Fantasy News
Are kickers simply worth nothing? That seems to be the consensus in the Fanex Draft that I’m participating in. I wasn’t looking to be the first owner to select a kicker, but I was on the clock with pick 15.08 – No. 176 overall – and all of the kickers were still available.
With all of the kickers there, I selected Stephen Gostkowski. I thought he should have gone about 3-4 rounds earlier. I think he’ll save me a roster spot, and he’ll also save me some spending money. I don’t like sending my team into battle without a good kicker. Had I gone with any other kicker, therefore, I probably would have had to carry two. (Rob Bironas, for example, is a one of the better kickers on my board, but I wouldn’t want to use him in week 1 at Pittsburgh). And in this league, each team gets $100 to buy free agents. By selecting Gostkowski, I believe I’ll spend less money making waiver-wire adjustments on the kicker positions. We’re now on pick 17.05, and still no other kicker has been selected.
Other observations on this draft since I last checked in:
I grabbed a pair of defenses at 16.11 and 17.02 – New England and San Diego. Dallas was the other one I was considering. All of these defenses are good but not great; I figured I wanted two of them so that I could play some matchups and perhaps latch onto a top-5 unit. If either the Patriots or Chargers fails to put together a bounce-back season, I’ll just cut them in early October.
In this league, I tend to make my picks faster than anyone. Once I’m on the clock, I don’t use the 18-hour timer; I typically make my pick within 5 minutes. But this is a mistake. It makes more sense to sit on the clock, hoping that some player’s value rises because of an off-field development. Mark Nulty benefitted from usng this approach on Tuesday; he sat on the clock for 13 hours and had Brett Favre land in his lap. It’s kind of a loophole in the 18-hour timer rule. If everyone used 18 hours per pick, the draft wouldn’t be completed on time. Whatever. I don’t see Favre having a big impact in this league.
Michael Vick has found a home. Jerome Hickerson picked him at 17.03. I don’t see Vick making an impact – he wasn’t even on my draft board.
Because of earlier trades, I have only one draft pick left. With that choice, I’ll probably take a hit-or-miss player with some upside. This is the 20th guy on my roster, so there’s a good chance this player will be released in mid-September when I sign my first free agent. If anybody has a suggestion for that last pick, I’m all ears.
FANEX DRAFT (AMERICAN LEAGUE)
1.01 RB Maurice Jones-Drew(Rito)
1.02 RB Adrian Peterson(Butler)
1.03 RB Matt Forte(Hickerson)
1.04 RB Steve Slaton(Davis)
1.05 RB Michael Turner(Tinker)
1.06 WR Larry Fitzgerald(Holm)
1.07 RB Steven Jackson(Nulty)
1.08 WR Randy Moss(Perlow)
1.09 RB LaDainian Tomlinson(Cahill)
1.10 RB Chris Johnson(Butler)
