Fantasy Football's blog

Last weekend we held drafts for all four leagues I’m involved in this season. I’ll post all the results over the next few days, but here is how my first draft went and my thoughts about it.

Team A — This is a 10-team, redraft league with team defenses. Starters are 1 QB, 2 RBs, 1 flex (RB or WR), 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 DEF and 1K. There are seven bench spots. Scoring is pretty standard, with bonuses for longer field goals.

Q: I pick second in my fantasy league and have no idea about whom I want to pick. Larry Johnson seems like the most logical pick but I don’t know how he’s going to do since he missed so much time in training camp and their offensive line is nothing like it used to be. I thought about picking Shaun Alexander, but something about him doesn’t sit well with me. I just don’t feel that he is worth a second pick anymore. Frank Gore and Steven Jackson are also options that I have explored. So basically I’m stuck with Johnson, Gore and Jackson with Johnson leading the pack by a narrow margin. My second-round pick will obviously be the best running back available at the time, with Tom Brady coming with the third pick. I am almost certain that he will still be available. However I have been thinking about waiting to draft a quarterback until later rounds because Eli Manning and Alex Smith are looking very good to me and I think both of them are ready to break out this year. Tight end is another position that I am going to pick up in later rounds by going with Kellen Winslow or Randy McMicheal, whoever is still on the board. -- Lamar

It’s been more than 15 years since I left those hallowed halls of higher education, but right now I can distinctly recall how it felt the night before a big exam. I’ve been cramming for hours, but I’m still nowhere near ready for a draft, much less the FOUR of them I have scheduled for this weekend. Many more hours of prep lie ahead of me, and I’m kicking myself for waiting until the last minute to “study.”?

Reader question for week 15:

Should I start Jay Cutler at Arizona or Joey Harrington at Buffalo?

Reply: Hard to believe you made the playoffs with either of those guys anchoring your team, but stranger things have happened. I think I’d take a chance on Cutler against a lousy Cardinals’ pass defense, especially if your league doesn’t penalize heavily for turnovers. I’d worry about Harrington and the rest of the Miami boys in the Buffalo cold, as they don’t come away from Ralph Wilson stadium with many victories.

Reader question for week 14:

I've got Brees and Hasselbeck. I know Brees is one of the top fantasy QBs this year, but Hasselbeck at Arizona seems to be a much more favorable matchup than Brees at Dallas. Then again, Hasselbeck doesn't seem to be fully recovered yet. Your opinion?--Mike

These players should be starting weekly regardless of match-ups:

Quarterbacks

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis

Drew Brees, New Orleans

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati

Tom Brady, New England

Great, McNabb’s down--par for the course for me this season. I’ve got him in my primary league (redraft), in which my first two picks were Shaun Alexander and Willis McGahee. The first wide receiver I picked was Chad Johnson, whom I finally decided to sit last week following a disappointing first eight games. He punished me for that, with 260 yards and two touchdowns while sitting on my bench.

Reader's question for week 10:

I have Edgerrin James, Frank Gore, Thomas Jones and Lamont Jordan as my running backs. Which 2 would be the most productive picks for this weekend?--Lamar

I love the flexible scheduling that starts this week in the NFL, allowing more meaningful games to move to a nationally televised, primetime slot. This week, the Chicago/N.Y. Giants game was moved to Sunday night, an easy call considering it’s the only contest on the schedule between two teams with winning records.

On the injury and waiver wire fronts:

After sitting out two weeks, Houston rookie Wali Lundy was activated before the Jacksonville game and went on to post 93 rushing yards and a touchdown while adding 15 receiving yards. He is certainly worth grabbing off waiver wires. It was the Texans’ highest rushing total this season and could be a sign of good things to come, plus opportunities to find a decent running back on the waiver wire are few and far between.