr. Holt promptly forgot how to score fantasy points, and in this league was actually SHUT OUT for five straight weeks. SHUT OUT.
Reuben Droughns — Every time this guy played against me the last two seasons, he was a lock for 100 yards and at least one touchdown. It didn’t matter if he was running behind the Broncos’ O-line or the Browns’. Wearing the uniform of my team, The Freakshow, Droughns racked up an amazing four touchdowns all season. And I didn’t even play him enough to take advantage of those touchdowns.
Jake Delhomme — Another candidate for fantasy bust of the year, Jake was ranked really high, to the point that some magazines pegged him as a sleeper and a top-five QB. While on my team, he topped 200 yards only three times the first eight games, with eight touchdowns. Stiffsville. So I traded him for Ahman Green, because I had luckily (or not) picked up Rex Grossman.
Dominic Rhodes — Ah, the old RBBC. Everyone knew rookie Joseph Addai would become the new Edgerrin James in Indy. But you had to figure Rhodes was the starter until he lost his job, and in this offense you couldn’t go wrong, right? Wrong. Dude had five touchdowns for me all year and his highest rushing total was 84 yards in week five against the Titans.
Jerry Porter — Ouch, another Raider. Yes, picking a Raider was a bad idea to begin with, but I had to go and pick one that was in Art Shell’s doghouse. When I heard he was not going to play for the first few games, if at all, I had to release him on the first Sunday of the season.
Corey Bradford — Another sleeper pick who everyone said would thrive under Mike Martz’ offensive system in Detroit. He thrived about as long as a French fry in the passenger seat. And to add insult, former defensive back Mike Furrey became Detroit’s number two receiver behind Roy Williams.
Brandon Jacobs — Always a good choice to have on your bench, Brandon Jacobs is a goal line back similar to Jerome Bettis, the guy who is going to bogart touchdowns from Tiki Barber. He’s got nine so far, but he rarely scored when I played him or when I really needed the points.
Doug Gabriel — He’s a former Raider who was going to take over for Deion Branch in New England as Tom Brady’s go-to guy. The problem is, he’s a former Raider. Gabriel has scored three touchdowns, but what’s more amazing is that he made it through the whole season without me releasing him. Maybe I deserved to lose 10 games.
Josh Brown — This guy was ranked the number one kicker by at least one source. Then he had some sort of mysterious foot ailment that was reported around week four. Since kickers kind of need their feet, I dropped him immediately and he really hasn’t had that great of a season anyway.
Jon Kitna — A good choice to back up Delhomme, right? He’s in Mike Martz’s offensive system and has shown flashes of brilliances. Sadly, the Detroit Lions have never shown flashes of brilliance.
Brandon Stokley — When in doubt, pick someone on the Colts. But if you’re me and it’s 2006, you pick the guy who winds up on the IR.
Michael Bennett — With late draft picks, why not grab the backup to either LT or Larry Johnson? I picked LJ’s backup and LJ remained healthy for the entire season.
Eric Parker — I’m pretty sure Parker was number one on the depth chart in San Diego’s receiver corps (not counting stud tight end Antonio Gates.) Yes, a bit of a risk because no one knew about QB Phillip Rivers going into this season, but did anyone expect ZERO touchdowns from Parker?
I went on to pick up some guys like Rex Grossman, Bernard Berrian and Reche Caldwell, but none of them helped me overcome a really poor draft. That, and Grossman would typically throw three or four interceptions and no touchdowns when I really needed him.
Result: The Freakshow was a laughingstock in 2006.
Bullz-Eye League
Ronnie Brown — Another guy who was supposed to be a safe pick at number six, right? Nope. Dude pretty much did nothing until week six. He’s still only had five touchdowns all season and is currently out with an injury.
Willis McGahee — Just like Brown, he’s had five touchdowns and has only topped 100 yards twice this season. I wound up trading him midseason, and that’s okay because he wound up getting hurt as well.
Tom Brady — I had Brady in my other league in 2005 and he was a stud. Of course, he had a committee of receivers that included Deion Branch and David Givens. Both of them bolted for other teams, and they took Brady’s fantasy stats with them (well, sort of…Givens was a total bust in Nashville). Overall, I guess Brady wasn’t awful, he just only performed spectacularly when he was on my bench.
Donald Driver — He’s ranked number seven now among all receivers, but Driver didn’t come alive until after I traded him.
Javon Walker — One of the few bright spots on either of my teams this season, Walker really has thrived in Denver despite the fact he’s had Jake Plummer throwing to him most of the year.
Thomas Jones — The Bears have a RBBC, so this wasn’t necessarily a safe pick. But again, here is a guy who has killed me when I’ve played against him. He was okay this season, but he’s still ranked around 20th overall in fantasy output.
Lee Evans — Aside from that one game when he had 265 yards and two touchdowns, Lee Evans has been steadily unspectacular. Really, what was I expecting from a Bills receiver?
Randy McMichael — Another guy who historically has manhandled me when opposing him, McMichael absolutely tanked this year, scoring only one touchdown and topping 75 yards just once.
Laurence Maroney — Every time you think Maroney is going to become the man in New England, Corey Dillon somehow swipes touchdowns from him. No matter -- I traded him for Frank Gore at midseason (to one of the teams in the championship game, ironically) and that turned out good for me.
Reggie Brown — He had some good games early on, but has battled injuries and now has Jeff Garcia throwing him the ball.
Panthers D/ST — Everyone had them ranked in the top four of defenses, so why didn’t I go with my gut and pick the Bears or the Ravens here? I have no idea. But this unit underperformed almost as bad as Lamont Jordan this season.
Drew Bennett — I think I may have inserted Drew in my lineup once this season, and it was the week I benched Joe Horn (who I acquired in a trade), who promptly had like an 80 yard touchdown in the first minute of that game.
Brett Favre — A fantasy flame that is slowly burning out, Favre had a few good games this season, but just like Brady, it was always when I didn’t play him. Not only should you not do any preseason research, you shouldn’t pay attention to matchups either!
Shayne Graham — A pretty consistent kicker, and one of the few draft picks I don’t now regret.
Brandon Jacobs — Did I really pick him in both leagues?
Greg Jennings — Who knew Jennings would be the second coming of Javon Walker in Green Bay? An injury has limited his fantasy impact lately, and of course stupid me decided to trade Donald Driver instead of Jennings early this season.
Result: An 0-7 start, and 3-10 finish. The Music City Miracles were a laughingstock in this league as well.
So there you have it. If you find yourself salivating over that fantasy football publication in June or July, make sure your wife or girlfriend is there to slap your hand away and reach for SI instead. Then go have a cocktail on the beach, or get back to work, or whatever you were doing before. Just don’t worry about your fantasy draft until around September 1.