1.11 RB DeAngelo Williams(Kellogg)
1.12 WR Andre Johnson(Panizo)
2.01 RB Brian Westbrook(Panizo)
2.02 WR Calvin Johnson(Kellogg)
2.03 WR Reggie Wayne(Perlow)
2.04 RB Frank Gore(Cahill)
2.05 WR Steve Smith(Allan)
2.06 RB Marion Barber(Nulty)
2.07 WR Greg Jennings(Holm)
2.08 WR Brandon Marshall(Tinker)
2.09 WR Roddy White(Davis)
2.10 RB Brandon Jacobs(Hickerson)
2.11 WR Wes Welker(Allan)
2.12 WR Anquan Boldin(Rito)
3.01 WR Marques Colston(Rito)
3.02 QB Drew Brees(Allan)
3.03 WR Terrell Owens(Hickerson)
3.04 RB Clinton Portis(Davis)
3.05 RB Reggie Bush(Tinker)
3.06 QB Tom Brady(Nulty)
3.06 RB Ronnie Brown(Holm)
3.08 RB Pierre Thomas(Perlow)
3.09 QB Peyton Manning(Kellogg)
3.09 RB Ryan Grant(Cahill)
3.11 RB Knowshon Moreno(Kellogg)
3.12 RB Kevin Smith(Panizo)
4.01 RB Marshawn Lynch(Panizo)
4.02 RB Darren McFadden(Kellogg)
4.03 WR Anthony Gonzalez(Allan)
4.04 WR Dwayne Bowe(Cahill)
4.05 RB Derrick Ward(Perlow)
4.06 WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh(Nulty)
4.07 TE Jason Witten(Holm)
4.08 RB Joseph Addai(Tinker)
4.09 QB Aaron Rodgers(Davis)
4.10 WR Chad Ochocinco(Hickerson)
4.11 RB Ray Rice(Allan)
4.12 RB Larry Johnson(Rito)
5.01 TE Antonio Gates(Rito)
5.02 RB Cedric Benson(Allan)
5.03 WR Braylon Edwards(Hickerson)
5.04 WR Vincent Jackson(Davis)
5.05 QB Tony Romo(Tinker)
5.06 RB Thomas Jones(Holm)
5.07 TE Dallas Clark(Nulty)
5.08 QB Philip Rivers(Perlow)
5.09 TE Tony Gonzalez(Cahill)
5.10 WR Devin Hester(Butler)
5.11 WR Santonio Holmes(Kellogg)
5.12 WR Antonio Bryant(Panizo)
6.01 RB Beanie Wells(Panizo)
6.02 WR DeSean Jackson(Kellogg)
6.03 RB LenDale White(Allan)
6.04 QB Kurt Warner(Cahill)
6.05 WR Eddie Royal(Perlow)
6.06 WR Santana Moss(Nulty)
6.07 WR Roy Williams(Holm)
6.08 WR Lee Evans(Tinker)
6.09 WR Torry Holt(Davis)
6.10 QB Donovan McNabb(Hickerson)
6.11 WR Derrick Mason(Allan)
6.12 QB Carson Palmer(Rito)
7.01 RB Jonathan Stewart(Rito)
7.02 WR Laveranues Coles(Allan)
7.03 RB Julius Jones(Hickerson)
7.04 RB Willie Parker(Davis)
7.05 TE Owen Daniels(Tinker)
7.06 WR Hines Ward(Holm)
7.07 WR Jerricho Cotchery(Nulty)
7.08 TE Greg Olsen(Perlow)
7.09 WR Lance Moore(Cahill)
7.10 TE Chris Cooley(Butler)
7.11 RB Rashard Mendenhall(Kellogg)
7.12 WR Donald Driver(Panizo)
8.01 QB Jay Cutler(Panizo)
8.02 WR Bernard Berrian(Kellogg)
8.03 WR Steve Breaston(Tinker)
8.04 RB Felix Jones(Cahill)
8.05 RB Donald Brown(Perlow)
8.06 WR Donnie Avery(Nulty)
8.07 QB Matt Schaub(Holm)
8.08 RB Darren Sproles(Tinker)
8.09 TE Kellen Winslow(Davis)
8.10 TE John Carlson(Hickerson)
8.11 WR Kevin Walter(Butler)
8.12 WR Josh Morgan(Rito)
9.01 WR Steve Smith(Rito)
9.02 RB Leon Washington(Allan)
9.03 TE Zach Miller(Hickerson)
9.04 QB Matt Ryan(Davis)
9.05 WR Justin Gage(Butler)
9.06 RB Jamal Lewis(Holm)
9.07 RB Tim Hightower(Nulty)
9.08 RB Willis McGahee(Perlow)
9.09 WR Michael Crabtree(Cahill)
9.10 RB Ahmad Bradshaw(Butler)
9.11 QB Kyle Orton(Kellogg)
9.12 RB Fred Jackson(Panizo)
10.01 RB Chester Taylor(Panizo)
10.02 QB Jake Delhomme(Kellogg)
10.03 WR Brian Robiskie(Butler)
10.04 QB Ben Roethlisberger(Cahill)
10.05 WR Ted Ginn(Perlow)
10.06 RB Earnest Graham(Nulty)
10.07 RB LeSean McCoy(Holm)
10.08 WR Miles Austin(Butler)
10.09 ST Pittsburgh(Davis)
10.10 RB Jerious Norwood(Hickerson)
10.11 WR Earl Bennett(Allan)
10.12 QB Matt Hasselbeck(Rito)
11.01 RB Jamaal Charles(Rito)
11.02 TE Brent Celek(Allan)
11.03 QB Matt Cassel(Hickerson)
11.04 WR Nate Burleson(Davis)
11.05 RB Shonn Greene(Tinker)
11.06 QB Trent Edwards(Holm)
11.07 WR Domenik Hixon(Nulty)
11.08 RB Michael Bush(Perlow)
11.09 WR Kevin Curtis(Cahill)
11.10 ST Chicago (Tinker)
11.11 RB James Davis(Kellogg)
11.12 QB Eli Manning(Panizo)
12.01 WR Davone Bess(Panizo)
12.02 WR Percy Harvin(Kellogg)
12.03 QB Sage Rosenfels(Butler)
12.04 WR Chris Henry(Cahill)
12.05 WR Chaz Schilens(Perlow)
12.06 WR Chris Chambers(Nulty)
12.07 RB Ricky Williams(Holm)
12.08 QB JaMarcus Russell(Butler)
12.09 RB Chris Brown(Davis)
12.10 WR Patrick Crayton(Hickerson)
12.11 QB David Garrard(Allan)
12.12 WR Mike Walker(Rito)
13.01 RB Fred Taylor(Rito)
13.02 TE Heath Miller(Allan)
13.03 RB LeRon McClain(Hickerson)
13.04 TE Dustin Keller(Davis)
13.05 QB Joe Flacco(Tinker)
13.06 RB Laurence Maroney(Holm)
13.07 WR Nate Washington(Nulty)
13.08 RB Sammy Morris(Perlow)
13.09 WR Mark Bradley(Cahill)
13.10 TE Visanthe Shiancoe(Butler)
13.11 QB Tarvaris Jackson(Kellogg)
13.12 WR Hakeem Nicks(Panizo)
14.01 WR Michael Jenkins(Panizo)
14.02 ST Minnesota (Kellogg)
14.03 RB Justin Fargas(Butler)
14.04 RB Correll Buckhalter(Cahill)
14.05 QB Chad Pennington(Perlow)
14.06 RB Kevin Faulk(Nulty)
14.07 QB Jason Campbell(Holm)
14.08 WR Isaac Bruce(Tinker)
14.09 WR Mark Clayton(Davis)
14.10 WR Bobby Engram(Hickerson)
14.11 TE Jeremy Shockey(Allan)
14.12 ST Baltimore (Rito)
15.01 TE Kevin Boss(Rito)
15.02 TE Vernon Davis(Allan)
15.03 ST NY Giants(Hickerson)
15.04 RB Brandon Jackson(Davis)
15.05 RB Bernard Scott(Tinker)
15.06 WR Muhsin Muhammad(Holm)
15.07 QB Kerry Collins(Nulty)
15.08 PK Stephen Gostkowski(Allan)
15.09 WR Darrius Heyward-Bey(Cahill)
15.10 RB Tashard Choice(Butler)
15.11 TE Bo Scaife(Kellogg)
15.12 QB Shaun Hill(Panizo)
16.01 WR Kenny Britt(Panizo)
16.02 WR Laurent Robinson(Kellogg)
16.03 TE Marcedes Lewis(Butler)
16.04 ST Philadelphia(Cahill)
16.05 ST NY Jets(Perlow)
16.06 QB Brett Favre(Nulty)
16.07 RB Jerome Harrison(Holm)
16.08 WR Antwaan Randle El(Tinker)
16.09 RB Glen Coffee(Davis)
16.10 RB Rashad Jennings(Hickerson)
16.11 ST New England (Allan)
16.12 WR Greg Camarillo(Rito)
17.01 QB Brady Quinn(Rito)
17.02 ST San Diego (Allan)
17.03 QB Michael Vick(Hickerson)
17.04 RB Ladell Betts(Davis)
Scoring system: 6 points for TDs, 4 for TD passes, 1 for every 20 passing yards, 1 for every 10 run/rec yards. Start QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, one Flex (RB-WR-TE), PK, DEF.
Fanex is a 24-team league that's set up like European soccer. Top 12 seeds, based on past performance, are in the American League. Other 12 are in the National League. Each year, the bottom four teams in the American League are replaced by the top four in the National. Each league has a separate winner. Overall champion of the Fanex is considered to be the winner of the American League.
To see American League draft so far, click here.
To see National League draft so far, click here.
—Ian Allan
- Comments [9]
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Posted by Farhan Hassan | Aug. 19 at 03:48 AM
I am sorry in advance if he has already been drafted, but I would nominate James Jones.
Posted by Don Goss | Aug. 19 at 04:37 AM
Good call with James Jones. But what about Robert Meachem? He's underacheived for a couple of years, but has looked good early in the pre-season. And Marques Colston isn't the most durable guy in the world.
Posted by Scott Kopischke | Aug. 19 at 04:56 AM
I suggest Maurice Morris or Kevin Jones, in case of sophomore slumps.
Posted by Timothy Concannon | Aug. 19 at 05:43 AM
Why not Devin Thomas? Your team is already stacked at WR and it will be easy to find out if he has it or not early this season. With his talent and the quality of the players ahead of him I think Thomas is the high-upside guy you are looking for.
Posted by C.J. Strohacker | Aug. 19 at 05:46 AM
I didn't see Danny Ware get picket yet. He's third string, but would definitely produce if there were injuries ahead of him. At WR, I don't think Limas Sweed has been picked yet. The Steelers might pass more than people expect.
Posted by John Evans | Aug. 19 at 08:14 AM
Robert Meachem is your guy...no doubt. There is no way that he should still be available in your league. None of the other options are bad choices...but with this late of the pick...I say that you go with the guy who has the most upside. Call me crazy, but Meachem has top 10 WR talent. Talent has never been what has kept Meachem off the field. His rookie season...it was injuries and his problem with the Saints complex playbook...and last year it was just the playbook. He was successful in the spots that the Saints put him in last year...but it was solely as a deep threat because they weren't confident enough in his knowledge of the playbook. That is what has changed this year. Meachem has dedicated himself physically and mentally in the offseason...and the team finally is allowing him to run routes from the complete playbook. Take a look at the preseason game. He ran three very different routes. The same can be said about his work in training camp. The guy is playing with a ton of confidence right now...and more importantly, Payton has finally has lots of confidence in him. I could be wrong...but you are going to really regret it if I am right. Good luck.
Posted by SCOTT NICOLINO | Aug. 19 at 10:46 PM
I did a quick scan and didn't see his name but I think you should consider a guy like RB Duckett (SEA)...not only will he get most of the goaline touches but with his history with coach Mora and RB Jone's struggles last year he has quite a bit of potential and with your last pick that's what you are looking for...potential! By the way, still have an opening in a 16 team league on CBS if anyone is interested...if you think you know how to compete in Fantsy Football...prove it in a 16 team league...that's where it's more about skill than luck...at least until the playoffs roll around!
Posted by IAN ALLAN | Aug. 20 at 06:08 AM
Meachem was just selected at 18.05. That makes some sense. If any of three different guys (Colston, Henderson, Moore) gets hurt, that will open up a lot of playing time for him -- and that's a real explosive passing offense. About a half-dozen picks until I take my final guy. Unless somebody has a better suggestion, I expect it will be Duckett, Kevin Jones or Devin Thomas.
Posted by Zak Lutz | Aug. 20 at 10:44 AM
Well, you seem to have two good QBs, lots of WRs and TEs, a couple mediocre defenses and top kicker. However, you only have 4 RBs and none are spectacular. Duckett is already getting goal line looks and could be lightning in a bottle if Jones gets hurt. Nice call Scott